We have lost "The Greatest". Muhammad Ali, the heavyweight boxing sensation and social activist, has passed away at age 74. Ali was known as much for his non-boxing exploits as his fighting prowess in the ring. He overcame many setbacks in his personal life and career, always raging back to win the respect and hearts of fans everywhere. Unfortunately, his battle with health issues finally came to an end yesterday.
As kids, we looked to those who seemed larger than life for inspiration and excitement and even entertainment. There are different sorts of heroes. As a boy, I loved to read the exploits of Superman, Captain Marvel, and Shang Chi: Master of Kung Fu in comic books. They were heroes to me. So were the protagonists in all of the science fiction movies and TV shows that I devoured at the time... I suppose Captain James T. Kirk would qualify as a hero? A leader of men, and brave in the face of danger. I'd say I also admired and even worshipped The Beatles, who may not have been heroic in the traditional sense, but they were musical and creative role models who influenced me mightily.
Ali made the covers of countless magazines, he inspired and appeared in movies, books, comics, and music - even recording some of his own.
Really? Hey, check out the bat ears in the crowd....
"Hero" is defined as one who faces adversity and danger from a position of weakness. I guess movie and comic book characters qualify, then, right? But heroes don't have to wear capes and have super-powers. Nor does danger or self-sacrifice necessarily have to figure into the equation.
When I was a bit older, watching The Wide World of Sports on TV on Sunday afternoons, I often caught boxing matches featuring a talented and often outrageous fighter named Muhammad Ali. I quickly became a fan. Watching him bob and weave, "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee"... his style was poetry in motion. Ali's verbal banter was as captivating as his boxing moves. He perfected his "trash talk" to mentally unnerve his opponents prior to fights. Hey, even if it didn't always work, his chatter was entertaining and memorable. I loved Ali's colourful persona and intense attitude both pre-fight and in the ring.
Ali was right up there with Bruce Lee and Arnold Schwarzenneger as one of my heroes and role-models when I was a youngster growing into a teenager. I never aspired to be a boxer, but I admired Ali's ability and personality and work ethic. Bruce Lee was the more intellectual philosopher, but Ali put those same ideas into a language that even kids from the street would understand and appreciate.
A few examples of Ali's hilariously genius verbal self-aggrandizing:
"I'm so mean, I make medicine sick."
"If you even dream of beating me, you'd better wake up and apologize."
"I've wrestled with alligators. I've tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning. And thrown thunder in jail."
You can read more of Ali's quotes at MSN Sports.
A famous moment in sport history: the Ali vs Sonny Liston fight of '65
Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Clay, became a hero to many the world over during his prolific boxing career. He remained a hero to the day he died. The man embodied strength of spirit, outspoken in his views on war, and proud of his racial background and religious beliefs. Ali fought adversity out of the ring with the same tenacity. His storied professional and personal life is nearly unrivaled by anyone else. Ali biographies are many on the web, so I won't go into detail about his life here. But do search out more info after finishing this article.
I'd say Ali has gone the distance, and then some. Now I think it's time I re-watched Thrilla In Manila, the classic boxing fight captured on film... Ali at his best!
No comments:
Post a Comment