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Muhammad Ali-Haj (Arabic: محمد على) (born
January 17, 1942 as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.), is a retired American
boxer. He is considered to be one of the world's greatest heavyweight
boxers, as well as one of the world's most famous individuals, renowned
the world over for his boxing and political activism. In 1999, he was
crowned Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated, and is
considered by many to be one of the greatest athletes of the 20th
century.
Ali had a highly unorthodox style for a heavyweight boxer. He carried
his hands at his sides, rather than the orthodox boxing style of
carrying the hands high to defend the face. Instead, he relied on his
extraordinary reflexes and reach (80 inches) to keep him away from his
opponents' blows. Ali punched to the head much more than most boxers—a
high-risk strategy since, over the duration of a long fight, punches to
the body can be much more effective in tiring an opponent out.
****
Muhammad Ali Career Snapshot
Born January 17, 1942
Died
Total Fights 61
Won 56
Lost 5
Drew 0
Knockouts 37
Titles Won Heavyweight
****
Beginnings
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Clay was named after his father (who was
himself named for the Kentucky abolitionist, Cassius M. Clay). At age
12, he had his bicycle stolen, and he reported the fact to a local
policeman (and boxing trainer), Joe Martin. Martin suggested that Clay
learn to fight; under his guidance, Clay rapidly advanced through the
youth ranks. A low-achiever academically, Clay won six Kentucky Golden
Gloves while at high school, and was allowed to graduate, despite his
poor grades. Presciently, his principal announced during a staff meeting
about the issue that Clay would someday be "this school's claim to
fame." Clay later joked about his lackluster academic record saying, "I
said I was the Greatest, not the smartest."
At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Clay won a gold medal as a light
heavyweight boxer. After being refused service in a whites-only
restaurant, a disgusted Clay threw his gold medal into the Ohio River.
He then turned professional, under the tutelage of boxing legend Angelo
Dundee, and quickly became famous for his unorthodox style, his
spectacular results, and his tireless self-promotion (the latter
inspired in part by professional wrestler Gorgeous George and singer
Little Richard). He made a name for himself as the "Louisville Lip" by
composing poems and predicting in which round he would knock out his
opponent. He boisterously sang his own praises, with sayings like "I am
the greatest" and "I'm young, I'm pretty, I'm fast, and no one can beat
me."
Ali has himself explained that he used ostentation as a publicity
device. As a youngster, he learned that boasting, with maximum
impudence, would bring bigger and bigger crowds to attend his fights,
because everyone would so desperately want to see the braggart get
beaten or otherwise pummelled.
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Professional Career
In Louisville, on 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, Donnie Fleeman, Duke
Sabedong, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, and Lamar Clark
(who had won his previous 40 bouts by knockout). Among Clay's more
impressive victories were against Sonny Banks (who knocked him down
earlier in the bout), Alejandro Lavorante, and Archie Moore (a boxing
legend who had won over 200 previous fights). Cassius became the number
one contender for Sonny Liston's title. Liston was greatly feared, and
some have said that he was the Mike Tyson of his era. Almost no one gave
the young boxer a chance of beating Liston. The date was fixed for
February 25, 1964; during the weigh-in, the boisterous Ali declared that he
would "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."
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, greater even than his
idols, Sugar Ray Robinson and Archie Moore, kept him away from Liston's
powerful head and body shots, as he used his height and reach advantage
to effectively counter-punch with the jab. As early as the third round,
Liston began to visibly tire, and Clay took full advantage, landing
several heavy punches. By the third, Clay was clearly on top, and had
opened a large 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 was
able to keep out of range, and by the fifth and into the sixth, he was
looking for a finish. That came before the seventh, when Liston retired
on his stool, later claiming his shoulder had become dislocated. Clay
leapt out of his corner, proclaiming himself "King of the World", and
demanding the writers eat their words.
Clay was duly crowned the heavyweight champion of the world. He would
reconfirm his abilities when he knocked out Liston in the first round of
their rematch in Lewiston, Maine on May 25, 1965, albeit
controversially; as few observers saw the "phantom punch" that floored
Liston. That November, Clay met and defeated former champion Floyd
Patterson. The referee stopped the fight in Round 12, after Patterson
had taken a horrible beating.
