One of the two teenagers pictured sparring with boxing legend Muhammad Ali in a famous New Zealand Herald photograph has come forward with his story.
Muhammad Ali sparring with a couple lads on Queen St in 1979 Photo:
The world heavyweight champion was on a promotional tour in 1979 when he ran into the youngsters on Queen Street – one of whom it turns out also went on to have a distinguished sporting career of his own.
The image featured on RNZ last week in a story about a Taranaki Hospice charity auction of 100 iconic examples of New Zealand photojournalism.
Now rugby league legend Dean Bell has come forward and revealed the ‘likely lads’ duking it out with Ali were the former Kiwis star and his cousin Wayne Bell.
Bell said he and Wayne – who died a few years ago – had just been to the Civic.
“We’d come out of a movie, I can’t even remember what it was, and we saw this large gathering of people on the other side of the road and we thought being inquisitive teenagers we’ll go over and be nosey and have a look at who it is and what’s going on and what’s all the fuss about.
“And it was the man himself and wow – to say we were in awe is an understatement.”
The encounter then took a twist.
“After a couple of minutes this large bellowing voice said: ‘You two boys in front of me, I want to fight you’.
“So we ignored him, which was probably not the right thing to do because straight away again he said: ‘You two boys!’ and he was looking straight at us, straight at me in the eye and he says ‘You two, I want to fight you’ and I was like why’s that? ‘Because you’ve been perving on my missus’ – which we had to be fair.”
Dean Bell playing for the Warriors 1995. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Bell said his 17-year-old self could tell the great man was joshing and soon the journalists nearby sensed an opportunity.
Former Herald photographer Geoff Dale, who had been struggling to get a good shot all morning, was among them.
“Suddenly, there a couple of young lads crossing the street and he yelled out to them ‘Do you want to fight?’ So Ali yelled at these guys ‘Do you want to fight?’
“And so as they sort of came in I skirted around behind them, so that I could see the town hall and Ali sort of throwing punches. It made a much better picture than anything else I had shot earlier and it was terrific.”
Dale admitted to also being a bit starstruck by the boxer.
“I was able to go into his hotel the next day with a print and he signed it for me, so it’s a special memory for me of a great boxer.”
Though Ali had a few issues with his name.
“He doesn’t know how to spell Geoff in the English way. He’s an American, so he said ‘What’s your name, man?’ and I said ‘It’s Geoff’ and he wrote J-E double F instead of G-E-O double F.”
Dale was taken aback to learn the former Wigan rugby league star was one of the young men.
“So, Dean Bell – that’s amazing. I must look at the print again. It’s got a whole new meaning hasn’t it.”
Former NZ Herald illustrations editor Rob Tucker is putting together the charity auction.
And Tucker was the one who sent Dale out on the Ali job back in 1979.
He was blown away that one of the boys who appeared on the front page with the boxer was ‘Mean’ Dean Bell.
“I think it is amazing, you know. What I’m trying to remember is was Dean Bell a dirty player at league because he could learn his sparring technique from one of the world’s greats.”
Meanwhile Bell, who has a copy of the picture at home, still rated the encounter with Ali among his greatest ever experiences.
“I think back about some of the famous people I’ve sort of met and I’ve been lucky enough to meet the Queen herself at Buckingham Palace, but without doubt the most famous sportsperson and arguably the most famous sportsperson ever would have to be Muhammad Ali, so what are the chances… trillions to one I suppose.”
The Photo Journalism New Zealand Charity Auction will be held at the Plymouth International Hotel in New Plymouth in September.
Dale’s Light on Water exhibition of America’s Cup photography opens at the New Zealand Maritime Museum at the Viaduct Basin in Auckland on 3 June and runs until 4 October.
Copyright © 2022, Radio New Zealand
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