Muhammad Ali took boxing to the height it is today. He made it look more fun, and effortlessly by his nature, boxing had unprecedented entertainment value. He was the game changer. His self adulation, glorification and trash talking was amazing, and set the tone for the greatest hype in sports tournaments. From Rumble in the Jungle (1974) to Thriller in Manila (1975), all were classic matches still being discussed till date. Ali instilled the love for boxing into millions of people around the world. I love watching him at any event he attends. Whenever I think of boxing, I think of him.
Co-incidentally, my colleague at work is called Muhammad Ali. He is a Muslem a young boxer and keen follower of Ali the greatest. He would be devastated at this sad news. (Hadn't spoken to him at the time of writing).
He was also an activist, that believes in equality. He was part of Martin Luther King's human rights movement. He risked his career and jail term, in order to boycott the Vietnam War. Below are nine of his famous quotes.
1.“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
2. “A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
3. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, your hands can’t hit, what your eyes can’t see.”
4. "I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest."
5. “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”
6. “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'”
7. “It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.”
8. “The man who has no imagination has no wings.”
9. “People don’t realize what they had till it’s gone. Like President Kennedy, there was no one like him, the Beatles, and my man Elvis Presley. I was the Elvis of boxing.”
He was a legend. There would be no one like the greatest himself. He was my hero and hero to many. May his soul rest in peace.
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