DEER LAKE – Every sport has its debates.

MJ or LeBron?

Jack or Tiger?

Aaron or Bonds?

Well, almost every sport.

Because when it comes to boxing, there is little debate.

Sure, Louis and Frazier and Holmes have their supporters. But when it comes to naming the best, the debates and arguments are normally short.

When it comes to boxing, the universally acclaimed – and self-proclaimed – “Greatest of All Time” is Muhammad Ali.

No sport has a GOAT that is less disputed than boxing.

The arguments in other sports are largely generational. But, Ali seems to transcend time and generational bias.

THE LEGACY

It’s now closing in on four decades since Ali’s 61st and final profession fight on Dec. 11, 1981 against Trevor Berbick. This past weekend marked the two-year anniversary of Ali’s death on June 3, 2016.

As the years continue to slip by, the number of people who followed Ali during the peak of his career in the early 1970s will slowly start to dwindle.

Will Ali’s legacy stand the test of time?

One devoted Ali fan and one long-time Ali friend are doing their best to make sure it does.

Friday afternoon at Ali’s former camp in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, Mike Madden and Gene Kilroy talked about that goal.

“We are preserving history and also preserving Muhammed Ali’s legacy,” said Madden, the son of NFL Hall of Fame coach and legendary TV announcer John Madden.

Madden was referring to the work that has been done restoring the Ali camp.

The venue that Ali once trained at has been transformed from a group of empty cabins in serious need of repair, into a facility that is dedicated to Ali’s memory. Ali’s former gym is the centerpiece of the project. It has a museum-like feel, complete with a boxing ring, posters, pictures and videos.

THE PURCHASE

Madden explained how a series of events in the days following Ali’s death two years ago led him to finding out about Deer Lake – Ali’s training camp from 1972-80.

Madden met Ali a couple of times when he was younger and was a huge fan. Following Ali’s death, Madden read about the camp, researched its history, and flew cross country from California to check it out.

A short time later, Madden bought the property that had been converted to a karate studio and a bed and breakfast, among other things in the decades since Ali had last trained there.

It was at that time that he contacted Kilroy, Ali’s long-time business manager. The two struck up an immediate friendship.

“We decided that we were going do this project right,” Madden said. “Do it right by Muhammad Ali, do it right by the life he lived, and the boxing career he had ‑ much of that happening right here in Schuylkill County thanks to Gene Kilroy.”

Kilroy, a native of Mahanoy City, was the main force behind Ali moving his training camp from Miami, Florida to Deer Lake in the early 1970s. He was thrilled Madden decided to restore the camp.

“Mike put his money where his heart was,” Kilroy said. “This will be Muhammad Ali’s legacy.”

THE FUTURE

Although there is still some work to be done on the sprawling 7-acre, 16-cabin facility, a number of the buildings have already been totally restored.

Several of them are equipped with touch screen televisions that show past Ali fights and historic Ali interviews.

Madden has used Kilroy’s personal photos and a pictorial book by photographer Peter Angelo Simon to try and recreate the look that the camp had when Ali trained there during the prime of his career.

Camp Manager Sam Matta, who is also in charge of media relations for the facility, hopes that it will be open by the fall.

“We plan to start bringing schools in to tour the facility,” Matta said. “We think it will be a great learning experience about a Schuylkill County landmark.

“After all, Muhammad Ali was the ultimate superstar who was known world wide – and during the peak of his career, he lived here, trained here, and would travel to many of the area towns.”

Madden added, “right now, we are looking at this to be used for field trips for school kids.

“Maybe a little further down the road, opening this up to the public for tours might be a natural offshoot and the obvious progression. But there isn’t a timetable for that yet.”

For now, Madden is just thrilled to see where the property has come since he took that red-eye flight from California to check it out for the first time less than two years ago.

The camp, called Fighter’s Heaven, has truly been a blessing for Madden, who idolized Ali growing up.

“My main goal was to help preserve the legacy of the greatest fighter of all time,” Madden said. “With the help of Gene (Kilroy), Sam (Matta), and many other people, I think we are doing that.”