Legendary American boxer. 1960 Olympic champion in light heavyweight. Multiple world champion among professionals (1964-1974) in heavyweight. The founder of modern boxing. “Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee” - this tactical scheme, invented by Ali, was later adopted by many boxers around the world. Ali was named "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and the BBC in 1999.
As a child, little Cassius Clay (as the future world boxing legend Muhammad Ali was named by his parents) had his bicycle stolen. The enterprising boy immediately went to the nearest policeman. He stated that at the first meeting with a bully he would teach him a lesson. To which the policeman stated that “before you beat someone, you must first learn how to do it.” This policeman was also a coach at a local boxing club for teenagers. The next day, Clay was already training with them.
The highlight of Ali's amateur career was the 1960 Olympic Games, in which he won a landslide victory.
During his school years, Clay fought only twice. The first time, when they were sitting in a club with friends and two guys pestered them, Cassius insisted for a long time on leaving peacefully. “I’m a boxer and I don’t want to hurt you,” he insisted. Having received a refusal, he left the table with a gloomy look. The fight took place outside the establishment. With one blow, Clay sent his opponent into a deep knockout, and his friend escaped. His second street fight took place just before the Olympic Games. While doing his daily jog, he constantly ran past a bar where local men gathered every morning. One of them was very annoyed that, as Clay ran past them, he constantly muttered under his breath: “I will become the World Champion...” and one day, lying in wait for him, he hit him with a clear straight line from around the corner right in the face. Clay staggered, but stood firm, and immediately a terrible series of blows fell on his counterpart. At the end he shouted: “Leave me alone!! You will become the World Champion! You will!” The next morning he greeted him with the words: “Hello, Champion” (Belenky A.G., Boxing: Big Champions, 2006).
Cassius Clay made his debut in the professional ring in October 1960.
In April 1961, he met with the famous knockout artist Lamar Clark. In the 2nd round, Clay knocked him out himself, thereby ending his opponent’s career.
In February 1962, Clay met the unremarkable Sonny Banks. In the 1st round, Clay was knocked down for the first time in his life (there would be 4 such episodes in his career). In the 2nd round, Clay knocked down his opponent. Banks was knocked out in the 4th round.
In May 1962, a fight between two undefeated prospects, Cassius Clay, took place against Billie Daniels. In the 7th round, Clay won by technical knockout.
In July 1962, Cassius Clay faced legendary former light heavyweight champion Archie Moore. Despite his enormous experience, Moore could not oppose anything to the young and fast Clay. After several knockdowns, the referee stopped the fight in the 4th round.
In March 1963, the fight between Cassius Clay and Doug Jones took place. In a very stubborn battle, the victory was awarded to Clay by a close decision of the judges. This was the first undisputed result in Clay's career. The fight received the status of “fight of the year” according to Ring magazine.
In June 1963, Clay traveled to England to fight the famous boxer Henry Cooper. In the 4th round, a few seconds before the bell, Cooper knocked Clay down hard (the 2nd in his career). To get more time to recover, Clay's seconds resorted to a trick. During the break, they tore Clay's glove and told the referee that he needed to change it. Since they did not have a spare glove, the second went to the locker room to get it. This gave Clay's team an extra minute to recover. In the 5th round, Cooper suffered a severe cut and the referee stopped the fight. This was the 2nd inconclusive result of Clay's career.
In February 1964, Cassius Clay entered the title fight against a very strong knockout artist, Sonny Liston. Liston failed to psychologically break his opponent before the fight. Clay, taking advantage of his speed advantage, methodically beat his opponent. Angle Liston withdrew from the bout in the 7th round, citing a shoulder injury.
