Last of the heavyweight heroes
When my mate’s dad learned Muhammad Ali was coming to Auckland, he put on his best corduroy pants, best jandals and his Ali T-shirt, and set off for the Intercontinental Hotel.
And there, the world’s most famous boxer invited him to breakfast. Ali was much more than a great athlete – he also loved people.
Now it feels like the last of the great heroes of the 20th century has gone.
Sure, there are probably world leaders still around from back in the day, but Ali wasn’t born into greatness, privilege or leadership.
He achieved all those with his lightning-quick and powerful hands. The hands that earned him the world heavyweight boxing title not once, but three times.
As a kid I saw him on TV in the days when world title fights were still free to air.
He won the last of his world titles in 1978. In February the year after, Ali came to New Zealand where his many fans saw a humble side.
One of those fans was my mate’s dad, Rima Arapai of Freemans Bay. When he left the Cook Islands for New Zealand in 1965, his number one aim was to be an All Black. His next goal was to save up to travel to America to meet his idol, Muhammad Ali.
So when he learned Ali was coming to Auckland, Arapai got out those cords, jandals and the Muhammad Ali T-shirt a relative had sent him from Fiji. And he headed downtown.
Arapai didn’t know what he was going to do when he got to the Intercontinental (now the Pullman). Only that he wanted to meet his hero. And then Ali saw Arapai in the foyer and invited him to breakfast.
He even asked Arapai to take him home.
Arapai’s wife Doreen says it’s still one of her biggest regrets that she didn’t give her permission when her husband rang to ask. She just didn’t think the house was tidy enough.
Ali wouldn’t have minded. Despite being one of the greatest souls of all time it seemed that what he loved the most was people.
As he said in his poem which he proudly thought was the shortest in the world: ‘‘Me, we.’’