Who doesn’t have some core memory of Muhammed Ali, inside the ring or out? Mine is watching the fight between Ali and Joe Frazier in the University Bar.
And who doesn’t have a favoured quote (or two? With all the available material, only one might be difficult). My favourite is the “Impossible” quote. There are many others that are clever, or have deep religious or segregationist overtones. But the “impossible” quote is for everyman with a dream.
I’ve search high and low, compared attributions and eliminated duplicates and fakes.
There are far more “long quotes” that haven’t made it, but they are somewhat repetitious: this is not an archival exercise, but an exercise to put on display the great heart, mind and body of one of the great athletes of all time.
The Quotes
“Friendship… is not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“If you even dream of beating me you’d better wake up and apologize” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“Life is a gamble. You can get hurt, but people die in plane crashes, lose their arms and legs in car accidents; people die every day. Same with fighters: some die, some get hurt, some go on. You just don’t let yourself believe it will happen to you” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and peace” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“At home I am a nice guy: but I don’t want the world to know. Humble people, I’ve found, don’t get very far” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“My way of joking is to tell the truth. That’s the funniest joke in the world” — Muhammad Ali – [1]
“Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. It’s just plain wrong” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“My only fault is that I don’t realize how great I really am” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“What keeps me going is goals” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“It’s hard to be humble, when you’re as great as I am” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“I’ll beat him so bad he’ll need a shoehorn to put his hat on” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“I figure I’ll be champ for about ten years and then I’ll let my brother take over – like the Kennedys down in Washington” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“It’s not bragging if you can back it up” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“I am the astronaut of boxing. Joe Louis and Dempsey were just jet pilots. I’m in a world of my own” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“There are no pleasures in a fight but some of my fights have been a pleasure to win” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“I’m the most recognized and loved man that ever lived cuz there weren’t no satellites when Jesus and Moses were around, so people far away in the villages didn’t know about them” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“To be able to give away riches is mandatory if you wish to possess them. This is the only way that you will be truly rich” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“Boxing is a lot of white men watching two black men beat each other up” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“My toughest fight was with my first wife” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“Old age is just a record of one’s whole life” — Muhammad Ali – [2]
“When you can whip any man in the world, you never know peace” — Muhammad Ali – [3]
“I had to prove you could be a new kind of black man. I had to show the world” — Muhammad Ali – [3]
“No one knows what to say in the loser’s locker room” — Muhammad Ali – [3]
“I know I got it made while the masses of black people are catchin’ hell, but as long as they ain’t free, I ain’t free” — Muhammad Ali – [3]
“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything” — Muhammad Ali – [4]
“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” — Muhammad Ali – [4]
“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it – then I can achieve it” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life’s Journey – [4]
“I’m a fighter. I believe in the eye-for-an-eye business. I’m no cheek turner. I got no respect for a man who won’t hit back. You kill my dog, you better hide your cat” — Muhammad Ali – The Greatest My Own Story – [4]
“Live everyday as if it were your last because someday you’re going to be right” — Muhammad Ali – [4]
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” — Muhammad Ali – Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times – [4]
“The Service you do for others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth” — Muhammad Ali – [4]
“Often it isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s the little pebble in your shoe” — Muhammad Ali – [4]
“You lose nothing when fighting for a cause … In my mind the losers are those who don’t have a cause they care about” — Muhammad Ali – [4]
“If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, then they can sure make something out of you” — Muhammad Ali – [4]
“Others may know pleasure, but pleasure is not happiness. It has no more importance than a shadow following a man” — Muhammad Ali – [4]
“Jokes? There are no jokes. The truth is the funniest joke of all” — Muhammad Ali – [5]
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see” — Muhammad Ali – [5]
“The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road; long before I dance under those lights” — Muhammad Ali – [5]
“I’m the greatest, I’m a bad man, and I’m pretty!” — Muhammad Ali – Ali! Ali!: The Words of Muhammed Ali. – [5]
“Go to College, Stay in school, If they can make penicillin out of mouldy bread, they can sure make something out of you” — Muhammad Ali – [5]
“Superman don’t need no seat belt” — Muhammad Ali – [5]
“If your mind can conceive it; and your heart can believe it – then you can achieve it” — Muhammad Ali – [5]
“I Ain’t Got No Quarrel With The VietCong…No VietCong Ever Called Me Nigger” — Muhammad Ali – [5]
“Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams — they all have different names, but they all contain water. Just as religions do — they all contain truths” — Muhammad Ali – Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times – [5]
“I try not to speak about all the charities and people I help, because I believe we can only be truly generous when we expect nothing in return” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life’s Journey – [5]
“All through my life, I have been tested. My will has been tested, my courage has been tested, my strength has been tested. Now my patience and endurance are being tested” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life’s Journey – [5]
