One of my earliest sports memories is watching the first Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks fight (more than likely, it was a television rebroadcast of the event on ABC’s Wide World Of Sports). Since I was only six years old, specifics and details about the bout are non-existent, but I will never forget the overwhelming sadness that filled my grandparents’ house that day. I knew that Ali was a boxer and that everyone I knew loved him, but I didn’t know what he’d been through and where he was currently in his career. All my brain could process is that the man who talked a lot and made people happy had gotten beaten up badly and it made my father and his friends sad. Sadder than I’ve ever seen them.
Since that day, I’ve come to realize why Muhammad Ali was universally recognized as ‘The Greatest’. When I got older, I saw all of the fights that made him famous (and more than likely, contributed to his struggle with Parkinson’s disease) and I was able to appreciate his ridiculous athletic gifts — The Ali Shuffle and the Rope-A-Dope belong in the Smithsonian. I was also able to recognize his unique ability to self-promote and live in the public eye as a global citizen. Without ever seeing Ali fight live in his prime, it was still so easy to see that he was a transcendent athlete. A guy who talked it and backed it up. Who couldn’t root for that?
By the time I got to high school and college, Muhammad Ali was a former boxer dealing with the consequences of his career choice. Ironically, that’s the time I learned the most about him and why he’s such and important global figure. When it came to the civil right struggle in America, Ali was a central figure. When it came to the Vietnam war, Ali was a central figure. When it came to Black American self-awareness, Ali was a central figure. When it came to freedom of religion, Ali was a central figure. When it came to standing up for yourself and being yourself, Ali was a central figure. If there was a social issue that was your issue, there was a good chance that Muhammad Ali was a champion of that cause. Emphasis on the word champion.
Put it this way: Muhammad Ali is your hero’s hero. No other person can claim that. Is your hero an athlete? Chances are, he or she drew some inspiration from Ali. Is your hero an entertainer? Many singers and actors (because fighting for acting roles and playing music is VERY competitive) look to Ali for inspiration. Is your hero your dad? I’m pretty sure that Muhammad Ali is his hero. I know that he’s my hero’s hero…
Ali wasn’t perfect. His treatment of Joe Frazier while hyping fights was disgusting and his personal life was a mess. But it was his personal life. He was unflinchingly human while being a superhero to people around the globe. Muhammad Ali was the literal definition of the word iconoclast and there will never be another like him. Rest easy, Champ. You earned it.
There goes my hero. Watch him as he goes…
– “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters, “The Colour And The Shape”