https://youtu.be/SV75aFzC1aQ
As the world reacts to the passing of Muhammad Ali, it’s clear that the former heavyweight champ had an immense impact on a lot of people’s lives. Usually his impact was felt through his accomplishments within the ring, but for one man Los Angeles, Ali literally saved his life.
A few months following the Ali’s loss to Larry Holmes in 1980, the boxer came to the rescue of a 21-year-old man threatening suicide on a ninth floor ledge of building in downtown LA. You can watch the remarkable footage above (as aired on CBS Evening News), and here are more details as to how Ali came to be present on the scene:
Police negotiators tried for hours to persuade the man to come inside the building. Ali, who was told of the suicide threat by his public relations manager, talked to the depressed man for about 20 minutes.
Howard Bingham. All’s public relations manager, said he first saw the man on the ledge and when he asked police if Ali could help, they told him no.“I went back to my car and called Ali anyway,” Bingham said. “I told Ali there was a guy up here on a building about a mile from his house and maybe he could get through.
“About four minutes later, Ali comes driving up the wrong side of the street in his Rolls-Royce with his lights blinking,” Bingham said.
It took about a half hour, but Ali finally was able to talk the man off the ledge. He put his arm around him and told him, “You’re my brother. I love you and I wouldn’t lie to you. You got to listen. I want you to come home with me, meet some friends of mine.”
