“The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”
– Muhammad Ali (1942 – 2016)
The DD has featured this quote a half dozen times over almost 11 years, and it takes on new significance for this author, as we mourn the passing of Muhammad Ali at age 74.
Dictionary.com defines an icon as a “person or thing that is revered…” Ali wasn’t revered by everyone, and he wasn’t always revered by those who mourn his passing, either. Born Cassius Clay, and a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, Ali refused to sign up for the draft and was a pariah for many as a result. Dad, the most influential man in my life, hated him for it. “Draft dodger” was the most polite term Dad used when he’d talk about “Cassius Clay.”
But like millions who altered their view over the life of this civil rights and sports giant, Dad ultimately came around to admiring his skill, his showmanship, his humanness and his human caring and compassion. And, though we never discussed it in these terms, Dad respected the way Ali stood up for what he believed in.
What many lose sight of is the fact that Muhammad Ali had done that before he refused induction in to the Army, and he continued that commitment until his death.
I believe he was the best boxer, inch-for-inch and pound-for-pound, every to enter the ring.
I also believe that he was a better example for mankind in general than he was for boxers and sports fans.
We tend to think of icons on the big stage — and Ali, as today’s quote suggests, relished the big stage more than anyone, and he thrived on that stage. The reminder worth taking away from his death, though, is that in order to become iconic in our own sphere of influence, it’s the time on the road, in the gym, preparing, training, striving, working and sweating that will ultimately make us stand out.
Ali worked hard at life. He worked hard at making the world a better place for millions. And, as “those lights” go out on “The Greatest,” Difference Makers will consider how they might honor the icon they revered for all these years. Away from the witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road…
Leave a Reply