Written by the Editorial board of The Guardian Newspaper
Boxing great Muhammad Ali who has just died aged 74 was the hand that fitted the gloves – unique, supremely gifted and arrestingly good looking. Long before he announced himself to the world with his victory over Sonny Liston as a 22-year-old challenger in 1964, declaring himself The Greatest at the heavyweight world title fight, or even his first professional fight in October 1960 against Tunney Hunsaker, the ‘Loiusville Lip’ (famous for having plenty to say) had a focus: to be the superstar in his own galaxy. To capture the essence of Muhammad Ali in a short space then is to do injustice to his life and times. That essence is and would ever remain a reference point in boxing and global sport history.
