He was a legend in our time

Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilihi Rajiun.

When Ali was in Guyana back in the 70's, I went to the Libyan Embassy the night they had the dinner for him. No I was not an invited guest. I was a scrubby teenager living down the street who went over as an onlooker. Nonetheless, while he didn't know it back then and will never know it anymore, I was fortunate to have him shake my hand. I remember his handshake was firm. Sometime while we lived in Los Angeles, my brother and his wife ran into Ali at the airport where he took a photo with them. My brother said that when Ali placed his hand on my sister in law's shoulder and he commented about it, Ali jokingly squared up with his arms in the boxing stand. Ali was a very jovial person whose illness got progressively worse as time went by. May Allah grant him Jannah.

RIP oh great one!!!

The Greatest is no more.

A legend not just in our lifetime Vish - the man transcends sports.

Outside the ring he was bigger than the several Popes, the US Presidents and so on. He stood up against the Vietnam war not just because he "ain't got no quarrel with the Viet Congs", but moreso because Blacks who helped built this country and fought world wars still had to sit at the back of the bus and drink from separate water fountains. Ali worked to get hostages released from Iraq in 1990. He was a tremendous Ambassador for this great nation that honors him and has honored him in the past - G.W. Bush gave him the highest civilian honors of this nation. Ii remembered staying up late listening to the Rumble in the jungle on GBS (later renamed GBC) or Radio Demerara and the impact Ali had on us as teenagers.

There will not be another like him.

I was introduced to Ali by W D Muhammed. He was a great man and a humble man. May Allah welcome him in paradise.

In April 1979 when Ali visited Guyana I stood outside Bank of Guyana and watched him pass by in an open-top Cadillac. On February 25, 1964 my uncle and I stayed up late at night to listen to a live radio commentary of his championship fight with Sonny Liston. He knocked out Liston in Round 7 and my uncle explained to me the meaning of TKO. And on October 2, 1980 I paid $15 to watch his fight with Larry Holmes on close circuit television on a large screen at the National Park in Georgetown. Forbes Burnham was there too.

Muhammad Ali was not born great but he achieved greatness and had greatness thrust upon him too.

Nobody ever disputed the fact that Ali was the greatest. He was alos loved by people of all colours and religious believes.  He was immensely popular in England, and he acknowledged that many times. When we did a national vote for the greatest sports person of the 20th century, Ali had more votes than all the other contenders put together!
That's a true sign of greatness.

Gilbakka posted:

In April 1979 when Ali visited Guyana I stood outside Bank of Guyana and watched him pass by in an open-top Cadillac. On February 25, 1964 my uncle and I stayed up late at night to listen to a live radio commentary of his championship fight with Sonny Liston. He knocked out Liston in Round 7 and my uncle explained to me the meaning of TKO. And on October 2, 1980 I paid $15 to watch his fight with Larry Holmes on close circuit television on a large screen at the National Park in Georgetown. Forbes Burnham was there too.

Muhammad Ali was not born great but he achieved greatness and had greatness thrust upon him too.

On that visit I had the chance to meet him at Queens college Also at the Libyan Embassy.

ksazma posted:

Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilihi Rajiun.

When Ali was in Guyana back in the 70's, I went to the Libyan Embassy the night they had the dinner for him. No I was not an invited guest. I was a scrubby teenager living down the street who went over as an onlooker. Nonetheless, while he didn't know it back then and will never know it anymore, I was fortunate to have him shake my hand. I remember his handshake was firm. Sometime while we lived in Los Angeles, my brother and his wife ran into Ali at the airport where he took a photo with them. My brother said that when Ali placed his hand on my sister in law's shoulder and he commented about it, Ali jokingly squared up with his arms in the boxing stand. Ali was a very jovial person whose illness got progressively worse as time went by. May Allah grant him Jannah.

 So kaz you crashed the dinner , hope you enjoyed it. I attended many of those Dinners

Pointblank posted:

ksazma posted:

Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilihi Rajiun.

When Ali was in Guyana back in the 70's, I went to the Libyan Embassy the night they had the dinner for him. No I was not an invited guest. I was a scrubby teenager living down the street who went over as an onlooker. Nonetheless, while he didn't know it back then and will never know it anymore, I was fortunate to have him shake my hand. I remember his handshake was firm. Sometime while we lived in Los Angeles, my brother and his wife ran into Ali at the airport where he took a photo with them. My brother said that when Ali placed his hand on my sister in law's shoulder and he commented about it, Ali jokingly squared up with his arms in the boxing stand. Ali was a very jovial person whose illness got progressively worse as time went by. May Allah grant him Jannah.

