The world awoke this morning to the sad news of the passing of Muhammad Ali at the age of 74.
One of the greatest heavyweights of all time, Ali’s boxing prowess was surpassed only by his cultural impact. He was infatuating, inspiring, controversial and polarizing. You couldn’t take your eyes, or ears, off Ali.
“Braggin’ is when a person says something and can’t do it. I do what I say.”
Did he ever. In 61 fights, he won 56 times, 37 by knockout. His biggest bouts became social and pop phenomena: the defeats of the menacing Sonny Liston, the rope-a-dope of George Foreman in Zaire, the “Thrilla in Manila” with Joe Frazier.