After this fight, Clay converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
According to the then existing tradition, revenge was scheduled. In May 1965, the rivals met again. At the 2nd minute of the fight of the 1st round, Ali sent his opponent to the canvas. The blow was wide-ranging and did not seem strong, but Liston could not resist. Ali later called this blow the "phantom punch." Liston tried to get up, but he was unsteady. At this time, Ali ran around him and provoked him to continue the fight. The referee - the famous former champion Jersey Joe Walcott - tried to drive him away from Liston and thereby did not open the scoring. A few seconds later he went to consult the timekeeper. At this time, Liston stood up and Ali rained down blows on him, none of which hit the target. However, the referee stopped the fight because, according to the timekeeper's calculations, Liston was lying on the canvas for more than 10 seconds.
In November 1965, Ali faced another former champion, Floyd Patterson. Patterson was inferior to Ali in all respects, but held out until the 12th round. Ali won by technical knockout in the 12th round.
In March 1966, Ali traveled to Canada to fight the famous iron-headed fighter George Shuvalo. Ali successfully dominated the fight and won on points.
In May 1966, Ali again went to England for the 2nd fight against Henry Cooper. This time Ali prepared more seriously. In the 6th round, the fight was again stopped by a cut, however, Ali’s victory did not raise any questions.
Between 1966 and 1967, Ali successfully defended his title against Brian London, Karl Mildenberger, Cleveland Williams, Ernie Terrell and Zora Foley.
In 1967, Ali was drafted into the US Army. However, he refused to serve. For this he was stripped of his title and excommunicated from boxing for 3 years.
In December 1970, Ali returned to boxing. His first opponent was the famous boxer Oscar Natalio Bonavena. Before the fight, Bonavena called Ali a chicken (coward) for refusing to serve in the army. Ali knocked out Bonavena in the 15th round.
After Ali was excommunicated from boxing, a tournament of 8 boxers was organized for the right to become a champion. The 8 strongest were determined by Ring magazine. During the tournament, it became clear that some boxers do not correspond to the level of the strongest. There was a scandal. After this, 2 organizations were formed - the WBC and the WBA, which sanction championship fights. By 1971, Joe Fraser held the titles.
In March 1971, Ali entered the ring against the unbeaten and very strong Joe Frazier. For the first time in the history of the heavyweight division, two unbeaten champions fought in a championship fight - one former, the other current. Frazier had good speed and was able to resist Ali. In the 15th round, he scored a beautiful knockdown on the former champion (the 3rd in Ali’s career). Ali lost for the first time. The fight received the status of “fight of the year” according to Ring magazine.
In July 1971 he defeated former WBA champion Jimmy Ellis.
Then Ali had several fights against mediocre boxers.
In May 1972, he met George Shuvalo again in Canada. Thanks to his concrete jaw, Shuvalo avoided a knockout, losing the fight on points.
In June 1972, Ali met the aggressive and popular Jerry Kwari. Ali won by knockout in the 7th round.
In September 1972, Ali met Floyd Patterson for the 2nd time. As in the 1st fight, Patterson had practically no chance. In the 7th round, Ali was stopped due to a cut on his opponent. This was Floyd Patterson's last fight.
In November 1972, Ali knocked out outstanding light heavyweight Bob Foster.
In February 1973, he defeated the famous fighter Joe Bugner.
In March 1973, the first fight took place between Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton. Ken Norton was tactically similar to Ali, and due to this he was able to resist his opponent. In the fight, Ali broke his jaw. Following 12 rounds, Norton won by split decision. Ali lost for the 2nd time in his career.
In September of the same year, a rematch took place. The battle followed a similar scenario. Once again the judges' votes were divided. However, this time Ali was awarded the victory. The decision was controversial. This was Ali's 3rd unconvincing victory in his career.
In January 1974, Ali's 2nd fight took place against Joe Frazier. By that time Frazier had lost to George Foreman and lost the title. In a tense battle, Ali won.
In October 1974, Ali entered a non-championship fight against the unbeaten and very strong George Foreman. Foreman had power and youth on his side. Ali gave the initiative. During the first rounds, Foreman threw a large number of punches, which mostly landed on defense. By the middle of the fight, Foreman was exhausted. In the 8th round, Ali suddenly launched a counterattack and knocked out Foreman. So Ali became a 2-time champion. The fight was called “Rumble in the jungle” and the status of “fight of the year” according to Ring magazine.
