19/05/2019
"I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was"
Among his other famous lines, like "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" or "If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologise", this quote may be his most remembered one. The name Muhammad Ali is synonymous with the greatest, and for good reason. He shocked the world not once, but twice against odds of 7 to 1, and he overcame bigger, stronger opponents in the ring with a style that was so unique to the heavyweight division; his speed, agility and footwork outclassing opponents who wielded sheer power and strength.
But Muhammad Ali's most famous fight was not won on speed and precision, but through a battle of attrition and perseverance. Ali faced off George Foreman in "The Rumble in the Jungle". Foreman's nickname was "Big George", and for good reason. He was younger, heavier, and stronger than Ali, and was an overwhelming favourite in the build up to the fight.
The fight began as many predicted, with Foreman throwing heavy punches into Ali, trapping him in the corner. By the end of the first round, the fight seemed all but decided. But entering into the second round, Ali began to lean into the ropes and let Foreman punch him. Foreman pounded into Ali, but Ali never let Foreman's punches land enough to earn points or a finishing blow. By the eighth round, Foreman visibly started to lose steam, and that was when Muhammad switched to go on the offensive, and eventually won.
This fight has since become one of the most famous fights of all time because it resulted in Ali, against the odds, regaining the title against a younger and stronger Foreman.
Ali did not win every match because he was obviously better than the other fighter. He knew defeat, and definitely felt a punch in the face more than once. He was battered and bruised after every fight, and he never walked out of a ring unscathed.
Although we may not be professional boxers, and we may never step into a ring, we have our own battles to fight. I can guarantee that life will punch you in the face more than once. There will be times where you will be face down on the mat, hurting so bad that you feel like throwing in the towel. But just because you fall, that doesn't make you a loser. Staying down does.
Failing is part of the process; it is the entry fee that one must pay to reach success. True failure is when one fails to push past the struggle of hitting an obstacle. No one was or is born great. No one gets it perfect on their first try.
Ali even said it himself - "Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even."
So the next time you fail, the next time you get punched in the face, take a breath, pull yourself together, and get back up to do it again. Eventually, you'll find that even life cannot keep you down forever.
- Joseph Kim
