Muhammad Ali is undoubtedly the greatest sportsman that ever lived.
His victories in the ring made him a champion.
But it was in fact his victories outside the ring that made him the greatest.
From being the only lineal three-time World Heavyweight Champion in the ring,
To being a force in the civil rights movement.
UNITED
STATES – MARCH 02: Cassius Marcellus Clay (Muhammad Ali) with Black
Muslim leader Malcolm X at 125th St. and Seventh Ave. (Photo by John
Peodincuk/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
Whether it was his anti-war stance, or his embodiment of black power, Ali was the knock-every-obstacle-out guy.
In a tour of Africa and the Middle East, Ali made an iconic stop in Lagos, Nigeria in 1964.
He was received by ecstatic Nigerian fans who lined the streets from the airport and was hosted by the governor of Lagos State.
Ali with Mobolaji Johnson, the Governor of Lagos
And of course, he met some of our pinging baby girls at the time.
He headed to Ibadan and the attention was no less either.
Muhammad Ali was first hospitalised on June 2nd, 2016 for a respiratory condition. While his condition was described as fair, his condition escalated on the 3rd and he was placed on life support.
Yesterday, he was pronounced dead on June 3, at the age of 74.
Watch this video of his meeting with General Yakubu Gowon, in 1964.
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