I spent Saturday doing interviews on Muhammad Ali and a movie I did years ago…
We’ll be seeing tons of stories and clips on his life over the next several days until his funeral Friday. In 1989 I was hired to co-produce a movie, Champions Forever. The film covered the lives of the five greatest heavyweight champions of the era: Ali, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes and George Foreman.
It was unique in that the five had never before been gathered together as a group.
They never would be again.
We were able to get Reggie Jackson to serve as host. Sly Stallone and others wanted the job but Ali wanted Reggie.
The movie came out in 1990.
It was a coming out event for Ali.
Most of the former boxers had fallen on hard financial times except Holmes who made millions in real estate.
Ali was nearly broke, as was Frazier. Foreman had started his comeback and was making decent money, later he would make millions via his celebrity and regaining the title in his late 40’s.
Ali disappeared from the scene mostly after his loss to Holmes in 1980.
Few knew of his illness.
Like many young men I’d been a huge fan of Ali’s as a kid. He was unique.
In many ways Ali was the father of today’s super star athletes who make millions. Ali was the first. He had a huge ego, a” me, me, me” life and more than just full of himself.
However as Ali ended his boxing career he changed.
His illness took over his life and he became a great person. He stopped hating on people and wanted to as he said, “a Johnny Appleseed” that would plant good will to mankind worldwide. And thats how he spent most of adult life after his lengthy fighting days.
I met Ali at a boxing exhibition in Kansas City at Kemper Arena shortly after he defeated George Foreman for the title in 1974.
I was in awe of the man. I never dreamed I’d be interviewing him for a movie or helping put his life story on film. The movie was a smash hit, played in theaters and was sports all time best selling video and DVD in the 1990’s.
It launched me in doing several other sports films under the Champions Forever banner. It gave me a brief career in film. I owe Ali for all that. In 2010 I did a second movie on Ali, we added 30 minutes of new footage and some of my interviews with him.
As I told the press Saturday, had Ali not become so ill, he might have been America’s first black president. Who knows?
He went from being hated by many to loved by all.
My last question to Ali in the movie was, “How do you want to be remembered?”
He said, “Hey, I never said I was the greatest, you guys did in the media, so I took that on as mine. When I quit the game the game died, didn’t it. I mean, until Tyson came along. He’s good, but he ain’t no Muhammad Ali.”
How true.
There will never be anyone like Muhammad Ali again.
Ali was one of a kind – maybe just maybe the most famous man of our times. He was known all over the world and in every country. Most famous people are too soon forgotten these days, but his name will live on for as long as people’s past lives matter.
Some nice publicity for you (tv & paper). Congratulations.
Thank you but it was on a sad note.
GLAZA…RECEIVED AN EMAIL ALONG WITH YOUR
VIDEO “A MAN AND HIS DOG”.
All I can see is this is one of the sickest things I’ve seen
in a long time.
You need some help sir.
Why would you put this up on the media?
Per IMDb: “A MAN AND HIS DOG”
Starring Glaza and his dog jr. as they talk about their
incredible sex lives with bimbos!
Produced by
Deputy Dog… executive producer
Snoop Doggystylin’ … associate producer
Rin Tin Tin… executive producer
Lassie … co-producer
Toto …… producer
Old Yeller… supervising producer
Mr. Ed … supervising producer
Bobo … executive producer
Mr. Magoo… producer
Hawt Choclut…..GRIP
Per IMDb: Champions Forever –
Produced by
Tom Bellagio … executive producer
Nicholas Celozzi … associate producer
George Edde … executive producer
Kenny Griswold … co-producer
Joseph Medawar … producer
Roy Medawar … supervising producer
F. Daniel Somrack … supervising producer
Hollister Whitworth … executive producer
Nabeel Zahid … producer
Yeah I know and the movie cover and my IMDB says Craig Glazer and Ron Hamady producers…what you are seeing was the original group in 1988 before I was hired and later took over the project but as usual a really stupid hater comment…do your really think I could pretend I produced a movie that has my name all over it, a thousand interviews over the last 20 years nationally and then made four more Champions Forever…oh and the thousands sold on Amazon.com with my name and Hamady’s on it and comments from us…
Hateful people never cease to amaze me on here and other blogs and sites…its the nature of why social media has in many ways become such an evil and sad place to be….this is an example.
I’m quite sure you had zero doubt that’s one of my films…you are just a hater and a troll.
