LAMPLEY, WITHERSPOON TO HIGHLIGHT ‘FIGHTER’S HEAVEN IN ART AND LITERATURE: A 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION’
International Boxing Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Lampley, the voice of HBO World Championship Boxing for 30 years, and former two-time world heavyweight champion Tim Witherspoon, will highlight a host of celebrities from the boxing world to help commemorate ‘Fighter’s Heaven in Art and Literature: A 10th Anniversary Celebration’ on Saturday, October 10. The day’s events will include the introduction of two new projects paying tribute to Muhammad Ali’s beloved training camp: ‘Fighters Heaven in Art’ by British artist Mark Dickens and Todd Mealy’s new book release ‘Fighters Heaven: Inside the Camp Where Muhammad Ali Remade His Legacy’. The event is free and open to the public.
“Because it is indisputable that Muhammad Ali is the biggest and most culturally meaningful name in boxing history, it stands that Deer Lake is the most meaningful training site in the sport,’ said Lampley. “Any chance that I get to visit and relive my precious memories of Muhammad, I am determined to be there, and I look forward to being there October 10”.
It was in 2016 Mike Madden, the son of NFL legend John Madden, rescued Fighters Heaven training camp from an uncertain future, and with painstaking detail restored it to its vintage condition where the three-time world champion Ali, trained for many of his legendary fights.
Artist Dickens will unveil ‘Fighters Heaven in Art’, a collection of 12 mixed-media canvasses representing special moments from Ali’s association with the camp. The project, created in collaboration with Ali daughter Khaliah Ali and photographer Jeff Julian, celebrates the life, influence and enduring legacy of Ali through expressive imagery, layered textures and handwritten text, including handwritten quotations by well-known personalities addressing Ali’s everlasting impact as a boxer, humanitarian and world figure. Several of those who contributed quotes and memories to the project will be in attendance, including Lampley, Witherspoon, trainer John Scully, boxing hall of fame writers Ron Borges and Nigel Collins, and actor Zack Bazile who portrayed Ali on stage. Prints from this unique collection will be available for sale.
Mealy’s much anticipated book, ‘Fighters Heaven: Inside the Camp Where Muhammad Ali Remade His Legacy’, provides a definitive look at the history of Fighters Heaven, beginning with how Ali chose this remote pocket of Schuylkill County, an area that he had no previous connection to. The book retraces Ali’s footsteps through this extraordinary place, revealing how a secluded mountain retreat became the staging ground for his comeback and the foundation of his enduring legacy. Drawing on personal letters, memoirs, and new interviews with those who knew Ali best, historian Mealy provides an intimate behind the scenes portrait of Ali during these pivotal years. Copies of Mealy’s book be available for sale and signing.
‘Fighters Heaven in Art and Literature: A 10th Anniversary Celebration’, will run from 11am-3 pm on Oct. 10th at Fighters Heaven, in Deer Lake Pa. The morning session will include a discussion by Dickens and Mealy about their commemorative projects. Lunch will be provided. The afternoon session will feature Lampley and Witherspoon discussing their memories and interactions with Ali.
Fighters Heaven is located at 58 Sculps Hill Road, Orwigsburg, Pa. Camp phone number is 570-968-2961. Follow signs for parking and shuttle buses on Route 61, at entrance to camp.
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