Hundreds of athletes will come and go throughout centuries but very few among them can come close to Muhammad Ali, the legendary late boxer in terms of stardom and greatness both on and off the ring.
So, let’s have a look at his larger-than-life journey and explore some of the key historical moments associated with him.
Muhammad Ali became part of booming comics culture in late 70s
During his fighting era, Muhammad was a powerful figure even outside of his fighting zone and received massive adoration from his fans comprising pretty much all ages. The boxer’s soaring popularity earned him a presence on the pages of a comic book.
The heavyweight champion was featured in a 1978 comic book called, ‘Superman vs. Muhammad Ali”. Here the duo picked up the gloves against each other to determine the challenger who would stand against the Alien chief. When Superman loses the match, he was rushed to hospital, and as per the rules, Ali fought with Alien’s chief and defeated him too.
He later paired up with the superhero and rescued the earth from alien invasion. It was one of the most successful comic book collaborations at that time which made huge strides banking on Ali’s stardom and Superman’s popularity.
Muhammad Ali rescues Vietnam war vet in LA
It was the time of 1981. On June 19 of that year, something happened which redefined his athletic persona outside the glittering ring. A young man of about 21 years old was about to jump from a high-rise building in LA.
He positioned himself on the ledge of a fire escape and was ready to plummet at any moment. At the nick of time, Ali rushed to the spot after hearing about such an occurrence.
The boxer then tried his best to calm down the man and save him from committing suicide anyhow. After a conversation for nearly 20 minutes on the top, he found out the man was a veteran of the Vietnam War. When both came down safely, Ali then drove him to the nearby police station.
After suffering from Parkinson’s disease for nearly 30 years, the legendary figure finally breathed his last on June 3, 2016, at the age of 74. Even to this day, he is considered one of the most influential personalities of his time and beyond.
