Not only did Muhammad Ali transcend boxing, he became one of the most important voices of his generation, fighting for what he believed in, even when it took years of his prime.
The Louisville native also managed to be the greatest boxer ever to live.
His life, legacy and career have been compressively covered in journalism, books, film and almost ever other storytelling medium, but documentary giant Ken Burns is taking his crack at the Ali story.
Part one of his doc, Muhammad Ali” which took seven years to complete airs this Sunday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. on PBS.
Broken into four two-hour episodes, the film features rare footage and interviews with friends and family.
“He’s the greatest athlete of the 20th century. Id be happy to sit on a barstool and argue that he’s the greatest athlete of all time period, full stop, Burns told CNN for their excellent preview of the documentary. His life and his professional life intersected with all the main issues of the second half of the 20th century, that has to do obviously with sport and the role of sports in society and also race and politics and faith and Islam and war … He’s just the most compelling figure in all of sports.”
In the article, he also told CNN that there was no motive or angle with the documentary, that he was simply in the history business.
With Burns, we know its going to be a deep dive, so this documentary is a must for all Ali fans.
For more info, click here. Watch the trailer below:
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This article appears in September 15, 2021.
