Willie Brown, who turns 79 in August, did one tour in Vietnam with the Marines in 1963. Afterward, he worked as a truck driver, but really just used that job as an entryway to his true love: boxing. He dreamed of becoming a professional fighter but worried he could not make it a living. So as he crisscrossed the Midwest and the East Coast driving his truck, he offered his services as a sparring partner wherever he went. Over time, he said, he developed a reputation as a reliable opponent for big boxers training for big fights. He said he sparred against Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and Sonny Liston, among others.