50
LARRY NEAL
modality of space, sound, motion and existence. Both space and motion
can be manipulated rhythmically. Existence can also be manipulated
in like manner; but we'll deal with that some other time when we are
discussing contests that involve more than four persons.
If
we went
into that now, we would have to discuss history, and that bitch is not
the subject of my discussion.
"All fighters must understand the principles of rhythmic modality.
The fighter who best understands these principles will most likely win
the contest. Again, young man, rhythm here refers to the duration and
the structure of the contest, its interlocking spatial and dynamic rela–
tionships, the manner in which one proceeds to handle the space dom–
inated by his own body, and the body of his opponent. It also refers to
the artistic or technical manipulation of the space encompassed by
the square which these fools erroneously call the "ring." By the use of
a calculus, therefore, we arrive at the conclusion that the Ali-Frazier
fight was, in fact, a contest of essentially different attitudes toward
music.
"This was the secret wisdom that Jelly Roll Morton passed on to
boxers of the twenties. This principle was orally transmitted through
a long line of boxers until it was momentarily obscured by Floyd Pat–
terson who was the first Hamlet of the boxing profession.
"Now Ali understands these principles of rhythm and music. Theo–
retically, that's what's so sweet about him. You see, he believes in
riffing. He certainly has got the body, the legs and the mouth for it.
But Frazier is somewhere else in the musical universe. Frazier is stomp–
down blues, bacon, grits and Sunday church. Course them Muslims
is different. They don't be eating none of that hog. They say it ruin
your brains. It didn't seem to do Frazier no harm though, 'cept he do
seem a little slow with the rap sometimes. But Joe Louis, an Alabama
boy, raised on black strap molasses, was slow with the rap too. And
you know how mean he could be upon entering the squared circle.
But Ali is body bebop. While Frazier is slow brooding blues with a
gospel bearing. Ali understands the mysteries of the circles and the
squares, the same as Suffi poets do. That is to say Larry, the essential
metaphysics of these forms are, for him, a constant source of religious
and intellectual meditation. Ali prays (does his salats) in quiet medita–
tion. But most likely, Frazier wants to shout in church. However, Ali,
as a Muslim intellectual, has been forced to suppress his gospel im–
pulse. But he can't suppress it totally. You can still hear it in his
voice when he speaks, or when he tries to sing. But blues and gospel
ain't his thing. Frazier can't sing, but he sings better than Ali. And
that's why Frazier won the fight.
