No other sport-person ever, in whatever field of sports, has brought the 'profoundly special' aura, finesse, glamour, politics of society, creativity, colour, brilliance, intelligence, pre-tournaments' followership & media headlines & reviews, sportpersonship, confidence, visibility & heartwarming, professionalism, intellectual and ideological expression, etc that Ali brought into sports.
Muhammed Ali born as Cassius Clay, known as little lip, a black militant nationalist recruited into the Nation of Islam in America by the legendary MALCOLM X, was a delight to all across the world, right from the day he signed a boxing match, it was headlines across the world till weeks after the match. The Ali footworks simutaneously with pyschological talks in every round & dancing round the ring to wear down his opponents is legendary & uniquely his invention into boxing.
Ali with his "rope-a-dope" style left the world wt several memorable events, that included 'thriller in Manilla', 'Rumble in the Jungle', and his Defiance of the America establishment on 'Graft' to enlist him into the imperialist genocidal war in Vietnam. Ali was stripped of his World Heavyweight Title on the account of this Defiance and this heralded how he became 3-times World Heavyweight Champion - lost the title, first, to punitive America establishment; fought to regain it, but lost it to Leon Spink and fought Spink in a re-match few months later to reclaim the title the 3rd time.
How I wish my friend - Bumaye (AbdulKadir Mahmud) who died 5yrs ago is alive to share the memories of the Ali versus Foreman fight - Rumble in the Jungle in Sept 1974. We were in our Form One in a boarding school but for Ali, we decided to violate the school rules, we sneaked out of the Hostel after 'light out' to one of the remote classrooms and in d dark we tuned the Radio (we had smuggled into d school a week before) at very low volume to follow the commentary as the ringside supporters in Zaire-Kinshasha shouted: Ali - Bomaye, Ali Bomaye! Bomaye means - (Ali Kill him).
I still remember how my friend shouted when Ali was declared the winner. He said, as from now, call me Bumaye, that was his name till death!
Something happened later - the battle to sneak back to our different hostels becos his noise attracted the School guards. But Ali's spirit & speed was wt us that night to escape uncaught and for me that was my 2nd major offence within 4-months that shud ve earned me outright expulsion.
As I conclude this short piece, I remember Ali's prediction of the fight that I read years after: "I never seen George Foreman tired yet .... And when George gets tired, I wl still be dancing. I wl b picking my shots, beating him at will. If George Foreman dont get me in seven (Round 7), I am telling you now, his parachute wont open". AND THAT CAME TO PASS as Ali ended Foreman reign in Round 8 to become the new Champion for the second time.
Adieu the Scientific Ali! Yor memories will Linger Eternally!!
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