Yesterday at the NBC summer press preview, I had a moment to talk to new mother-to-be, Laila Ali, one of the hosts of “American Gladiators” and the daughter of boxing legend, Muhammad Ali and his third wife Veronica Porsche Ali.
02/21/2008 - Laila Ali - © Inez Lewis / PR Photos
In mid-2007, Ali was a participant in the fourth season of “Dancing with the Stars.” Her professional dancing partner was Maksim Chmerkovskiy. The two were audience favorites, receiving the first "10" from judge Len Goodman for a rumba. Ali came in third place in the competition, losing to Apolo Anton Ohno and Joey Fatone.
Of all his nine children, it is Laila Ali who has achieved the most fame. She revealed she made her father very upset when she delivered the news she was to follow in his footsteps to be a professional boxer.
“My dad is a male chauvinist, and he was not happy, he did not want to hear that his little girl was going into boxing,” she revealed at the Gladiator breakfast. Laila did say that her Father was now living in Arizona and watched her show religiously, and was very proud of her.
Ali is five months along, and shared her pregnancy has been uneventful and free of morning sickness and cravings. “I was worried about that because I like to eat, so far that hasn’t happened,” she laughed.
“I’ve been spinning, not too strenuously, walking and doing some Pilates to keep in shape through the pregnancy,” Ali added. “I’ve been blessed to have this easy pregnancy.”
Ali was excited about the new season, especially because of the improvements for the staging.
“We have a new venue, the Sports Arena, and the games all fit within the space now, and more room mean there is less breaking down sets and building, so it goes quicker. There is Tilt, and Vertigo, two of the new games I can mention.”
Who were her favorite Gladiators?
“I like Wolf, and Jet and Phoenix too, their all bringing it this season, but having said that Monica (Jet) and Evan (Rocket) are doing very well this season, he is very strong on the wall.”
Was Ali a big fan of American Idol or any reality TV?
“No not really, I occasionally catch part of Idol, but I am not a big TV person.”
Being a undefeated professional boxer, I was curious to know what career fight of her father’s was her personal favorite to watch and review.
“The George Foreman fight, the one in Africa, the Rumble in the Jungle, that was exhilarating to see him take that chance; to take that risk; he took a lot of punishment in that fight.”
Your Talkback on this Story