adminWASHINGTON. — In a reversal of roles, the outspoken Muhammad Ali won the “Rumble In The Jungle” world heavyweight boxing title fight 40 years ago but has become a stricken, silent icon, while brooding slugger George Foreman has turned into an outgoing tycoon.
Parkinson’s disease ended the snappy banter that was Ali’s trademark.
The man who once said “when you are as great as I am it is hard to be humble” no longer speaks in public and is rarely seen.
Foreman was an awkward, unloved figure when he lost his title on October 30, 1974. But he has evolved into a slick businessman selling barbecues and grills and speaking out as a champion for the 50-and-over set.
It has been a cruel fate for Ali, who had the world title taken away in 1967 for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War.
He took his political battle to the US Supreme Court which in 1971 upheld his conscientious objector status, setting the stage for the Foreman showdown.
Ali used a “rope-a-dope” strategy in Kinshasa and let Foreman, who had not needed more than two rounds to win or defend the crown, exhaust himself throwing punches. Ali flattened his rival in the eighth round.
Ali turned into a global symbol of greatness beyond sport, his fight for civil rights and social justice creating a legacy that saw him light the torch at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Even Foreman — who took 20 years to regain the crown — cannot deny the Ali force.
“Muhammad Ali has always been bigger than boxing,” Foreman said in an essay on his website.
“I say Ali was the greatest man because there has never been a man so young and so good at what he did, give up so much,” he added.
“I say boxing is too small for Muhammad Ali. He changes the very world. No other boxer could do that.”
In 1990, Ali went to Iraq to negotiate the release of 14 US hostages from Saddam Hussein. In 2005, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian honour.
Also in 2005, the US$60 million Muhammad Ali Centre opened in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, as a museum tribute to his career and a base for his charity efforts, including humanitarian awards given out most recently in September.
Ali, now 72, has had to combat regular reports that he is critically ill, including this month. — AFP.
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