QueenZone discussion #1453811

Muhammad Ali : 1942-2016

Muhammad Ali : 1942-2016

brENsKi
05.06.2016 04:37		 Such a shame the great man has passed. I remember watching those fights as a kid in the 1970s and not being a fan of boxing, was nonetheless stunned by how great an athlete he was. 
one of few human beings who could easily back up his own claims to greatness.
A true legend - for whom, words and superlatives don't go far enough to justify his greatness. Rest In Peace, champ.
link
brENsKi
05.06.2016 04:49		 double post
Sebastian
05.06.2016 07:36		 Same case as Cruyff: it was somewhat expected, but it still hurt a lot. And I'd dare say they were roughly at the same level in their respective fields.
matt z
06.06.2016 00:51
Sebastian wrote: Same case as Cruyff: it was somewhat expected, but it still hurt a lot. And I'd dare say they were roughly at the same level in their respective fields.
Well. I disagree. Cruyff was an innovator of the sport. Muhammad Ali was a people's champion and he put the American system of justice on trial against itself.
"No Vietcong ever called me nigger", and his willful dissent towards the draft. No one could call the world champion a coward. Particularly when he espoused the name of God (in whatever form).
He took a page from Gorgeous George and publicized his own bouts, but however large his persona; he always championed social justice. Particularly in the era of extreme prejudice and hypocrisy that was the 1960's
His charisma alone endeared him to the masses. And his rapport with Cosell really earned him the respect even among the white bigots of the time. He humanized the struggle for many. I don't think anybody else could've done that but a heavyweight champion.
Who'd ever call Ali a sissy?
A great man, sure he had his flaws but on the whole, quite a giving generous spirit
Costa86
06.06.2016 11:06		 Such a shame that Parkinson's gradually reduced such a great man to the state he found himself in during his later years. His Parkinson's was related to pugilistic dementia caused by repeated blows and trauma to the head. Apparently doctors detected damage to his brain via CT scans as early as 1981/82, two years before he was officially diagnosed with Parkinson's.
Anyway, one of the most exciting fantasy sport events of all time is Ali vs Tyson, both in their prime. Both had their strengths and weaknesses, and Ali was around 5 inches taller than Tyson, but then again, Tyson was well-known for his right hook and right uppercut to taller opponents. Would be epic, surely.
Thistle
06.06.2016 17:36		 Ali v Apollo Creed would have been better, though ;)
I'm truly gutted at this one. RIP, you were the greatest of all time.
ParisNair
18.06.2016 09:07		 With people like Ali, I don't think it matters that he is dead. He completed his life-time, and achieved a stature in the public conscious from which he can never be shaken.
A lot of "legends" and "greats" of pop-culture became so largely because of untimely deaths or death during their prime, shocking/stunning the world. Ali, Michael Jackson are two of the very rare exceptions to that.