Muhammad Ali . Former American boxer who was three times world heavyweight champion, a category in which he was considered one of the greatest figures in the history of boxing. Nicknamed ‘The Greatest’.
Biographical data
He was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville , Kentucky , United States.
Name change
He was originally known as Cassius Clay. He was descended from pre- Civil War American slaves in the American South and was predominantly of African-American descent with little English or Irish ancestry. He changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964 to Muhammad Ali.
Beginning of his professional career and his fame
Following the Olympic gold, Clay returned to Louisville to begin his professional career under the tutelage of Angelo Dundee . There, on October 29, 1960, he won his first professional bout on points in six rounds over Tunney Hunsaker , who was police chief of Fayetteville , West Virginia .
He soon became famous for his unorthodox style, his spectacular results and his constant self-promotion. He often recited poems he composed in which he mentioned in which round he would knock out his opponent. On the other hand, he is well-known for his praise of himself, with phrases such as “I am the greatest” or “I am young, beautiful, fast and no one can beat me.”
Amateur career
He was introduced to boxing by Louisville police officer and boxing trainer Joe E. Martin , who had encountered the 12-year-old while reporting his stolen bicycle. He also began training with Fred Stoner , an African-American trainer who worked at the local community center. In this way, he was able to earn $4 a week on “Tomorrow’s Champions,” a local weekly television show that Martin hosted, while benefiting from the training of the more experienced Stoner, who had worked with Clay throughout his amateur career.
With Stoner, Cassius Clay won six Kentucky Golden Gloves , two national Golden Gloves titles, a national Amateur Athletic Union title, and the light heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome . Clay’s amateur record was 100 wins and only five losses.
Boxing Style
A peculiar technique that he himself defined as “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee” (float like a butterfly, sting like a bee), which is based on moving around the opponent and hitting him constantly so that the opponent cannot think at almost any time during the fight. He also used rope-a-dope, a strategy that basically consists of leaning on the ropes and letting yourself be hit until the other person gets tired and then launching a counterattack, letting yourself be hit strategically because you anticipate the opponent’s blows and move your body accompanying the blow to minimize the effects.
Era as a champion
Among Muhammad’s most resounding victories in this era, those against Sonny Banks (who managed to knock Cassius to the canvas during the fight), Alejandro Lavorante , and Archie Moore (a boxing legend with 200 victories under his belt) should be highlighted.
He fought Sonny Liston , the world champion at the time, and was awarded the title of world champion. He won in the first round with one of the most beautiful knockouts in boxing history. The punch with which he knocked him out is known as the phantom hand. He defended his crown as world heavyweight champion on several occasions.
His first defeat came when he tried to regain the heavyweight belt against Joe Frazier , a defeat on points in 15 rounds. He soon had another opportunity and defeated him in a controversial manner in a second fight, where he was much better prepared.
In 1974 he achieved the legendary victory in Kinshasa, Zaire , against George Foreman , who had just beaten Frazier in the 3rd round; knocking out Foreman in the 8th round.
He renewed the title against Frazier in a third fight, in a brutal fight where he won in the last round by technical knockout. He defended his title against different boxers such as Ken Norton , Alfredo Evangelista or Earnie Shavers . Surprisingly, he lost it to Leon Spinks , a boxer who had just competed in the Olympic Games and had 8 professional fights. Despite this defeat, he beat him in the rematch on points.
Retirement from Boxing
He announced his retirement from boxing, although he returned in 1980 to fight for the world title against Larry Holmes , to whom he lost before the limit, and a fight that he lost on points to Trevor Berbick , in 1981. After these fights, he put an end to his career in professional boxing definitively. His record at the end of his career was 61 fights with 56 victories (37 by KO) and 5 defeats.
After retiring in 1981, he gradually developed Parkinson’s disease , which gradually deteriorated his health. He is an example for many people who suffer from degenerative diseases. He was in charge of lighting the cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games .
Interesting facts about his life
- In 1967, he refused to join the U.S. Army, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. He was arrested and convicted of draft evasion, stripped of his boxing title and had his boxing license suspended. He was not jailed, but did not fight again for nearly four years while his appeal wound its way to the Supreme Court, where it was eventually upheld.
- He was defeated five times (four on points and once by technical knockout, abandoning the fight), achieving 56 victories (37 by knockout and 19 on points).
- He was particularly known for his unorthodox boxing style, which he described as “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, and for employing techniques such as the rope-a-dope.
- He was also known for his pre-fight provocations, both on television and in person before the fight, often with verses.
- He was also a prominent and controversial personality worldwide for his pro-Muslim political activism for preaching about the rights of blacks and minorities in general, highlighting the pride of being black and the need to avoid wars between them, as well as avoid drugs and vices.
- He threw his gold medal into the Ohio Riverafter being refused service at a whites-only restaurant and getting into a fight with a group of whites.
- During a break in a basketballgame at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (where he was the last athlete to carry the Olympic torch ) he was given a new medal to replace the one he lost.
- Cassius Clay appears in the film Requiem for a Champion (1962)fighting a 7th round with Anthony Quinn , whom he defeats and unleashes the drama of a finished boxer.
Ali in the 7th art
Movies have been made based on his life, such as:
- The Greatest, 1977, he played himself.
- When We Were Kings is a documentary that won an Oscarin 1996.
- Ali, 2001, actors Will Smith ; Maestro Harrell , (young Cassius Clay).
- King of the world, 2000, Terrence Howard.
- Ali: An American Hero, 2000, American Broadcasting Companyfilm with David Ramsey .
- Ali: An American Hero, 2000, Fox film with Aaron Meeks.
- Don King: Only in America, 1997, HBO film with Darius McCrary.
- The Greatest, 1977, with Chip McAllister.
- American Gangster, 2007, with Jerrod Paige .