Opinion The greatest ones

Together,Frazier,Ali and Foreman brought boxing and their own larger-than-life personalities to the public domain. Ali,formerly known as Cassius Clay,converted to Islam,and became a spokesperson for anti-racism movements worldwide,and especially in the US. He was also the first person with a national fan following to openly refuse to fight in the Vietnam War. Articulate and a showman par excellence,he took a stand using his immense popularity and consequently became the poster-child for anti-war and anti-racism movements,even at the cost of his boxing career being curtailed.

Although he didn’t possess Ali’s charisma or Foreman’s aura,Frazier could in many ways be considered the binding force for bringing boxing to the level of a cultural phenomenon. There is a reason that heavyweight boxers are respected,adored and considered dominating personalities. It’s because they are tough,hard-hitting,vocal,at times raucous,but above and beyond that,they are considered fearless in a world where talk and bluster is considered cheap. For Ali to refuse to join a war due to ideological differences with the government was not considered cowardice in any way,because the man took his life into his hands on a daily basis. In a sport where killer-instinct,power and endurance are revered,he was the champion of champions.

There was another vital reason for this greatest generation of heavyweight boxers to have such a lasting impact on the social and cultural landscape worldwide — the colour of their skin. As African-American cultural icons,they were not only scrutinised and analysed,but they were also given a forum to express their views. While Ali and Frazier embodied the uphill battles that their peers faced on a daily basis,Foreman was able to cross over from being a cultural and social icon to becoming a marketable and recognisable brand,and later on,a successful entrepreneur with the George Foreman grill.

Because boxing is based on personalities,and fights were mega-events with a build-up months in advance,among the defining moments of the 1960s and 1970s were über-fights around the globe,and unlike most other events,they usually lived up to their billing. Ali and Don King,the famous and controversial promoter,were also experts at building up the pre-fight publicity. The “Fight of the Century”,the first of the trilogy of fights between Ali and Frazier,was a seminal moment in boxing. Held at the Madison Square Garden in New York,it is considered one of the most suspenseful and gut-wrenching moments in sport,with the enduring image of Frazier walking towards his corner as Ali lay stretched out on the canvas,having been knocked down in the 15th and final round. Frazier won that fight,but he did not win the war against Ali. The next step was to bring the two most well-known sports personalities to different continents,and this was when boxing became a worldwide revolution of sorts. The “Thrilla in Manila” and “Rumble in the Jungle” fights not only served the purpose of achieving global awareness and exposure,they also passed muster with purist boxing fans. Today,there are few individuals in any sport,let alone boxing,who can spark social and cultural revolutions like the great ones of the sport did in the formative era of the 1960s and ’70s. Perhaps Manny Pacquiao,the dynamo from Philippines,would be the closest,but by a long shot.

Perhaps this generation doesn’t require the kind of cross-over superstars who could impact societies in Kinshasa,Manila or Vietnam. Whatever it is,the great ones triggered rumblings that were heard around the world. And we are fortunate to be reminded of all that they accomplished,albeit in a moment of grief at the loss of the great Joe Frazier.

The author is a sports attorney at a national law firm. Views are personal,express@expressindia.com