Muhammad Ali

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Muhammad Ali
Real name	Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.)
Nickname	The Greatest,Louisville Lip
Weight	Heavyweight
Nationality	US American
Birth date	January 17, 1942
Birth place	Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Style	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	61
Wins	56
Wins by KO	37
Losses	5
Draws	0
No contests	0

Muhammad Ali (b.January 17, 1942) born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. in Louisville, Kentucky, is a retired American boxer. In 1999, he was crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated. He is also widely regarded as the most heavily promoted athlete of all time.

Named Junior after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., who was named for the 19th century abolitionist and politician Cassius Clay, Ali later changed his name.

Biography

Early boxing career

In 1954, Ali, who was then known as Cassius Clay, parked his bicycle in front of a Louisville department store. When he learned that his bicycle had been stolen, he approached a police officer named Joe Elsby Martin, Sr. and told him that he wanted to "whoop" the thief. Martin, the coach of the Louisville city boxing program, told Ali that if he intended to "whoop" someone, he should learn to fight. The next day, Ali appeared at Louisville's Columbia Gym and began boxing lessons with Martin. Ali credits Martin with teaching him how to "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." As an Olympic coach, Martin accompanied Ali to the Rome Olympics in 1960 where he won a Gold Medal in the light heavyweight division.

Standing at 6' 3" (1.90 m), Ali had a highly unorthodox style for a heavyweight boxer. He carried his hands at his sides, rather than the normal boxing style of carrying the hands high to defend the face. Instead, he relied on his ability to avoid a punch. In Louisville, October 29, 1960, Cassius Clay won his first professional fight. He won a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker, who was the police chief of Fayetteville, West Virginia. From 1960 to 1963, the young fighter amassed a record of 19-0, with 15 knockouts. He defeated such boxers as Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson (who weighed 160 pounds when he fought Clay), Donnie Fleeman (who had broken ribs going into the fight but fought Clay anyway), Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, Lamar Clark (who had won his previous 40 bouts by knockout), Doug Jones, and Henry Cooper. Among Clay's more impressive victories were versus Sonny Banks (who knocked him down during the bout), Alejandro Lavorante, and the aged Archie Moore (a boxing legend who had won over 200 previous fights). Clay then won a highly disputed 10 round decision over Doug Jones, who, despite being 25 pounds lighter than Clay, staggered Clay as soon as the fight started with a right hand, and beat Clay to the punch throughout the fight. Clay's next fight was against Britain's Henry Cooper, who knocked Clay down with a left hook near the end of the fourth round. Yet he is credited with a win over Cooper in that fight. Despite these close calls against Doug Jones and Henry Cooper (both of whom were over 25 pounds lighter in weight than Clay was), he became the top contender for Sonny Liston's title. Liston was noted for his aggressiveness (during the early part of his boxing career, Mike Tyson was compared to Liston for this reason). In spite of Clay's impressive record, he was not expected to beat the champ. The fight was to be held February 25, 1964 and during the weigh-in on the previous day, the never-bashful Ali declared that he would "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee," and, in summarizing his strategy for avoiding Liston's assaults, said, "Your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see."

First title fight

Clay, however, had a plan. Misreading Clay's exuberance as nervousness, Liston was over-confident, and unprepared for any result but a quick stoppage. In the opening rounds, Clay's speed kept him away from Liston's powerful head and body shots, as he used his height and reach advantage to effectively beat Liston to the punch with his jab. By the third, Clay was clearly on top, and had opened a cut under Liston's eye. Liston regained some ground in the fourth, as Clay was blinded by a foreign substance. It is unknown whether this was something used to close Liston's cuts, or applied to Liston's gloves for a nefarious purpose. Partially-sighted, Clay passively sought to escape Liston's offensive. He was able to keep out of range until his sweat cleaned the ointment from his eyes, responding with a flurry of combinations near the end of the fifth round. By the sixth, he was looking for a finish and dominated Liston. Then Liston shocked the world when he didn't come out for the seventh round to continue the fight; he later claimed to have injured his shoulder. The fight was widely regarded as a "fix." Clay overcame all odds to become heavyweight champion of the world.

