The world stopped on the rainy morning of June Fourth when the news that yet another legend had passed on: The one and only Muhammad Ali.

Considered “The Greatest” by himself as well as boxer fans everywhere, Ali made headlines for his determination as a fighter and for his passion as an activist. Ali will be remembered for his moments of triumph (“The Rumble in the Jungle”) in addition to his moments of controversy (Refusing to enlist in the armed forces during the Vietnam War). Whether you see him as the most influential athletic figure or the most outspoken philanthropist, Muhammad Ali was undoubtedly a force of nature who made a strong impact on the planet Earth.

And there was one man who always found himself at the center of Ali’s actions.

Popular sports journalist for ABC News Howard Cosell first captured Muhammad Ali’s glory on February 26, 1964, when Ali became the new heavyweight champion of the world (of course, he still went by his self-appointed “Slave Name” back then: Cassius Clay). The overly-confident Ali snatched Cosell’s microphone and yelled, “I am the greatest! I have upset the world!” Cosell then calmly told Ali, “Let go of the mic.”

This would be the first of dozens of collaborations between the lawyer-turned-sports journalist and the boxer/civil rights activist.

During the peak of Ali’s career, this seemingly odd couple would captivate the attention of American audiences with their mock-fighting and fake threats (Ali once threatened to knock off Cosell’s wig during a broadcast).

Cosell was certainly a worthy opponent against Ali, but he used his words instead of his fists. For instance, Cosell brought Ali down a few pegs when he infamously told “The Greatest” to ease up on his rhyming for a moment and share how he REALLY felt about his upcoming fight. This order caused Ali to drop his showboating ways and express the belief he had in himself to come out on top.

Undoubtedly, Ali was a bit starstruck himself when he was being interviewed by Howard Cosell. In fact, Ali once dubbed Cosell “The greatest reporter of all time.”

Ali and Cosell made television history together when Ali appeared on ABC’s Wide World of Sports in February of 1974. Ali provided a blow-by-blow commentary of a recent fight between himself and Joe Frazier, who was also in the studio at the time. Naturally, Ali’s arrogant attitude got the better of him when one too many insults towards his opponent prompted Frazier to attack him viciously.

Rather than play the role of referee and break up between the two, Cosell took up the role of commentator and gave television audiences a detailed account of this unexpected brawl (side-note: the fight was eventually broken up when the entourages of the respected fighters pulled them off each other).

Don Ohlmeyer, then a young TV producer for ABC Sports said of Ali and Cosell, “They… legitimately liked each other. They were great fun to be around because it was very unpredictable as to what would happen… They were very funny together and they also created their own news.”

Indeed, the respect Ali and Howard held for each other was not merely a performance for the folks at home. Cosell was one of the very few reporters (emphasis on very few here) who approached Ali without bias to discuss his religious beliefs as well as his decision not to be involved in the Vietnam War.

The friendship between Ali and Cosell would span a little over three decades, and when Muhammad turned fifty years old in 1992, a bedridden Cosell delivered his birthday praises in a prerecorded speech: “Fifty years old, I never thought that could happen, not to you. But it has, and you know something? You are exactly who you said you are. You never wavered. You are free to be who you want to be. I love you.”

Howard Cosell’s strong bond with “The Greatest” was the kind of business relationship that everyone dreams of. For with the right amount of trust, determination, and loyalty, the influence you can make on a person can last a lifetime.

It happened to these two opposites; it can happen to you.