Muhammad Ali will be honoured with a commemorative US postage stamp, turning a famous joke by the late boxing legend into reality. Ali once said he should be made into a stamp because “that’s the only way I will ever get licked.” The three-time heavyweight champion, regarded as one of the most influential athletes in history, is being recognised for the first time with a US postage stamp celebrating both his sporting achievements and his cultural impact.
Announcement details
“As sort of the guardian of his legacy, I’m thrilled. I’m excited. I’m ecstatic,” Lonnie Ali, his wife of nearly 30 years, told the Associated Press. “Because people, every time they look at that stamp, they will remember him. And he will be in the forefront of their consciousness. And, for me, that’s a thrill.”
Who was Muhammad Ali?
Ali died in 2016 at the age of 74 after living with Parkinson’s disease for more than three decades. Over the course of his life, he received numerous honours, including an Olympic gold medal in 1960, the United Nations Messenger of Peace award in 1998 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
A first-day-of-issue ceremony for the Muhammad Ali Forever Stamp is scheduled to be held in Louisville, Kentucky, Ali’s birthplace and the home of the Muhammad Ali Center. The stamp features a black-and-white 1974 photograph of Ali in a classic boxing pose. Each sheet of 20 stamps also includes an image of Ali in a pinstripe suit, showing his role beyond sports as an activist and humanitarian.
Twenty-two million stamps have been printed, and once they are sold out, they will not be reprinted, officials from the United States Postal Service said. As Forever Stamps, they will remain valid for First-Class Mail regardless of future postage rate increases.
“This is going to be a Forever Stamp from the post office,” Lonnie Ali told AP. “It’s just one of those things that will be part of his legacy, and it will be one of the shining stars of his legacy, getting this stamp.”
USPS officials said the idea for the stamp was first discussed shortly after Ali’s death, but the development process took several years, in line with postal service guidelines that require individuals featured on stamps to have been deceased for at least three years.
Beyond boxing, Ali was known for his outspoken views on race, religion and war. He was born Cassius Clay Jr., he changed his name after converting to Islam and refused induction into the US Army in 1967 over his opposition to the Vietnam War, this decision cost him his heavyweight title and several years of his career.
The USPS said the stamp is intended to recognise Ali’s lasting influence on American culture and ensure his legacy continues to reach future generations.