Realizing that Foreman was the more powerful puncher, Ali went to the ropes, allowing himself to be hit again and again. Ali, coming alive with the cunning of a cat that's allowed its prey to think it has the upper hand, moves in and finishes Foreman off. I think the key to why so many of us, and particularly so many writers, are stunned by Ali lies in this performance. He is one of the most perfect unions of thought and action anyone has ever seen. The conceptual beauty of his victory over Foreman is indistinguishable from the beauty of its execution.
Athletes think with their bodies.
Physically, Ali was able to express not just strength, but more intelligence and wit than any athlete ever has. The movie ends with Plimpton relating a story about Ali delivering a commencement address at Harvard. But the movie has already made a stronger case for him as a poet in the ring. And it's poets who touch people more than kings. Charles Taylor is a regular contributor to Salon.