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Despite Millions in Earnings, Olympic Gold Medal, and World Titles, Daughter Says Boxing Didn’t Make Muhammad Ali Successful

Published 05/14/2023, 4:44 PM EDT

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‘The Greatest’, was the moniker that the legendary Muhammad Ali gave to himself and later it was accepted by the whole world. It was blatantly visible to the world that Ali had some unique traits inside as well as outside the boxing ring. He started to build his reputation among boxing fans after he won an Olympic gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. But according to his daughter Rasheda Ali, it was not his Olympic win and earnings that made him ‘successful’.

Following his Olympic win, he started winning world titles. And to add to that, his innate ability to trash-talk his opponents became a recipe for success that very few could achieve in the sport. Although he was not born in an era of massive athlete endorsement deals, he was able to secure many sponsorships with big companies like Chevrolet, Under Armour, Pizza Hut, Adidas, Wheaties, Coke, Gatorade, and Toyota, following his retirement from boxing. Such was his aura that he quickly became a global brand. But there was something more to him!

Muhammad Ali’s daughter reveals the quality that made her father successful

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Rasheda Ali appeared on the UP-CLOSE show on YouTube and talked about how in her childhood, she used to help people all the time. This was one of the crucial values that were predominant in Ali’s household. Muhammad Ali believed that the sole purpose of everybody in this life is to serve others. And Rasheda Ali wants to instill these values into her children as well.

And I think that’s the key when you look at the formula of success it’d be just that, to serve others,” she said.

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She also stated that boxing didn’t make her dad successful, as people saw Ali in a totally different light than just a boxer. She said, “When people look at Muhammad Ali and what made him successful, they can- most of them will agree that he was a humanitarian and he served others his whole entire life and I think that’s what made him successful.

That’s not it. She also talked about how Ali was still fighting his last bout while suffering from Parkinson’s. His values and dedication set him apart from those around him and cemented his name in the world of boxing.

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She also believes that for this sole reason, he will keep on living in everybody’s hearts for the coming years, all because of his good deeds. Do you agree with Rasheda’s definition of success? Tell us in the comments section below.

Watch This Story: Muhammad Ali’s Last 5 Professional Boxing Matches

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Written by:

Chirag Radhyan

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Chirag Radhyan is a Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports. He has authored over 300 articles and loves to talk about the animosity between athletes, leading up to a fight. His coverage of the off-court drama between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury received widespread appreciation from readers.
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Edited by:

Arijit Saha