On the 84th anniversary of Muhammad Ali's birth on January 17, 1942, the question still lingers about the legacy left by the man considered "The Greatest," not only as a boxer but also because of the cultural and social impact he had on the entire planet, even beyond his death in 2016.
Baptized by his parents as Cassius Marcellus Clay, this pioneer in many aspects was born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, a residence he maintained for life, even though he is considered a universal icon of other races and religions, which gives him a "cosmic" character in other latitudes.
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But what did this boxer, nicknamed "Big Mouth," do in his career to capture the world's attention in such a way?
Explosion in three countries
If there is one thing that cannot be criticized, within the odious comparisons of the times, it is the rivals that this formidable human being faced and defeated - first with his surname Clay and then as Ali.
Clay, after winning the Olympic middleweight title in Rome in 1960, turned professional and four years later, on February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach, cemented his legendary status by defeating Sonny Liston, who was considered an invincible "monster." Liston had destroyed Floyd Patterson in a single round to win the title, and the odds were 7 to 1 against Clay.
Almost no one believed that the 22-year-old Clay could survive Liston's punching power. In the sixth round, Clay completely dominated a tired and frustrated Liston. When the bell rang for the seventh, Liston remained seated on his stool, claiming a shoulder injury. Clay leaped into the center of the ring shouting his famous phrase, "I am the greatest! I conquered the world!" and immediately afterward publicly announced his conversion to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
In the legendary "Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire, Africa (1974), after being out of boxing for three years for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War, Ali used the "rope-a-dope" tactic (letting himself be hit on the ropes to tire out his opponent) to knock out the seemingly invincible George Foreman in 8 rounds.
A year later, in Zaire, an intelligence operation was launched, and Ali would then face a test of pure endurance. It was the third fight with "Tank" Joe Frazier, which took place in Manila, Philippines.
In the 14th round, Frazier's corner stopped the fight because Joe was blinded by swelling. Ali immediately declared that Frazier was "the strongest man in the world after me," a display of courage the world would never forget.
