Muhammad Ali . Former American boxer who was a three-time heavyweight world champion, a category in which he was considered one of the great figures in boxing history. Nicknamed ‘The Greatest’ (The greatest).
Biographical data
He was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville , Kentucky , United States
Name change
He was known at first as Cassius Clay. He was descended from pre- Civil War American slaves in the American South and was predominantly African-American descendant with little English or Irish ancestry. He changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam organization in 1964 by Muhammad Ali.
Start of his professional career and his fame
After Olympic gold, Clay returned to Louisville to begin his professional career under Angelo Dundee . There, on October 29, 1960, he won his first professional fight in six rounds on points against Tunney Hunsaker , who was chief of police in Fayetteville , West Virginia .
He soon became famous for his unorthodox style, spectacular results, and constant self-promotion. Many times he recited poems composed by himself in which he mentioned in which round he would knock out his opponent. On the other hand, his praises of himself are recognized, with phrases such as “I am the greatest” or “I am young, beautiful, fast and nobody can beat me”.
Amateur career
It was started in the boxing world by Louisville police officer and boxing coach Joe E. Martin , who had encountered the 12-year-old while reporting the theft of his 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 program that Martin hosted, while benefiting from the training of the more experienced Stoner, who worked with Clay throughout his career. as a hobbyist.
With Stoner, Cassius Clay won six “Golden Gloves” in Kentucky , two national “Golden Gloves” titles, one national “Amateur Athletic Union” title and a light heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome . Clay’s mark as a fan was 100 wins and just five losses.
Boxing Style
Peculiar technique that he himself defined as “flight like a butterfly and beak like a bee” (float like a butterfly, sting like a bee), which is based on moving around the rival and constantly hitting him so that the opponent cannot think about hardly any moment of combat. He also used the rope-a-dope, a strategy that basically consists of leaning on the ropes and letting himself hit until the other is tired and then launching a counter-attack, letting himself be hit with strategy because he anticipates the opponent’s blows and moves the body accompanying the blow to minimize the effects.
Epoch as champion
Among the most resounding victories of Muhammad at this time, those disputed with Sonny Banks (who managed to throw Cassius to the canvas during the fight), Alejandro Lavorante , and Archie Moore (a boxing legend with 200 wins under his belt) should be highlighted. .
He fought Sonny Liston , the world champion at the time, and earned the title of world champion. He got the victory in the first round with one of the most beautiful KOs in boxing history. The blow 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 loss came while trying to regain the heavyweight belt against Joe Frazier , a 15-round points loss. It didn’t take him long to get another chance and he defeated him in a disputed way in a second fight, where he was much better prepared.
He achieved in 1974 the legendary victory of Kinshasa, Zaire , against George Foreman who came from beating Frazier in the 3rd round; knocking out Foreman in the eighth 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 came from playing the Olympics and had 8 professional bouts. Despite this defeat he beat him in the points rematch.
Boxing Retreat
He announced his retirement from boxing, although he returned in 1980 to contest the world title against Larry Holmes , with whom he lost before the limit, and a fight that he lost on points with Trevor Berbick , in 1981. After these fights, he ended to his professional boxing career definitively. His mark at the end of his career was 61 fights contested with 56 victories (37 by KO) and 5 defeats.
After retiring in 1981 , Parkinson’s disease began to develop gradually , which deteriorated his health. It is an example for many people who are victims of degenerative diseases. He was in charge of lighting the cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games .
Interesting facts of his life
- In 1967, he refused to join the US Army by appealing to his religious beliefs and his opposition to the Vietnam War. He was arrested and convicted of evasion of military service, stripped of his boxing title, and his boxing license suspended. He was not jailed, but he did not fight again for nearly four years as his appeal reached the Supreme Court, where it was finally admitted.
- He was defeated five times (four by points and one by “technical knockout” when leaving the fight), getting 56 victories (37 by knockout and 19 by points).
- He was especially known for his unorthodox boxing style, which he himself described as “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, and for employing techniques such as rope-a- dope.
- He was also known for his provocations before fighting, on television and in person before fighting, often with verse.
- He was also a prominent and controversial personality worldwide for his pro-Muslim political activism for preaching on the rights of blacks and minorities in general, marking the pride of being black and the need to avoid wars between them, also avoid drugs and vices.
- He threw his gold medal into the Ohio River after they refused to serve him at a whites-only restaurant and got into a fight with a group of whites.
- During an intermission of a basketball game at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games (in which he carried the Olympic torch as the last athlete ) he was presented with a new medal to replace the lost one.
- Cassius Clay appears in the film Requiem for a Champion (1962) fighting a 7th round with Anthony Quinn whom he defeats and triggers the drama of a finished boxer.
Ali on the 7th. art
Movies based on his life have been filmed such as:
- The Greatest , 1977, he performed himself.
- When We Were Kings is a documentary that won an Oscar in 1996.
- Ali , 2001, actors Will Smith ; Master Harrell , (young Cassius Clay).
- King of the world, 2000, Terrence Howard .
- Ali: An American Hero, 2000, American Broadcasting Company film 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 .
Death
He died on 4 of June of 2016 in a hospital in Phoenix , at 74.