CHASING ALI
A Podcast
One author's quest to write the greatest biography of all time. Find out what it was like for Jonathan Eig as he spent five years chasing Ali.
Ep. 12: The Final Round
Aug 14, 2017
This is it. The final round. Author Jonathan Eig stands among a crowd of thousands to say goodbye to the man who shook up the world. This is the funeral for the World’s Greatest, and the end of Chasing Ali.
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Ep. 11: Collecting Muhammad Ali
Aug 7, 2017
Most people collect baseball cards or stamps, but author Jonathan Eig collected Muhammad Ali. From stories, to photos, to coveted memorabilia, this author has an inside look into Ali’s life, and a Heavyweight Champion token that few have come by. Visit ChasingAliPodcast.com for additional content and resources.
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Ep. 10: Meeting Muhammad Ali: Take Three
Jul 31, 2017
Several years went by before Jonathan Eig was finally able to meet Muhammad Ali. Listen to his story of what it was like to meet the man he spent three years studying, and a lifetime admiring.
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Ep. 9: The World's Greatest?
Jul 24, 2017
Muhammad Ali is known as “The World’s Greatest,” but not every boxing aficionado agrees. Jonathan Eig breaks down Ali’s three stages of fighting and why his final boxing tactic might have been his biggest mistake.
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Ep. 8 - Counting Every Punch: Muhammad Ali’s Traumatic Brain Injury
Jul 17, 2017
Muhammad Ali’s brain scans show troubling signs to modern neurologists. But is there any way to look back and trace the damage itself? Author Jonathan Eig looks for answers and uncovers shocking statistics. The fatal effects of Ali’s commitment to his sport are told in this week’s episode.
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NEW: Release of Muhammad Ali Playlist
Jul 14, 2017
Every athlete needs a pump-up playlist, even the World's Greatest. To get yourself psyched for the day, that big conference call at lunch, and the release of Ali: A Life, listen to Jonathan Eig's Muhammad Ali-inspired playlist. Get down with legendary artists Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and even recordings of Ali himself. Available now on Spotify through the link below.
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Ep. 7: The World’s Greatest Record Player
Jul 11, 2017
Author Jonathan Eig keeps an eye on eBay while he writes, looking for Muhammad Ali memorabilia. As a collector of Ali’s cologne and bed sheets, when he saw a listing for Ali’s record player, he had to have it. Listen to how a childhood record player unlocked a hidden story of the later years of The World’s Greatest.
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Ep. 6: “How Much You Gonna Pay Me?” - Rahman Ali
Jul 3, 2017
$1,000. That was Rahman Ali’s price for one answer about his older brother, Muhammad. Thankfully, Jonathan Eig’s persistence and connection with Ali’s manager, Gene Kilroy, earned him an interview with Rahman, and a closer look into the personal life of Muhammad Ali.
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Ep. 5: Meeting Muhammad Ali: Take Two
Jun 26, 2017
After one failed attempt, Jonathan Eig will stop at nothing to meet Muhammad Ali. This time, he brings a sidekick, and finds himself sitting just outside Ali’s bedroom. But will his efforts end in victory, or another vicious blow to the author’s book and lifelong dream?
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Ep. 4: Meeting Muhammad Ali: Attempt One
Jun 19, 2017
Telling the life story of Muhammad Ali meant spending a lot of time with people who knew him. But what about meeting the man himself? Jonathan Eig knew it wasn’t going to be easy to get to Muhammad Ali, and time was running out.
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Ep. 3: The Don King Show
Jun 12, 2017
For two years, Jonathan Eig tried to get in touch with Don King, and when he did, he asked him one question that could have gotten him killed. He lived to tell the tale about one of boxing’s most successful promoters. In this week’s episode find out what Don King, Muhammad Ali and a Christmas party have in common.
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Ep. 2 - Muhammad Ali: A Fight He Couldn't Win
May 30, 2017
Turns out that Ali didn’t limit his fighting to his time in the ring. Listen as Jonathan Eig drives around South Florida with Muhammad Ali’s second wife Khalilah, digs through her closets in search of lost letters—and why Shakespeare's words still ring true: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
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Ep. 1 - A Blow To The Head: Muhammad Ali's Early Signs of Traumatic Brain Injury
May 30, 2017
The disastrous interview with Ali’s ring doctor Ferdie Pacheco.
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Introduction: Chasing Ali
May 30, 2017
For most of his childhood, the last face Jonathan Eig would see each night before bed was that of Muhammad Ali, as shown in a poster hanging above his bed. It looked something like this: