When ‘The Greatest’ boxed in little Switzerland

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Muhammad Ali trained on the trails of Zurich's Uetliberg. Eric Bachmann

Eric Bachmann

Eric Bachmann

Ali wanted new shoes, so he went straight from the forest of the Uetliberg to Zurich's Langstrasse, where the Schönbächler shoestore had one pair in size 47. Eric Bachmann

Throngs of people near Zurich's Limmathaus clamoured for an autograph from the "boxer for all time". Eric Bachmann

While in Zurich, Muhammad Ali trained at the Limmathaus community centre. Hansruedi Jaggi, who brought the champion to Zurich, is on the far right of the photo. Eric Bachmann

Eric Bachmann

Muhammad Ali enjoyed meeting with the public, here on Zurich's Langstrasse. Eric Bachmann

Eric Bachmann

The fight between Muhammed Ali and Jürgen Blin took place on December 26, 1971. Eric Bachmann

Jürgen Blin, a butcher and heavyweight fighter from Hamburg, was knocked out in the seventh round. Eric Baumann

Eric Bachmann

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Zurich, 1971: Muhammed Ali beats German underdog Jürgen Blin. Photographer Eric Bachmann accompanied the global superstar as he prepared for the fight, creating a collection of images that reveal unique glimpses of Ali as an athlete and a person.

Ali’s fight in Zurich’s Hallenstadion on December 26, 1971 against the unknown Blin doesn’t compare to classics like the “Thrilla in Manila” or the “Rumble in the Jungle”. But in contrast to those made-for-television events, Bachmann’s black and white photos show Ali in another world – whether he’s running in wintry woods of Zurich’s Uetliberg, buying hiking boots “made in Switzerland”, signing autographs in a crowd and greeting the locals, or sweating through open training sessions in preparation for the fight.

The subtle magic of Bachmann’s photos can be seen in the book “Muhammed Ali, Zurich, 26.12.1971”, from Edition Patrick FreyExternal link.

(Photos: Eric Bachmann; Text: Renat Kuenzi,swissinfo.ch)