The legend who transcends the sport of boxing has died at 74.
Every major sport has an icon or a main person that you will always remember that represents it. Basketball has Michael Jordan. Golf has Tiger Woods. Bodybuilding has Arnold Schwarzenegger. Boxing has and and always will continue to be represented by Muhammad Ali. When you think of boxing, you think of Muhammad Ali.
A black American originally named Cassius Clay, the son of a sign painter/decorator, was soon to be troubled by a youth. Clay, adamant on getting back at that thief in a manner he saw fit, which was fists. The police officer who Ali told all this to at the age of 12, took Ali into a boxing club of his. The police officer said this kid was special. He worked harder than the other kids, there was something about him. Ali won golden gloves which is a major amateur boxing tournament. He became pro.
Clay, had a big cocky mouth, but he always backed it up in the ring. He had incredible fast hands and unique footwork. To this day, I have yet to see anything like it in the boxing ring. Clay soon turned to Islam, changing his name to Muhammad Ali. He had fights with George Foreman and Joe Frazier and many other great boxers. He had a tremendous record, being a three time world champion. He lost a few fights, but he got back up to win in style. In the ring, Ali was something not just special, but magnificent.
Ali was funny, sharp, sensitive and had an extreme likeable persona. The guy had charisma, brains and talent. He stood up for black America, he refused to go to war and he spoke his mind on issues in the West and around the world. He was a true peoples person. We learned alot about Ali during history class when studying black America and civil rights.
Every boxer looks up to Ali in awe and admiration of what he did in and out the ring. He truly paved the way for the sport to be where it's at today.
One of the biggest reasons beyond boxing that I admire him for so much, is his service to Islam. Ali had money and he was famous. Yet, he knew this world didn't belong to him and his body didn't belong to him. He had incredible ways of doing dawah that even today 30 to 40 years on, when we look at the interviews of his, we look in awe and admiration of the things he said and how he said them. Ali suffered from Parkinson's disease. When you get hit in the head, injuries like this can have a long term effect on the brain. Ali spent a long time with the disease.
I reckon, Ali is one of a very few and you can count with one hand, in today's time that now he's died, his news is known to 80 percent of the world. Ali is that well known. Hes done more in life than most of us will dream of doing.
When Hollywood wanted to pave Ali's name on the floor for tribute this is what he said:
“I bear the name of our Beloved Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), and it is impossible that I allow people to trample over his name,"
May Allah grant him jannah
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