The impact of Muhammad Ali on Gabe Norwood

MANILA, Philippines – Someday in the future, Gabe Norwood’s eldest son, Cassius Norwood, is going to ask his father where his name comes from. Gabe, one of the best players in the PBA and for the Philippines national team, will then proudly answer that it was from a boxer.

But not just any boxer; arguably the greatest athlete who ever lived. Someone whose impact went beyond the 4 corners of a boxing ring, from standing up to the US government to helping bring American hostages home from Iraq.

“I look forward to the day when [my son] really asks me and we can sit down and watch documentary after documentary, read book after book, and he can really get a grasp of why that man was important to me and why he carries him,” Norwood told Rappler.

After the death of 3-time heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali this past weekend, Norwood was one of the first guys to turn to Twitter and talk about the impact the legend made on his life.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky before converting to Islam, Ali’s popularity rose to fame in the 60s where he became a household name of the sport. After a 3-year absence from the ring due to a spat with the US government because of his refusal to be drafted for the Vietnam War, he came back in the 70s and right away asserted his dominance once again.

“Having my dad, born in the 60s in the States – Civil Rights Movement – he really just talked about Ali, Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – guys who were vocal and stood up for more than just the accolades they had,” Norwood shared, explaining how it was story time with his father that established his fascination with Ali.

“It spoke volumes [about] they people they were, their character, and the morality, and what I want to instil in my kids and my family.”

“Everything,” the former top pick in the PBA draft said when asked what he remembers most. “Most of them watching the fights. It was like a household thing there from the 60s onwards, when my dad was a kid, just waking up, watching the fights. Just the whole atmosphere. It was entertainment 24/7 with Ali in terms of the time before social media.”

Ali’s fame around the world wasn’t limited to just his ability to bring down heavyweights with a punch or a combo. His willingness to stand up and fight for what he believed in, regardless of the circumstances, made him such a draw at a time when news spread much slower than it does today.

“It really makes me think now, if Ali was here right now in social media, he would be all over the place,” Norwood contemplated. “It would be so entertaining. It’s one of those things where, looking back, if I could sit down and have one conversation with somebody in their prime, it would be Ali.”

The 31-year-old Norwood, a native of North Carolina, says he would have tons of different types of questions for Ali.

“I’m convinced individual sports athletes are wired totally different than basketball players or team-oriented sports. Just what [motivated him]?. I guess boxing is basically trying to stay alive. There’s so many questions just running through my head right now, from ‘How do you manage travel,’ family, to the conversion to Islam to where he was, and ‘why do you not regret making up Malcolm X?’

“The conversation would probably go on for days,” said Norwood.

Norwood is also convinced that Ali’s popularity will keep on rising in the years to follow even after his passing.

“I think his legend is just going to continue to grow,” Norwood said.

“At the time when he was making all these statements and actions, he wasn’t thought of as a hero. A lot of people in the States thought he was a coward or not serving his country. And now you look back at it and people praise him for it.” – Rappler.com