Usain Bolt ~ Tyson Gay Rivalry Reminiscent of Ali ~ Frazier

The tall, talkative, showman who floated like a butterfly, yet stung like a bee...

The silent, muscular bull who left his opponents in a crumpled, smoking heap...

One made his entrance upon the world stage in a dramatic and shocking fashion. The world could not hide from him.

The other methodically worked his way up the ladder, quietly leaving a legacy of destruction in his wake. Eventually, he could no longer hide from the world.

When the natural course of things finally brought the two together, Earth was gifted with not one, but three precious diamonds—forged in intense pressure and heat—which have remained resistant to the decay and tarnish of time.

Muhammad Ali was larger than life. He had the charisma and physical gifts of a Greek god. The public mobbed him at every opportunity—and he loved it. He was a poet and a prophet. There was not a hidden, dark corner of the world where his name was not known.

Joe Frazier was reserved and content to stay in the shadows. He was old school. What Frazier lacked in speed and nimbleness of foot, he made up for in power and heart. He trained, planned, honed and imagined in privacy, while Ali shouted from the rooftops.

The trilogy of their three classic fights ended with Frazier's corner throwing in the towel after the 14th round in Manila. Both fighters were near death. Technically, Ali won by TKO. Most who witnessed the fight, fittingly called it a draw.

The world of sport has rarely been treated to such a rivalry—Frazier winning the first, Ali winning the second, and a literal fight to the edge of death in the third.

The tall, ebullient showman who runs like a cheetah, and plays like a kitten...

The serious, stoic machine, whose every movement is efficiently choreographed...

One made his entrance upon the world stage like a bolt from heaven. The world could not hide from him.

The other meticulously disposed of his adversaries seemingly in the shadow of the other. Eventually, even he could no longer hide from the world.

When the natural course of things finally brought the two together, a race for the ages left the world stunned in wonderment.

Usain Bolt may as well rule the world. He is more popular than Obama and Putin. He frolics with the crowds and they love it. He does things with his charmed body no one could have imagined. And yet, there's a sense that even more lies within.

Tyson Gay is content to let his rival shine...for now. He is the only one on the planet who has a ghost of a chance. What might have been, had Gay's groin injury not hampered his start?

Gay will return to the shadows to examine, prepare, imagine and dare...

In race number one, a diamond of a different hue has just been given to the world of sport.

Will another follow?