“We can’t be brave without fear” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life’s Journey – [5]
“Put yourself out on a limb, sucka, like me! – young Cassius Clay to heavily favored thug Sonny Liston during the weigh in before Cassius wins his first title and changes his name to Muhammad Ali” — Muhammad Ali – [6]
“Truly great people in history never wanted to be great for themselves. All they wanted was the chance to do good for others and be close to God” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections of life’s journey – [6]
“When it comes to love, compassion, and other feelings of the heart, I am rich” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life’s Journey – [6]
“Service to others is the rent that we pay on earth for our room in heaven” — Muhammad Ali – [6]
“IT AINT BRAGGING IF YOU CAN BACK IT UP” — Muhammad Ali – [6]
“My wealth is in my knowledge of self, love, and spirituality” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life’s Journey – [6]
“Now I had won the gold medal. But it didn’t mean anything, because I didn’t have the right color skin” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life’s Journey – [6]
“Impossible is nothing” — Muhammad Ali – [6]
“The greatest victory in life is to rise above the material things that we once valued most” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life’s Journey – [6]
“Impossible is Nothing” — Muhammad Ali – [6]
“I hated every minute of the training, but i told myself, “don’t quit. Suffer now, and live the rest of your life as a champion” — Muhammad Ali – [6]
“Service to others is the price that you pay for your place here on Earth” — Muhammad Ali – [6]
“Champions aren´t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision” — Muhammad Ali – [7]
“We have one life; it soon will be past; what we do for God is all that will last” — Muhammad Ali – [8]
“A rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in the dark and he’ll never crow. I have seen the light and I’m crowing” — Muhammad Ali – [9]
“I’ll beat him so bad he’ll need a shoehorn to put his hat on “ — Muhammad Ali – [9]
“I’m not the greatest; I’m the double greatest. Not only do I knock ‘em out, I pick the round” — Muhammad Ali – [9]
“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” — Muhammad Ali – [9]
“I’m the most recognized and loved man that ever lived cuz there weren’t no satellites when Jesus and Moses were around, so people far away in the villages didn’t know about them” — Muhammad Ali – [9]
“It’s hard to be humble, when you’re as great as I am” — Muhammad Ali – [9]
“It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up” — Muhammad Ali – [9]
“It’s not bragging if you can back it up” — Muhammad Ali – [9]
“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen” — Muhammad Ali – [9]
“Who would have thought, when they came to the fight, that they’d witness a launchin’ of a black satellite” — Muhammad Ali – In response to the question “Who writes your stuff?” in 1963, as quoted in “Brash Clay waxed poetic in 1963 visit to Nashville” by Bill Traughber in The CIty Paper [Nashville] (4 June 2002) – [10]
“This is the legend of Cassius Clay, The most beautiful fighter in the world today. He talks a great deal, and brags indeed-y, of a muscular punch that’s incredibly speed-y. The fistic world was dull and weary, But with a champ like Liston, things had to be dreary. Then someone with color and someone with dash, Brought fight fans are runnin’ with Cash. This brash young boxer is something to see And the heavyweight championship is his des-tin-y. This kid fights great; he’s got speed and endurance, But if you sign to fight him, increase your insurance. This kid’s got a left; this kid’s got a right, If he hit you once, you’re asleep for the night. And as you lie on the floor while the ref counts ten, You’ll pray that you won’t have to fight me again. For I am the man this poem’s about, The next champ of the world, there isn’t a doubt. This I predict and I know the score, I’ll be champ of the world in ’64. When I say three, they’ll go in the third, 2 years ago So don’t bet against me, I’m a man of my word. He is the greatest! Yes! I am the man this poem’s about, I’ll be champ of the world, there isn’t a doubt. Here I predict Mr. Liston’s dismemberment, I’ll hit him so hard; he’ll wonder where October and November went. When I say two, there’s never a third, Standin against me is completely absurd. When Cassius says a mouse can outrun a horse, Don’t ask how; put your money where your mouse is! I AM THE GREATEST! (1964)” — Muhammad Ali – [10]
“I knew I had him in the first round. Almighty God was with me. I want everyone to bear witness, I am the greatest! I’m the greatest thing that ever lived. I don’t have a mark on my face, and I upset Sonny Liston, and I just turned twenty-two years old. I must be the greatest. I showed the world. I talk to God everyday. I know the real God. I shook up the world, I’m the king of the world. You must listen to me. I am the greatest! I can’t be beat!” — Muhammad Ali – After defeating Sonny Liston for the first time (25 February 1964) as quoted in Sound and Fury : Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship (2007) by Dave Kindred, p. 58 – [10]
“Archie’s been living off the fat of the land. I’m here to give him his pension plan. When you come to the fight don’t block the door. ‘Cause you’ll all go home after round four” — Muhammad Ali – Before his fight with Archie Moore, 1962 As quoted in “Muhammad Ali was also great for civil rights” (January 17,2012) – [10]
“Ain’t no reason for me to kill nobody in the ring, unless they deserve it” — Muhammad Ali – Comment after the match with Jimmy Ellis was stopped by the referee in the twelfth round (July 1971) – [10]
“If you were surprised when Nixon resigned, just watch what happens when I whup Foreman’s behind!” — Muhammad Ali – Comment prior to the “Rumble in the Jungle” (30 October 1974) as documented in When We Were Kings (1996) – [10]
“You been hearing about how bad I am since you were a little kid with mess in your pants! Tonight, I’m gonna whip you till you cry like a baby.” — Muhammad Ali – To George Foreman before the start of the “Rumble in the Jungle” as the referee is giving them instructions (30 October 1974). – [10]
“That’s the only way you gonna save this sucker. He’s doomed.” — Muhammad Ali – Comment prior to the “Rumble in the Jungle” about George Foreman prior to the fight, when referee Clayton warned Ali that if he didn’t stop talking he would stop the fight. (30 October 1974) – [10]
“Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are” — Muhammad Ali – As quoted in Jet magazine Vol. 58, No. 1 (August 1992) – [10]
“Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on Brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? No I’m not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over. This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years” — Muhammad Ali – As quoted in Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of the Sixties (1999) by Mike Marqusee; also quoted in the International Socialist Review Issue 33 (January–February 2004) – [10]
“If Ali says a mosquito can pull a plow, don’t ask how. Hitch him up.” — Muhammad Ali – As quoted in “Muhammad Ali” by George Plimpton in “The TIME 100” in TIME (14 June 1999) – [10]
“Religions all have different names, but they all contain the same truths. … I think the people of our religion should be tolerant and understand people believe different things” — Muhammad Ali – When asked how he felt about the suspects in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks sharing his Islamic faith As quoted in “Bush: ‘Justice Will Be Done'” at CNN (20 September 2001) – [10]
“I’m retiring because there are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.” — Muhammad Ali – As quoted in Secrets of Power Persuasion for Salespeople (2003) by Roger Dawson , p. 192 – [10]
“Joe Frazier is so ugly that when he cries, the tears turn around and go down the back of his head.” — Muhammad Ali – As quoted in “Ali’s Quotes” at BBC Sport : Boxing (17 January 2007) – [10]
“It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up” — Muhammad Ali – As quoted in “Ali’s Quotes” at BBC Sport : Boxing (17 January 2007) – [10]
“I’m not the greatest; I’m the double greatest. Not only do I knock ’em out, I pick the round” — Muhammad Ali – As quoted in “Ali’s Quotes” at BBC Sport : Boxing (17 January 2007) – [10]
“Allah is the Greatest. I’m just the greatest boxer” — Muhammad Ali – As quoted in “Interview with Muhammad Ali” at SoundVision.com – [10]
“Friendship is a priceless gift that cannot be bought nor sold, but its value is far greater than a mountain made of gold; for gold is cold & lifeless – it can neither see nor hear, in time of trouble its powerless to cheer – it has no ears to listen, no heart to understand, it cannot bring you comfort or reach out a helping hand. So when you ask God for a gift, be thankful if sends not diamonds, pearls or riches but the love of real true friends. “ — Muhammad Ali – Response to Harold Bell, question about his view on friendship – Interview (video) – [10]
“I believe in Allah and in peace. I don’t try to move into white neighborhoods. I don’t want to marry a white woman. I was baptized when I was twelve, but I didn’t know what I was doing. I’m not a Christian anymore. I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be…I’m free to be what I want.” — Muhammad Ali – Responding to a press conference question as to whether he was a “card-carrying” member of the Black Muslims. Quoted in Sports Illustrated (March 9, 1964) and The New York Times (February 27, 1964)[1]. – [10]
“Spirituality is recognizing the divine light that is within us all. It doesn’t belong to any particular religion; it belongs to everyone” — Muhammad Ali – Interview with David Frost (1972) – [10]
“Religions have different names, and they all contain truth, expressed in different ways forms and times” — Muhammad Ali – Interview with David Frost (1972) – [10]
“I set out on a journey of love, seeking truth, peace and understanding. l am still learning” — Muhammad Ali – Interview with David Frost (1972) – [10]
“We all have the same God, we just serve him differently. Rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, oceans all have different names, but they all contain water. So do religions have different names, and they all contain truth, expressed in different ways forms and times. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Muslim, a Christian, or a Jew. When you believe in God, you should believe that all people are part of one family. If you love God, you can’t love only some of his children” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly : Reflections on Life’s Journey (2004) (writen with Hana Yasmeen Ali) p. xvii – [10]
“My soul has grown over the years, and some of my views have changed. As long as I am alive, I will continue to try to understand more because the work of the heart is never done. All through my life I have been tested. My will has been tested, my courage has been tested, my strength has been tested. Now my patience and endurance are being tested. Every step of the way I believe that God has been with me. And, more than ever, I know that he is with me now. I have learned to live my life one step, one breath, and one moment at a time, but it was a long road. I set out on a journey of love, seeking truth, peace and understanding. l am still learning” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly : Reflections on Life’s Journey (2004) (writen with Hana Yasmeen Ali) p. xix – [10]
“Wouldn’t it be a beautiful world if just 10 percent of the people who believe in the power of love would compete with one another to see who could do the most good for the most people?” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly : Reflections on Life’s Journey (2004) (writen with Hana Yasmeen Ali) p. xxiii – [10]
“If we continue to think and live as if we belong only to different cultures and different religions, with separate missions and goals, we will always be in self-defeating competition with each other” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly : Reflections on Life’s Journey (2004) (writen with Hana Yasmeen Ali) p. xxiii – [10]
“Once we realize we are all members of humanity, we will want to compete in the spirit of love” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly : Reflections on Life’s Journey (2004) (writen with Hana Yasmeen Ali) p. xxiii – [10]
“In a competition of love we’ll all share in the victory, no matter who comes first” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly : Reflections on Life’s Journey (2004) (writen with Hana Yasmeen Ali) p. xxiv – [10]
“The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years” — Muhammad Ali – [11]
“Give up what appears to be doubtful for what is certain. Truth brings peace of mind, and deception doubt” — Muhammad Ali – [12]
“When you are as great as I am it is hard to be humble” — Muhammad Ali – [12]
“I don’t look like no kiwi bird” — Muhammad Ali – [12]
“Politicians are always saying that they are in support of Iraqi citizens and now they are increasing the price of petrol. We were oppressed for 35 years. We are like a sick patient who is in need of care, and they are increasing prices” — Muhammad Ali – [12]
“I’ll be floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee” — Muhammad Ali – [13]
