ALMOST 20 years ago at the height of his powers boxing legend Muhammad Ali snatched a pretty five-year- old from the crowd.

The boxer was promoting his world heavyweight fight with Larry Holmes at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and the rivals played out a mock battle for the affections of the bemused little girl.

Today, Pippa Midgley, 23, who lives in Layton Road, Rawdon, remembered the day in August 1980 when she was kissed and

cuddled and passed from one famous boxer to the other.

"At the time, I didn't know who the two men were. I just remember feeling frightened by all the attention and not liking being kissed and cuddled by them and telling them so," said Pippa.

She was on holiday with her parents in the United States and staying at Caesar's Palace when Holmes and Ali arrived to promote their forthcoming world heavyweight fight. Ali suddenly spotted little Pippa sitting on her father's shoulders above the crowd that had gathered.

He picked her up and announced: "I am the greatest, but this little girl is the cutest - she is going to be my lucky charm."

Then, up strode Holmes who tried to snatch Pippa from Ali's arms shouting: "Hey, that's my gal. She's the champion sweetheart, and I am the champ."

With his famous shuffle, Ali quickly sidestepped his opponent and said: "This kid's a knockout. If you want her, you'll have to knock me out."

There followed a mock fist fight in the foyer between the two boxers before a puzzled Pippa delivered her own punchline. "My teacher told me big boys shouldn't fight over girls."

Then she dealt an even bigger blow to the boxers' egos by telling them: "It's no use you know, because I've a boyfriend back home - and he's the bestest. When I tell him how you have kissed and

cuddled me, I bet he'll box you both on the nose."

This left the two boxers reeling as Pippa ran back to her parents to rousing cheers from the crowd.

The extraordinary encounter was caught on camera by Rawdon resident John Rimington who was working and living in Las Vegas as a freelance Fleet Street journalist and showbiz publicist. His pictures of Pippa with Holmes and Ali are featured in his shortly to be published book - 'Las Vegas - My Kind of Town'.

Mr Rimington said: "Pippa certainly made the champs look chumps with her knockout punchlines. I am sure that both boxers won't want to be reminded how they were floored by a five year old."

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