I remember in the 1970's Ali used to train in Deer Lake, PA, which still seems odd to me. When I saw him in his prime, I was too young to appreciate what I was seeing.

I also saw Larry Holmes' first professional fights in Scranton. Again, I was in grade school. He signed an autograph for me, but I think I lost it that night. As an undefeated heavyweight champ, he returned to Scranton to fight Lucien Rodriguez.

Finally, my only other brush with a heavyweight champ occurred in Philadelphia when Joe Frazier pulled up along side of me at a traffic light on South Street in the summer of 1983.