By Geno McGahee
As a huge fan of the sport of boxing, the name Muhammad Ali is one that I know very well. I have never been a big fan of Ali or a supporter of the claim that he is the best fighter to ever live. I also had issues with how he treated Malcolm X, Joe Frazier and many other people throughout his life. Up until this point, there had never really been anything that shifted my opinion of Ali, and I’ve read many books about him or referencing him. RUNNING WITH THE CHAMP by Tim Shanahan with Chuck Crisafulli is an intimate look at the life of Ali and an inside look at how he operated. It was incredibly well paced, interesting, and insightful.
On May 10th, RUNNING WITH THE CHAMP will be released and it’s a must own for any boxing fan, but it also is structured in a way and is so interesting that anyone can relate to it and find it enjoyable. Muhammad Ali’s unlikely friendship with Tim Shanahan is well documented and shows the fun side, the generous side, and side that I found unlikable with the champ as well. As Ali won and defended his heavyweight championship, he would do his morning runs with Shanahan and a mutual respect was born. Both men were successful in their fields. Ali excelled at pugilism. Shanahan was a surgeon and did incredibly well. Both men saw a “grass is greener on the other side” perspective. For Ali, an athlete that wasn’t well educated, it was something that he wanted to be. As much as he found godlike superstardom and celebrity status, he was self-conscious about his lack of education. Shanahan, as educated as he was, saw Ali as the godly figure that most did. He had a regular job. Ali was a star. It was interesting to see how they perceived each other and the slight envy they had for each other.
Shanahan would become a spectator to the life of his friend and watch on while Ali spread his fortune around and it was not an isolated incident. There were often knocks on the door where somebody would guilt Ali into giving them money. At one point, a gas station owner showed up and asked for over 90 thousand dollars. This was a day in the life of the heavyweight champion and he was quick to help those in need. When Shanahan questioned some of the generosity of his friend, he was quick to be put into his place and learned that there was an edge to Ali.
So compelled by the boxing side of Ali’s life, Shanahan built up the courage to step into the ring with him, and learned quickly that it was tougher than it looks. Ali loved the moxie of his friend and sparred him with great joy. Shanahan wasn’t interested in going more than a round but had an experience of a lifetime and learned that Ali’s light shots were enough to do serious damage. He could only image what George Foreman, Ron Lyle and Ken Norton had to endure in the ring with him when the punches were coming full force.
Another interesting story was the connection with Elvis and Ali. At one point, there was the potential of a road trip with, arguably, the two biggest stars in the world. Elvis and Ali were friends and Shanahan was in awe of this relationship and how the biggest stars in the world gravitated to each other and formed a relationship. When Elvis died, it was very devastating for Ali but also for Shanahan, who had just got introduced to the friendship.
RUNNING WITH ALI is a great read and is more insightful than any other book I’ve read concerning this topic. I was shown a new side to “The Greatest” and I have to admit that my opinion has changed. Ali, through the eyes of Shanahan, was revealed in such a way that it was difficult to not like the champion and see his life in a much different way. I highly recommend this book for boxing and non-boxing fans alike.
RUNNING WITH THE CHAMP: My Forty-Year Friendship with Muhammad Ali
By Tim Shanahan with Chuck Crisafulli
Published by Simon & Schuster
On-Sale Date: May 10, 2016
Price: $27.00
ISBN: 9781501102301 | E-Book ISBN: 9781501102356