Muhammad Ali
The heavyweight boxer who declared himself the greatest, refused to fight in Vietnam, and went on to prove the boast right.
Origin
Cassius Clay (1942–2016) won Olympic gold in 1960, took the world heavyweight title from Sonny Liston in 1964, converted to Islam, and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. In 1967 he refused induction to the US military for the Vietnam War on religious grounds; he was stripped of his title and lost three prime years to legal battles. He came back to beat George Foreman in the 'Rumble in the Jungle' (1974) and Joe Frazier in the 'Thrilla in Manila' (1975). His later years were lived with Parkinson's, almost certainly caused by the punches.
Modern usage
'Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee' is the canonical line. 'I am the greatest' is the most quoted athlete brag in history, and the model for every confident athlete since. He's the inflection point where 'sports star' became 'global political figure' — the template for every athlete who refuses to shut up and dribble.
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