In March 1975, Ali met the unremarkable Chuck Wepner. The courageous Wepner held his own against Ali. In the 9th round, Wepner knocked him down in a flash (the 4th of his career). Nevertheless, the success was local in nature. In the 12th round, Ali began to score Wepner and the fight was stopped. This fight became the inspiration for the creators of the film Rocky.
In 1975, Ali defeated Ron Lyle in succession and, for the 2nd time, Joe Bugner.
In September 1975, the 3rd fight took place between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. The battle took place in incredible heat - higher than +30. It was a stubborn and aggressive fight with intrigue until the very end: Ali and Frazier staged a real fight. In the 14th round, Fraser's corner refused to continue. After this fight, Ali called Frazier the best boxer after himself. The fight was called “Thriller in Manila” and the status of “fight of the year” according to Ring magazine.
In 1976, Ali successfully defended his titles against Jean-Pierre Koopman, Jimmy Young and Richard Dunne.
In September 1976, Ali's third fight took place against Ken Norton. Norton looked preferable, but the judges unanimously awarded the victory to Ali. The decision was very controversial. This was Ali's 4th inconclusive victory.
In 1977, Ali defeated Alfredo Evangelista and heavy puncher Earnie Shavers.
In 1978, Muhammad Ali planned to retire from boxing. 1976 Olympic champion Leon Spinks was chosen for the final fight. Spinks had only 7 fights on his record, but nevertheless received the right to a championship fight. The fight took place in February 1978. Ali disdainfully treated his opponent, for which he paid. Spinks gave the champion a real beating. After 15 rounds, the judges awarded Spinks the victory by split decision. The split decision was controversial, with Spinks winning convincingly. This was Ali's 3rd defeat. The fight received the status of “Fight of the Year” according to Ring magazine.
Ali did not accept defeat and challenged the offender to a rematch. Spinks was scheduled to defend the belt against Ken Norton. Spinks chose revenge, for which the WBC stripped him of his title. In September of the same year, Ali convincingly outplayed his opponent. He became the champion for the 3rd time. After this, he announced his retirement from boxing.
However, Ali soon returned to the ring for financial reasons. In October 1980, he entered the championship fight against his student Larry Holmes. For 10 rounds, Holmes beat his teacher with one wicket. In the 10th round, Ali's corner took the boxer out of the fight. This was Ali's most devastating defeat.
In December 1981, Ali went against the middle man Trevor Berbick. In a 10-round equal fight, the judges gave Berbick the victory. After this fight, Ali left boxing.
Another world celebrity has passed away - philanthropist, pacifist, public figure and boxing legend Mohammed Ali. The boy who was born Cassius Clay and years later became one of the most famous boxers in history, Muhammad Ali, who suffered for years from Parkinson's disease, died last Friday due to septic shock.
In the eyes of most people, Muhammad Ali was the greatest boxer of all time. Unfortunately, the man who showed the world how to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee” suffered a series of health problems during the last decades of his life, becoming a shadow of his glorious past.
Suffering from lung problems associated with Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali was admitted to a Phoenix hospital last week. With his death, the great boxer shocked the whole world for the last time, causing millions to mourn his loss and pay tribute to his Humanity.
Today we will tell you fascinating facts from the life of an athlete who touched the hearts and souls of millions - perhaps more than any other athlete in human history.
Here are 25 facts about Muhammad Ali that you might not know!
25. At birth, he was named Cassius Clay, after the white farmer and abolitionist of the 19th century who freed 40 slaves, inherited from his father.
24. Muhammad Ali may be one of the most famous African Americans in history, but he also had Irish roots. His great-grandfather Abe Grady was an Irishman who emigrated to the United States and settled in Kentucky in the 1860s, where he married a freed slave.
23. Ali began boxing at the age of 12 after his red and white Schwinn bicycle, which he bought with money he earned, was stolen. Having reported the theft to police officer Joe Martin, he said that he would beat the person who did it, to which he received the answer: “Before you beat someone, you must first learn how to do it.” A policeman who trained young boxers invited him to go to training. Six weeks later, Muhammad Ali won his first amateur fight.
