Muhammad Ali’s Impossibly Possible Fight Has Come to an End

Cassius Clay…Muhammad Ali…”The Greatest”. He was known by all of the above. Muhammad Ali is and was not only the greatest boxer of all time, but arguably the greatest athlete of all time.

He battled in the ring, he battled America when America was battling in Vietnam. He battled not for Muhammad Ali, but rather for the scores of people who lived before him, with him, and further. He was villified and then glorified by all. He was the epitome of what it means to be a fighter, and for that, we as a people should be eternally grateful.

Cassius Clay was an unapologetically brash young fighter who burst onto the scene during the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. He captured the Gold medal in boxing and never looked back. From then on came the everlasting flurries of “I am the greatest” proclamations and so much more. While many could not be blamed for viewing him as cocky and rude, he was only being himself.

Clay further established himself in 1964 when he defeated then-champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach. At the time, not many people believed he even had the potential to defeat Liston. Something like that just seemed impossible. Clay believed he could do it though…he believed in himself. He believed that nothing was impossible (as cliché as that may sound).

Soon after his triumph, Clay would make an announcement that impacted how we remember him today. Clay converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. From then on, the legend of Muhammad Ali would grow.

In subsequent years, Ali endured immeasurable outlash against his stance against the Vietnam War. Ali took a stance in solidarity fighting against the war efforts. He did not accept his draft orders from the government to enlist and many consequences soon followed. He was accused of Draft Evasion, stripped of his Heavyweight title, and banned from the sport of boxing itself.

While these punishments would typically cripple any person, Ali showed why he was a fighter. He never backed down, not in one of the biggest fights of his life. Ali became synonymous with activism against the war and preached the irrationality of America’s efforts in this war. For this, he was villified by many across the nation. So many viewed him as a traitor, but he was true to himself. He never turned his back on his beliefs or his morals, that is the true definition of a man.

In 1971, the charges against Ali were dropped and he was allowed to return to boxing. While this was phenomenal news, there was one issue: Ali was practically robbed of his prime. He was returning to boxing as a former champion nearing his 30s and had to prove himself once again.

The brash Ali quickly set up a fight against his future nemesis, Joe Frazier. Things did not go so well for Ali in his return to a championship bout as he was defeated. Yes, Ali had yet another battle ahead of him: to prove himself once again. Doubts surely ensued after his defeat but he only let this strengthen and propel him to greater heights.

A couple years later, he would enter the ring with a rising and feared star in George Foreman. Foreman was THE man to beat in 1974, he was on top of the world having beaten Frazier and the rest of the boxing world with goliath-like strength. Ali never backed down though while being his usual playful and cocksure self. If Ali were to prove himself and regain his title as Heavyweight Champion, this was where he would make it happen. Ali once again defied the odds by defeating the vaunted Foreman by way of KNOCKOUT. A near impossibility in the eyes of many was made possible. Ali did it once again.

After his fight against Foreman, Ali would go on to successfully defend his title multiple times including the “Thrilla in Manilla” against Frazier. With all of these efforts and bouts, Ali would only naturally begin to deteriorate. So much so, that he lost 3 of his final 4 bouts. It was at that point that Muhammad Ali had met his match in the world of boxing in Father Time. He retired from Boxing in 1981 with a record of 56–5 (37 KO), surely as “The Greatest”.

While already settled into retirement, Ali would encounter the fight and opponent of his life. In 1984, Ali learned he had developed Parkinson’s Disease and this meant that he would have to step up and fight this disease in his typical fashion. If anybody was ready for the challenge however, it was him. He surely gave Parkinson’s one of the bravest fights many have ever seen.

In 1996, Ali practically stole the show and the Olympic Games when he lit the torch. This represented so much (strength, solidarity, persistence, and a lot more) to not only the United States, but to the world. “The Greatest” was fighting nobly to live his life on his own terms, and that alone was brave.

From then on, Ali was beginning to get “rope-a-doped” by Parkinson’s and did his best to fight back, but his efforts began to prove futile. In recent years, he had a couple of hospital scares and his health began to deteriorate. This was not the Ali the world was so mesmorized by in 1960 when he burst onto the scene at Rome, this was an Ali trying to get up to beat the count. In the last few days, Ali was hospitalized with health complications (respiratory issues specifically) that were only made worse by his Parkinson’s disease. As the hours passed, many began to fear that the end was near, that the count would hit ten. With his family at his side, what we once thought was impossible, became possible…Ali lost his life.

With this loss, the world has lost a true champion and a true fighter. His family (bless them) has lost a true man, father, and most importantly a courageous soul. Thank you Muhammad for living one hell of a life, it has sure been a pleasure to see it every step of the way. “Float like a butterfly”……