“The President” Muhammad Ali Signed Manuscript Poem.

ALI, Muhammad.

$3,200.00

Item Number: 143204

Manuscript poem signed by famed American boxer Muhammad Ali. One page, the poem is titled, “The President” and reads in part, “The face of the Pres is open, The eyes of the Pres are bright, The lips of the Pres are now closed, The head of the Pres is upright, The breast of the Pres slants forward, The gaze of the Pres is bright… The soul of the Pres is flaming, the heart of the Pres is warm… The image of this Pres is truth, Wisdom’s message his rod. The home of the Pres is the white house and the president’s guide is God.” Signed by Muhammad Ali at the conclusion. Ali was famous for trash-talking, often free-styled with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry, including his phrase: “Float like a butterfly sting like a bee – his hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see,” in reference to his “Rumble in the Jungle” fight with George Foreman in 1974. He also wrote poetry, much of it whimsical, but often with a political message. In this case, the 16-line poem seems to be a paean to the office of the President (not to a particular holder of the office). Ali attained success as a spoken word artist, releasing two studio albums: I Am the Greatest! (1963) and The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay (1976). Both albums received Grammy Award nominations. In near fine condition. Matted and framed. The entire piece measures 16 inches by 12 inches.

Nicknamed "the Greatest", American heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century and is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He held the Ring magazine heavyweight title from 1964 to 1970. He was the undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978 and the WBA and Ring heavyweight champion from 1978 to 1979. In 1999, he was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC. He fought in several historic boxing matches, including his highly publicized fights with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier (including the Fight of the Century, the biggest boxing event up until then), the Thrilla in Manila, and his fight with George Foreman in The Rumble in the Jungle. Ali thrived in the spotlight at a time when many boxers let their managers do the talking, and he became renowned for his provocative and outlandish persona.