“I Had to Prove That You Could Be a New Kind of Black Man”: Fans React to Muhammad Ali’s Volition for Being a Community Role Model

Muhammad Ali “shook up the world” multiple times in his career. At the young age of 22, Ali fought against the undefeated, Sunny Liston back in 1964 and became the world champion. However, that was not the only time he gave the world of boxing an upset for the ages. In 1974, Ali’s glory days were considered way behind him by many boxing pundits. However, Ali proved to the world his “greatness” and won against the then-undefeated, George Foreman in “The Rumble in the Jungle” showdown.

However, it does bear a mention that Ali was a celebrated figure apart from his skills inside the ring. His charismatic personality captivated the public and he used his influence to be a community role model. He was vocal about socio-economic justice, contributed to multiple charities, and was an advocate for racial equality amongst many things. Ali is not only remembered as one of  “The Greatest” boxers but also as a role model. His influences even shine through today as the fans reminisce about the time he vowed to be a role model for his community.

Muhammad Ali’s vow to be a “new kind of black man” had the boxing world feel nostalgic

Muhammad Ali passed away in 2016 but tribute accounts for him are plently and one of them has over 800k followers on Twitter. A recent post made on that account dwelled into a quote of his in which he had vowed to be a community role model. The quote stated, “I had to prove that you could be a new kind of black man. I had to show that to the world.”

The tweet also included a series of pictures condensed in a video depicting his first fight against Joe Frazier. His fight with Frazier is widely regarded as one of the most iconic bouts of all time. Witnessing this, the fans felt nostalgic and made it evident. Here are a few fan reactions reflecting upon the same:

A fan MianAafand had nothing but kind words to say, he stated, “The best fighter in the world.”

While, another fan

ℚ𝕦𝕣𝕓𝕒ن was left impressed with his boxing skills and stated, “Legend move”

On similar lines, another fan reminisced about the time Ali faced Frazier and called it,

“Fight of the century.”

Lastly, one fan Usman Abu Ahmad, via Twitter translate, stated, “May God have mercy on you, hero”

Read more: ‘You Got 10 Minutes to Get Out of Town…’: Former Mayor Once Detailed Incident Where Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali Rendered Him Speechless