22. As an amateur boxer, Ali won 100 of his 108 bouts, including six Golden Gloves wins in Kentucky and the 1960 Rome Olympics.
21. Many stories are connected with his Olympic medal. Muhammad Ali himself wrote in his 1975 autobiography that after returning to Louisville, he threw his medal off a bridge into the Ohio River to protest the racism he still faced in his hometown.
However, this story is disputed by some in his inner circle, claiming that he made it up after he lost the medal. One way or another, during the Summer Olympics in 1996, the IOC president presented him with a duplicate of the lost gold medal.
20. Muhammad Ali loved to say hurtful words to his opponents in order to anger them and drive them crazy. He even composed poems in which he ridiculed his rivals and praised himself. Columbia Records was so impressed by his ridicule that in 1963 they decided to release an audio album of Muhammad Ali called “I Am the Greatest,” in which the 21-year-old boxer read his poetry to musical accompaniment.
19. After defeating Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight title in 1964, the new champion confirmed that he had become a member of the Nation of Islam. Inspired by Malcolm X, Ali changed his name to Cassius X, and a short time later received a new name - Muhammad Ali.
18. Muhammad Ali refused to serve in the US Army and participate in the Vietnam War, which he considered unjust. He said: "Not a single Viet Congress has ever called me a black man."
17. Due to his refusal to serve in the army, the boxer was sentenced to 5 years in prison, but by appealing, he managed to avoid this. Also, he was stripped of his world title and banned from entering the ring for 3 years.
16. During his forced 43-month exile from the boxing ring, Ali starred in the Broadway musical "Big Time White Buck." Unfortunately, the musical was quickly closed after 4 days, and Ali only managed to perform 7 times. Despite the failure of the project, Mohammed Ali, who played the role of an aggressive black lecturer, received decent reviews.
15. In 1971, Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier. This fight went down in history as the “Fight of the Century”; each boxer received $2.5 million for the fight, which took place at Madison Square Garden. Fraser won. This was the first professional fight Muhammad Ali lost.
14. Muhammad Ali faced Frazier in the ring two more times, winning both. Journalists called one of these fights “Thrilla in Manila.” This fight is considered the best in the history of boxing.
13. The unsuccessful fight with Frazier was followed by “The Rumble in the Jungle,” which took place on October 30, 1974 in Kinshasa (Zaire). This fight will be called the most iconic in this sport. Ali defeated George Foreman (George Foreman), who at that time was considered invincible, knocked him out in the 8th round.
12. In 1978, Muhammad Ali regained his championship title against Leon Spinks, winning by unanimous decision after 15 rounds. He became the first world heavyweight boxing champion to win the title for the third time.
11. In 1980, at the age of 38, after a two-year break from his sports career, Ali entered the ring for the heavyweight championship against then-champion Larry Holmes. This was the first and only time Muhammad Ali lost by stoppage. Unfortunately, during the fight, the boxer already began to show the first signs of Parkinson's disease.
10. On July 19, 1996, Muhammad Ali, already having difficulty speaking due to Parkinson's disease, lit the Olympic flame at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Sports Illustrated magazine called it one of the most emotional moments in sports history.
9. In February 1999, Muhammad Ali became the first boxer whose image appeared on a box of Wheaties cereal.
8. This may sound far-fetched, but Muhammad Ali trained for speed using stones. He asked his best friend to throw stones at him, which he had to dodge. According to his younger brother Rudy, Ali dodged every stone that was thrown at him.
7. The US Army Select Committee found Muhammad Ali's IQ to be 78. In his autobiography, he jokes, "I said I was the greatest, not the smartest."
6. In 1999, Sports Illustrated magazine named Muhammad Ali the best North American athlete of the 20th century.
5. Almost 50 years after the fight, the gloves Muhammad Ali wore to defeat Liston and win the world title brought him more money than the victory itself. In 2013, an anonymous buyer purchased the boxing gloves he wore to win his first championship for $836,000. For comparison, Ali earned $630,000 for winning that fight.
