Lipsyte and Junod write about Muhammad Ali at two different times during his life and career. One, Lipsyte, writes about Ali towards the beginning of his career when he became Islam and the second, Junod, writes about Ali’s funeral. The way that the public perceives Ali changes throughout his career and wha the stands for and what he means to people.

Lipsyte writes of Ali when he was Cassius Cay, screaming and becoming “unmanageable” while he “threatened Powell” to fight at the Powell/Clay weigh in. Shortly after describing this, Lipsyte goes on to write a quote that Ali said later on: “I can’t understand it.”I can’t understand it, I didn’t go with white women, I don’t smoke, I don’t go where I am not wanted. And I still catch all this hell, Why?” He was a hot tempered young man who was still trying to find himself and what he stood for. He was dealing with what many of us, young adults, are struggling with: finding ourselves.

It’s interesting how when reading the Junod piece that by the end of his life, he describes that Ali was for everybody. He “belonged” to the people, as the lady at the hotel said.  He belonged to every person who asked for his autograph … “and Lonnie understood this.” She understoof that her husband meant a lot to a lot of epople who had never even met him. And now once he has passed, he is written about as an angry young heavyweight who could beat competition, but as a relatable man who many felt touched by.