Mike Evans is a huge fan of boxing and an even bigger fan of Muhammad Ali. Shortly, after the news of Ali’s passing, Evans took to Twitter and tweeted a photo of his tattoo of “The Greatest” along with a message. “RIP Ali one of the greatest and most inspirational athletes of all time!”
Mike had this tattoo prior to the passing of boxing’s greatest champion. “Ironically enough, I got the tattoo like a month ago. Everybody knows that picture. It’s one of the most famous pictures in sports history, from when he knocked out Sonny Liston. I liked that picture. It means something to me. He had that fire in him, that will to be the best and stand up for a cause. I had seen a shirt, my tattoo artist was wearing a shirt one day and I was like, ‘Man, I want that tattoo.’ He did it for me. It was ironic for me that he passed and I just got that.”
Mike also talked about how Ali had influenced him since his days of playing college football. “All the trash-talkers in every sport, it’s because of Muhammad Ali. I’m sure nobody was talking the trash he did before his time. Nobody did that. He had an impact and people don’t know it. He’s one of the best boxers of all time, and one of the most inspirational athletes, giving people motivation. I watched a YouTube video, like a motivational video, from Gorilla Productions, it’s like nine minutes and I watch it before every game. I’ve been doing that since college.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuuwNSemUKg
Muhammad Ali passed away, Friday at the age of 74, as one of the most recognizable men on the planet. He wasn’t just known for his lightning fast hand speed, his showmanship in the ring and his brashness in the way he taunted his opponents. He was known for his beliefs. Most notable were his beliefs pertaining to the Vietnam War. He refused induction into the United States Army during the peak of the war in Vietnam and Ali’s refusal was backed up with a blunt but perfect statement. “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong.” After refusing induction to the US Armed Forces, Ali was sentenced to five years in prison. After four years, his conviction was overturned unanimously by the Supreme Court. But in the meantime, Ali was stripped of his title and barred from boxing for three-and-a-half years. Ali’s wife at the time said that Ali “truly believed he would never fight again,” no matter how much he wanted to. All the While, Ali’s impact was growing among the African-American community, and among everyone who opposed the war in Vietnam, and as a result, more and more people were showing up to his fights. Ali had become the heavyweight champion who beat “The Man”-“The Man” who said he would ever fight again, yet he did fight again.