EDITOR’S NOTE: To all my Ali Brothers, please pardon my delay in this exclusive Ali bio, but last week was dedicated to the passing of my dear friend and basketball legend Leroy Freeman. Now…let’s get ready to RRRRRUUUUUMMMMMBBBBBLLLLLEEEEE!
:10—There have, in fact, been great fighters, but none as great as Muhammad Ali, Olympic gold medalist, heavyweight champion at age 22, and three time heavyweight champion of the world.
:09—Clearly, and without doubt, the most recognized man in the world.
:08—Not only great at his craft, yes, a superior athlete, social activist, humanitarian and prophet for peace and love.
:07—He not only stood up to the Supreme Court and U.S. government against the Viet Nam war, but he also gave power and voice to millions of others that thought the war was unjust, especially for Black folks who were fighting their own war right here in the U.S.A.
:06—He shook up the world. He was a “Bad Man.” He was pretty. Oh so pretty…not a mark on his face, and they did fall in the round he called. Yep, he was the greatest.
:05—The 3-peat with Frazier was historic, but for me the rumble in the jungle with George Foreman going down head first after falling victim to the rope-a-dope was the greatest fight of all time!
:04—Call the Liston fight what you want. Ali had nothing to do with Sonny Liston, the mob or whatever.
:03—Float like a butterfly…sting like a bee…the hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see. Rumble young man. Rumble! What we gonna do “Bundini?” Gonna win champ, gonna win!!!
:02—Hailed by kings and queens, presidents and pharaohs, the lighting of the Olympic torch, standing with Malcolm X…Muhammad brought the mountain to him.
:01—I had the pleasure and honor of bringing “The Greatest” to Pittsburgh in 1979. If you were at Judy’s Banquet Hall, you were there. And then the awesome privilege of going to his camp in Deer Lake, PA with Grand Master Jacquet Bazemore. When Bazemore broke a red brick in his bare hands, Ali screamed at Bundini, “Bundini, did you see that? Mmmaaannn, he’s the greatest!”
:00—GAME OVER
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