The greatest tribute of all? Continue Ali’s biggest fight

A rotten, dark year when we have already lost so many of our heroes became darker still in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Muhammad Ali anointed himself The Greatest, of course. But who, seriously, could disagree?

Charismatic, ferocious and funny, he towered over the latter half of the 20th century the way he towered over the prostrate Sonny Liston in the most iconic image of an iconic career.

Boxing may have brought him to the world’s attention but he was so much more than a sportsman.

He fought for his people, for their rights, the way he fought for his world championship belts.

And, amid the blizzard of tributes, it should not be forgotten that there were many, many Americans who hated him for it.

He was to become a legend, an icon, the people’s champion. But, in the 60s, to much of white America, he was an uppity pugilist to be put back in his corner, a boxer shooting off a big mouth with too much to say about racism and slavery and segregation and Vietnam and al l the rest.

And the 60s wasn’t so very long ago.

While black people might be able to eat at the same counter as their white neighbours now, equality remains a distant dream.

White people still hold 88 per cent of America’s wealth. Black people – 13 per cent of the population – hold 2.7 per cent.

Black children are more likely to attend poorly funded schools, less likely to graduate, less likely to find jobs, more likely to be discriminated against, more likely to be arrested, more likely to end up in prison.

Muhammad Al i , engaged and engaging, went toe to toe with the establishment to shine a light on the racism and discrimination endured not just by black Americans, but by all black people, here in the United Kingdom included.

Things may have got better. But in the fight for equality, for fairness, his most important fight, Muhammad Ali did not inflict a knockout, he did not win on points, he did not win at all.

For every tribute, every salute, we should remember what mattered to him most.

Our greatest champion did not finish his fight.

The people he inspired – and there are millions of us – should pull his gloves on.

He fought for his people, and for their rights, like he fought in the ring