P.S. Troll/Hater…I suppose Image Entertainment who still distributes our Champions Forever Franchise..all the movies we did and ‘own’ sent us all those payments by mistake. Our names in front of the picture when you watch it and me being in the films was the ‘greatest’ sting of all time. Maybe you should go to Amazon and put my name in or Champions Forever and buy the dvd and watch it. Huh. Or better yet look at the box covers…my name is above all those names so is Ron Hamady’s.
Kerouac can vouch for the less than accurate venue that is website imdb. Appearing as a regular and not an extra in a tv series that only played outside the US, my bio on that website reflects said… the series descript itself does not include my, or for that matter the names others who worked in it, similarly.
For those who appreciate their anonymity or do not/did not pursue a career in the business, this isn’t a problem, but if one was intent on working, it should be corrected.
On the technical edge of things, one almost never gets listed: being sub-contracted by Bob Abel & Assocs on Tron, or even working for Image West directly on Star Wars, the companies themselves get listed, but not so much the people who did the actual CGI. The films these days seem to list individuals, but it wasn’t the habit back in the long ago…
I believe this guy is the same person who posted this list on a previous
story glaze had about ali.
Well “somebody is full of himself”…I will say this again….you are
full of bullsh*t and YOU ARE WRONG AGAIN.
Get your b.s. facts correct. Makes no difference if glaze was listed
first or last….he proved you to be an idiot.
Do better research next time. Maybe you won’t look the part of the
village fool!
i think it was in 2000 or 1999, i was at the east dillards at the old, long-gone mission mall. i can’t recall why now, but got on the escalator to go upstairs.
when i got to the top, there across the aisle was a long table where Ali sat signing autographs. i was absolutely awestruck. could not believe my eyes. Ali?? is that ALI??? at a dillards?? the line stretched well out of the store and down past the center of the mall. i just stood there for about 5 minutes and watched him.
i had met famous people before, but all them paled in comparison to just seeing The Greatest. it was awesome.
Ali was in Kansas City several times. I was a bit surprised that the local media on news stories were unaware of the Kemper boxing exhibition he did in 1974. Saying he never fought here, there were like 8,000 people there including Hank Stram. Ali yelled out at Hank, “You ever going to the Super Bowl again.” Hank laughed.
Ali did a few one rounders with local fighters..mostly in fun but he did box here and sadly its totally forgotten. No he never had a real fight just the show at Kemper in the ring.
Allow me to split a hair here. I believe it would have been either the north or south Dillard’s. The mall didn’t run east and west.
split hair fine… it was the dillards bldg with men’s dept.
Then, if memory serves, that was the southern part.
And what would we give to have that back vs what’s there now.
Ali is known to people over 55 years old as a draft dodger who refused to serve in the military. These same people remember and honor the men who when drafted served honorably while some gave their lives for their country.
I did hear on the news that a fellow draft dodger and accused rapist Willie Clinton will speak at the funeral. I thought Ali was a Muslim … guess not.
I’m not impressed with all the hoopla in rewriting his life story.
I keep hearing he was a devout Muslim .. aren’t devout Muslims buried within 24 hours of their death?
Being a conscientious objector does not make him a draft dodger. In fact, it makes him more of a hero in my eyes. He had the courage to stand on his own convictions and he paid the price for it. He lost four years of his prime, and was willing to go to jail for his beliefs. He walked the walk and talked the talk. His life after boxing further exemplified those beliefs.
+1
I’m a person over 55 and Jack Springer does not speak for me. When one looks at the totality of Ali’s life as opposed to being stuck in the 60’s and regards his refusal to serve in the military as making him a draft dodger as opposed to being a conscientous objector then they missed a pretty incredible life’s body of work.
haha Conscientious objectors are draft dodgers. I’m sorry you cannot relate to reality.
No they are completely different. A draft dodger runs away to another country, or for example joins the Texas Air Guard to avoid the draft. A conscientious objector who for reasons of conscience objects to serving in the armed forces. I’m sorry you are dumb enough not to know the difference.
They are both chickenshits! My brother didn’t want to go to Viet Nam either , but he did and it effected the rest of his life like thousands of other young men.He’s Cassius Clay to me too!
We were able to get tickets to the opening ceremony of the 96 Olympics.
All the great American sports stars were there. Shaq/Jordan etc.
