Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is one of the best, if not the
best, boxers of all time. He was an
influential leader not only inside the
ring, but throughout the world. His
overwhelming confidence captured
millions, bringing the sport of boxing the
publicity it has always deserved.
Though many criticized his brash comments, he
became a role model of children
across the nation. He frequently gave speeches
in schools and ghettos
throughout America. He managed to succeed in a world that
was run by whites.
Born January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, Cassius Clay,
Jr.,
displayed fighting skills early in his life when he punched his mother
after
she spanked him for misbehavior. It was not until he turned 12, however,
that
he became interested in boxing. He had just received a new, red bicycle
for
his birthday, so he and a friend rode bikes to the fair. While he was
milling
around, someone stole his bike. He searched for his bike for hours,
but it was
to no avail. When he started asking people on his block if they
had seen it,
someone suggested he go ask Joe Martin, a policeman and owner of
a boxing gym.
Cassius was awestruck the moment he walked into the gym.
Joe gave him an
application and Cassius joined the gym the following day.
Though he had not
found his bike, he did find his future. Cassius trained
constantly. He worked
out after school every day, and he trained with Fred
Stoner after supper from
eight until midnight. Finally, his hard work was
starting to pay off. In 1956 he
won the Kentucky Golden Gloves tournament.
Then, in 1958, he won the Louisville
Golden Gloves light-heavyweight
crown. He went on to win the National Golden
Gloves light-heavyweight
title in Chicago. Cassius really showed his skills in
1960 by winning the
Golden Gloves title in Madison Square Garden as well as the
Tournament of
Champions in Chicago. Throughout his amateur career, Cassius had
fought in
130 fights and won all but seven. As his wins increased, so did his
boasting.
He bragged that he was going to win the gold metal in the 1960
summer
Olympics before even stepping on the plane. When he returned home
with the gold
metal around his neck, however, he still was not even allowed
to order a
cheeseburger from a fast food restaurant. This upset him so much
that he ran to
a nearby river and threw his metal into the swift current.
Cassius was now ready
to turn pro. He brought attention to himself by
bragging about his boxing
abilities as much as possible. He also predicted
the round in which he would
defeat his opponents. The arrogant poems quickly
followed. Unbeaten, he felt he
could face Sonny Liston, the Heavyweight
Champion of the world. After being
pummeled for six straight rounds, Liston
could not get off his stool to fight
the seventh round. Cassius Clay was now
the Heavyweight Champion! In 1963, a few
weeks after his fight with Liston,
Cassius announced that he was a member of the
Muslim faith and had
changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Ironically, the name
means "the one who is
worthy of praise". Many people were upset at
this because they thought the
Muslims were violent racists. Ali told reporters
that "Islam is a religion of
peace and love. All I want is peace." Ali
was drafted into the army in 1967.
He refused to serve in the army, as killing
and bearing weapons were against
his religious principles. After being found
guilty of draft dodging, the
World Boxing Association (WBA)stripped him of his
championship title and
boxing license. His lawyers made an appeal, and this time
the court confirmed
his beliefs were sincere. His license was returned as well
as his title. He
soon lost his title, however, in 1971 in a 15 round match
against Joe
Frazier. Many people thought Ali should have retired after the loss,
but he
refused to quit. He only ran and trained harder and longer. This helped
him
to overcome the odds and regain his title in 1974 by knocking out
George
Foreman in the eighth round. Again, people believed Ali should
have retired a
champion, but he kept on fighting....and winning! Writers that
year voted him
the third greatest athlete from 1900-1977, next to Jim Thorpe
and Babe Ruth. In
1978 Ali lost his title in a 15 round fight versus Leon
Spinks. After a long and
grueling seven months of training, Ali won back the
championship title in a
rematch. Finally, in 1979, Ali wrote a letter to the
WBA saying that he was
going to retire and give up his heavyweight title.
Despite his logic, Ali just
could not stay away from boxing. He decided to
box against Larry Holmes in 1980.
Though he trained hard, the 38 year
old, three time heavyweight champion was no
match for Holmes. In 1984, Ali
went to a medical center in New York with
complaints of slurred speech and
poor hand-eye coordination. Doctors discovered
Ali had been suffering
from a disease known as Parkinson’s syndrome. The
disease slurs speech, slows
movement, and can cause sudden fatigue. The cause of
the syndrome has been
linked to the suffering of too many blows to Ali's head,
particularly in the
fights against Frazier, Norton, and Holmes. He now spends
his time with his
wife and children, as well as supporting various
charity
events.
Bibliography
Muhammad Ali. By John Stravinsky.
Copyright 1997. Random House
Value Publishing, Inc. 201 East 50th Street.
New York, New York. Muhammad Ali:
The Greatest. By Jim Spence. Copyright
1995. The Rourke Press, Inc. Vero Beach,
Florida. Encyclopedia of
American Biography. Edited by John A. Garraty and
Jerome L. Sternstein.
Ali, Muhammad, pg. 29-30, Harvard Sitkoff. Muhammad Ali:
The Fight for
Respect. Thomas Conklin. Copyright 1992. Millbrook Press.
Brookfield,
Connecticut. Champions Forever. Film. 115 min. 1996 American
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