Legend of the Ring

Jackson Dias

Muhammad Ali was truly the world’s greatest boxer and an inspiration to a generation. “I am the greatest,” Ali repeatedly told the world and, to this day, many still believe he was. Ali was not only an incredible boxer but also a man who risked everything for his principles – his career, his world title, his personal relationships and also jail.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay in 1942 to a middle class family in Louisville, Kentucky, he stumbled into boxing at the age of 12 when his bicycle was stolen and he wanted to be able to dish out some damage to the thieves should he ever catch them.

Right from the start, he was something special in the ring and in 1960 took gold at the Rome Olympics. But back home, Clay was treated like a second-class citizen, and was dependent on “white” money to continue boxing professionally.

“Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee,” Clay was a phenomenon. He moved so fast in the ring he barely took a hit and went 18 straight matches without a defeat. In 1964 he took the world championship title from the fearsome Sonny Liston – and two days later announced his conversion to Islam and his new name: Muhammad Ali.

Often predicting the round in which he would win, Ali took on and “whupped” the best in the heavyweight division. His glittering career came to an abrupt halt in 1967, however, when he refused to join the army and fight in Vietnam on grounds of his religion. Stripped of his title, sentenced to five years in jail and banned from boxing, Ali found himself vilified in the press.

Though legal appeals kept him out of jail, he lost what would probably have been the best three years of his career before the mood of the country shifted and the Supreme Court overturned his conviction. Still unbeaten in the ring, Ali set out to regain his title from Joe Frazier, who was then the reigning champion. Though Ali’s style had noticeably altered – less footwork but greater strength – the unthinkable happened; Ali was knocked down. He refused to stay on the canvas, however, and even though Frazier won by decision Ali had gained precious respect. 

Ali continued to fight this way through the circuit and in 1974 challenged George Foreman in what was to become one of the greatest heavyweight fights – the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire. Although the boxing community backed the younger Foreman, the crowd was behind Ali. “I’m the champion,” he announced, “The real champion. There will never be one like me.” Ali took a battering for the first six rounds, but finally turned the tables and floored Foreman with a colossal punch. He lost and won the world championship title one more time in the next few years, before finally retiring in 1981. Now nearing 74 and suffering from Parkinson’s disease, Ali will always be remembered for his outspoken self belief, his incredible boxing and his good looks – and, of course, for being The Greatest.