Boxing is an individual's sport. No one can go in there and fight for you. There are no substitutions. A boxer who does not believe in himself should find something else to do. And no one showed more confidence than Muhammad Ali.
Ali died Friday at 74 years old, leaving a lasting legacy dominated by his impact in the culture and politics of sports. But it was his ability inside the ring that drew him the spotlight required for that greater impact. Ali was the only three-time lineal heavyweight champion of the world. He bested the likes of Floyd Patterson, George Foreman, Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier.