Ali, was it worth it?

Boy, you are living on a different planet to me. All around me I see decent men get scant rewards for their efforts, and lying crooks prosper as the general rule. We ain't living in no meritocratic utopia, buddy...I'm sorry to be the one to break that to you.

As for Ali, I think that if he would have retired after Zaire, he would still have gone down as one of (if not the) greatest of all time, still have made millions, and still have had most of his health in later years, and been able to cash in on and enjoy his status as a living legend.

I think most of the damage to Ali was caused in his post Zaire fights, such as Frazier III, Norton III, Shavers, Holmes etc.

It wasn't boxing per se that hurt him, it was foolishly carrying on for much, much too long in the hardest game that has damaged him so badly. And all the uncountable blows he took in his rather masochistic training sessions certainly didn't help, either.

 

In many cases this is true - that the "system" is no meritocracy. Funny that sports competition comes closest to a meritocracy than what most of us do.

On the other hand, what SuperHut said about Ali was very true. Ali wasn't this "messiah" that too many want to think he was.

 

this is basically what he said in an interview I've seen

he said he would not change a thing, and also he is not convinced his Parkinson disease is the product of his pugilistic career (like it or not, he may be right, maybe he would have developed it anyway had he not been a fighter)

 

Nicely summed up,Chaney. Ali's legend was cemented after Zaire,and no fight after it made any difference,positive or negative,to his legacy. Manila was a good encore only. And yes,I reckon had Muhammad hung 'em up after beating George Foreman,he'd have been a lot healthier today.

 

All too often, what you love, your passion, kills you.

And he who has not loved, has not really lived.