The latest Sporting Hero of the Month was nominated, in truly exceptional circumstances, after his death. But boxing legend Muhammad Ali was just that – exceptional as an athlete and as a man.
Ali, who died at the age of 74 on 3 June, rewrote the rules of sporting eminence. He called himself “The Greatest” and lived up to that billing, giving boxing a significance unlike anyone before or since.
In the week of his death there were global outpourings of love for the fighter who had suffered Parkinson’s disease for 32 years. Presidents, prime ministers, pop icons and the public all told stories of how Ali inspired them.
The sporting world is liberally sprinkled with descriptions of greatness and those who claim it. Ali embodied it.
Inside the ring, he elevated himself above the rest in the golden era of heavyweights. Outside it, he used his handsomeness, telegenic personality, boundless charisma, lightning tongue, egocentricity and outspokenness – on both social and racial issues during a time of turbulent change and the Vietnam War – to create a constant stream of media attention.
Then, when he stepped into the ring, it was his footwork and fists, timing and temperament, that brought the sport sensationally to life.
In a 20-year fighting career, Ali claimed the heavyweight world title three times. Fights with Joe Frazier, and the most watched bout of all time, “the Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman in Zaire in 1974, captured the imagination of the world.
Ali’s ring skills combined freakishly fast reflexes, surprising combinations, the footwork of a dancer, and – early in his career – an ability to dodge the most dangerous punches. Later on, he absorbed the blows with an impregnable will.
Part of his genius was in changing perceptions. Heavyweights were meant to be cumbersome, but Ali, with his famous shuffle, was the opposite of that.
But he was much more than a prizefighter. As his win in this month’s vote shows, he was one of the most enduring icons of the 20th century.
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