“I had tears in my eyes”

Muhammad Ali would have turned 80 on Monday. t-online readers share their memories of “the greatest”.

“Muhammad Ali was a pioneer, a pioneer, a revolutionary. What’s more: Ali is still the most influential athlete in history,” writes t-online editor David Digili on the occasion of the 80th birthday, which the boxer would have celebrated on Monday, had he not died in 2016.

He was a fighter, not only in sport but also socially. For many he was and is therefore “the greatest”. Even though his work was decades ago, many t-online readers remember the influential American. They share their memories with us.

“There will probably never be someone like him again”

t-online reader Rüdiger Jahn reports: “Having boxed myself as a young man in the fifties and sixties, it was always an experience to get up in the middle of the night to see Ali fights.” He is certain: “There will probably never be anyone like him again.”

“He lives on in the hearts of millions of people”

t-online reader Robert Stoltz says: “In 1964 I was just four years old when Ali became world champion for the first time. Unfortunately, we didn’t have television yet – but radio. I vaguely remember how enthusiastic my father was about this exceptional boxer.”

Sometime later we also had TV. From there, no fight was missed: Mildenberger, Quarry, Chuvallo, Frazier, Norton, Foreman and more. The fight against George Foreman was the highlight for me. I’ll never forget how my father said to me: ‘Boy, wake me up – even if you have to throw a bucket of water over my head!’

Probably the most famous boxing match of all time: Muhammad Ali (r.) In “Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman. (Source: IMAGO / Cola Images)

The years after that, when ‘the greatest’ boxing slowly went downhill, was kind of sad for me – to have to see how this idol degraded more and more.

But especially the way he dealt with his illness, his authenticity, his social commitment, his humanity, his charisma, his clear and sincere gaze and his profound words; everything that made this man excellent and unique continues to shine, fascinates and inspires me timelessly!

For me, Ali was and remains ‘The Greatest’ in many ways! Genius, role model, fighter, rebel, philosopher, benefactor, peacemaker – truly unforgettable. He lives on in the hearts of millions of people. May he, according to his faith, live in peace and happiness forever – in the kingdom of God!”

“I had tears in my eyes”

t-online reader Michael Stanke will always be remembered: “I watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Atlanta on television in 1996. Of course, this also included the Olympic flame, which was carried into the stadium at some point.

July 19, 1996: Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic flame in Atlanta. (Source: IMAGO / Bildbyran)

When the torch was then passed on to Muhammad Ali, who trembled and was marked by his illness and lit the fire with it, tears welled up in my eyes. That moment still touches me today, even though it was so long ago.”

“He had an unshakable compass for right and wrong”

Also the father of t-online reader Ingo Karwath got up at night when a Muhammad Ali boxing match was coming up. “What a holiday when everyone was talking about nothing else the next day,” he recalls and continues: “I was 19, drafted for 18 months of military service in the People’s Army, had night duty as a soldier on duty – and Ali’s biography I read that night, in one piece, and Ali never came back to me as close to me as he was that night.

He had the courage to refuse service because he didn’t want to go to Vietnam, killing innocent people because Nixon wanted it that way. For this he had to pay; they stripped him of his title and reputation and ostracized him socially. But he came back, bigger than ever.

Because of the pervasive racism, he had thrown his gold medal from Rome in 1960, the year I was born, into the river. What an act!

Then he converted to Islam and made himself at the mercy of the Black Panther hardliners, who he left again. He had flaws like all of us, but he had an unshakable compass for right and wrong. Thank you for tonight Ali.”

“As a person and as a boxer an idol”

t-online reader Leslaw Illukiewicz writes: “He was exactly the right person at the time. Ali held up a mirror to the white people and was punished for it. I followed his fights with my mother at night: brilliant! He was an idol for me as a person and a boxer and stays that way.

I watched the documentary in Arte: just great. Nothing would be glossed over. His mental and physical decline was terrible. As a 68-year-old man, I cried a lot. He was a great man.”

“My dream had come true: I had met HIM”

t-online reader Raimund Ziegler describes: “In 1976 I had a ticket for his fight against Joe Bugner in Munich, which I was really looking forward to. But what a disappointment: During the fight I was at home with a feverish bronchitis and could only see Ali again on TV. But in 2002 I was finally able to fulfill my big dream.

Former boxer Mohammad Ali li USA at the German premiere of the movie Ali in conversation with s (Source: IMAGO / Hentschel)

I drove to the European premiere of his film in Riesa and when Ali was to be taken back to the hotel after a round of talks with Karl Mildenberger before the film started, I ran after him in the hall. I really wanted to take a picture with him, but one of his bodyguards repeatedly lifted me from behind and carried me away from him.

But every time I ran after him and managed to grab Ali’s hands and tell him how much I adore him and that he is forever the greatest. I also got an autograph in my Ali book from him.

My dream had come true: I had personally met HIM, the greatest! I was so overwhelmed that I shook for minutes and had tears running down my eyes.”