After losing to Larry Holmes on October 20, 1980 in humiliating fashion, most figured Muhammad Ali would retire for good. However, a month later while narrating the replay on ABC with Howard Cosell, he hinted that he might return to show that he could have done better. It was later learned that a quack doctor had prescribed Ali thyroid medication, despite the fact he didn’t even have a thyroid condition. The results were devastating, leaving Ali a cripple before the fight began and totally without energy after one round. He also never perspired for the whole night, despite 100 degree plus temperatures.
By the summer of 1981, Ali made it known he was serious about another comeback. The opponent chosen was the Canadian heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick, who had knocked out John Tate and gone 15 rough rounds with Larry Holmes. The muscular, rugged Berbick was a top ranked contender, and in October the fight was signed for December 11th. Nassau the Bahamas was the venue chosen, and I for one couldn’t wait to see it. To see the bout, I had to order it from WHT, a local company who for $50 came and put a small antenna on the roof of our house to pick up the signal. It was basically the first pay-per-view fight at home I ever saw, and was worth every cent.
We had a 19″ color tv in my parent’s bedroom, so that is where the cable was attached. That Friday night was my day off from airline job , and it was all I could think about until the opening bell. The undercard was pretty good as well, with a bunch of name fighters on it, including Thomas Hearns, Greg Page and Earnie Shavers.
When Ali walked to the ring, I started to get nervous. I really wanted him to do better than he had against Holmes, and when he actually a few of the early rounds, I got excited. Even my dad joined me to watch the fight, and enjoyed it. Ali did tire badly late, and despite the fact he lost fair and square, I was pleased with his effort. He announced his retirement in the ring after, but at least he went on his terms and doing his very best.
An interesting fact about the fight concerns Trevor Berbick. He was Ali’s last opponent, and 5 years later lost his WBC championship to Mike Tyson. Ali remained a public figure until his death in 2016, and is deservedly a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.
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