“I’m going to, not I’m gonna. Talk intelligent” — Muhammad Ali – [13]
“I run on the road, long before I dance under the lights” — Muhammad Ali – [13]
“War on nations change maps. War on poverty maps change “ — Muhammad Ali – [14]
“I have not lost [Allah’s] hope in us to show compassion where none exists and to extend mercy in the most difficult of circumstances. We as Muslims must lead by example “ — Muhammad Ali – [14]
“This relationship will help guarantee that, for generations to come, people of all nations will understand my beliefs and my purpose “ — Muhammad Ali – [14]
“I am the greatest. Not only do I knock em out, I pick the round!” — Muhammad Ali – [14]
“Frazier soaked it all up like a sponge. When they arrived in Manila it was the same story. Ali poured scorn on his opponent. Humiliated him. Joe had the heart of a lion but verbally he was out of his depth when Ali got going. One time, as fight day approached, Ali spotted Frazier on a hotel balcony, grabbed a security guard’s gun and fired some rounds at him. Everybody knew it wasn’t live ammo but it still startled the hell out of Joe.] Go back in your hole, Gorilla, … You gonna scare the people! Come out again and I’m gonna kill ya before time!”” — Muhammad Ali – [14]
“Only the nose knows, Where the nose goes, When the door close “ — Muhammad Ali – [14]
“He was as close to me as my brother. … I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself “ — Muhammad Ali – [14]
“You don’t want no pie in the sky when you die,/ You want something here on the ground while you’re still around “ — Muhammad Ali – [15]
“Whereas the degrees of rationality vary and some minds are distinguished over others, these clerks, if not convinced of what the Pasha has given them, must turn to their associates with the problem, and if all see an excess or shortcoming in the matter, then they should turn to the Pasha and present the requisite information “ — Muhammad Ali – [15]
“a fighter can condition his body to go hard certain rounds, then to coast certain rounds” — Muhammad Ali – [16]
“Float like a butterfly. Sting like a bee. Your hands can’t hit what your eyes can’t see” — Muhammad Ali – [16]
“All I want now is to be a nice, clean gentleman. I’ve proved my point. Now I’m going to set an example for all the nice boys and girls. I’m through talking” — Muhammad Ali – meeting with reporters on the morning after the Sonny Liston fight – [16]
“I’m a Muslim. I’ve been a Muslim for 20 years. . . . You know me. I’m a boxer. I’ve been called the greatest. People recognize me for being a boxer and a man of truth. I wouldn’t be here representing Islam if it were terrorist. . . . I think all people should know the truth, come to recognize the truth. Islam is peace” — Muhammad Ali – speaking on September 21, 2001 at a fundraiser for victims of the WTC and Pentagon attacks. – [16]
“Ain’t no reason for me to kill nobody in the ring” — Muhammad Ali – comment after the fight with Jimmy Ellis in July 1971 stopped by the referee in the twelfth round. – [16]
“People don’t realize what they had till it’s gone. Like President Kennedy – nobody like him. Like The Beatles, there will never be anything like them. Like my man, Elvis Presley – I was the Elvis of boxing” — Muhammad Ali – [16]
“That all you got, George?” — Muhammad Ali – whispered into George Foreman’s ear in a late round clinch during the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire on 30 October 1974 – [16]
“It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself” — Muhammad Ali – [16]
“Eat your words! Eat your words! I am the greatest” — Muhammad Ali – shouting at reporters who had dismissed him as a loudmouth and a fake before his fight with Sonny Liston. – [16]
“Be loud, be pretty and keep their black-hatin’ asses in their chairs” — Muhammad Ali – [16]
“What’s my name, fool? What’s my name?” — Muhammad Ali – yelling while winning a 1967 decision against Ernie Terrell, who had insisted on calling him Cassius Clay. – [16]
“I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world” — Muhammad Ali – from Healing, a Journal of Tolerance and Understanding – [16]
“God gave me this illness to remind me that I’m not Number One; He is.” — Muhammad Ali – [17]
“I always liked to chase the girls. Parkinson’s stops all that. Now I might have a chance to go to heaven.” — Muhammad Ali – [17]
“I don’t always know what I’m talking about, but I know I’m right.” — Muhammad Ali – [18]
“I say get an education. Become an electrician, a mechanic, a doctor, a lawyer, anything but a fighter. In this trade, it’s the managers that make the money and last the longest.” — Muhammad Ali – [18]
“If you love God, you can’t love only some of his children.” — Muhammad Ali – [18]
“They can boo me, yell at me, and throw peanuts at me, as long as they pay to get in.” — Muhammad Ali – [19]
“Floats like a butterfly, sting like a bee, his hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see” — Muhammad Ali – Before the 1974 fight against George Foreman – [20]
“I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalised a brick; I’m so mean I make medicine sick.” — Muhammad Ali – before the 1974 Foreman fight – [20]
“I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and got into bed before the room was dark” — Muhammad Ali – 74 pre-fight build-up ahead of facing Foreman – [20]
“Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn’t choose it and I don’t want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name – it means beloved of God – and I insist people use it when people speak to me and of me” — Muhammad Ali – announcing his conversion to the Muslim faith after first Sonny Liston fight – [20]
“I got nothing against no Viet Cong. No Vietnamese ever called me a ‘nigger'” — Muhammad Ali – [20]
“Nobody has to tell me that this is a serious business. I’m not fighting one man. I’m fighting a lot of men, showing a lot of ’em, here is one man they couldn’t defeat, couldn’t conquer. My mission is to bring freedom to 30m black people” — Muhammad Ali – Before his fight against Jerry Quarry in 1970. – [20]
“It will be a killer, and a chiller, and a thriller, when I get the gorilla in Manila” — Muhammad Ali – before the “Thrilla in Manila” against Frazier – [20]
“I always bring out the best in men I fight, but Joe Frazier, I’ll tell the world right now, brings out the best in me. I’m gonna tell ya, that’s one helluva man, and God bless him” — Muhammad Ali – after the “Thrilla in Manila” – [20]
“I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment that I shouldn’t have said. Called him names I shouldn’t have called him. I apologise for that. I’m sorry. It was all meant to promote the fight. “ — Muhammad Ali – [20]