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. changes his name to Muhammad Ali

Following his ascension to champion, he also became famous for other reasons: he revealed that he was a member of the Nation of Islam (often called the Black Muslims at the time) and changed his name to Cassius X, discarding his surname as a symbol of his ancestors' enslavement, as had been done by other Nation members such as Malcolm X. He was soon given the name Muhammad Ali by the leader of the Nation, Elijah Muhammad, who revealed the name to Ali as "his true name," although only a few journalists (most notably Howard Cosell) accepted it at that time. The adoption of this name symbolized his new identity as a Muslim, and he retained the name even after his later conversion to Islam.

Vietnam puts a pause in Ali's career

In 1964, Ali failed the Armed Forces qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were subpar. However, in early 1966, the tests were revised and Ali was reclassified 1A. He refused to serve in the American army during the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector, because "War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'aan. I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers." Ali also famously said "I ain't got no quarrel with those Vietcong" and "no Vietcong ever called me nigger." He refused to respond to his name being read out as Cassius Clay, stating that Clay was the name given to his slave ancestors by the white man. By refusing to respond to this name, Ali's personal life was filled with controversy. Ali was essentially banned from fighting in the United States and forced to accept bouts abroad for most of 1966. From his bout with Patterson in November of 1965, to his final defense against Zora Folley in March of 1967, he defended his title nine times. No other heavyweight champion in history has fought so much in such a short period. Ali won a fifteen round decision against Canadian George Chuvalo (who was stopped in 4 rounds by a young Joe Frazier and stopped in 3 rounds by a young George Foreman),

He then went to England and defeated Henry Cooper and Brian London by knockout. Ali's next defense was against German southpaw Karl Mildenberger (who was the first German to fight for the title since Max Schmeling). In one of the tougher fights of his life, Ali finally stopped his opponent in Round 12. Ali then returned to the United States in November of 1966 to fight Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams in the Houston Astrodome. Williams had been shot in the stomach at point blank range by a Texas policeman a year and a half before he fought Ali. As a result, Cleveland Williams went into the fight against Ali missing one kidney, ten feet of his small intestine, and with a shriveled left leg from nerve damage from the bullet. Ali beat Williams in three rounds.

The champion returned to a Houston boxing ring on February 6, 1967 to fight Ernie Terrell in one of the uglier fights in boxing. Terrell had angered Ali by calling him Clay and the champion vowed to punish him for this insult. Terrell suffered fifteen rounds of brutal punishment, but Ali was unable to knock him out, causing many to question even more strongly Ali's "phantom punch knockout" over Liston. He kept shouting at his opponent "Whats my name, Uncle Tom...whats my name". The press called this cruel and inhuman and the audience booed Ali for his tactics. After the fight, Tex Maule wrote, "It was a wonderful demonstration of boxing skill and a barbarous display of cruelty." Many boxing analysts have called Ali's fight against an old Zora Folley at Madison Square Garden on March 22, 1967 to be him at his brilliant best.

Ali's actions in refusing military service and aligning himself with the Nation of Islam, made him a lightning rod of controversy, turning the outspoken but popular former champion into one of that era's most recognizable and controversial figures. Appearing at rallies with Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad and declaring his allegiance to him at a time when mainstream America viewed them with suspicion — if not actual hostility — made Ali a target of outrage, and suspicion as well. Ali seemed at times to even provoke such reactions, with viewpoints that wavered from support for civil rights to outright support of separatism.

Near the end of 1967, Ali was stripped of his title by the professional boxing commission and would not be allowed to fight professionally for more than three years. He was also convicted for refusing induction into the U.S. Army. Over the course of those years in exile, Ali fought to appeal his conviction. He stayed in the public spotlight and supported himself by giving speeches primarily at rallies on college campuses that opposed the Vietnam War.

In 1969, Ali faced Rocky Marciano in a simulated fight, known as Marciano vs. Ali. This fight was under the promotion of Murry Woroner, a Miami boxing promoter, who ran a fantasy boxing radio show, filled with fantasy matches, with the blow by blow by Murry Woroner, himself.

In 1970 Ali was allowed to fight again and in late 1971 the Supreme Court reversed his conviction.

The comeback

In 1970, Ali was finally able to get a boxing license. With the help of a State Senator, he was granted a license to box in Georgia, due to the fact that it was the only state in America without a boxing commission. In October of 1970, he returned to stop Jerry Quarry on a cut after three rounds. Shortly after the Quarry fight, the New York State Supreme Court ruled that Ali was unjustly denied a boxing license. Once again able to fight in New York, he fought Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden in December of 1970. Ali stopped Bonavena in the 15th round, paving the way for a title fight against Joe Frazier.

The Fight of the Century

Ali and Frazier fought each other on March 8, 1971 at Madison Square Garden. This fight, known as The Fight of the Century, is one of the most famous and was one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts of all time, since it featured two skilled, undefeated fighters, both of whom had reasonable claims to the heavyweight crown. The fight lived up to the hype, and Frazier punctuated his victory by flooring Ali with a hard left hook in the final round and won on points. Frank Sinatra - unable to acquire a ringside seat - took photos of the match for Life Magazine. Legendary boxing announcer Don Dunphy and actor and boxing aficionado Burt Lancaster called the action for the broadcast, which reached millions of people.

In 1973, Ali split two bouts with Ken Norton (in the bout that Ali lost to Norton, Ali suffered a broken jaw), before beating Frazier on points in their 1974 rematch, to earn another title shot.

The Rumble in the Jungle

Ali regained his title on October 30, 1974 by defeating champion George Foreman in their bizarre bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, hyped as "The Rumble In The Jungle". The fight was promoted by Don King, who had served time in prison for killing his partner in the numbers racket. Almost no one, not even Ali's long-time supporter Howard Cosell, gave the former champion a chance of winning. Analysts pointed out that Joe Frazier and Ken Norton had given Ali four tough battles in the ring and won two of them while Foreman had destroyed both in the second round. In the fight, Ali took advantage of the young champion's one weakness, that Foreman had won 37 of his 40 bouts by knockout, most within three rounds or less. In fact, Foreman's eight previous bouts had not gone past the second round. Commentators expected Ali to box Foreman at distance using his superior speed and footwork, but instead during the second round Ali retreated to the ropes inviting Foreman to hit him, while sporadically counterpunching and verbally taunting the younger man. It soon became apparent that Ali's plan was to enrage Foreman and absorb his best blows in order to exhaust him mentally and physically. The champion threw hundreds of punches in seven rounds but with decreasing technique and effect (was later termed "The Rope-A-Dope"). By the end of the eighth round Foreman was clearly flagging and Ali made his move, turning Foreman off the ropes and executing a beautiful knockout. Foreman failed to make the count, and this is credited an effect of Ali's taunts and well-timed attacks in the previous rounds.

Ali becomes a Sunni Muslim

Ali converted from the Nation of Islam to orthodox Sunni Islam in 1975. In a 2004 autobiography, written with daughter Hana Yasmeen Ali, Muhammad Ali attributes his conversion to the shift towards Sunni Islam made by W.D. Muhammad after he gained control of the Nation of Islam upon the death of his father, Elijah Muhammad in 1975. According to a July 13, 1998 interview in Sports Illustrated, this Black Muslim philosophy attributes to his belief in segregation:

"When one of the girls in the video laments that whites go in one car and blacks in another, Ali nods knowingly. "Nature's way," he says, "nature's way.""

Rocky

On March 24, 1975, Ali fought Chuck Wepner in Cleveland, a fight that was to inspire the Academy Award winning movie "Rocky". Ironically, however, it was Ali's opponent who provided the inspiration for history's most famous fictional pugilist. Wepner was a journeyman fighter who had been earning his living as a liquor salesman and security guard. Wepner had been dubbed "The Bayonne Bleeder" and, although he was ranked, he was considered hapless. Wepner, however, trained for two months and although he lost on a technical knock-out, he survived all 15 rounds and even managed to knock Ali down. Sylvester Stallone saw the match on television and the concept of Rocky Balboa -- an unknown club fighter who goes 15 rounds with the heavyweight champion -- was born.

The Thrilla in Manila

In 1975, Ali was again slated to fight Joe Frazier. The anticipation for the fight was enormous for the final clash between these two great heavyweights. Added to Ali's frequent insults, slurs and poems it increased not only the anticipation and excitement for the fight. After 14 grueling rounds, Frazier's trainer Eddie Futch refused to allow Frazier to continue. Frazier felt betrayed and never talked to Futch again. Ali was quoted after the fight as saying "This must be what death feels like". Ring Magazine called this bout 1975's Fight of the Year, the fifth year an Ali fight had earned that distinction. Many felt Ali should have retired after this fight; however, he continued to box. 1976 saw him knock out two largely unknown opponents, Belgian stonecutter Jean-Pierre Coopman and English boxer Richard Dunn. On April 30, 1976 Ali faced Jimmy Young in Landover, Maryland. Ali was given a boxing lesson to end all boxing lessons by Jimmy Young, who exploited all the flaws and limitations in Ali's style, both offensively and defensively. At the end of the one-sided match, the judges, chosen by Don King, gave Ali a decision, causing many to call it the worst decision in the entire history of boxing. Ali never fought Jimmy Young again, despite the fact that Jimmy Young went on from there to beat George Foreman and knocked Foreman down in the process.

In September, Ali faced Ken Norton in their third fight, held at Yankee Stadium. Although it was highly disputed by some observers, the champion won by unanimous decision.

Ali would retain his title until a February 1978 loss to 1976 Olympic champion Leon Spinks. In losing to the novice Spinks, Ali disgraced himself by becoming the first heavyweight champion in the entire history of boxing to lose his title to a novice who had had only seven profesional fights.

In the September rematch in New Orleans at the Superdome, Spinks' cornerman Georgie Benton walked out of the ring after the 6th round, later commenting that he did not think the fight was on the level. Ali was given a 15 round decision over the disoriented Spinks. Then on June 27, 1979, he announced his retirement and vacated the title.

Final Comeback and Retirement

That retirement was short-lived, however, and on October 2, 1980, he challenged Larry Holmes for the WBC's version of the world Heavyweight title. Looking to set another record, as the first boxer to win the Heavyweight title four times, Ali lost by technical knockout in round eleven, when Dundee would not let him come out for the round. The Holmes fight, promoted as "The Last Hurrah", was a fight many fans and experts view with disdain, because it was a fight that saw a "deteriorated version" of Ali. Holmes was Ali's sparring partner when Holmes was a budding fighter; thus, some viewed the result of the fight as a symbolic "passing of the torch." Holmes even admitted later that, although he dominated the fight, he held his punches back a bit out of sheer respect for his idol, and former employer. It was revealed after the fight that Ali had been examined at the Mayo Clinic, and the results were shocking. He had admitted to tingling in his hands, and slurring of his speech. The exam revealed he actually had a hole in the membrane of his brain. However, Don King withheld this report, and allowed the fight to go on.

Despite the apparent finality of his loss to Holmes and his increasingly suspect medical condition, Ali would fight one more time. On December 11, 1981, he fought rising contender and future world champion Trevor Berbick, in what was billed as "The Drama in the Bahamas." Because Ali was widely viewed as a damaged fighter, few American venues expressed much interest in hosting the bout, and few fans expressed much interest in attending or watching it. Compared to the mega-fights Ali fought in widely known venues earlier in his career, the match took place in virtual obscurity, in Nassau. Although Ali performed marginally better against Berbick than he had against Holmes fourteen months earlier, he still lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Berbick, who at 27 was twelve years younger.

Following this loss, Ali retired permanently in 1981, with a career record of 56 wins (37 by knockout) and 5 losses.

Ali's legacy

Muhammad Ali is widely considered to be one of the most heavily promoted individuals in the entire history of the news media. He defeated almost every top Heavyweight in his era, an era which has been called the Golden Age of Heavyweight boxing. Ali was named "Fighter of the Year" by Ring Magazine more times than any other fighter, and was involved in more Ring Magazine "Fight of the Year" bouts than any other fighter. He defeated more International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees than any other fighter, next to his idol Sugar Ray Robinson, and is himself an inductee. He is also one of only three boxers to be named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated. He is widely regarded as the greatest Heavyweight champion of all time, and one of the pound for pound best in boxing's history.

He's also recently topped the list of Greatest Heavyweights by many boxing luminaries including the likes, of not suprisingly, Angelo Dundee, Bert Sugar, Dan Rafael.

In retirement

Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the early 1980s, following which his motor functions began a slow decline. Although Ali's doctors disagreed during the 1980s and 1990s about whether his symptoms were caused by boxing and whether or not his condition was degenerative, he was ultimately diagnosed with Pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome. By late 2005 it was reported that Ali's condition was notably worsening . According to the documentary When We Were Kings, when Ali was asked about whether he has any regrets about boxing due to his disability, he responded that if he didn't box he would still be a painter in Louisville, Kentucky.

Despite the disability, he remains a popular and active public figure. In 1985, he served as a guest referee at the inaugural WrestleMania event. In 1987 he was selected by the California Bicentennial Foundation for the U.S. Constitution, through its then President Peter F. Paul to personify the vitality of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights in various high profile activities. Ali usurped the attention of a million people attending the 1988 Tournament of Roses, when he rode on Paul's Rose Parade float, with the largest American flags ever made of roses, carrying Apollo XI Astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Mickey Mouse launching the U.S. Constitution's 200th birthday commemoration. Paul packaged, with literary agent wunderkind Robert Gottlieb, Ali's oral history, Muhammad Ali:His Life and Times with Thomas Hauser, published in 1991. After ignoring threats by Nation of Islam leader Herbert Mohammad, Ali's manager, to abandon his effort to produce a new biography of Ali, Paul succeeded with the first project Ali produced not controlled by the Nation of Islam. Ali was presented with the Spirit of America Award with Jimmy Stewart and Bob Hope, produced by Paul, to honor Ali's role as the most recognized American in the world. In 1995 the debut album of the band Ben Folds Five included a song about Ali and his retirement called "Boxing". Ben Folds has said that his dad was a fan of Ali. In 1996, he had the honor of lighting the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

He has appeared at the 1998 AFL Grand Final, where NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Pratt recruited him to watch the game. He also greets runners at the start line of the Los Angeles Marathon every year.

In 1999, Ali received a special one-off award from the BBC at its annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award ceremony, which was the BBC Sports Personality of the Century Award. His daughter Laila Ali also became a boxer in 1999, despite her father's earlier comments against female boxing in 1978: "Women are not made to be hit in the breast, and face like that... the body's not made to be punched right here his chest. Get hit in the breast... hard... and all that." The $60 million non-profit Muhammad Ali Center opened in downtown Louisville, Kentucky on November 19, 2005 (his 19th wedding anniversary). In addition to displaying his boxing memorabilia, the center focuses on core themes of peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal growth. Muhammad Ali currently lives on a small farm near Berrien Springs, Michigan with his fourth wife, Yolanda 'Lonnie' Ali.

He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony on November 9, 2005 .

According to the Muhammad Ali Center website, "Since he retired from boxing, Ali has devoted himself to humanitarian endeavors around the globe. He is a devout Sunni Muslim, and travels the world over, lending his name and presence to hunger and poverty relief, supporting education efforts of all kinds, promoting adoption and encouraging people to respect and better understand one another. It is estimated that he has helped to provide more than 22 million meals to feed the hungry. Ali travels, on average, more than 200 days per year."

In 2001, a biographical film, entitled Ali, was made, with Will Smith starring as Ali. The film received mixed reviews, with the positives generally attributed to the acting, as Smith and supporting actor Jon Voight earned Academy Award nominations. Prior to making the Ali movie, Will Smith rejected the part of Ali until Muhammad came and told him to take the part.

Personal life

Muhammad Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons.

Wife's name	Marriage date	Divorce date	Children
Yolanda 'Lonnie' Ali	November 19, 1986		Assad (adopted)
Veronica Porsche Ali	Summer 1977	July 1986	Hana, Laila.
Khalilah 'Belinda' Ali	August 17, 1967	1977	Maryum, Rasheeda, Jamilla, Muhammad Jr.
Sonji Roi	August 14, 1964	January 10, 1966	(none)

Ali has two other daughters, Miya and Khaliah, from extramarital relationships.

References

External links

Muhammad Ali official website
Muhammad Ali Center
United Athletes Magazine Ali's physical qualities and abilities.
Muhammad Ali Memorabilia
Muhammad Ali's profile at FamousMuslims.com
Muhammad Ali's Career Record
Muhammad Ali's Irish Heritage
Muhammad Ali's U.S. Olympic Team bio

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