Champions Forever

I bought this when it was released in the US in 2001 so was slightly surprised when offered the disc for review as I didn't realise it had never been released in the UK.  The program is in two halves, a documentary about the five great heavyweights of the 1960s and '70s and their memorable fights followed by a dinner in a sports bar where the five men are interviewed by baseball legend Reggie Jackson.
 
Beginning with footage of Mike Tyson knocking out Larry Holmes to retain his heavyweight crown in 1989, Champions Forever moves back to 1960 when the then Cassius Clay won an Olympic gold.  It follows his rise through the pro ranks and defeat of Sonny Liston to become World Heavyweight Champion and then his ban for refusing the draft.  The focus then shifts to Joe Frazier and George Forman who built up their résumés during Muhammad Ali's ban with the former taking the vacant Championship.  By the time Ali returned he had generated massive interest in a match between him and Frazier as Ali considered himself the 'People's Champion' as an undefeated fighter who was unfairly stripped.  What followed was the incredible 'Fight of the Century' and Ali's rebuilding effort culminating in the win over Foreman in Zaire where he won the title for the second time, his defeats and third reign defeating Leon Spinks in a rematch.  As the only man to fight Foreman, Frazier, Ken Norton and Larry Holmes, Ali features most heavily and is the glue in the narrative which finishes when Holmes stops him and begins his own seven year reign which is halted by Tyson, who bookends the piece.
 
 

 
With many (including me) bemoaning the state of the heavyweight division, it is amazing to look back on these men and their rivalries with the great fights that they had, each becoming, at one stage or another, Heavyweight Champion of the World.  Included are highlights of Ali's trilogies with Norton and Frazier, his incredible win over Foreman who had easily disposed of both men who had defeated Ali and given him incredible battles and Foreman's multi-knockdown victories are shown, displaying his awesome punching ability.
 
The dinner section that follows reunites the five men and Reggie Jackson (why him?) throws interesting questions allowing the diners to reminisce on the period and their encounters.  Jackson doesn't probe too heavily or invest in too many follow-up questions - this isn't 60 Minutes and he has to spread the 45 minutes equally without upsetting anyone or opening old wounds.  Ali is a little hard to understand and Norton looks slightly incongruous, wearing a Gold's Gym baseball cap with his open tuxedo as Ali and Holmes are snappily attired in their tuxes and bow-ties.  Foreman is easily the most articulate of the five, a testament to his early retirement and spell as a Baptist preacher. 
 

 
The dinner ends with Jackson telling each man he was a champion and is a Champion Forever and it is interesting that Ali's intellect and quickness of thought hasn't diminished as he easily dissects the concept saying that they were the best in their eras and champions there, basically rubbishing the idea of Champions Forever as there is a new champion now who is the best in his era.
 
The documentary was made in 1991 before Foreman became the oldest Heavyweight Champion by knocking out Michael Moorer in 1994 to become a two-time champion some additional material about this would have been very welcome.  However this is an excellent documentary and would sit alongside When We Were Kings in the collection of any boxing fan.  
 
 

The Disc

  
The Picture and Sound
The AV quality isn't stellar as you'd expect for something originally released on VHS and transferred to DVD but, as the material is several decades old, it doesn't make a great deal of difference to the viewing experience though the most recent material looks soft and there is a degree of hiss on the soundtrack.
 
The documentary is well edited and constructed using Tyson as a framing device and including parts of Ali's poetry alongside footage of his fights with Liston works well.
 
 
 
Final Thoughts
It's been a while since I saw this and I enjoyed it as much this time as when I saw it last, making me want to invest in the full fights to supplement the highlights.  Hopefully releases of the 'Fight of the Decade', 'Rumble in the Jungle' and 'Thrilla in Manila' will follow.  If you want a documentary dedicated to Ali and Frazier, Thriller in Manila is available now and would complement this DVD well.  Highly recommended to boxing fans who don't own the disc and want to see more about the 'Golden Generation' of fighters who were the finest group to grace the Heavyweight division.