Win or Lose – It Makes No Difference

Win or Lose – It Makes No Difference

1990 4 April 18 Win or Lose – It Makes No Difference (254) Sugar Ray Robinson, an American boxer, was considered the greatest boxer of his time. In his 25 year career he fought in 201 contests of which he won 174. Robinson so excelled in boxing that even the world champion, Mohammad Ali acknowledged his greatness. When Robinson died on April 14, 1989, in Los Angeles at the age of 67, Mohammad Ali told Reuter’s representative on the telephone that “Robinson was the greatest fighter of all time. He’s the only one who was better than me. I’ll miss him.”

Robinson was a heart-patient and had to spend the last years of his life confined to an armchair. The saddest part was that he could not even reminisce about his feats in the ring, for all his memories of his days of glory were taken away from him by Alzheimer’s disease. There was very little of the past that he could remember at all.

It is quite possible that many of the people who spend their lives struggling towards greatness will suffer the same fate. When old age, disease, or an accident destroys the memory, it also destroys all those great sacrifices, great moments and great triumphs. It reduces all efforts and their fruits to less than nothing, for it is only in the memory that they can continue to exist. Then there is no difference between greatness and significance. There is no difference between receiving honours or not receiving them. In the last analysis, there is no difference between winning and losing, profit and loss.