Muhammad Ali was so much more than a really good boxer
He did things his own way, in a very stylish way, speaking out against war, racism, and religious intolerance when doing so was very much frowned upon. He was a funny and amazing man. I call him a great man for his honor, courage and integrity. I thank him for making the world a better place, for being the inspiration for so many people to carve out their own way and be good people.
I am not a fan of boxing in any way. I understand the skill needed to do it well, but it has never appealed to me. I was a child when he won the world heavyweight championship and remember people talking about how good of a boxer he was, how amusing he was to watch because he had such a different style than most. I remember the cries of "that's not fair" when he won by using strategy rather than just brute strength. He definitely changed things up.
And it was no longer enough to simply be a great athlete.
From the wiki article on him, linked to http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/sports/in-alis-voice-from-the-past-a-stand-for-the-ages.html?_r=1
He refused to be drafted into the Viet Nam war and lost his boxing title and millions of dollars in endorsements as a result. His moral standards were worth more than the title he gained and the money offered. He inspired so many to also protest the war and to work against trying to end it. His actions inspired Martin Luther King jr to speak out against the war and eventually his conviction was overturned by the SCOTUS.
This is what I remember so much about him. How could someone who fights for a living, who has been proclaimed the best fighter, say no, I won't go fight in a war? What did it mean to be a CO? What did it mean to be a boxer? If a pro-boxer could say no, wars are immoral, so could so many others.
Here is an article from 2000 that talks about his impact.
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/30/sports/backtalk-today-s-athletes-owe-everything-to-ali.html?pagewanted=3
Then there was his public conversion to Islam. I remember asking my parents what that meant, how he could change his name and religion. This was quite an eye opening event for me, a youngster living in the heartlands in the 60's. "Cassius Clay is my slave name." Yes, he started with an extreme sect, later converted from the Nation of Islam sect to mainstream Sunni Islam in 1975 and spoke out against religious intolerance.
Here is a short article that sums up well what he meant.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-boxing-ali-condition-idUSKCN0YQ00M
He was a great man, refusing to fit into the mold that had been designated for him, and inspiring so many to do the same.
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