 So kaz you crashed the dinner , hope you enjoyed it. I attended many of those Dinners

I actually did. Didn't get any dinner bai. Got no closer than the gate, maybe the yard inside the gate.

Uncle Eddie told us that he was going to be there and we can come over. We were likkle scrubs running around the neighborhood. Not as big as you who got to go to the dinner.

On another note, I went to Uncle Big's daughter's wedding and when it was over, me and my friend crashed another wedding behind their house. I swear the parents at that wedding must have thought that we were related because for the next two weeks, they kept telling us to come back for the sport after work each day.

Mr.T posted:

Nobody ever disputed the fact that Ali was the greatest. He was alos loved by people of all colours and religious believes.  He was immensely popular in England, and he acknowledged that many times. When we did a national vote for the greatest sports person of the 20th century, Ali had more votes than all the other contenders put together!
That's a true sign of greatness.

The measure of Ali's greatness is when you see his picture hanging in a hut in Africa or a shack in Asia or Latin America.

Ali was an event where ever he went. There is a famous photo of the greatest Black athletes of his era who gathered with Ali to get clarification on his draft-inductee opposition. When he fought Frazier at the Garden imaging the who's who in the world coming to see him. Today we don't even know who the heavyweight champion of the world is.

He touched lives.

ksazma posted:

Pointblank posted:

ksazma posted:

Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilihi Rajiun.

When Ali was in Guyana back in the 70's, I went to the Libyan Embassy the night they had the dinner for him. No I was not an invited guest. I was a scrubby teenager living down the street who went over as an onlooker. Nonetheless, while he didn't know it back then and will never know it anymore, I was fortunate to have him shake my hand. I remember his handshake was firm. Sometime while we lived in Los Angeles, my brother and his wife ran into Ali at the airport where he took a photo with them. My brother said that when Ali placed his hand on my sister in law's shoulder and he commented about it, Ali jokingly squared up with his arms in the boxing stand. Ali was a very jovial person whose illness got progressively worse as time went by. May Allah grant him Jannah.

 So kaz you crashed the dinner , hope you enjoyed it. I attended many of those Dinners

I actually did. Didn't get any dinner bai. Got no closer than the gate, maybe the yard inside the gate.

Uncle Eddie told us that he was going to be there and we can come over. We were likkle scrubs running around the neighborhood. Not as big as you who got to go to the dinner.

On another note, I went to Uncle Big's daughter's wedding and when it was over, me and my friend crashed another wedding behind their house. I swear the parents at that wedding must have thought that we were related because for the next two weeks, they kept telling us to come back for the sport after work each day.

I was a teenager then Kaz but I was involved with the Islamic work that the then ambassador started.

One not so often mentioned fact is that Ali had Irish roots. His great grandfather was an Irish man who married a black woman.

Mohammed Ali was a giant in his time not only in the ring but also in other social issues. His stand against American involvement in  the Vietnam conflict  secured for him a special place in history.

Ali and West Indies cricketers. Rohan Kanhai is third from left.

Evander Holyfield (a native of Atlanta) was supposed to light the torch at the Olympics in Atlanta and was told late that someone else would light the torch. Well, he was indignant and wanted to know who was this person who was supposed to be a better person than him for that occasion. when he was told it was Ali he said it couldn't have been a better choice.

Pointblank posted:

I was a teenager then Kaz but I was involved with the Islamic work that the then ambassador started.

Good for you bro. I wasn't active in any work back then. Was still in secondary school.

ksazma posted:

Pointblank posted:

I was a teenager then Kaz but I was involved with the Islamic work that the then ambassador started.

Good for you bro. I wasn't active in any work back then. Was still in secondary school.

Me too bro I was in form 3

Prashad posted:

I was introduced to Ali by W D Muhammed. He was a great man and a humble man. May Allah welcome him in paradise.

But you would not welcome him in your Indesh.

Whenever I think of him, this song comes to mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGhXaBLIBso

RIP

The Greatest!!!

RiffRaff posted:

RIP

The Greatest!!!

Have some respect. The man said that he is the double greatest.

Heard one of his nuggets this morning;

"This kid is fast, he has endurance. If you decide to fight him, increase your insurance."