“Hey Floyd – I seen you! Someday I’m gonna whup you! Don’t you forget, I am the greatest!” — Muhammad Ali – To then-world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson during the 1960 Olympic Games. – [20]
“I shook up the world! I shook up the world!” — Muhammad Ali – After beating Liston – [20]
“Champions are made from something they have deep inside them… a dream” — Muhammad Ali – [21]
“When a chivalrous man makes an oath, he is faithful to it, and when he attains power, he spares his enemy.” — Muhammad Ali – [22]
“For every struggle that Joe survived, For every dispute he endured, to rise, Joe will go down in history as a model for champions to come. While Frazier was a man of few words, Ali was a world of mouth, but he found his place in history. Now his heart can express him well. Joe Frazier was a silent warrior, whom Ali silently admired. One could not rise without the other.” — Muhammad Ali – [23]
“There live a great man named Joe who was belittled by a loudmouth foe. While his rival would taunt and tease Joe silently bore the stings. And then fought like gladiator in the ring.” — Muhammad Ali – [23]
“Since I won’t let the critics seal my fate, they keep hollering I’m full of hate. But they don’t really hurt me none, ’cause I’m doing good and having fun.” — Muhammad Ali – [23]
“What’s my greatest weakness? Sad stories, people with problems” — Muhammad Ali – [24]
“I don’t always know what I’m talking about but I know I’m right” — Muhammad Ali – [24]
“No pork, soda pop, cigarettes, alcohol – ever!” — Muhammad Ali – [24]
“I am the greatest!” — Muhammad Ali – [25]
“Ali’s got a left, Ali’s got a right, if he hits you once, you’re asleep for the night” — Muhammad Ali – [26]
“I called my training camp Fighter’s Heaven” — Muhammad Ali – [26]
“The roughest and toughest fighter I fought was Joe Frazier” — Muhammad Ali – [26]
“In the ring I can stay until I’m old and gray because I know how to hit and dance away” — Muhammad Ali – [26]
“I don’t call it fear, I call it being scared to death!” — Muhammad Ali – [26]
“The crowd did not dream when they laid down their money that they would see a total eclipse of the Sonny!” — Muhammad Ali – Speaking following the fight with Sonny Liston. – [27]
“We are stone enemies when the bell rings” — Muhammad Ali – [27]
“My face is so pretty, you don’t see a scar, which proves I’m the king of the ring by far.” — Muhammad Ali – [27]
“This guy is done. I’ll stop him in one.” — Muhammad Ali – [27]
“Sonny Liston is nothing. The man needs boxing lessons. And since he’s gonna fight me, he needs falling lessons!” — Muhammad Ali – [27]
“I used to ask my brother Rudy to throw rocks at me. I’d dodge every one. That’s how I learned how to bob and weave: ducking rocks.” — Muhammad Ali – [28]
“Man I hit him with punches that would bring cities down” — Muhammad Ali – [28]
“If you wanna lose your money, bet on Sonny!” — Muhammad Ali – Speaking about the upcoming fight with Sonny Liston. – [28]
“When I beat Sonny Liston, I shocked the world…When I beat George Foreman, I shocked the world…I am from the House of Shock!” — Muhammad Ali – [28]
“Only last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. I’m so mean I make medicine sick!” — Muhammad Ali – [28]
“I should be a postage stamp. That’s the only way I’ll ever get licked!” — Muhammad Ali – [28]
“You’re always talking about, Muhammad, you’re not the same man you were 10 years ago. Well, I asked your wife, and she told me you’re not the same man you was two years ago!” — Muhammad Ali – addressing sports journalist Howard Cossell – [29]
“Get up sucker and fight. Get up and fight” — Muhammad Ali – Ali to Liston during their second fight – [29]
“Why, chump, I bet you scare yourself to death just starin’ in the mirror. You ugly bear! You ain’t never fought nobody but tramps and has beens. You call yourself a world champion? You’re too old and slow to be champion!” — Muhammad Ali – To Sonny Liston before their fight on 25 February 1964 – [29]
“Sonny Liston is nothing. The man can’t talk. The man can’t fight. The man needs talking lessons. The man needs boxing lessons. And since he’s gonna fight me, he needs falling lessons.” — Muhammad Ali – [29]
“Now you see me, now you don’t. George thinks he will, but I know he won’t!” — Muhammad Ali – Speaking before George Foreman fight – [29]
“I’ve seen George Foreman shadow boxing. And the shadow won.” — Muhammad Ali – [30]
“I don’t know what truculent means, but if it’s good, it’s me” — Muhammad Ali – In response to Sports Journalist Howard Cosell when he said: “You seem awfully truculent today, Champ.” – [31]
“I started out making $4 for my first fight, but imagine paying $25,000 for a painting…look at me!” — Muhammad Ali – [31]
“Do you know why I’m the fastest heavyweight in the world? I’m the only heavyweight that trains underwater!” — Muhammad Ali – [31]
“Champions have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” — Muhammad Ali – [32]
“Stay away from the ropes” — Muhammad Ali – response to his cornermen, who were screaming “Are you crazy!” – [32]
“I’m young, I’m handsome, I’m fast, I’m pretty, and can’t possibly be beat. They must fall in the round I call.” — Muhammad Ali – [32]
“You ain’t gonna stop the fight!” — Muhammad Ali – [32]
“I’m the best. I just haven’t played yet.” — Muhammad Ali – When asked what he thought of the game of golf – [33]
“Put yourself out on a limb, sucka, like me!” — Muhammad Ali – [34]
“I’ve wrestled with alligators, I’ve tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning And throw thunder in jail. You know I’m bad. just last week, I murdered a rock, Injured a stone, Hospitalized a brick. I’m so mean, I make medicine sick.” — Muhammad Ali – Before the 1974 fight against George Foreman – [35]
“You made a big mistake by letting me come, because now I’m going after your job” — Muhammad Ali – To President Ford while on his first visit to White House – [36]
“God works through people. It’s not me.” — Muhammad Ali – [36]
“There is one hell of a difference between fighting in the ring and going to war in Vietnam.” — Muhammad Ali – [36]
“When I meet a new person, I don’t see race or religion – I look deeper. We must learn to satisfy conflicts peacefully, and to respect one another.” — Muhammad Ali – [36]
“It’s a divine fight. This Foreman – he represents Christianity, America, the flag. I can’t let him win. He represents pork chops.” — Muhammad Ali – [37]
“My mama told me I was already in a hurry as a child. I even had measles and chicken pox at the same time” — Muhammad Ali – [38]
“I outwit them, and then I outhit them” — Muhammad Ali – [38]
“I want fifteen referees at this fight…because there ain’t no one man who can keep up with the pace I’m gonna set except me” — Muhammad Ali – [38]
