Muhammad Ali's Training Camp

Muhammad Ali's Training Camp or "Fighter's Heaven" was a compound and training facility in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania built by former professional boxer and heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali. Ali trained in the facility preparing for numerous fights, such as Rumble in the Jungle in 1974, and Thrilla in Manila in 1975.

Muhammad Ali's Training Camp
Location 58 Sculps Hill Rd, Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates 40°38'14.4"N 76°05'41.8"W
Area 5-6 acres
Founded c. 1972
Built for Muhammad Ali
Owner Mike Madden

History

1970s

Muhammad Ali was the owner of the camp from 1972 to 1997. He trained there from 1972 to 1980.

Before Ali trained at his new training camp in Deer Lake, he mostly trained atthe 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach, Florida. In 1970, when Muhammad Ali came back to boxing, he attracted significant media attention. Ali wanted to find a place in the countryside where he could train away from the paparazzi. A friend from Reading, Pennsylvania, suggested he could find a place where he could train, which was in Deer Lake[1]. He first bought the land in Deer Lake in 1972, and he built on it 18 buildings, most of them log cabins[2]. Over the years, thousands of visitors visited his training facility[3]; and many celebrities, such as Elvis Presley, have visited his training camp.

1980s-90s

After Ali's retirement from the ring, he sold it to Allen Dillman in 1997 for $100,000[4].

Present day

Following Ali's death on June 3, 2016, Dillman reopened the compound to the public, including the gym, kitchen, and the cabins for those who returned to reflect on memories of Ali[4]. It was then sold to Mike Madden, the son of John Madden, in July 2016.[5]

Muhammad Ali built his training camp in the small town of Deer Lake, Pennsylvania.

Inside the compound

After Ali bought the land in 1972, he began to build the cabins by cutting down trees, and getting logs. The compound included a visitors cabin, a gym, a dining hall, a mosque, and his family house. It also included a five stall barn for his horses and donkey.[1] The compound included boulders that showed the names of boxing legends, friends, and opponents such as Sonny Liston, Joe Louis, Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee, and Joe Frazier.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Guernsey's - the unique at auction". www.guernseys.com. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  2. ↑ Anderson, Dave (2016-06-10). "A Champion's Retreat". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  3. ↑ Kilgore, Adam (2016-06-09). "How a small, mostly white town in Pennsylvania became home for Muhammad Ali". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  4. 1 2 3 "Inside the training camp where Ali prepared for his most famous fights". Mail Online. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  5. ↑ "Ali's training camp sold to John Madden's son". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-05-09.

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