Nothing lasts forever, not even the god of boxing, the legendary Muhammad Ali! What does last forever, though, are the souvenirs they leave behind. In a recent pinch, Ali’s last portrait surfaced online, leaving his fans teary-eyed with Ali’s state of health at the time of the snap. 

‘The Greatest’ had fought and conquered the most formidable opponents of his era! Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and many others. However, one opponent who even ‘The Greatest’ could not overcome was age! Just like the legends before him and legends after him, age got to him. Something his last portrait showed very clearly.

Muhammad Ali: The reality behind legacy!

Turning to X (formerly Twitter), Boxing Kingdom shared the picture in question of Ali with a caption reading, “The last photo of the greatest of all time!” For his followers, the image they had of Ali in their minds was profoundly dissimilar to the man in the picture. Instead of a head full of hair, the picture showed a balding man. 

Instead of a handsome and proud face, a tired and sad one took up the space in the image. The only thing left reminiscent of Ali’s former self was his eyes, reflecting the past he lived, the legend he became, and the legacy he left behind. When the boxing world got hold of the image – their bitter-sweet emotions came to life. 

Fan brands the photo ‘The Greatest’ photo of all time

Seeing their god succumb to the weaknesses of a man, some paid their respects while others couldn’t help but feel sorry for the late legend. One user remembered the good old days when a young and energetic Ali used to get into his opponent’s head with trash talk and banter. Who doesn’t remember the famous line from Ali during his third fight against Joe Frazier? “It’s gonna be a chilla, and a killa, and a thrilla when I fight the Gorilla in Manila.”

Another user labeled his portrait ‘The Greatest’ like Ali himself was, is, and will be! Interestingly, Ali got the moniker for defeating every top heavyweight of the golden era of heavyweight boxing. 

Seeing the picture, someone else asserted Ali still had a fighting spirit in his eyes despite suffering from Parkinson’s. 

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The next user paid respects to the late boxer while suggesting the image looked like one that an AI model would generate. While the picture is a bit photoshopped to enhance the quality, it’s Ali’s real last photo.

One user could not stand seeing Ali in this state! The profound difference in what fans envision when thinking about Ali, the image is the exact opposite of it. Yet, it makes him real, feel much more human!

Eight years after his death, the last picture of Muhammad Ali left his fans emotional, evident from the responses. However, the bigger question is – how does the picture make you feel?

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