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Muhammad Ali arrived at Sheremetyevo June 12, 1978. He was surprisingly quiet and modest, and the question of journalists, what caused this change, said that in a country like Russia, his eccentricities may misinterpret.




He once told reporters met him (Ali was surprised that he was met only journalists and officials) that does not understand anything in politics, is not going to discuss the Soviet military presence in Africa, and just wants to see the country and the people. Even Ali said he wanted to borrow the secrets of training Soviet boxers who are always in such great shape.



Atmosphere Ali was still a boxer - the famous Victor Ageev. Here is his story about their meeting and photo Ageev Ali, only the date of the visit is incorrect.

The same evening, Ali went to the circus. Yuri Nikulin introduced him to the audience and presented him with a bouquet of roses; during intermission Ali signed autographs and took the intervention of the police, all took their seats and the presentation could continue.
The next day, Ali got up at 6 am and ran on Red Square:



Then Mohammed went to the Central Institute of Physical Education and posparringoval with the guys. Standing beside Igor Vysotsky pushed out into the ring; They stripped to the waist and circled the ring in one round, indicating strokes. Then Ali rolled his speech:

 - I once saw a boxing Stevenson. He - a great three round amateur boxer. He would have been dangerous a couple of rounds, and in the third I would have knocked him out! But if I met him in Cuba or the Soviet Union, I would have probably given him win, but left there, I would have knocked him out.

 - Yes, just in case I have a problem with leaving, I grabbed my lawyer here.

After Moscow, Ali went to Tashkent and Samarkand; cm. below the film. On his return to Moscow Mohammed Ali was 19 June adopted Brezhnev in the Kremlin; They kissed, and then 35 minutes talking about world peace. Ali was very impressed with what, and then said in numerous interviews. In memory of the meeting Leonid Brezhnev gave Ali a copy of the "Small Land" with an autograph and a clock. At a press conference after their meeting enchanted USSR Ali said:

 - It's hard to believe that such a peaceful country wants war. And Brezhnev - I never thought it was so quiet and peaceful people. Hard to imagine that it could be the instigator of the war.
- I here have never seen a man, the voice on the road, and I did not see a single beggar or begging. I never did not feel so safe, no risk of being robbed. I was told that in this country there is no freedom of religion, but here are free to pray, Muslims, Christians and Jews; I think that the relations between our nations are bad just because of false propaganda.



June 20 completely rastrenirovan Ali (he and the February fight with Spinks is not ready, not only for this trip) spent three dvuhraundovoy sparring with Peter Zaev, Eugene Gorstkovym and Igor Vysotsky. Ali weighed 234 pounds. Record cparingov with Zaev and Gorstkovym and both rounds with Vysotsky are listed below; according to Ali, he lost Zaeva have Gorstkovym won and sparring with Vysotsky ended in a draw.
Ali knew Vysotsky beat Stevenson, and considered him the most dangerous opponent.
June 21 Ali flew aircraft "Aeroflot" in New York. At a press conference he said:

 - I was a little nervous when he landed in Russia. I thought that maybe I see a country with a bedraggled crowd gloomy people who think like robots, and intelligence agents, listen to my room. I saw a country a hundred nationalities living together in harmony.
- I only saw one policeman. No weapons. No crime. No prostitutes. And not a single homosexual.



Source: allboxing.ru