Muhammad Ali continues to serve as an inspiration to many fighters long after his demise. Not only was Ali the greatest boxer of all time, but he is remembered fondly for his firm commitment to social causes that forced him to vacate his title at the peak of his career and serve time in prison. His actions served as an inspiration to many including Dwayne Johnson who recently received one of the biggest accolades on his behalf.
‘The Rock’ recently attended the WWE Hall of Fame event where Lonnie Ali, the widow of the great Muhammad Ali was felicitated with the people’s championship. Johnson took to social media to share a never-before-seen picture with Ali and explained why this was such a huge honor for him.
“A night that moved my soul. Grateful to my core. * yes that’s me & Muhammad in the last pic looking like a little girl. Official bestowing of the PEOPLE’S CHAMPION TITLE and NAME from the widow, of the original People’s Champion – MUHAMMAD ALI. And thank you to one of my heroes, the GOAT himself, MUHAMMAD ALI for passing on your People’s Champion moniker to me back in 1997. Being the People’s Champ is sacred and I’ll carry it with me for life.”
‘The Rock’ has been a part of the WWE universe for the better part of three decades now. After a long hiatus from the sport, he has begun to take a more active role over the past few months. This has resulted in him taking part in the recent WrestleMania event as well. His most recent appearance was to honor his long-time idol.
Why did the WWE induct Muhammad Ali into the Hall of Fame?
Ali didn’t spend much time in the WWE, but he did attend three events that are remembered fondly. The first occurred in 1976 when Ali entered the ring and began dancing around Gorilla Monsoon following a match between Monsoon and Baron Mikel Scicluna. The match was quickly over when Monsoon, who was much bigger than Ali, put Ali in an airplane spin.
After his retirement in 1981, Ali made two more appearances in the WWE. Ali famously punched Piper toward the end of the fight, helping Hogan and Mr. T win the match. His third and final appearance at a WWE event came in 1994. For his contributions to the sport of boxing and WWE as well, Ali was inducted into the Hall of Fame as the people’s champion.
