Another Icon Passes Away #RIPMuhammadAli #TheGreatest #211

Image source: Retro-Reviewer.

Sad news this morning of the death of one on the greatest sportsman ever - Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali. I am old enough to remember many of his fights and saw him box on TV several times in the days before Pay Per View television. He would have made a fortune if he was boxing today - there hasn't been anyone like him since he hung up his gloves. There have been many imitators who try to be loud-mouthed and brash like he was, but they were missing one ingredient - class.

As a sportsman Ali inspired many generations of more than other sports people. He showed that you could stand up to Uncle Sam when he refused the draft. He showed that a poor boy from Louisville Kentucky could reach the top in his sport. He showed that it was OK to be a Muslim. He showed that you should never give up by winning the world title three times. He also showed humility when diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease - he stated that it was Allah's way of telling him that he was not the greatest. Rest in peace Ali - may Allah be with you.

For 1970s teenagers a popular song in the discos was Johnny Wakelin's "In Zaire" which was based on the famous Rumble in the Jungle fight between Ali and George Foreman. Here's a video from Top of the Pops in 1976....enjoy!