Remembering Muhammad Ali
Remembering Boxer Muhammad Ali -- the Greatest Kentuckian.
Mourners left flowers at the Muhammad Ali Center in memory of The Greatest.
This morning, we awoke to the news that Kentucky's most beloved sports legend, boxer Muhammad Ali, had passed at the age of 74.
Muhammad Ali was a superb boxer -- an Olympic gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion by the age of 22 -- but to so many of us here in Kentucky, he was so much more. He was a cultural icon. He was a humanitarian and a peace activist. And, as Ali himself succinctly said, he was The Greatest.
As a boxer, Ali connected with legions of fans due not only to his amazing feats in the ring (he remains the only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion) but also his famous brand of self-promotion. He became known as The Louisville Lip due to enduring statements like "I am the Greatest" and "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Of course, his talent in the ring backed up his statements. Ali later said, "At home, I am a nice guy, but I don’t want the world to know. Humble people, I’ve found, don’t get very far.” Nobody ever mistook Ali for being humble. Throughout the Sixties and Seventies, he was known not only for his boxing successes and outlandish statements, but also for his political and cultural stances. His religious and social objections to the Vietnam War as well as his candor regarding race and political issues made him a counterculture icon. Ali wasn't just a boxer, he was the first true "Sports Personality", establishing the groundwork for modern sports culture. As the writer Joyce Carol Oates said in her work "On Boxing", Ali was one of the few athletes in any sport to "define the terms of his public reputation." Ali's reputation extended far beyond the realm of sports; he is a seminal figure in modern African-American culture, with popularity that has transcended racial lines for decades.
Born in the West Louisville Parkland neighborhood, Ali became a world celebrity, but remained true to his Islamic faith and his devotion to peace and social justice. His later years were spent in Arizona, but he remained devoted to his Kentucky hometown, supporting the Louisville Cardinals and establishing the Muhammad Ali Center to promote cultural and philanthropic missions.
Today, we mourn the Greatest, the Coolest, the Prettiest Kentuckian. Goodbye, Champ. You left your mark on this town.
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
Muhammad Ali and the The Rumble in the Jungle
“You think the world was shocked when Nixon resigned, wait till I whup George Foreman’s behind.”
Forty-one years ago today, Louisville native Muhammad Ali took on up-and-coming boxer George Foreman in the nation then known as Zaire. The stakes were $5 million put up by dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. The fight was one of the very first promoted by a brash young man named Don King. The Rumble in the Jungle, as the fight was billed, would be remembered as one of the greatest sporting events of all time.
Ali, whom all Kentuckians and boxing fans now know as The Greatest, was the unanimous underdog in the fight. After an amazing start in the early 1960s, including achieving the title of World Heavyweight Champion at 22, Ali had faced years of backlash. He'd been stripped of his title and suspended from boxing for three and a half years following a conviction of draft evasion. Ali's opposition to the Vietnam war established the athlete as a counterculture icon, but did little to further his boxing career; he lost some of the most valuable years of physical capacity to the lengthy legal appeals process. Ali resumed training in 1971 and, despite victories including a unanimous decision win over Joe Frazier only a few months prior, he was considered too old (at 32) and small to beat the muscular, talented, 25 year-old Foreman.
Don King, along with an international crew of investors and promoters, made sure that the event received epic billing. A three day music festival known as Zaire 74, with a lineup of legendary musicians like B.B. King, James Brown, and Bill Withers, was planned. Foreman and Ali spent much of the summer of 1974 training in Zaire for a fight which was slated to occur on September 25th. After Foreman suffered a cut near his eye during training, the fight was rescheduled for October 30th.
James Brown in a still from the documentary Soul Power, via the New York Times.
The narrative of the fight presented the cocky, glib and charming Ali against the silent, brooding Foreman. Ali's stance as a conscientious objector to the Vietnamese conflict struck a chord with the young and hip, while Foreman, who'd proudly waved the American flag at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, seemed out of touch with his generation. Ali won the hearts of the people of Zaire, speaking against the European imperialism against which the locals (formerly inhabitants of the Belgian Congo) had revolted a decade earlier. When Foreman arrived with his pet German Shepherd, the local crowd reacted to the dog, which many associated with Belgian oppression.
AP File Photo
While sports fans and boxing insiders considered a Foreman victory to be a foregone conclusion, Ali shocked the world by employing his rope-a-dope strategy to wear Foreman down and avoid direct contact from the more muscular fighter. Ali's choreographedi footwork and brash proclamations -- in the greatest instance of trash talk ever, Ali hurled psychological taunts like "They told me you could punch, George!" and "Is that all you've got, George?" -- wore Foreman down as much as Ali's well-timed punches. The fight ended in the eighth round, Ali threw a right hook to Foreman's face, followed by a hard right that took the younger fighter down. Ali emerged victorious, beating the odds in what would become the most famous boxing match of all time.
Today, the political overtones of the fight hold a far different connotation. It's hard to imagine a time when Ali wasn't a beloved humanitarian, or when Foreman wasn't the guy who sold grills and named all his kids "George." The Rumble in the Jungle remains a fascinating story of African sociopolitical history, popular culture, and the greatest underdog story in sports.