Clay changes his name to Muhammed Ali
In between the two matches, he also became famous for other reasons: he
joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali,
although only a few journalists (most notably Howard Cosell) accepted
it. 1966 and early 1967 were a busy time for the champion. In a period
of a year, he defended his title seven times. No other champion has had
that many defenses in only a year. In March, 1966, Ali won a unanimous
decision over tough Canadian champion George Chuvalo (who was never
knocked down in his career). Ali then traveled to England to face
"British Bulldog" Brian London, and Henry Cooper (who had knocked Clay
down in their initial 1963, non-title match). Ali won both fights by
knockout. He traveled to Germany next, to face southpaw Karl
Mildenberger (who was the first German to fight for the title since Max
Schmeling). In one of his tougher fights, Ali finally won by knockout in
Round 12. In November, 1966, Ali returned to the United States to face
Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams in the Houston Astrodome. Williams had one
of the highest knockout percentages in history, and has often been
ranked as one of the finest fighters who never won a title. Many felt he
would give the champion a tough battle. However, Ali easily knocked him
out in the third round. In February of 1967, Ali faced Ernie Terrell in
the Astrodome at Madison Square Garden. Terrell had refused to
acknowledge Ali's name, and the champ vowed to punish him for this
perceived insolence. Even though the fight went to a decision, Ali
delivered a horrible beating and won every round. He kept taunting the
challenger throughout the fight: after every hit, Ali hollered "What's
my name?" Many called his treatment cruel and brutal. In March of the
same year, and in the same location, he faced Zora Folley. Ali's fight
with the 35-year-old Folley is regarded by many as his finest
performance in the ring. He showed what a breath-taking fighter he was,
by throwing every punch sharply and on target. He knocked out the
challenger in Round 7.
It was also in this same year that he refused to serve in the American
army during the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector, famously saying
that he "got nothing against no Viet Cong" - largely misquoted as "No
Vietnamese ever called me a nigger." Ali was stripped of his
championship belt and his license to box, and was sentenced to five
years in prison. The sentence was overturned on appeal three years
later, by a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court.
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 leaders Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X, and declaring his
allegiance to them 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 racial separatism.
In 1970, granted a license to box once more following his Supreme Court
victory wherein he was granted his right to refuse military service for
religious reasons, he began a comeback. But he suffered a setback when
he lost his 1971 title fight, a bruising 15-round encounter with Joe
Frazier at Madison Square Garden. This fight, known as The Fight of the
Century, was perhaps one of the most famous and 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. Ali split two bouts with Ken
Norton (in the bout that Ali lost to Norton, Ali suffered a broken jaw,
but refused to quit), before beating Frazier on points in their 1974
rematch, to earn another title shot.
Ali's religious views also changed with time. He began to study the
Qur'an, and converted to Sunni Islam, rejecting the teachings of the
Nation of Islam.
The Rumble in the Jungle and Thrilla in Manila
The incumbent, George Foreman, was a large, hard-hitting, undefeated
young fighter who had previously demolished Frazier, KO'ing him in the
second round of their championship fight. Foreman was the heavy
favorite. The fight was held in Zaire, and promoted by Don King as "The
Rumble in the Jungle." In the October 30, 1974 bout, that would cement
his reputation as "The Greatest", Ali boxed his best tactical fight.
Leading with his "wrong" hand and playing "rope-a-dope" by leaning far
back on the ropes, Ali absorbed everything Foreman could throw at him,
whilst only occasionally throwing counter-punches. By the end of the
sixth round, Foreman had punched himself out, and Ali was able to attack
a little more. Foreman kept advancing, but his blows were much less
effective, and near the end of the eighth, Ali's right hand finally sent
the exhausted Foreman to the floor. As a result of this fight, Ali was
awarded the 1974 Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year,
and Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award.
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In 1975, Ali defeated Joe Frazier once more in the "Thrilla In Manila",
in the Philippines. This fight surpassed their earlier bouts, and became
one of the most well-known heavyweight fights ever. After 14 grueling
rounds, Frazier's trainer Eddie Futch refused to allow Frazier to
continue, and Ali left, the winner by TKO. Along with the "Rumble", his
fights with Frazier are widely considered among the greatest in boxing
history. 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, and many regard this as his
worst fight. Ali was heavy and out of shape, refusing to take the young
challenger seriously. Ali was awarded a unanimous decision, but it was
widely boo'ed by the crowd. Many who scored the fight at ringside
thought Young deserved the decision. Even Ali's loyal trainer Angelo
Dundee said this was his worst performance in the ring. In September,
Ali faced Ken Norton in their third fight, held at Yankee Stadium. Once
again, the champion won a widely-debated decision.
He would retain his title until a 1978 loss to 1976 Olympic champion
Leon Spinks, who was fighting in only his eighth professional fight. He
defeated Spinks in a rematch, becoming the heavyweight champion for the
record third time. Then on June 27, 1979, he announced his retirement
and vacated the title.
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 of what many viewed as 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 an examination at the Mayo Clinic, and the results were
shocking. He 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, against 5 losses.
