Muhammad Ali always had the gift of the gab. He could talk up a whirlwind and he could do it without breaking a sweat. His talent to produc...
Muhammad Ali always had the gift of the gab. He could talk up a whirlwind and he could do it without breaking a sweat. His talent to produce the perfect repartee made him a press favourite even before he became the best boxer on the planet. It got him the attention... and Ali made the most of it. He backed up his fame with deeds.
As he once said: “It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.”
His oratory outside the ring helped establish his legend and he somehow always knew how to choose the right moment. He could trash-talk his opponents, or stand up for black rights, or speak out against the Vietnam War. He could do it all and do it with a conviction; a belief that indeed stood out as special.
For example, here is a poem from 1962:
Everyone knew when I stepped in town,
I was the greatest fighter around.
A lot of people called me a clown,
But I am the one who called the round.
The people came to see a great fight,
But all I did was put out the light.
Never put your money against Cassius Clay,
For you will never have a lucky day.
After the fight against Sonny Liston, which resulted in a stunning upset victory for Ali, he shouted from the...
