Muhammad Ali The Greatest Boxer To Ever Grace The Ring

I have always been a fan of boxing. My favourite boxer? I think the title of this post is a give-away.

My first recollection of Muhammad Ali was when my Indian neighbour was trying pathetically to impress upon my father that Sonny Liston went down from a karate chop. "No la uncle, he gave a karate chop on the neck la uncle". My father just laughed it off. Anyway, would a karate chop be a lethal weapon when you are wearing thick gloves. You see they, those in the west, and the non-Muslims in Malaysia, at that time couldn't accept the fact that a Muslim is the World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

What impressed me most about Ali is that he blended lightning speed with grace. He was an entertainer extraodinare in the ring. Yes, he got the gift of the gab and that got to many of those who hated him especilally when he proved in rhymes what round he would floor his opponents and his predictions were cunningly true.

As to whether he is a true Muslim, that is not for me to say. If he was taught to be the Muslim that he is, who am I to say that he is wrong. He may be wrong in someone else's eyes but not to his.

Well lets leave that aside. If I am not mistaken his first fight with Frazier was in 1971. The school rented a tv set and all were ushered into the hall. I think they did it more because the teachers wanted to watch the match then anything else. It was very evident. The Malay/Muslims were all for Ali and the rest, including the teachers mind you were all for Frazier and the Malays left the hall dissapointed after the unanimous decision to give Frazier victory which was justified.

His biggest victory must be the Ali-Foreman extravaganza in Kinshasa Zaire and The Thriller in Manila against Frazier.

When Ali took on Foreman, most fans including me thought that Ali was going to be humiliated. I have seen Foreman's previous fights and he was actually Bullman. In one of his earlier fights he even broke the hand of an opponent who blocked his blows. Such was the awesome power of this boxer turned preacher.

When Ali resorted to leaning against the ropes and allowed Foreman to bomb him with massive blows to the body only to come alive in the last minute of each round, I thought, it won't be long. I was right but in a pleasant way. The rope-a-dope tactic paid off. By the last minute of the 8th round Foreman was a spent force and the rally that Ali produced that hot and humid night was a classic. Foreman hit the canvass and was only up to his knees by the count of 9, a second too late.

The Thriller in Manila which many saw as the contributing factor to him contracting Parkinsons, do you get Parkinsons that way, was a fight between 2 colourful heavyweights. Frazier who incidentally lost his 2nd fight with Ali on a decision, and who was obliterated by Foreman, landed heavy and telling blows on Ali but Ali the master entertainer did not dissapiont. He rained punches and Frazier's corner threw in the towel.

Like many others, Ali could have believed that he was invincible. He went on to fight a few fights too many at the age of 40 and above. He paid the price.

Whatever it is, Ali is, to me, the best boxer to ever grace the ring. The only boxer to ever come close in entertainment value is Sugar Ray Robinson and not surprisingly he adopts an identical fighting style to Ali. A bad eye forced him to retire early.