Gospel truth is he’s a God among men
“I’ve wrestled with alligators, I’ve tussled with a whale. I’ve handcuffed lightning and thrown thunder in jail.”
Many hundreds of years from now, long after civilisation has collapsed, a time capsule will be discovered.
Once they figure out how to access its contents, they’ll likely think they’ve discovered some kind of new God. Muhammad Ali. They’ll watch his fights and see an ancient warrior. They’ll read his poetry and think they’ve stumbled on an old-world higher power. They’ll call it the Gospel of Ali .
Never mind talking about Ali as some sort of future deity. He’s not a kick on the backside off one now.
Just look at the outpouring of grief over his death this weekend. The world lost one of the most incredible human beings who has ever lived. The Greatest? You bet. It might sound too much describing a boxer as a future God but history isn’t written in the present. When the time comes to reflect on the 20th century, there’s no doubt Ali will be up there with the key figures.
Was Ali the best boxer of all time? Probably not. He gave that honour to Sugar Ray Robinson.
But the best sportsman? No contest.
In a century that saw sport become a truly global obsession, he was the first global sports star, known on every corner of the Earth.
Which is crazy because it was a time before satellite TV and social media. People huddled around radios to listen to his fights. He was front and back page news everywhere.
Not that Ali was f lawless. He divided America at a time when the country had bitter divisions.
This was a black kid born in 1940s Deep South. He was meant to keep his head down and mouth shut but Ali did the opposite and showed black America they could stick it to the man.
Some of his politics saw him sail close to the wind but as he moved out of the ring he became a figure of unity.
Sadly he also became a prisoner in his own body.
But Ali’s at peace now. His legend will echo down the ages, maybe until those children of the future see this epic figure from a long-gone past.