MUHAMMED ALI

Muhammad Ali three times World heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali (or Cassius Clay) who wrote his name in the history of boxing.

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. popularly known as ‘Muhammad Ali’, was a boxer, who literally slaughtered any competitor he met in the boxing ring and was the worst nightmare for almost every one he had boxing match with, was born to Cassius Sr. and Odessa on January 17 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky.

From his childhood, Cassius had a dream of becoming a heavyweight champion. But had no idea that his boxing career will start in an unexpected way. In an incidence his bike was stolen at the Columbia Auditorium (in 1954). Twelve years old Cassius and his friends were at the Auditorium when he came to know that his bike was stolen, Cassius was so angry that he told the policeman (Mr. Martin, who was handling bike theft case) that he would never leave the person who stole his bike and would beat him. Understanding the situation, the policeman warned Cassius that he was too young to fight the thief and told him to prepare well and learn boxing before breaking down on the thief. The policeman even suggested one good boxing trainer’s name ‘Fred Stoner’ to young Cassius, so that at least this boy wouldn’t go on a search for the person who stole his bike.

Cassius was so serious about getting into boxing and had prepared himself so that he joined the training with Fred Stoner. He prepared himself so well that within few weeks; he was ready for his first professional boxing match and also showed his talent. Further, for about six years, Cassius registered consecutive wins in the Kentucky Golden Gloves Championships every year. He also won two ‘Amateur Athletic Union Championship’ titles and two ‘National Golden Gloves Championship’ boxing titles during this period. With all this and his determination, Cassius made it sure that he was one of the possible and high-flying contenders of the future world championship.

Boxer, born in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. As an amateur boxer (1954–60), winning 100 of 108 matches, he became the 1960 Olympic light-heavyweight champion. Financed by a group of Louisville businessmen, he turned professional, and by 1963 had won his first 19 fights. He won the world heavyweight title in 1964, defeating the purportedly invincible Sonny Liston when he retired at the end of the sixth round.

At that time he joined the Black Muslims and adopted the name Muhammad Ali. After defending the championship nine times within two years, in 1967 he refused to be drafted into the army on religious grounds, and was stripped of his title and barred from the ring. His action earned him both respect and anger from different quarters, but he did not box for three-and-a-half years; he took his case to the Supreme Court and had his boxing licence restored in 1970. In 1971 he was beaten by Joe Frazier, but beat him in 1974 in Zaire, and went on to meet George Foreman later that year, knocking him out in eight rounds to regain his title. He was beaten by Leon Spinks in a split decision (Feb 1978), but regained the title the same year – the first man to win the world heavyweight title three times.

Famous for his flamboyant manner, his boasting predictions of which round he would defeat his opponent, and his doggerel verse (‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’), he was also recognized as one of the all-time great boxers with his quick jab and footwork. His slogan ‘I am the greatest’ became a catch phrase. He compiled a career record of 56 wins, five losses, with 37 knockouts, before retiring in 1981.

During the 1960s and 1970s he was arguably the best-known individual in the entire world due not only to his controversial career but also to his travels and deliberate reaching out to the Third World. Ali was President Carter’s special envoy to Africa in 1980 (attempting to persuade nations to boycott the Olympics). He has starred in two films, The Greatest (1976) and Freedom Road (1978), and an Oscar-winning documentary film, When We Were Kings, recounting the 1974 Ali v. Foreman fight, appeared in 1996. Ali retired in 1981, and during that decade it was revealed that he was suffering from a form of Parkinson’s disease. He was an almost universal choice as the 20th-century’s most important sportsman, and at the end of 1999 was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Century. In 2005 he attended the opening of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, KY, and also that year was honoured with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.