PWP Nation’s Bruce Hart talks about the greatest of all time and world leader Muhammad Ali.
Greetings.
The sports world, in fact the entire world, lost a monumental figure this week with the passing of the immortal Muhammad Ali. In retrospect, it seems somewhat paradoxical to be honoring and remembering him as a great humanitarian and an avowed advocate for peace when he initially gained fame and acclaim as the “Louisville Lip” – a brash, bombastic, trash talking iconoclast who bloodied and battered his outmatched opponents in the ring.
What set Ali apart though from the other great fighters, before and since, was that he used his exceedingly high profile – as the heavyweight champion of the world, to become a powerful voice against social injustice and an ardent advocate for the poor, the underprivileged and the persecuted.
Not only did Ali talk the talk, in an exceedingly volatile time, but he also, more importantly, walked the walk – whether it was fulfilling his promises to knock out seemingly in-vincible opponents such as Sonny Liston, Smokin’ Joe Frazier and George Foreman, or to take the courageous stand that he did against the Vietnam War.
While taking a stand against what he perceived to be wrong may have cost him millions and the prime years of his boxing career, it reflected his moral fiber and galvanized his legacy in history – along with a select few others – such as Jesus Christ, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Jackie Robinson, Abraham Lincoln and Mother Teresa as an individual who was willing to sacrifice everything because of their principles and beliefs and, in so doing, changed the world for the better.
When I was a kid, my dad used to bring up boxing champions, including Rocky Marciano, Jersey Joe Walcott, Primo Carnera, Jack Sharkey, Joe Louis and Ali, as well, for guest appearances in the ring and he always used to say that Ali was in a class by himself, not only in the ring, but outside of it – where he exuded charisma, good humor, integrity and always rose to the occasion, regardless of the situation.
When my father, who, himself, was a tireless crusader for life’s underdogs passed away in 2003, it was said that “his like we shall not see again.” The same can be said about Muhammad Ali. He, truly, was the Greatest.
Thanks for the memories and your enormous contribution to our world, champ. Rest in peace.
While the sports world bid farewell to Muhammad Ali’s with an outpouring of love, adulation and due respect befitting of the great champion that he truly was, in contrast, the WWE bid farewell to one of its most iconic champions – the Nature Boy, Ric Flair, by having him unceremoniously sent packing on prime time television in front of millions, by his spiteful and ungrateful daughter Charlotte – which was shameful and degrading.
I’m still waiting to find out that this is part of some hard to fathom storyline which will ultimately see him vindicated or allowed to make the proverbial comeback. Even so, I still can’t fathom how or why the WWE could see fit to perpetrating something like this. It speaks volumes about how the WWE just doesn’t seem to get it, as far as honoring, respecting and treating accordingly, the legendary champions and icons who have, over the years, have dedicated their hearts and souls to our sport.
I’ve already expressed my displeasure and chagrin with the way the WWE handled Ric’s departure, so I won’t belabor the point any further, here and now, other than to say that whomever, in the WWE’s creative department that’s responsible for ill conceived garbage like this needs to seriously re-evaluate their whole approach.
In closing, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish my older brother Smith – who is in hospital here in Calgary battling cancer and will be undergoing a serious operation this Tuesday, all the very best. Smith has always been there for anyone and everyone in our family and is one of the nicest, most giving and compassionate individuals I can think of. We’re all praying and hoping for the best for him. God bless!
On that note, I’ll call this a wrap for now, but will look forward to catching up with you all next week for more Hart Murmurs. Thanks for reading.
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