Muhammad Ali, formally known as Cassius Marcellus Clay, became one the best sport role model of all time. At the tender age of twelve, he and his friends went to the Columbia Auditorium to visit the bazaar. When he and friends decided to leave, he then realized his new bike was stolen. He was in a tearing rage, and he went down to the gym basement, because he had heard there was a police officer down there. Ali told the police what had happened, and was demanding a search.
The officer, Joe Martin, then asked him if he could fight, and Ali said no, so Martin invited him to come to the gym and learn how to box. Sadly the bike was never found. Cassius decided to have Joe Martin teach him how to box. One night at dinner he said to his mom, I want to be a boxer His mother approved. She thought it would be better than roaming the streets. Cassius went to the gym every spare moment. He learned how to throw punches, how to jump rope, and how to hit the heavy bag and speed bag.
He could take a hit and it wouldnt affect him, he would just throw one right back. After that fight he told everybody that he would be the champion of the world. Cassius was known as The King, using the motto, Float like a butterfly, ting like a bee. He was a very dedicated person. He was always first to the gym, and last to leave. At age 18, Cassius had already won six Kentucky Golden Glove Awards, two National Golden Glove Awards, and in 1959-1960 he won the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Titles. He fought in 108 amateur fights and won 100 of them.
While in the Rome Olympics Cassius had started reading Muhammad Speaks, a magazine from Elijah Muhammad. Soon Cassius became a strong follower of One day Malcolm X, a strong Muslim leader, visited Cassius at Fifth Street Gym. Cassius said he wanted to change his name to Muhammad Ali, which means omeone who is worthy of praise. Alis grandfather was a slave and thats where he got the name Clay. Muhammad said he didnt want a slave last name. Some people, saw him as a role model, because of his devotion to his religion, Muslim. After becoming a Muslim, he changed his name.
He was baptized a Catholic, but got very interested in The Nation of Islam. In the beginning he hide his interests in The Nation, because he felt that the public was not ready for his conversion. In an interview, he was once asked if he was a Muslim, and he replied, I am not Muslim, but they are the cleanest people I He became very close with Elijah Muhammad and Malcom X. Malcom went to all of Alis matches, and they ate breakfast together frequently. He is the greatest of all time. He is a very nice man, who does many nice things for charities and The Nation of Islam worldwide.
He had gotten a lot of brain damage from boxing that in his old age he could not speak and function But, this does not affect “the butterfly” in his daily life. 3 In 1960, he won the Olympic Light Heavyweight Championship over Heavy Weight Champion Sonny Liston. He trained very hard, and he did a good job, and he produced a steady stream of headlines. He was the first boxer to benefit from international television, as it makes him known to the world. He was stripped of his title in 1967 during the Vietnam War for refusing military service on religious ground.
He said, If going to war, and possible dying, would help twenty two million blacks in this country gain freedom, justice and equality, I would join tomorrow. 4 He, also, said that he would not help kill the poor in other countries, when it is happening to his own people in America. 5 Ali returned to fighting in 1970, culminating in the “Fight of the Century,” against Joe Frazier. This was the first of three epic battles between these ring gladiators with Ali taking two out of three bouts, including one of the greatest fights of all time, the “Thrilla in Manilla.
In 1974, Ali demonstrated his ring brilliance by knocking out the undefeated George Foreman to regain the Heavyweight Championship of the World. The fight was held in Zaire, Africa, and was the first fight to be held on that continent. Ali can truly be considered the first champion of the entire world and to has served as an ambassador of goodwill for our nation to this day. Ali regained his title back in a 1974 bout with George Forman, and he lost it again in 1978 to Leon Spinks.
He, then, regained the title back in the same year, thus becoming the first man to win the title for the third time. Muhammad Ali made a great contribution to boxing and the dancing style, and he will never be forgotten for his amazing technique. Ali held the championship until 36 years of age. 7 He and regained the championship title an unprecedented third time by disposing of Leon Spinks in a rematch bout. As a black man, living in an era that continued to question his rights as a erson, Ali faced and battled issues of race and class, and to this day ranks as one of the Civil Rights movement.
Not surprisingly, this adversity only made Ali stronger, prouder, and more determined than ever to live his life with dignity and by his own While it may have looked to some that the count was nearing ten and the final bell was about to ring, Ali emerged from this battle with chin high and hands raised, and years later would be selected the greatest athlete of modern times. 8 Leaving the sport he loved with a record of 56 wins, 37 by way of knockout, he trekked a long ilgrimage through religion and democracy to find himself an icon that will forever touch the hearts of men.
Muhammad Ali has been the very benchmark by which all professional athletes are now measured. 9 Muhammad Ali was not only a boxer and a leader for African Americans, but he was also a poet and philosopher. He was never very good in school but he could Today, Muhammad lives with his wife Lonnie in a beautiful house in Handcock Park, Los Angeles. He is fighting the toughest fight of his life, its called Parkinsons disease. He was diagnosed 16 years ago and it has kept getting worse. Thats not the only bad thing. He has earned tens of millions of dollars in the ring.
Millions of that have been lost in bad investments, like Muhammad Ali Sports, His marriage also didnt go well. In 1996 he divorced Veronica Porche and quickly married Lonnie Williams. She is a Muslim woman who also grew up in Louisville. His Courage Facing Parkinsons Muhammad has been suffering from Parkinsons for 16 years. Parkinsons is a disease in your equilibrium that forces you of balance and makes you shake. He has seen many doctors but Parkinsons is He is the epitome of what is good in sports and what is true in men.