Bumaye, Ali
One of my real-life heroes is Muhammad Ali.
I used to wonder what he was thinking; the day he refused induction. He had to know it would cost him something. I don’t think he knew it would cost him nearly everything; they took the Heavyweight crown from him and revoked his ability to fight, robbing him of his prime years. We never got to see the best Muhammad Ali had to offer.
But in the end, he did what he did because he believed he was right. He believed that he was doing the right thing.
At thirty-two, Ali fought one of boxing’s most thrilling matches (The Rumble in the Jungle, we’ve all heard of it). He couldn’t move like he used to, and he was facing a champion that hit so hard he could literally lift men off of the canvas.
I think about the intervening moments between rounds, when Ali realized that his old tactics wouldn’t work. If he wanted to win, he would have to wear his opponent down. He would have to absorb the blows of a man who could dent bags with his punches.
I’m a fighter, and I can’t imagine taking even one of those shots. I’ve been hit hard enough to hear something snap in my head, I see things in triplicate for a moment…so I wonder what it was like to deflect those blows off his body round after round—and then keep going back for more.
Until, finally, in the eighth round, when George Foreman had nothing left, Ali unloaded on him. After a decisive two-punch combo, Ali had beat the odds and regained the world championship.
You may ask yourself what kind of mentality it takes to do all of the things he did?
Will you stand by your values even as you lose everything?
Do you have anything in your life you are willing to die for?
It’s easy to think that you would, and you do, until you’re actually faced with the proposition.
I’ve been hit—physically and by life—pretty hard, and I can honestly tell you that I would still come back for more if I could. If you have not your principles, then what do you have? What are you worth if you will stand for nothing?
Rare are people who will truly stand up for what they believe in when they’re actually faced with losing something. You may not understand it, but you have to respect it.
From a fighter’s perspective, I am in awe at the man’s determination to come out on top, no matter what he faced, and no matter how much stronger his opponent was.
USA Today recently celebrated “50 Years on the World Stage” for Muhammad Ali. I just wanted to add my own tribute.
(c) Avery K. Tingle for Akting Out LLC
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
