It's one of the most iconic sports photos in history, and it's arguably the best. Neil Leifer's shot of "The Champ" the moment he became exactly that, standing over a vanquished Sonny Liston after knocking him out in their 1964 heavyweight title fight.
Leifer's photo also sums up Muhammad Ali perfectly. He was brash. He was confident. He talked trash. And he backed it up. He was, simply, "The Greatest." And not just because he told you so.
I'm too young to remember Muhammad Ali as anything other than the shell of a man he became as he dealt with Parkinson's disease later in life. The one lasting image of Muhammad Ali that I have is something I'll never forget, though. I think there's a lot of people that won't. There wasn't a dry eye in the house on that night 20 years ago when Ali emerged from the shadows to ignite the Olympic cauldron in Atlanta. A man who had won a gold medal 36 years earlier was one of the biggest stars of the 1996 Games, simply by being there and being himself.
Three years later, ESPN counted down the 50 greatest athletes of the 20th century as part of its SportsCentury series. Ali finished third--behind only Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan. I'm not disputing his place on that list. But he easily could've been in the top two. Simply put, Muhammad Ali is an icon.
There's a whole generation of people who only know Muhammad Ali the same way I do. Our only exposure to his fights are from ESPN Classic and YouTube, or from Will Smith's incredible Academy Award-nominated performance in the great biopic Ali. (There was also a documentary about Ali and George Foreman, When We Were Kings, that won the Best Documentary Feature Oscar in 1996.) I rely on my dad for the first-hand accounts of what it was like to watch Ali in his prime. And I can only imagine what it was like!
Boxing today is nothing like what boxing was during that era. Ali wasn't the only larger-than-life figure. His rivalries with Joe Frazier and George Foreman are stuff of legend. Everyone knew those fights would be epics. That's why they were given catchy nicknames before they even took place! From the "Fight of the Century" to the "Rumble In the Jungle" to the "Thrilla In Manila," Muhammad Ali was made for the big stage. And he thrived once he got there.
Is he the greatest boxer ever? Does it even matter? Muhammad Ali's boxing career is only a part of the story. It's everything else that made him "The Greatest." And all that will ultimately be his legacy.
Cassius Clay changed his name and wanted the world to know that he embraced the Nation of Islam. Muhammad Ali stood up for what he believed and refused to go to Vietnam ("I ain't got no problems with no Vietcong!"). Even though that meant he would be stripped of his title and potentially go to jail, he refused to cave. He wasn't allowed to fight for three years, making his comeback and subsequent regaining of the championship belt that much sweeter.
His career arc has been replayed over and over in the last day and a half since Ali's passing. As extraordinary as it was, though, it pales in comparison to his impact as a humanitarian and a man. He was a voice for social change long before it was acceptable. He was one of the most quotable sports figures of the 20th century, and you either loved him or hated him (but mostly loved him).
Muhammad Ali touched so many people in so many ways--most of whom never saw him box. He dubbed himself "The Greatest" as a cocky young fighter, only to prove that he was by everything he did long after his boxing career ended.
Most of all, Muhammad Ali was a true original. One not soon to be forgotten. He will be missed.
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