The Greatest: Muhammad Ali

As a child, Myers admired the great Black boxers Sugar Ray Robinson and Joe Louis, both of whom could occasionally be seen around his neighborhood in Harlem. When he saw a young man named Cassius Clay win the gold medal in boxing at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, he was instantly fascinated with a man who would become known as “The Greatest,” and not just for his accomplishments in the ring. While aware of Muhammad Ali’s many flaws as a human being, and the terrible physical toll that his chosen profession ultimately had for him, Myers states that this book will treat him as a legend to highlight the extraordinary impact he had for Black America and the entire world: “I look upon him as an American, as a fighter, as a seeker of justice, as someone willing to stand up against the odds, no matter how daunting those odds, no matter how big his foe” (xi). This is the Ali whom Myers came to admire and still does.

Before his fight with Black boxing champion Sonny Liston, Ali (then still known as Cassius Clay) was acting erratically, leading some to think that he was scared and that the fight would be called off.