“A must-see television event.” Set record.
There are certain athletes that transcend their sport and become icons. Simply put, they don’t just make sporting history, they make history.
However, this list is very select and if you were writing it down, it’s very likely that Muhammad Ali will be the first name on the paper.
55 years ago, Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali.
First he changed his name, then he changed everything.
In HBO’s new documentary, What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali, viewers will get to see Ali’s challenges, confrontations, comebacks and triumphs through recordings of his own voice.
The two-part documentary will provide an intimate portrait of a man who was a beacon of hope for oppressed people around the world and, in his later years, was recognised as a global citizen and a symbol of humanity and understanding.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Southpaw, The Equalizer), the two-part series has been made with the cooperation of the Muhammad Ali family estate. LeBron James and Maverick Carter are also involved as producers.
What differentiates this feature from other documentaries on Ali is that the most interesting revelations come from previously unseen archive footage and recordings.
Since airing in the US, What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali has earned some excellent reviews and it currently has a 93% and 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic respectively.
The Hollywood Reporter called it “a vivid and fascinating portrait of a career”, while the Chicago Sun-Times said that “the greatness of What’s My Name is that if you’re young and you know very little of Muhammad Ali, this would be the perfect place to start learning about him — but if you remember Ali in his prime and you’re well-versed in his history, it’s still a must-see television event”.
What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali airs at 9pm on Sky Atlantic tonight (11 June).
Here’s a taste of what’s in store.
Clip via HBO
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