“Catching flies is better training than hitting the speed bag” — Muhammad Ali – [38]
“I have a radar built inside me to avoid punches” — Muhammad Ali – [38]
“I’m gonna whup whoever stole my bike!” — Muhammad Ali – [38]
“Don’t ever squeeze a fighter’s hand, man. You’re doing good just to lay your eyes on me” — Muhammad Ali – [38]
“From now on…call me doctor” — Muhammad Ali – [38]
“Float like a butterfly! Sting like a bee! Rumble, young man! Rumble! Waaa!” — Muhammad Ali – The Greatest: My Own Story – [39]
“I done handcuffed lightning / And throw thunder in jail / You know I’m bad / Just last week / I murdered a rock / Injured a stone / Hospitalized a brick / I’m so mean, I make medicine sick.” — Muhammad Ali – a poem written after his match with George Foreman, 1974 – [39]
“There were so many fellows ranked over me I couldn’t just whoop them all. I had to out-shadow them by talking.” — Muhammad Ali – interview with Michael Aisner, 1966 – [39]
“I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, Muhammad Ali: The People’s Champion – [39]
“This life is not real. I conquered the world and it did not bring me satisfaction.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, Wisdom for the Soul: Five Millennia of Prescriptions for Spiritual Healing – [39]
“When you saw me in the boxing ring fighting, it wasn’t just so I could beat my opponent. My fighting had a purpose. I had to be successful in order to get people to listen to the things I had to say.” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly – [39]
“For the black man to come out superior would be against America’s teachings. I have been so great in boxing they had to create an image like Rocky, a white image on the screen, to counteract my image in the ring. America has to have its white images, no matter where it gets them. Jesus, Wonder Woman, Tarzan and Rocky.” — Muhammad Ali – interview with Roger Ebert, “Watching Rocky II With Muhammad Ali” – [39]
“I’d like for them to say he took a few cups of love, he took one tablespoon of patience, teaspoon of generosity, one pint of kindness. He took one quart of laughter, one pinch of concern, and then, he mix willingness with happiness, he added lots of faith, and he stirred it up well, then he spreads it over his span of a lifetime, and he served it to each and every deserving person he met.” — Muhammad Ali – interview with David Frost, 1972 – [39]
“I hated the sight on TV of big, clumsy, lumbering heavyweights plodding, stalking each other like two Frankenstein monsters, clinging, slugging toe to toe. I knew I could do it better … circle, dance, shuffle, hit and move … make an art out of it.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, Book of African-American Quotations – [39]
“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” — Muhammad Ali – interview, Playboy, Nov. 1975 – [39]
“I need to be famous so I can talk about religion. I can talk about God. It’s an expensive price that I have to pay to be the most famous man on earth and I do it with pleasure only for God. My fight is only and introduction to the real fight, the one for God. Fighting by itself doesn’t interest me anymore. I want to help people, the black people and I need any kind of media to spread my thought: God, charity, peace.” — Muhammad Ali – “New Again: Muhammad Ali”, Interview Magazine – [40]
“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them–a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster. They have to have the skill and the will, but the will must be stronger than the skill.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, Reader’s Digest, Mar. 1998 – [40]
“The man who has no imagination has no wings.” — Muhammad Ali – Newsweek, 1975 – [40]
“Women are the field that produces our nation. And if you can’t protect your women, you can’t protect your nation.” — Muhammad Ali – interview, Playboy, Nov. 1975 – [40]
“Clay comes out to meet Liston and Liston starts to retreat — if Liston goes back an inch farther he’ll end up in a ringside seat.” — Muhammad Ali – poem composed before his fight with Sonny Liston, 1963 – [40]
“Service to others is the rent we pay for our room in Heaven.” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly – [40]
“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.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, Book of African-American Quotations – [40]
“Christians are my brothers, Hindus are my brothers, all of them are my brothers. We just think different and believe different.” — Muhammad Ali – O Magazine, Jun. 2001 – [40]
“To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, A Season in Words: A Coach’s Guide to Motivation from the Preseason to the Postseason – [40]
“Rocky doesn’t act nothing like me. Apollo Creed, the way he dances, the way he jabs, the way he talks…. That’s me.” — Muhammad Ali – interview with Roger Ebert, “Watching Rocky II With Muhammad Ali” – [40]
“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, Dark Horses & Underdogs: The Greatest Sports Upsets of All Time – [40]
“I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, A Season in Words: A Coach’s Guide to Motivation from the Preseason to the Postseason – [40]
“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.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, Wisdom for the Soul: Five Millennia of Prescriptions for Spiritual Healing – [40]
“I hated every minute of training, but I said don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, A Season in Words: A Coach’s Guide to Motivation from the Preseason to the Postseason – [40]
“Prejudice comes from being in the dark; sunlight disinfects it.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, Jan Sutton’s 1000 Pocket Positives – [41]
“I love boxing and it did a lot for me. But sometimes it made me think how savage human beings could be to each other. That wasn’t the kind of boxer I wanted to be. My strategy was to be as scientific as I could when I fought. I didn’t want to be seriously hurt, and I didn’t want to do that to anybody else either.” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly – [41]
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” — Muhammad Ali – Woman’s Day, Apr. 1, 2009 – [41]
“The outgoing and spontaneous person that the world knew while I was boxing was a persona that I created to sell tickets and promote my career. In my private life, I am quiet and reflective by nature.” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly – [41]
“The greater our level of understanding, the harder the tests become.” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly – [41]