As always, here's to the Greatest! Muhammad Ali continues to inspire Kentuckians in so many ways!
Happy Birthday, Muhammad Ali!
Celebrating the 73rd birthday of The Greatest, Louisville native boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
Today marks the 73rd birthday of one of the most fascinating, charismatic, inspiring, and beloved figures in modern sports. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. in Louisville on January 17, 1942.
As a boxer, Ali connected with legions of fans due not only to his amazing feats in the ring (he remains the only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion) but also his famous brand of self-promotion. He became known as The Louisville Lip due to enduring statements like "I am the Greatest" and "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Of course, his talent in the ring backed up his statements. Ali later said, "At home, I am a nice guy, but I don’t want the world to know. Humble people, I’ve found, don’t get very far.”
Nobody ever mistook Ali for being humble. Throughout the Sixties and Seventies, he was known not only for his boxing successes and outlandish statements, but also for his political and cultural stances. His religious and social objections to the Vietnam War as well as his candor regarding race and political issues made him a counterculture icon. Ali wasn't just a boxer, he was the first true "Sports Personality", establishing the groundwork for modern sports culture. As the writer Joyce Carol Oates said in her work "On Boxing", Ali was one of the few athletes in any sport to "define the terms of his public reputation." Ali's reputation extended far beyond the realm of sports; he is a seminal figure in modern African-American culture, with popularity that has racial lines for decades.
Upon his retirement from boxing, Ali has devoted his time and resources to humanitarian causes and Parkinson's Disease research. He is the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor, Amnesty International's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the National Constitution Center Liberty Medal.
Louisville's Muhammad Ali Center, established by The Champ and his wife Lonnie, is an education center and museum devoted to the six principles established by Ali:
- Confidence: Belief in oneself, one's abilities, and one's future.
- Conviction: A firm belief that gives one the courage to stand behind that belief, despite pressure to do otherwise.
- Dedication: The act of devoting all of one's energy, effort, and abilities to a certain task.
- Giving: To present voluntarily without expecting something in return.
- Respect: Esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of, oneself and others.
- Spirituality: A sense of awe, reverence, and inner peace inspired by a connection to all of creation and/or that which is greater than oneself.
The Ali Center, StageOne, and the Kentucky Center for the Arts are celebrating Muhammad Ali's 73rd birthday on Saturday night with a gala that includes the world premiere of "And in this Corner... Cassius Clay", playwright Idris Goodwin's story of Ali's life.
From all of us at HerKentucky, Happy Birthday, Muhammad! You'll always be The Greatest to us!
Happy Birthday, Muhammad Ali!
Happy birthday to The Greatest, Louisville native boxer Muhammad Ali!
Tomorrow marks the 72nd birthday of one of the most fascinating, charismatic, inspiring, and beloved figures in modern sports. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. in Louisville on January 17, 1942.
As a boxer, Ali connected with legions of fans due not only to his amazing feats in the ring (he remains the only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion) but also his famous brand of self-promotion. He became known as The Louisville Lip due to enduring statements like "I am the Greatest" and "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Of course, his talent in the ring backed up his statements. Ali later said, "At home, I am a nice guy, but I don’t want the world to know. Humble people, I’ve found, don’t get very far.”
Nobody ever mistook Ali for being humble. Throughout the Sixties and Seventies, he was known not only for his boxing successes and outlandish statements, but also for his political and cultural stances. His religious and social objections to the Vietnam War as well as his candor regarding race and political issues made him a counterculture icon. Ali wasn't just a boxer, he was the first true "Sports Personality", establishing the groundwork for modern sports culture. As the writer Joyce Carol Oates said in her work "On Boxing", Ali was one of the few athletes in any sport to "define the terms of his public reputation." Ali's reputation extended far beyond the realm of sports; he is a seminal figure in modern African-American culture, with popularity that has racial lines for decades.
Upon his retirement from boxing, Ali has devoted his time and resources to humanitarian causes and Parkinson's Disease research. He is the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor, Amnesty International's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the National Constitution Center Liberty Medal.
Louisville's Muhammad Ali Center, established by The Champ and his wife Lonnie, is an education center and museum devoted to the six principles established by Ali:
- Confidence: Belief in oneself, one's abilities, and one's future.
- Conviction: A firm belief that gives one the courage to stand behind that belief, despite pressure to do otherwise.
- Dedication: The act of devoting all of one's energy, effort, and abilities to a certain task.
- Giving: To present voluntarily without expecting something in return.
- Respect: Esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of, oneself and others.
- Spirituality: A sense of awe, reverence, and inner peace inspired by a connection to all of creation and/or that which is greater than oneself.
The Ali Center is celebrating Muhammad Ali's 72nd birthday on Friday with a special free screening of the film "The Trials of Muhammad Ali" at 6 p.m. All day at the Center. Visitors can create birthday cards for The Champ that day, and those who can't attend the festivities are asked to use the Twitter hashtag #HBDMuhammadAli.
From all of us at HerKentucky, Happy Birthday, Muhammad! You'll always be The Greatest to us!