MUHAMMAD ALI, A BRIEF SUMMARY OF “THE GREATEST”
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” “If you ever dream of beating me, you better wake up and apologize.” “I hated every minute of training, but I said don’t quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” “He who was not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” “It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am.” “It’s not bragging if you can back it up.” “I am the greatest. I knew that before I even was.” Those are just some of the fun quotes made by the world-famous boxing legend, Muhammad Ali.
Cassius Clay, Jr. was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1942. At just 12 years old, a police officer introduced him to boxing and at only 18-years-old, he made the 1960 Olympic team and won the gold medal in the Light Heavyweight division.
Winning gold at the Olympics launched his professional career where he soared to the top of his sport to become who many agree, the best boxer to ever live. He used his fame platform to speak out against religious and racial issues, and he was one of the first to do so. At one time, he was thought to be the most famous man in the world. He won the heavyweight title in 1964, from Sonny Liston and nine days later, he joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. In 1967, he refused to be drafted stating religious reasons and being against the war in Vietnam. This action caused him to be stripped of his boxing title and he did not fight again for four years. In 1971, The Supreme Court overturned his conviction and he began fighting again.
He had iconic fights versus Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and George Foreman. Millions of people today have memories of those epic battles in the ring. In 1984, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease which he struggled with the rest of his life. One of his biggest life honors was when he was chosen to light the torch in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Another incredible honor achieved was in 2006, when President Bush gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Muhammad Ali died in 2016, in Scottsdale, Arizona, and he’s buried in Cave Hill Cemetery, in Louisville, Kentucky. His grave is easy to find and well attended. One simply needs to come in the main gate, follow the main line until it veers off into a green line, which brings you right here to his grave site. It’s a beautiful place to be and it’s one of the most visited grave sites in America.
Ali is one of the most polarizing figures in American history and most people have very strong feelings for, or against him. That being said, no one can deny the impact that he made on the world in his time and for that he will be eternally remembered. Be sure to see the video from his grave below!
-Col. Russ Carson, Jr., Founder, Family Tree Nuts