“I never thought of losing, but now that it’s happened, the only thing is to do it right. That’s my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life.” — Muhammad Ali – comment after losing to Ken Norton, Mar. 31, 1973 – [41]
“Now I’m not sayin’ just to be funny, but I’m fightin’ Ernie because he needs the money.” — Muhammad Ali – comment before his fight with Ernie Terrell, Feb. 1967 – [41]
“Archie’s been living off the fat of the land. I’m here to give him his pension plan.” — Muhammad Ali – comment before his fight with Archie Moore, 1962 – [41]
“A long time ago, I took a walk down a street in Harlem in New York City. I came upon a man who asked me for a dollar. He had asked a few other people before me, but they only passed him by without glancing his way. I stopped and handed the man some money. As I began to turn away, he reached out and shook my hand. He looked me in the eyes and said, “I will bless you.” Now, I’m not saying that was God Himself. But how do we know that it wasn’t someone working for him, walking around in disguise, just to see what we would do?” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly – [41]
“I wasn’t just fighting one man, I was fighting a lot of men. I had to show them all that I was a man they couldn’t intimidate. If I lost, I would have to listen to all the talk about how I was a bum, how I joined the wrong movement, and how I was misled. That’s why it was so important for me to show them how wrong they were. I won in a third-round knockout.” — Muhammad Ali – about his fight with Jerry Quarry while waiting for the June 28, 1971 Supreme Court decision that would eventually overturn his conviction for violating the Selective Service Act, The Soul of a Butterfly – [41]
“I have learned to live my life one step, one breath, and one moment at a time, but it was a long road.” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly – [41]
“Before I became a Muslim, I ate pork and chased women–but all that stuff stopped.” — Muhammad Ali – O Magazine, Jun. 2001 – [41]
“The name Muhammad is the most common name in the world. In all the countries around the world–Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon–there are more Muhammads than anything else.” — Muhammad Ali – O Magazine, Jun. 2001 – [42]
“Frazier is so ugly that he should donate his face to the U.S. Bureau of Wildlife.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, “Ali’s Quotes”, BBC Sport: Boxing, Jan. 17, 2007 – [42]
“It isn’t the mountains ahead that wear you out, it’s the little pebble in your shoe.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, The One-Day Contract: How to Add Value to Every Minute of Your Life – [42]
“I tried to be the greatest boxer in the world and a good parent, too. I had instant feedback on my success as a boxer. Often, parents don’t really know if what they are doing is right or wrong until their child is grown and it is too late to change any of the decisions. Whatever my failings as a parent, I am very proud of all my children. It wasn’t easy for them to make their own way with such a controversial and public father.” — Muhammad Ali – The Soul of a Butterfly – [42]
“When I was 9, I saw a wrestler on television named Gorgeous George. He said, “I’m beautiful. I’m so pretty that if a sucker touches my face, I’ll kill him. If he messes with my hair, I’ll pummel him.” I said to myself, “That’s a good idea. I am the greatest, I’m pretty.” And then I took it a little further than he did.” — Muhammad Ali – O Magazine, Jun. 2001 – [42]
“Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, Ignite the Fire Within – [42]
“I can’t see what God’s plan is. I just know I’ve got to live with it.” — Muhammad Ali – O Magazine, Jun. 2001 – [42]
“No boxer in the history of boxing has had Parkinson’s. There’s no injury in my brain that suggests that the illness came from boxing.” — Muhammad Ali – O Magazine, Jun. 2001 – [42]
“I’m not into fashion at all. I always wear the same thing: dark suits. I don’t even know where I get them.” — Muhammad Ali – “New Again: Muhammad Ali”, Interview Magazine – [42]
“A real boxer can see Stallone’s not a boxer. He’s not professional, doesn’t have the moves. It’s good acting, but it’s not boxing. Look in the background. Look at that guy in the red trunks back there. You can see he’s a real fighter.” — Muhammad Ali – interview with Roger Ebert, “Watching Rocky II With Muhammad Ali” – [42]
“Hell no / I ain’t going to go / Clean out my cell / And take my tail / To jail / Without bail / Because it’s better there eating / Watching television fed / Than in Vietnam with your white folks dead.” — Muhammad Ali – poem about being drafted for Vietnam War, The Black Scholar, Jun. 1970 – [42]
“I’m the greatest fighter in the entire world, how can I be afraid? I love people and people love me.” — Muhammad Ali – “New Again: Muhammad Ali”, Interview Magazine – [42]
“There live a great man named Joe / who was belittled by a loudmouth foe / While his rival would taunt and tease / Joe silently bore the stings / And then fought like gladiator in the ring” — Muhammad Ali – poem dedicated to Joe Frazier, “The Silent Warrior” – [42]
“We are all God’s people. We are prejudiced and we separate into Jews, Mexicans, Italians, but God doesn’t see colors.” — Muhammad Ali – “New Again: Muhammad Ali”, Interview Magazine – [42]
“I sought advice and cooperation from those around me–but not permission.” — Muhammad Ali – attributed, A Season in Words: A Coach’s Guide to Motivation from the Preseason to the Postseason – [42]
“While Frazier was a man of few words / Ali was a world of mouth / but he found his place in history / Now his heart can express him well / Joe Frazier was a silent warrior / whom Ali silently admired / One could not rise without the other” — Muhammad Ali – poem dedicated to Joe Frazier, “The Silent Warrior” – [42]
“I’m the greatest thing that ever lived. I’m so great I don’t have a mark on my face. I shook up the world.” — Muhammad Ali – after defeating Sonny Liston for the first time, Feb. 25, 1964 – [42]
“What’s really hurting me, the name Islam is involved, and Muslim is involved and causing trouble and starting hate and violence…. Islam is not a killer religion…. Islam means peace, I couldn’t just sit home and watch people label Muslims as the reason for this problem.” — Muhammad Ali – “Muhammad Ali Defends His Religion”, New York Daily News, Sep. 21, 2001 – [42]
“Last night I had a dream. When I got to Africa, I had one hell of a rumble. I had to beat Tarzan’s behind first, for claiming to be King of the Jungle.” — Muhammad Ali – poem written before his match with George Foreman, 1974 – [43]
“I think the people of our religion should be tolerant and understand people believe different things.” — Muhammad Ali – CNN, Sep. 20, 2001 – [43]
