Before Muhammad Ali, plenty of African American heavyweights boxed, but few did for the game (or for blacks) what Ali did. Ali was bold, outrageous, and controversial. His antics outside of the ring showed an often-hilarious flair for self-promotion, and his conversion to Islam and decision to avoid the Vietnam War only fueled the storm of controversy that surrounded him. The thing about Ali, though, was that he was good enough to get by with it; after all, it's hard to argue with success. In the ring, he showed a sheer prowess and technique that few before or since could approach (the bonus CD-ROM discusses the similarities and contrasts between Ali and the great Joe Louis). Outside the ring, Ali had a sharp mind, good looks, and the strength of his own convictions going for him. This DVD contains footage of Ali's 1964 fight in which he slaughtered Sonny Liston, the 1974 bout where his technique got the better of George Foreman and his fearsome punching power, and the brutal 1975 fight against Joe Frazier (all fights are shown in their entirety). There have been few heavyweight boxers who can compare favorably to Muhammad Ali, and this DVD should be in the collection of all those who consider themselves fans of the sport. --Jerry Renshaw