Muhammad Ali traveled from Phoenix to Show Low, Arizona, in June 1976 and trained in the area for about five weeks to prepare for his September 1976 fight with Ken Norton, the Time Capsule presenter at the Show Low Museum said.

The presenter said Ali and his entourage stopped for a meal at the Maxwell House Cafe (now Show Low Cafe) after arriving and later set up training near the Show Low Airport, where Ali “went for a run” and decided, “well this is where I need to be.” The presenter described daily runs from the Maxwell House and training inside a Quonset hut, with an outdoor ring used for sparring.

The remark matters locally because the museum’s Sporting Goods Room exhibit highlights the visit as part of Show Low’s community history. “He was very genuine about his feelings about the White Mountain Apache tribe members,” the presenter said, noting Ali spent time with residents of the White River communities and with Chairman Ronnie Lupe. The presenter also said Ali asked that school buses bring children from the White River Indian Reservation to the airport so they could watch him spar.

The presenter recalled an anecdote in which hotel clerk Verdi Maxwell initially did not recognize Ali, writing his name as “Cassius Clay” on the registration; the presenter said Arley Maxwell was surprised when he realized who had checked in. The presenter described an encounter in Show Low Market where Ali helped his wife choose vegetables and held their daughter, Hannah, while shopping.

The presenter said Ali’s stay lasted about five weeks and that Ali’s fight in September 1976 at Yankee Stadium against Ken Norton lasted 15 rounds and was ultimately declared a unanimous decision in Ali’s favor. The presenter closed by inviting listeners to visit the museum; the presenter said the museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

No formal actions, legal authorities, or government decisions were taken during the recorded presentation; the account is a museum-curated recollection of a historical visit.