“He Just Wanted You to Pay for a Ticket”: Still Being Vilified by Some Years After His Death, Daughter Details How Muhammad Ali Dealt With Haters

A recent tête-à-tête with Rasheda Ali, daughter of boxing icon Muhammad Ali, threw a startling light on a less-ventured narrative of her father’s life. Muhammad Ali, often misunderstood and even vilified, existed far from the flashy rings and roaring crowds. Rasheda’s candid revelations, aired on Youcef Hollywood’s YouTube channel, delve into the tumultuous journey of a man often perceived as arrogant. Yet, whose larger-than-life persona hid a different reality.

Her recollections provide a unique insight into Ali’s transformative journey from being a controversial figure in the boxing arena to becoming a powerful symbol of resilience and social justice. But here’s the catch – not everyone agreed, and some still don’t. Prepare to get up-close and personal with the Ali you never knew.

Muhammad Ali: The boxing legend with a purpose

Delving into the crux of the conversation, Rasheda Ali recounted the early days of her father’s career, where his bold persona was often construed as arrogance. Yet behind the scenes, Ali had a different agenda.

She stated, “He just wanted you to pay for a ticket and just watch because he wanted to bring people to this boxing game and he also wanted to help the his opponents who really needed the money or the notoriety and so he wanted to help the sport generally.” Ali’s brash behavior and flamboyant antics were intended to draw attention to the sport and his fellow boxers, proving that there was more to his character than met the eye.

But the conversation didn’t stop at boxing. Rasheda navigated through the transformational phase of Ali’s life when he began leveraging his platform for more than just sport. She reminisced, “When he went against the war a lot of people respected the fact that he wanted to keep us safe and why are we going miles and miles away from our country to fight other poor people when we have issues in our own country. We can’t even practice our own faith.”

Rasheda Ali reflects on her legendary father

Despite his stance against systemic injustices and war earning him respect from many quarters, Rasheda was quick to point out that Ali wasn’t universally admired. She shared, “There’s a population of people that just you know and it’s okay because you’re you’re entitled to your opinion you don’t have to love my father.”

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

However, for many, Muhammad Ali’s actions brought about a sea of change. His resilience in the face of adversity inspired countless individuals, particularly those facing discrimination. Rasheda reflected on this, saying, “Men and women would say your father did more to me than my own parents it in the sense where he made me believe in myself again. He gave me hope that I could be somebody great.”

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As we reflect on the multifaceted life of this legend, one question remains. How does Muhammad Ali’s journey inspire us to confront our own challenges and contribute to societal change?