In retirement
Ali was diagnosed with pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome in 1982,
following which his motor functions began a slow decline.
Despite this, he remains a hero to millions around the world. In 1985,
he was called upon to negotiate for the release of kidnapped Americans
in Lebanon. In 1996, he had the honor of lighting the Olympic flame in
Atlanta, Georgia. At the same Olympics, Ali was also presented with a
replacement gold medal. He had supposedly thrown the previous one, won
in 1960, into the Ohio River after being refused entry to a restaurant,
confirming his own suspicions that even with a gold medal, he would not
be treated any different in the South.
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 [patting his chest]. Get hit in the breast... hard...
and all that."
The $60 million Muhammad Ali Center is scheduled to open in downtown
Louisville, Kentucky in the fall of 2005. In addition to displaying his
boxing memorabilia, the center will focus on core themes of peace,
social responsibility, respect, and personal growth. Muhammad Ali
currently lives in Michigan with his fourth wife, Yolanda Williams.
Personal life
Muhammad Ali has been married four times. His first wife was Sonji Roi,
whom he married on August 14, 1964, and she had his first two children,
they divorced on January 10, 1966. His second wife was Khalilah
'Belinda' Ali, whom he married on August 17, 1967; and she had four of
his nine children, they divorced in 1977. His third wife was Veronica
Porche Ali, whom he married on August 19, 1977, and she had two children
with him, one of which was Laila Ali; they divorced in July, 1986. His
fourth and current wife is Yolanda Williams, whom he married on November
19, 1986, and they adopted a son named Asaad. His children are:
Rasheedah, Jamilla, Maryum, Miya, Khalilah, Hana, Laila, Muhammad Jr.
and Asaad.
Pro Wrestling
Ali had a "boxer vs. wrestler" match against Antonio Inoki in June,
1976, in Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. The match was declared a draw.
Ali also refereed the main event at Wrestlemania I in 1985.
Books
Sting Like a Bee, by Jose Torres (with significant contributions from
Bert Randolph Sugar and Norman Mailer). ISBN 0071395881
King Of The World, by David Remnick — An account of Ali's rise to
greatness, focusing on the two fights with Sonny Liston
Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey", by Muhammad Ali and
Hana Yasmeen Ali. 2004. ISBN 0743255690
Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times", by Thomas Hauser with the
co-operation of Muhammad Ali. 1991. ISBN 0671779710
THE GREATEST: Muhammad Ali", by Walter Dean Jones. 2001. ISBN 0633779710
Films
The Greatest (1977, starring Ali as himself)
Ali (2001, directed by Michael Mann, starring Will Smith)
When We Were Kings (filmed 1974, released 1996, documentary about the
"Rumble in the Jungle" by filmmaker Leon Gast.)
I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali, an animated
television series
Music
Black Superman - Muhammed Ali, by Johnny Wakelin & The Kinshasa Band
Ali Shuffle, by Alvin Cash (1976)
Urban
legends
There is a story that Ali had visited the remains of the World Trade
Center in New York City after the September 11, 2001 attacks and was
asked by reporters how he felt about having the same religion as the
people who did this. He then allegedly responded with the question "How
do you feel about Hitler sharing yours?"
While Ali did visit the World Trade Center around that time, what he
actually said was as follows:
"Religions all have different names, but they all contain the same
truths. ... I think the people of our religion should be tolerant and
understand people believe different things."
from "Bush: 'Justice Will Be Done.'", CNN.com, 20 September 2001.
"What's really hurting me, the name Islam is involved, and Muslim is
involved and causing trouble and starting hate and violence. ... Islam
is not a killer religion. ... Islam means peace, I couldn't just sit
home and watch people label Muslims as the reason for this problem."
from "Muhammad Ali Defends His Religion.", New York Daily News (p. 34),
21 September 2001, Colangelo, Lisa L. and Clem Richardson.
****
|
Preceded by:
Sonny Liston |
Heavyweight boxing champion (WBA)
1964 |
Succeeded by:
Ernie Terrell |
|
Heavyweight boxing champion (WBC)
1964–1967 |
Succeeded by:
Joe Frazier |
|
Preceded by:
Ernie Terrell |
Heavyweight boxing champion (WBA)
1964–1967 |
Succeeded by:
Jimmy Ellis |
|
Preceded by:
George Foreman |
Heavyweight boxing champion (WBA,
WBC)
1974–1978 |
Succeeded by:
Leon Spinks |
|
Preceded by:
Leon Spinks |
Heavyweight boxing champion (WBA)
1978–1979 |
Succeeded by:
John Tate |
****
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