I remember the girl bringing the torch up the ramp and then muhammed
ali lighting his torch. His hands were shaking pretty bad from his disease.
When he came out there was an incredible hush around the crowd.
the athletes on the field went quiet til the video board showed “the greatest
on the screen. The board showed Bill Clinton and several of the
American athletes and it was incredible that athletes from every nation
on the field were going nuts (like everyone in the stands) over his
participation. Incredible moment. There wasn’t a dry eye in the entire
stadium. the chant “Ali” was incredibly loud in the stadium.
I did not know til later that the Olympic committee gave him another
gold medal. He had apparently thrown his original medal int0 a river.
Glaze…ya looked good on tv. It must be an incredible experience to have
gotten to know Ali. A now deceased friend of mine’s dad (who was a doctor
in Louisville)was oneofthe orginal investors who threw in I think 3ooo dollars
to help get ali started.
Good work glaze. I never saw the videos but I look forward to watching
them.
Ali was truly the greatest. How neat it must have been to get to meet
and know all these great athletes on a personal basis.
Hopefully the name Ali will never be forgotten. He transcended every other
athlete of his time. And who could forget his fued (shtick) he had with
Howard Cosell.
What I loved about Ali was his words about islam and the fact that they
were a peace loving people. And they are….a few bad guys make 1.6 billion
followers look like haters. That is not the truth. And he spoke of getting
along in peace.
I know I am always going after glaze for his sports stories and his politics.
But on this one glaze deserves an A+. Thanks for the memories and the
tv and paper stories about “the greatest”.
Todays athletes never had the life of ali. We must change. either we all
get along and solve the problems we face as adults in civility and peace or
we shall all be the real losers.
Again…great stuff glaze.
More Blah Blah that can’t be proved from a man who has proved what he says isn’t always the truth.
Hater get the movies and then say that..where do you animals come from…
“ANIMALS”…..GREAT LINE GLAZA.
Like that gorilla they killed in cincy?
Brilliant statement.
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYTERRRRRRRRRR!
Hate to pop your 15 minutes of fame glaze…but your boy trump is in real trouble!!!!!!
Trump university: Big scam on poor people ,.seniors, and 20,000 others who
were duped by his con business. the media has ravaged this mans lies and scheme.
Libya: He changed his position on Libya…and its a joke.
Republican party…Dump gets the nomination and within a few days the
republican party wants to DUMP him. From newt to Ryan they all know this
guy is a pos and wish the November election landslide was already over.
The Mexican judge: Bringing this up only further opens the wounds in the
Hispanic/Mexican community against this idiot Trump. How stupid can he
be.
HIS AFRICAN AMERICAN: Does trump still think this is 1860’s. How stupid
was that remark. Watched his Saturday speech on dvr and said “this guy
is a complete moron! How could he dig a bigger hole with the AA voters
than that comment…just one of many.
Add to all that his taxes…his racist comments….his stupid position papers..
his speeches that sound like they were written by a third grader…the infighting
amoung his campaign….and now we hear he’s broke an the RNCis not going
to throw bad money after bad money to help him essentially lose in November.
AND IT’S ONLY MAY!!!!
Then he says he should sue Hillary for the comments she maide which were
taken from his own stupid quotes on the campaign trail.
Then a poll shows Hillary up 11%. Hillary clinches the nomination Tuesday
night and yes I will be celebrating. Then we’ll see her numbers skyrocket
verss dumpster and it could be dumpster is so far down before the convention
that he can’t recover.
It’s going to be a huge win in November for Hillary.
She’ll have close to 800 million to 1 billion to spend (and essentially all she
needs to do is win 2 more states to win) and he’ll maybe be able to rainse
with his pacs maybe 250 million dollars. He has no gotv organization…no
high tech operation similar to obamas…and she’s got surrogates chomping at the
bit to take on Dump like bill Clinton/joe biden/Elizabeth warraen who in
republic polling is getting more favorable points than any candidate running/
Michelle Obama and the #1 supporter who is gaining steam…President Obama
who is just waiting to endorse Hillary andget on the road to rip the sh*t out
of Dump.
You should have stuck with ali….you know nothing about politics!
I look forward to you eating road kill from alt. 69 when you become the
fool again on kcc.
Harley.
As for Clay/Ali, while I do not subscribe to the ‘greatest ever’ be it athlete, player and / or whatever (there is no such thing beyond subjective opine), he was one of the best.
