Muhammad and Larry, part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series, is a mesmerizing story of the downfall of a giant, the promise of another great, and the muddled grey area in between. The film was directed by Albert Maysles (one half of the famed documentary team in charge of Gimme Shelter, Salesman, and Grey Gardens fame) and Bradley Kaplan, using archival footage from a shorter, unreleased documentary shot by Maysles and his brother David. This film allows Maysles to use some of his footage from almost 30 years ago and expand on it with new interviews and footage for the “30 for 30” segment. What has been released not only provides a wealth of unseen footage from the era, but it also provides a nice look into how this fight affected all parties involved.
The film chronicles the events leading up the 1980 championship bout between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes. Holmes had been consistently defending his WBC Heavyweight Champion title over the past couple of years by defeating the likes of Ken Norton, Mike Weaver, and Earnie Shavers. Meanwhile, Ali had not boxed professionally in well over a year but was looking for a return for a fourth heavyweight championship. The two had been friends and sparring partners, and Holmes regarded Ali as a mentor and hero. The idea of Ali returning was met with speculation, as nobody thought Ali could make such a strong comeback. The movie begins two months before the fight, and we see Ali, at age 38, looking weathered and tired from the gate. He is overweight (for his class) and sporting a moustache, making him look far older than his age would suggest.
What’s fascinating here is that we are allowed a backstage pass into Ali’s training facility, a sort of grimy, DIY-like arena where you can almost smell the wood and vinyl surrounding the interiors. Here Ali becomes a sort of master of ceremonies, entertaining the crowds with witty speeches and amazing kids with magic tricks. However, it becomes obvious Ali’s keeping his cards close to his chest, never revealing his true self. There is even a moment in a limo ride where Ali is asked about Holmes as a friend, and Ali says he is a friend to Holmes, but the look in his eyes shows nothing but contempt. He is nervous, paranoid of those around him, audibly slurring (unbeknownst to anyone at the time, Ali was only four years away from being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease). Holmes, on the other hand, is seen as much more open to the camera, often seen kissing his baby, singing songs about himself or talking to his wife on his (oversize) car phone. It becomes obvious that he really doesn’t want to fight his friend, but on the day of the fight he will do what he always does. He also knows that he has the talent, and we are reminded that Holmes was a great fighter who probably isn’t considered one of the greats because he came right after Ali’s reign. Even In the days leading up to the fight, Holmes is confident in his skills that he will win, but the hype falls in Ali’s favor, and it proves to be just a little frustrating for Holmes.
The actual fight, almost predictably, proves to be brutal for Ali. The footage is difficult to watch, as Holmes takes the lead from the first round landing punch after punch on Ali, and there are rounds where it seems that Ali has long since given up, not even trying to throw any punches. Holmes even seems to take pity on Ali mid-fight, not wanting to deliver the final blow to his friend. The fight was finally called in 11th round, and Holmes was declared the champion. However, the damage had already been done. Holmes was cast as the villain by the press and fans alike for taking down their hero, and it’s a reputation that he has long since tried to correct (as seen in the newer footage). Ali, rather surprisingly, would fight one more time in 1981 before retiring permanently from the sport. The Ali-Holmes fight is fondly remembered as “crime against all involved”, an “abomination”, clearly a money ploy for the promoters, trainers and sports media. No one person was to blame, yet almost everyone knew the outcome well before the fight.
Muhammad and Larry proves to be so captivating because of not only all the archival footage that allows us into the world of the training areas, but it also shows a heartbreaking story of two greats. One, beloved by both the media and the public (still to this day), was well aware that his chances were slim but gambled anyway—and had an embarrassing downslide to his professional career to show for it. The other, even though he came out the victor by defeating one the greats, was outcast as a villain and was never given the chance to fully redeem himself. The film doesn’t take sides on who’s really the hero here—it just shows the two in the natural habitat, just trying to make sense of what is about to happen and how some wrongs can never be made right.
Rating: 4 ½ stars (out of 5)
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