“I’m a baaaadd man!!” — Muhammad Ali – Statement after losing his first fight to Ken Norton, March 31, 1973 – [44]
“If my fans think I can do everything I say I can do, then they’re crazier than I am. After one of his fight predictions turned out to be wrong.” — Muhammad Ali – [44]
“Pleasure is not happiness. It has no more importance than a shadow following a man.” — Muhammad Ali – [44]
“I’m gonna have to be killed before I lose, and I ain’t going to die easy.” — Muhammad Ali – [44]
“Superman don’t need no seat belt. [Comment to flight attendant, who replied, ‘Superman don’t need no airplane, either.’]” — Muhammad Ali – [45]
“Fifteen referees. I want fifteen referees to be at this fight because there ain’t no one man who can keep up with the pace I’m gonna set except me. There’s not a man alive who can whup me. I’m too fast. I’m too smart. I’m too pretty. I should be a postage stamp. That’s the only way I’ll ever get licked.” — Muhammad Ali – [45]
“God will not place a burden on a man’s shoulders knowing that he cannot carry it” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Parkinson’s is my toughest fight. No, it doesn’t hurt. It’s hard to explain. I’m being tested to see if I’ll keep praying, to see if I’ll keep my faith. All great people are tested by God” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“The sun is always shining someplace” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“I came back to Louisville after the Olympics with my shiny gold medal. Went into a luncheonette where black folks couldn’t eat. Thought I’d put them on the spot. I sat down and asked for a meal. The Olympic champion wearing his gold medal. They said, “We don’t serve niggers here.” I said, “That’s okay, I don’t eat ’em.” But they put me out in the street. So I went down to the river, the Ohio River, and threw my gold medal in it” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Since that day, things in America have changed 100 percent” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“When you’re right, nobody remembers. When you’re wrong, nobody forgets” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Silence is golden when you can’t think of a good answer” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“We have one life / It soon will be past / What we do for God / Is all that will last” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Goodness? My mother” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“When your mother dies, it really hurts. But with time, you get used to it. That’s nature’s way” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“My definition of evil is unfriendliness” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Comedy is a funny way of being serious. My way of joking is to tell the truth. That’s the funniest joke in the world” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“It’s possible for the heavyweight champion of the world to be with one woman” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Love is a net that catches hearts like fish” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Rubble is trouble” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“The more we help others, the more we help ourselves” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“I like Joe” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Watching George come back to win the title got me all excited. Made me want to come back. But then the next morning came, and it was time to start running. I lay back in bed and said, “That’s okay, I’m still the Greatest.”” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“If I could meet anybody? The prophet Muhammad” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“What you are thinking about, you are becoming” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“I’m most proud of my family” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Enjoy your children, even when they don’t act the way you want them to” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Lighting that torch in Atlanta didn’t make me nervous. Standing up to the government — that made me nervous” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Wisdom is knowing when you can’t be wise” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“The one thing I don’t understand is war” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“Brooding over blunders is the biggest blunder” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“I’d like to live to a hundred” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“I just wish people would love everybody else the way that they love me. It would be a better world” — Muhammad Ali – Esquire Magazine (January 2004) – [46]
“I’m the best. I just haven’t played yet.” — Muhammad Ali – When asked about his Golf game – [47]
“I’m a fighter. I believe in the eye-for-an-eye business. I’m no cheek turner. I got no respect for a man who won’t hit back. You kill my dog, you better hide your cat.” — Muhammad Ali – [47]
The References
Ref Id |
Reference |
1 |
BrainyQuote |
2 |
BrainyQuote |
3 |
BrainyQuote |
4 |
GoodReads |
5 |
GoodReads |
6 |
GoodReads |
7 |
ThinkExist |
8 |
ThinkExist |
9 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
10 |
WikiQuote |
11 |
Quotes & Sayings |
12 |
Great Quotes |
13 |
Great Quotes |
14 |
Great Quotes |
15 |
Great Quotes |
16 |
10k Truth |
17 |
Quote of the Day |
18 |
Quote of the Day |
19 |
Quote of the Day |
20 |
BBC Sports |
21 |
Motivational Quotes |
22 |
Finest Quotes |
23 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
24 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
25 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
26 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
27 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
28 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
29 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
30 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
31 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
32 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
33 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
34 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
35 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
36 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
37 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
38 |
Muhammad Ali Quotes |
39 |
Noteable Quotes |
40 |
Noteable Quotes |
41 |
Noteable Quotes |
42 |
Noteable Quotes |
43 |
Noteable Quotes |
44 |
World of Quotes |
45 |
World of Quotes |
46 |
Esquire Magazine |
47 |
Cool n Smart |
Thanks for taking the time Russell, it’s really good reading
it was wonderful to compile, Julie Watts most enjoyable of all of them