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That Crazy Moment I Met Muhammad Ali

Joseph Serwach
Leadership Culture
Published in
6 min readMar 2, 2025

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Muhammad Ali, the Greatest of All Time, in 1975. Image by Bernard Gotfryd via Wikimedia Commons.

Muhammad Ali reinvented our culture.

Ali in Me took me back to the crazy moment I met him in 1988. Suddenly, the new Audible book helps us make sense of the bigger story.

Why is Ali called “the Greatest?”

The poet/fighter who shocked the world influenced modern masculinity, protests, promotion, hip-hop culture, and MAGA.

He was one of the first to say “I’m black and I’m pretty,” declaring:

“I am the greatest! I said that even before I knew I was.”

Ali always knew he had a special presence — and purpose, something so many seek today.

Born Cassius Clay in 1942, he converted to Islam in 1964 and was renamed Muhammad (meaning “Praiseworthy”) and Ali (an “Exultant” light).

He believed that putting a rooster in the dark meant he “won’t say anything all day,” but putting him in the light meant he could crow all day.

And yes, the three-time heavyweight champion, who gave up three of the best years of his career to protest the Vietnam War, was the first GOAT (Greatest of All Time).

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Joseph Serwach
Joseph Serwach

Written by Joseph Serwach

Story + Identity = Mission. Leadership Culture, Journalism, Branding Education. Inspiration: Catholic, Polish. https://medium.com/@serwachjoe