Who Is The Greatest

Muhammad Ali was perhaps the greatest fighter of all time. In fact, he fought more than with his hands. He fought the law, the war, the status quo and anything else willing to take him on. In the "R" rated movie "Ali", superstar Will Smith and director Michael Mann takes viewers into the life and heart of the most defiant and graceful athletes the world has ever know.

I am not personally fond of "trash talking", neither of a person who calls himself "The Greatest", yet who can deny that Muhammad Ali had a magnetism that ignited the boxing world. In order to play the part, Will Smith gained almost 40 pounds and spent a year in the gym learning the art of boxing. It paid off, because there were moments in the film when he looked and sounded just like Ali. Unfortunately, he did not even come near boxing like him. I wonder if there will ever be a heavyweight fighter as lightning fast as Ali. His patented footwork and shuffle cannot be duplicated.

In his early years as Cassius Clay, the picture notes he had a problem with Christianity, a religion portraying a man with white skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. Ali’s commitment to the Muslim faith is explored through the rest of the film; yet it is difficult ascertain whether or not he is really a committed Muslim or a struggling minority.

If you are an admirer of Muhammad Ali, you may enjoy the movie. For someone who claimed to be the greatest, the film is more or less a snap shot of Ali did this; and Ali did that; then Ali did this. We are left with not really knowing what to think. For example, we are not sure if he refused to go into the Army because of his religious beliefs, his opinion regarding war or just his refusal to be "owned" by anyone.

In reading reviews of the film, I found some who felt Ali is a very complex and mysterious person. I believe he is just mixed up. When a man abuses and cheats on his wife, he is mixed up. When a man refuses to perform his duty to the country in which he is a citizen, he is mixed up. When a man builds a house on sand, and does not consider the storms that will surely come, the bible calls that man "foolish".

This life is a journey, and the choice we make to accept or reject the God of heaven is not as mismatched as one might think. To learn the truth, just look up or down or around. His creation is all around us. And if we stop and really listen, His voice is inside of us telling us how we should live. He is the eternal champion; He is the Greatest.