A towering bronze tribute to Muhammad Ali, crafted by Glenside’s Zenos Frudakis is on its way to Lewiston, Maine, writes Peter Crimmins for WHYY.
The ten-foot statue was commissioned to commemorate Ali’s legendary 1965 fight against Sonny Liston. The piece captures the champion’s strength and defiance in the face of doubt.
For Frudakis, it was important to capture Ali’s courage rather just replicate the infamous ‘phantom punch’ pose. Fists raised and muscles tensed, the figure stands victorious.
“You can see that he’s coming to get you,” Frudakis said. “He was scared. The first time he fought Liston — he said it later — it was the only time in his life he was scared. He tried to overcome that.”
The Glenside native is best known for his “Freedom” sculpture. He has also done portraits of figures ranging from Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Jacques Pepin.
The Ali sculpture will soon stand at the entrance to Lewiston’s Bates Mill Complex, a symbol of resilience for a community still healing from Maine’s deadliest mass shooting in 2023.
“Like Michelangelo’s ‘David’ was a symbol of the small guy standing up against the giant. I want this to be a symbol for the town,” Frudakis said.
Read more about the Zenos Frudakis’ Ali statue and what it means for Lewiston in WHYY.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on MONTCO Today in May 2025.
