No fighter in the history of boxing could talk himself up, while simultaneously belittling his opponents, like Muhammad Ali. Long before facing his opponent in the ring, Ali would get in his adversary’s head with a lethal one-two combo of unmitigated bravado and withering insults. Sonny Liston, George Foreman and Joe Frazier, all served as targets of Ali’s famous verbal volleys.
Despite proclaiming himself to be “The Greatest,” Ali actually considered Joe Louis to be the best heavyweight of all time, but none would dispute Ali’s place as the sport’s greatest showman, talker, and poet.
MUHAMMAD ALI’S TOP 10 QUOTES
With so many quotable quotes to chose from, it’s as difficult to settle on a top ten, but we gave it a go nonetheless. In the end Ali concluded, “The only thing that matters is submitting to the will God,” which he did – with grace.
''People don't realize what they had till it's gone. Like President Kennedy, there was no one like him, the Beatles, and my man Elvis Presley. I was the Elvis of boxing.''
''Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer.''
''I wanted to use my fame and this face that everyone knows so well to help uplift and inspire people around the world.''
''I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.''
''Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong.''
''I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.''
''I've seen George Foreman shadow boxing, and the shadow won.''
''A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.''
''He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.''
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