There are a handful of other boxers who have a much more impressive win loss records than me. There are boxers that have defeated more top ten challengers than i have. But i’m the greatest. I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. My name is Mohammed Ali.
While his record is not the best as compared to others in his arena, Mohammed Ali is regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. Despite having a poorer record, he is still the most famous. This is, in part, because of his speaking. He spoke out on controversial issues such as the Vietnam War before it was the cool thing. He showed off his speaking skills through his poetry, his rhyme, on sports and news programs, while being interviewed, and sometimes by straight out pronouncing how great he is.
He was gifted in his speech and that was one of the reasons why he is held in such popular regard even today. He was not afraid to taunt, make fun, or make known his stance on political and social issues such as that of the Vietnam War and the race issue in America. Over time, public opinion turned radically in his favor.
So what do we learn from the story of Mohammed Ali? It is that of you have a platform in one arena, you can use it to bring into spotlight the social and political issues that you care deeply about. Playing it safe and being afraid to offend will lead to you being mired in obscurity. But not being afraid to have unpopular opinions and beliefs can ultimately lead to you becoming a beloved figure that is held in high esteem despite being deemed controversial at certain points of your career.