“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
Probably the most famous quote in sports history– and likely one of the most famous quotes of all time. Period. And it of course comes from the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. Sadly the world lost Ali just a few days ago, and it was not just a loss for the sports world, but the world in general.
To those who were lucky enough to witness Ali in his fighting prime, he was an incredible force inside the ring, a true entertainer outside the right, and an outspoken personality on countless subjects. To the younger generations, Ali was nothing short of a real life superhero leaving behind a myth-like legacy.
Now with Ali’s passing we at least have his timeless words to help remember him. He was not shy to speak his mind, whether it boasting of his own immense talent, talking trash to his opponents, speaking out about the injustices facing African Americans, or just sharing his words of wisdom. Enjoy the memory of the world’s greatest with these funny, thought-provoking and timeless quotes.
“If you even dream of beating me you’d better wake up and apologize.”
“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
“It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am.”
“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.”
“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”
“Don’t count the days; make the days count.”
“Joe Frazier is so ugly that when he cries, the tears turn around and go down the back of his head.”
“A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
“I’ve wrestled with alligators. I’ve tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning. And throw thunder in jail.”
“Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. It’s just plain wrong.”
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”
“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”
“It’s not bragging if you can back it up.”
“I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.”
“I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.”
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