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. Â “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.”
