A sentence as difficult to write as it is to comprehend, Muhammad Ali, the silver-tongued boxer is no more. A man of his words, courage and resilience, he lost his life after suffering from Parkinson’s for three decades. It was the 1960 Rome Olympics where he found the world-wide recognition as a boxer by winning light-heavy weight gold medal. He was the showman who transcended borders and barriers, race and religion. Breaking the tight-knit community of agents and promoters in boxing, he rose to a position by taking guidance and inspiration from the Nation of Islam.
He was ‘The Greatest’ as always stated and his actions and fights were loud enough to authenticate this title. Many will remember the grace he brought to boxing and some will recall his messages of freedom and respect for people of all races. Even after suffering from a debilitating illness, he always offered courage, and did not shy from politics or controversy.
It was once in 2009, when Ali was barely able to speak, his wife read an essay stating:
“I never thought of the possibility of failing, only of the fame and glory I was going to get when I won,” Ali wrote. “I could see it. I could almost feel it. When I proclaimed that I was the greatest of all time, I believed in myself, and I still do.”
Leaving behind his greatness and those many stories, we stand here missing this great boxing legend with all our heart and soul!
