United States honors Mohamed Ali with commemorative postage stamp

MIAMI (EFE).– The legendary boxer Mohamed Ali, considered one of the greatest athletes of all time, will be immortalized by the United States Postal Service (USPS) with the issuance of two commemorative stamps that will go on sale starting this January 15, almost a decade after his death.

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The official launch ceremony will be held in Louisville, Kentucky, hometown of the three-time world heavyweight champion, born in 1942 under the name Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., reported the Mohamed Ali Cultural Center.

A tribute to his sporting and human legacy

The stamps feature an image of Ali with his gloves in a guard position, accompanied by his last name “ALI” in red or black letters, depending on the version. In total, the USPS printed 22 million “Forever” stamps, permanently valid for first-class mail delivery. The tribute comes almost ten years after his death in 2016, fulfilling one of the most remembered phrases of Ali himself, who used to joke that one day he would be a postage stamp, because that way “someone could give him a once-over”.

An Unrepeatable Career

Ali closed his professional career with 56 victories and five defeats, and was crowned world heavyweight champion in 1964, 1974 and 1978, establishing himself as one of the most dominant and charismatic figures in the history of boxing. Beyond the ring, he became a key voice in the civil rights movement, a promoter of peace, and a cultural ambassador worldwide. In 1998, he was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, and in 2005, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest civilian honors in the United States.

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The Mohamed Ali Cultural Center highlighted that, in an era when African Americans were fighting to be heard, the boxer spoke out bravely, defying established norms and becoming a symbol of dignity, justice, and freedom. In his final years, affected by Parkinson’s, Ali reduced his public appearances, but his cultural influence and legacy continued to grow, solidifying him as a universal icon that transcended sport.