The death of Muhammad Ali yesterday robs the world of one of the greatest icons of all time. Ali was not a politician, great artist or scientist, he was not a great man of letters or religious leader; he was, quite simply and in his own words 'The Greatest'.
As a boxer Ali was a phenomenon. Olympic light-heavyweight champion, as Cassius Clay, in 1960, aged just 18, he quickly became a serious professional heavyweight. In 1963 he travelled to Wembley where he was put on the canvas by our very own Henry Cooper, only for his very quick thinking corner men to engineer a prolonged break between rounds, time enough for Clay to recover his wits and stop Cooper, whose propensity to horrible cuts was a blight on his career, in the 5th round. Still as Cassius Clay, he went on to defeat the hitherto unbeatable Sonny Liston in 1964 and to become world heavyweight champion.
As champion, Clay suddenly became a man of real substance. He soon changed his name to Muhammad Ali and went on to defeat all comers until the US authorities found a way to stop him; his refusal to serve in the Vietnam war gave them all the excuse they needed to have him stripped of his title and effectively removed from circulation for 3 years. On his eventual return to the ring in 1970, Ali quickly showed that he was still a power and gained a fight against then world champion 'Smokin' Joe Frazier, in 1971. In one of the greatest fights ever, Ali and Frazier hammered each other for 15 rounds, Frazier winning on points but also suffering such damage that he was never the same fighter again. Ali continued to be the iconic figure of boxing and beat Frazier in a re-match in January 1974, before taking on the reigning champion, George Foreman, in Zaire in October of the same year. Ali simply defended himself for round after round, leaning against the ropes and allowing Foreman to pummel him; suddenly, it was all change in round 8 as Ali took advantage of his now tiring opponent and sent him sprawling to the canvas. In the words of commentator Harry Carpenter "Oh My God, he's won the title back at 32 !" I first heard these words on the radio by my bedside as I listened to the
fight in the early hours of 30th October 1974, and have never forgotten them.
A third fight with Frazier followed in 1975, this one being billed as 'The Thriller in Manila' and being another incredible battle between 2 great champions; they fought each other to a standstill, Ali retaining his title when Frazier was retired at the end of the 14th round but he, himself, was on the point of collapse, and held it until he was shocked by Leon Spinks in February 1978, losing on a split points decision. Nonetheless, great champion that he was, he came straight back and regained his title with a unanimous points win over Spinks in September of the same year, becoming the first man to win the heavyweight title 3 times.
His win over Spinks was to be his last, finally calling it a day after losing, on points, to Trevor Berbick in December 1981. Sadly, Ali had already been showing signs of brain damage from years of punishment and he was eventually diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The rest of his life was a story of slow decline although it seems that he never complained nor gave up fighting for what he believed in. He became the most recognizable man in the world, undoubtedly one of the most iconic personalities ever and received a tumultuous reception when he appeared to light the Olympic Flame in Atlanta in 1996.
In the UK, Ali became a much loved and honoured superstar. He was the BBC's Overseas Sports' Personality of the Year in 1973, 1974 and 1978, and was the overwhelming winner of the Sports' Personality of the Century award in 1999, voted for by the British public. His television appearances with Michael Parkinson have become almost as legendary as his famous and highly inimitable brand of poetry and invective. Ali's gigantic personality turned him from being a simple sportsman into a truly world-wide celebrity and a figure whose passing will be mourned in every corner of the globe.
Muhammad Ali - we will never see his like again.
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