He didn’t lie to get out of the draft. He got in the face of the draft, calling war immoral and going to jail because of it.
He was a gifted athlete who knew you never count your reps in the gym until they start hurting. That’s when you start with “One” and do another 50.
He was provocative. Outrageous. Moral. Inspiring.
The story goes that a kid stole his bike when he was 12 and he wanted to get even. A cop told him he should learn to box. That went well.
It would be pointless to point out all the boxing awards he won and impossible to name one he didn’t.
Muhammad Ali was not without his mystery. The harder he got hit, the faster he got up. He wasn’t perfect and preferred it that way.
Just because we didn’t know him doesn’t mean we won’t miss him.
Photo by Mark Pellegrini