Reasons Why the World Loved Muhammad Ali - Essay Example

Reasons Why the World Loved Muhammad Ali The year 1975 saw Muhammad Ali get any fame than any other sports personality in the world. People loved and adored him because of the virtues he possessed. Ali had a big heart and brain, something that most boxing athletes lacked at the time of his reign. When he converted to Islam and adopted the most common name in the world “Muhammad”, interest in the boxing game developed even in those countries that initially had no interest in it. There were countries like Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and Egypt. The change in his name and the defeat of the most famous George Foreman catapulted his fame to reach across all nations in the world making him become a legend in the eyes of the people (Sina 4). Ali gained popularity mainly in the 1960s and 1970s in countries that were considered developing and when he had an interview with Playboy Magazine, he mentioned certain nations which were later on present in the Bandung unity conference, which was meant to intensify the purpose of unity among black people against the Europeans. Most of the countries that Ali mentioned were predominantly Islamic and they attended the conference in large numbers. During the period in which Ali was the controlling world boxing champion, he not only became the most popular Muslim American, but also became the most loved and famous Muslim in the entire universe because he fought against racism and injustice by the administration. Muhammad Ali can be considered as a person who confronted the United States liberation with Islam with the exception of the fact that no one exactly knew the type Muhammad Ali was at the time. The only visible evidence is the manner in which he strongly protested the thought of being an American citizen while at the same time he defended his beliefs as his protected rights. Ali was of the opinion that white people were demons and Allah was a black God who would give black people revenge from showing good deeds during their period on earth (Micklos 8). In as much as his thoughts could be seen as Islamic views, they were no different from those of messianic Black Nationalism. In this regard, Muhammad Ali and his Islamic faith may have served as a motivation to suspect the West of being oppressive instead of being thankful to them. Muhammad Ali became famous and loved in the colored universe after the Second World War for many reasons. Ali combined action and protest showing a strong sense, rare pride and strong racial remarks on his abilities. At the time, most black people cowed away due to the color of their skin but Ali was the opposite. He was a man full of himself and no one time did he feel less or lower of being an accomplished black sports personality. He exhibited a universal and a racial spirituality that kept with quest to turn most black people to Islam. This was revealed when he refused to fight in the Vietnam War making the authorities strip him of his championship. His main reason for refusing to join the war was because it was against Islamic values and teachings, probably cementing his image in the minds of Muslim faithful around the world. He took the matter to court and came out victorious giving most people hope that there was hope in the legal system. His fight for justice made people throughout the world to adore him because as a public figure, he was always in the glaring eyes of the media. This spirituality featured “black cultural” nationalism in the sixties because it had a strong psychology that was self help and gorgeous tendencies. The appearance of Muhammad Ali as a hero gave hope to most black people and this became a psychological motivation. Many people around the world loved Muhammad Ali because of his admirable boxing skills. Ali was a fast boxer and a gifted orator. His interesting boxing tactics together with his ability to talk fast drew many people to him, making his name to overshadow any other boxer of his reign. Globally, people enjoyed watching Ali take on opponents in the ring and make fluent speeches. His good oratory skills made many people to listen to him and many would yearn for him to speak or just see him take on an opponent. Indeed, it is Muhammad Ali who popularized the sport of boxing around the world inspiring many across the world to give it a try. Ali’s global popularity was also founded on his conspicuous pride as a black man. His change of name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali signified his principle of being who he was rather than try to look like whites. His pride on being a black drew him closer to many, especially Africans when he changed his name to identify with his perceived roots. Ali’s global fame also originated from his comments, which seemed to ridicule the whites at a time when the white supremacy was at its peak. Ali made it clear that he would never get married to a white woman. Despite the fact that this angered the whites, many people beyond the US and European territories admired him for remaining loyal to his black roots. He also showed no behaviors indicating that he was more powerful than other people like most sports personalities carry themselves. This act of humility endeared him to many people because he felt people did not owe him any praise. Ali always viewed his popularity and role in society like a heavyweight of the Islamic religion who had duties not only to his people, but also to the entire society. In his old days, Ali has been involved with social work especially that of the United States Civil Rights movement, which made him to be, recognized with the “Otto Hahn Peace Medal of Gold” in the year 2005, which was a Presidential Medal of Freedom. His lifestyle was no different from other athletes living a legacy of sex and being in the company of beautiful young women. Although he was described as a person who was selfish, he was like a father as he was always there for his brothers. A particular example is where he took a Cuban boxer by the name of Kid Galivan who was a welterweight champion to be part of his staff. Galivan held the title from 1951 to 1954 and when he retired, he became broke and worked in a parking lot earning peanuts. Ali took him from the parking lot and employed him as part of his security so that he would earn enough income and live like a champion that he once was (Micklos 18). Ali believed that his actions was a call to help both religious and racial people and most people in his staff came from different parts of the world and not necessarily Muslim. Another important thing that made people love him is because he was an ambassador for peace and a negotiator who believed that everyone had a right to life. This is why he had been portrayed in 1991 when he held a meeting with Saddam Hussein who was Iraq’s president at the time of release of US hostages held in Iraq. His negotiations skills was evident when three hostages held in Iraq were released unconditionally making people to love him as a person and not a just as a boxing legend. Ali is an icon who believed in himself even when other people thought that he was not capable of becoming the legend that he is today. He is loved for being a person with flexibility. Even in later years when was affected by Parkinson’s disease, he never gave up and gave hope to many. He was brilliant and entertaining living up to his expectation for being the world’s greatest in the ring. During his fight with Liston, even Elijah Muhammad who was the Islamic leader discouraged Malcolm from associating with Ali for the fear that the fighter would lose the fight which would mean that Muslims had lost as well (Micklos 22). They were however all proved wrong when he beat Liston in the arena hands down. His ability to socialize with everyone and focus on his own goals enabled him to emerge triumphant in the contest with Liston and also earned him respect and admiration from many all over the world. Even though Malcolm had the goal and ambition to become the spokesperson and leader of the third world, it is Muhammad Ali who eventually who filled this role much better than him owing to the vast love and admiration that people had for him all over the world. Among the many African nations, Ali preferred Egypt most because he viewed it as a country with Islamic culture with monuments and artifacts that showed that Africa was an empire in itself even before the invasion by the colonialists (Micklos 36). His natural political statements also drew attention of many people towards the legend. Comments made on a movie he watched in Egypt fueled his popularity further by claiming that he would rather fight on the African borderland rather than his home country as he saw white people taking control of everything. Apart from the negative comments he made about Nigerian women, Muhammad Ali was fascinating, heroic, a star and a prince to many. In as much as he had political remarks in his speeches, he was not seen as a threat in political cycles, but a hero and an athlete. People have come to describe him as a king in the boxing field. No other professional boxer has ever matched boxer has ever matched his skills and influence on people all over the world. Ali built himself a global brand that would take centuries for any sportsperson to displace. His legacy is likely to live on from one generation to another as the world’s most influential and loved sports personality of all times. Woks Cited Micklos, John. Muhammad Ali: “I Am the Greatest”. Bekerley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2011. Print. Sina, Ali. Understanding Muhammad: A Psychology of Allah’s Prophet. United States: Ali Sina, 2008. Print. Read More