Well, we'd had a wee black & white TV since the Swedish World Cup of 1958. I'd seen Pele for myself then, a couple of years later another sporting giant emerged at the Rome Olympics. He won gold, naturally, and even at my young age I knew I'd witnessed a sensation. 4 years later and still only 22, he "whooped" the fearsome Sonny Liston to become world champ. By now he had converted to Islam, become Muhammad Ali and refused to fight in Vietnam! His wit, boxing skills and all round awareness broadened my young, inquiring mind faster than school could. He was opening up whole universes that kids had no idea existed. I saw him at a distance only one time, in 1986 at Wembley after the Witherspoon Bruno fight, and I could feel the aura around the man. A great trail blazer of a human being who always stood up to injustice. How the world could use a man like Ali at this time.
A Limited Edition of 195 "The Greatest" prints are available exclusively here on bobharperart.com
Unframed: 430 x 580 mm
Framed: 696 x 866 mm