For generations young and old, across the globe, there are very few sportspersons who hold a global appeal. If popularity across that spectrum is a measurable entity, you will that, at the very top of that list, would be Muhammad Ali - ‘The Greatest.’
Ali was one of the iconic sporting heroes of the 20th century, the three-time heavyweight champion of the world who said he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” The man dubbed ‘Louisville Lip’ for his incessant trash-talking skills, came of age amid the turmoil of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, and dazzled the boxing world as a youngster with his speed, never before seen in his weight class.
He also rattled the established order with an equally quick wit and colorful personality that lifted him into the realm of super-stardom and ushered in the age of globally televised multi-million-dollar fights.
Ali, undoubtedly, was known for much more than his boxing. He was born Cassius Clay, but changed his name to Muhammad Ali after joining the hard-line Islamic religious sect Nation of Islam in 1964, declaring that “Cassius Clay is my slave name. I didn’t choose it, and I didn’t want it. I am Muhammad Ali – a free name.” He was also a champion for the Black cause in the 1960s and ‘70s. “Boxing is a lot of white men watching two black men beat each other up,” he once remarked.
In 1967, Ali was stripped off his world title for refusing to serve in the US army during the Vietnam war, citing religious reasons. He famously told reporters, “Man, I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong.” Ali did not enter the ring for more than three years, until the anti-war sentiment grew popular and he received support for his stance.
Over the years, his popularity only kept growing. He would have gone down as one of the greatest athletes of all time just for his boxing skills, but he truly is ‘The Greatest’ because he transcended sport.
Here’s the story of how and why Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali.
With AFP inputs