Even years after his passing, Muhammad Ali remains an enigma ingrained in the minds of millions. He was one of the greatest boxers to ever step inside the ring, from dethroning Sonny Liston to fighting the “Fight of the Century” against Joe Frazier, his record remains unmatched. However, that was not all to ‘the Greatest’, his achievements outside the ring made people respect him so much. Back in 1985, Ali went to Lebanon to try to free 40 American hostages, though it failed to achieve the desired result.
He even went to Iraq in 1990 after the then-dictator Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and took thousands of foreigners hostage. They had 15 American citizens placed in buildings the U.S. was likely to bomb. When the boxing legend visited the country, he was swarmed by the fans. He never turned anyone down. While waiting for Hussein’s response, he visited schools and mosques. Moreover, he even ran out of his Parkinson’s medication, causing rapid deterioration in his condition.
However, he still held on and finally, the dictator agreed to meet him. When the two met, Ali assured Hussein that he would provide an honest account of Iraq to the U.S. Saddam stated, “I’m not going to let Muhammad Ali return to the US, without having a number of American citizens accompanying him.” And so, the former champion returned to the country with all the hostages intact.
Muhammad Ali charms Saddam Hussein with his aura
As the video from their meeting surfaced, fans couldn’t help but be in awe of Ali’s larger-than-life persona. Even one female undisputed champion expressed her respect for the late boxer. She wrote, “What a champion”.
Another fan simply wrote, “The Greatest!” as a sign of his reverence for the legendary fighter.
However, one fan disagreed and stated that Ali was “Not the greatest boxer ever”. They hailed him as “one of the most important figures in US history ever.” He also praised Ali’s fearlessness calling him “The most important athlete ever.”