Photo Credit: Andreas Meier/Reuters
Most people don’t know this, but Muhammad Ali has been a constant presence in my sports writing career. I have looked up to him and many of his quotes have spoken to me. While he was one of the greatest in the ring, I truly believe he was one of the most outspoken and eloquent athletes. Here are some of the best and some of my favorite quotes by Muhammad Ali.
10. “Ali’s got a left, Ali’s got a right – when he knocks you down, you’ll sleep for the night; and when you lie on the floor and the ref counts to ten, hope and pray that you never meet me again.”
9. “Never put your money against Cassius Clay, for you will never have a lucky day.”
8. “To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.”
7. “There are no pleasures in a fight but some of my fights have been a pleasure to win.”
6. “People don’t realize what they had till it’s gone. Like President Kennedy, there was no one like him, the Beatles, and my man Elvis Presley. I was the Elvis of boxing.”
5. “If you even dream of beating me you’d better wake up and apologize.”
4. “I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.”
3. “I’m not the greatest. I’m the double greatest. Not only do I knock ‘em out, I pick the round. I’m the boldest, the prettiest, the most superior, most scientific, most skillfullest fighter in the ring today.”
2. “I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.”
1. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see.”