That he was an ‘draft dodger’ I am in agreement with. That he was banned his chosen field of endeavor for some 3 1/2 years as a result, the price he paid… that he managed to escape jail/worse (some people would have wanted him dead), he is Jane Fonda by any other name, my book.
While not as radical as some of that era/ilk, i.e., was perhaps a bit more likable than others due personality that most found more tongue in cheek than malicious, he was nonetheless a racist according many. I still recall that he commented somewhere late 60’s along the lines of ‘the US should give negroes/blacks a state of their own (was it Arizona? Don’t remember specifically any more.)
In conclusion, athletic achievement/’his legacy’, what sets him a notch below guys like Sandy Koufax, Jim Brown and later Barry Sanders, was all the latter’s retired at their peek, whereas Clay/Ali stayed too long at the fair. His final moments, days and years reflected that.
At their peek, Marciano, Louis, Clay/Ali, Tyson and a tie Frazier/Foreman, Kerouac’s Mount Rushmore of heavyweight boxing. When it gets that crowded up there, seems to affirm that ‘the greatest’ is far too unreachable a pedestal for any one man to claim.
Oh how I miss the heavyweight division of professional boxing.
agreed.
But glaza loves those midget wrestlers and now he’s
featuring hotties in oil wrestling!
And girls from Bonita flats gonna be wrestling? I’ll bet
some of those girls could really do well in the ring.
Hope you fill the house glaza. Sounds like fun.
Where did it go?
revisionist history or not, perceived racist and draft dodger or not, Ali is being mourned the world over, transcending any sports figure in history you can name. gehrig, the babe, beloved and revered as they are, come closest imo, but still not the same impact.
Mike good points. Remember Ali really believed in his religion and cause at the time of refusing the draft. Ali knew and its covered in Champions Forever, that he would never fight in the war, he would be an exhibit fighter and speaker only, his life would almost never be in danger. He also went broke giving up his title for over 3 years, he lived in a small apartment in Chicago with little finanacil aid from the Black Muslims. Which made him rethink that specific group later. He face federal prison a much worse fate than a couple years of boxing shows for the army. The man was no coward of course. Hey in the end he was right about the war it was a waste of lives and achieved nothing for America but pain, suffering and hate…he explains that in the movie as well.
Hey I think he should have gone in, but thats me. Not him.
“His qualities as a person were always admired,” broadcaster and historian Bob Costas said. “But that admiration grows when contrasted with the graceless, self-regarding personas of so many present-day public figures.”
He was talking about Lou Gehrig. . . and Clay
I want to thank our area media for allowing me to comment on Ali and talk about Champions Forever films. The KC Star was very kind and so were all the area shows KCTV 5, KSHB, 610, Dick Wilson, and so many others here in KC. Ali and those movies gave me a ten plus year career of Champions Forever films in LA. I appreciate that and of course it was a rare joy to work with Ali and the other champions back then. Thank you.
Good job glaze.
Amazing garbage. How can someone so in love with themselves, continue to whore themselves, using the name of an actually famous and revered icon. You’ve disgusted me many times, but this is probably the tops. You my poor, poor soul, are a hopelessly lost case of the incredibly non-self-aware egoist. I’m sad for you and the people who know you.
Ladies and germs, Crag Glayzer.
hey dude…after I go out on a limb and say some truly
good comments on glaza…he posts a sick video on youtube.
go to glazer…a man and his dog.
says his dog licks the bimbos he screws in bed but the
bimbos hate the dogs bad breath.
Glaza: if you want to be taken seriously…take this down
asap. Yu’re a businessman in joco.
Not good.
But I could see someone like the bald clown or maybe one
of the senior republican mouthpieces on kcc saying these
things! hahahahahahaha!
Bad move.
NO CLUE WTF you are referring to here pretend name comment person. No what is wrong. Are you saying discussing my relationship with Ali and the two movies I produced about him was wrong? Just so you will know and I’m sure you don’t care, I got at least ten calls the day before he died from radio and tv media/news all over the country. Believe it or not we had done much press on both those movies when they came out…so many of them knew about me, the movie etc..with Ali on his death bed they of course look for people to interview who knew him and had insight on his life….since I was one of the last to work with Ali when he could communicate…thus the interest….why that makes you upset…WHO KNOWS.
That was for ‘poor’ Richard.