They Must Fall // Muhammad Ali and the Men He Fought

They Must Fall: Muhammad Ali and the Men He Fought features powerful and often moving images and stories of Muhammad Ali and the men he fought in the ring, by award-winning photographer Michael Brennan.

“Around 1978, I had been in Houston, Texas photographing former Ali opponent George Foreman who had then reinvented himself as a roadside preacher. On the plane back to NYC, I thought, ‘If that’s what George is doing, I wonder what the rest of his opponents are up to?’ I set out to track down as many of the old guys as I could find.”

Brennan spent decades locating Ali’s former opponents to discover what had become of them. This unique book is a look through Brennan’s remarkable archive, containing numerous never-before- seen photos plus poignant stories illuminating the images and contextualizing Ali’s powerful role in the world of sport. Includes a special introductory essay by the late, great Jimmy Breslin. Ali opponents include: Alvin Lewis, Alex Miteff, Buster Mathis, George Chuvalo, Charlie Powell, Chuck Wepner, Donnie Fleeman, Duke Sabedong, Floyd Patterson, George Foreman, George Logan, Henry Cooper, Herb Siler, Jimmy Robinson, Jimmy Young, Joe Bugner, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, LaMar Clark, Larry Holmes, Leon Spinks, Sonny Liston, Richard Dunn, Tony Esperti, Tunney Hunsaker, Willi Besmanoff

“Michael Brennan’s iconic 1977 portrait photograph of Muhammad Ali captures something far bigger and deeper than just the beautiful face of a beautiful man. It is a detailed map of the personal journey of one whose incomparable talents and audacity caused literati to swoon, taught a generation to question authority, and ultimately altered the path of a society which had never before seen a man exactly like him. To look at him the way he was then is to remember, with joy and sorrow, who we all once were.” - Jim Lampley, discussing the cover image (Boxing commentator, HBO Sports)