Greatest of All Time

20 October 1973. It’s 3.30 CET. I’m seven years old and way too young to be awake. Never the less I’m watching TV with my mom. Muhammad Ali, best boxer and probably best athlete every, is on. He’s in Jakarta fighting a Dutch fellow by the name of Rudi Lubbers (this is not a nickname for the longest serving prime minister The Netherlands has ever had, by the way). Days before the game Ali expresses he is not impressed by Rudi. To him this fight is ‘nothing more than a training session’. He was wrong. Rudi from Heerhugowaard turns out to be one tough cookie. After 12 full rounds Ali wins, on points. That was an unforgettable night. This is what Ali is about, creating landmarks in the lives of millions of people. My landmark with Ali got exactly one quarter of a page in the book. This is the 'lightweigh version'. Be sure to check the heavyweight edition as well.