4. The Benedikt Taschen book, "GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali," weighs 75 pounds (34 kg) and is framed in Louis Vuitton silk and leather. The 780-page book measures 20 x 20 inches (51 x 51 cm), contains 600,000 words and more than 3,000 images. "GOAT" stands for "Greatest of All Time".
3. Since 2013, the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, has been holding Three Days of Greatness in his honor.
2. In 1974, Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali, perhaps the two most famous people in the world at that time, met for the first time in Las Vegas. The media and fans still refer to this meeting as "when the Greatest met the King."
1. On November 27, 1990, Muhammad Ali met with Saddam Hussein in Baghdad to negotiate the release of Americans held hostage in Iraq and Kuwait. In the following month, Ali accompanied 15 Americans liberated from Iraq, winning the respect and admiration of the entire world.
On June 3, 2016, Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time, died. It was he who showed boxing fans how you can “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” In this review, dedicated to the memory of the famous boxer, we collect little-known and very interesting facts about this amazing person.
1. Cassius Clay
Muhammad Ali was given the name Cassius Clay at birth. It was named after a white farmer and abolitionist of the nineteenth century who gave freedom to forty slaves inherited from his father.
2. Irish roots
Although Muhammad Ali was one of the most famous African-Americans in history, he actually also had Irish roots. His great-grandfather was an Irishman named Abe Grady who immigrated to the United States and settled in Kentucky in the 1860s, where he married a freed slave.
3. Stolen Schwinn
Young Cassius was inspired to become a boxer by the theft of his beloved red and white Schwinn bicycle. When a bicycle was stolen in 1954, twelve-year-old Ali reported the theft to a police officer who also taught boxing lessons at a local community center.
As a result, the officer suggested that Ali teach him to stand up for himself. Just six weeks later the boy won his first amateur boxing match.
4. Kentucky Golden Gloves
As an amateur boxer, Ali won 100 of his 108 fights, including six Kentucky Golden Gloves championships and an Olympic gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
5. From the bridge to the river
There were many stories about his Olympic medal. Ali himself wrote in his 1975 autobiography that after returning to Louisville, he threw his gold medal off a bridge into the Ohio River to protest the racism still encountered in his hometown.
However, this has been disputed by some close to the boxer, who claim Ali made up the story after accidentally losing his medal. One way or another, during the 1996 Summer Olympics, Ali received a gold medal to replace the lost one.
6. Album "I am the Greatest" (all kinds of nonsense)
Ali was known for often talking nonsense. He even wrote his own poems in which he mocked his opponents and praised himself. The people at Columbia Records were so impressed by his ridicule that they decided to release an entire album in 1963 called I Am the Greatest, in which twenty-one-year-old Ali rapped his trash talk to musical accompaniment.
7. Victory over Liston
After he defeated Liston to win the world heavyweight title in 1964, the new champion confirmed reports that he had converted to Islam. Inspired by African-American Islamic spiritual leader and civil rights activist Malcolm X, Ali changed his name to Cassius X.
8. Muhammad Ali refused to join the army
Muhammad Ali refused to join the US Army and take part in the Vietnam War, which he considered unjust. The boxer famously stated: "Not a single Viet Congress never called me Niger."
9. Ali was sentenced to five years
As a result of his refusal, he was sentenced to five years in prison. Ali was also stripped of his world title and banned from entering the ring for three years. And this was the heyday of his career.
10. Buck White Musical
During his forty-three-month forced absence from the ring, Ali played the lead role in the Broadway musical Buck White. Unfortunately, the musical closed just four days later after seven performances. Despite the project's failure, Ali, who played a militant black lecturer, received decent reviews.
11. "Battle of the Century"
In 1971, Muhammad Ali entered the ring against Joe Frazier. This match went down in history as the “Battle of the Century.” Ali and Frazier were paid $5 million for the fight, held at Madison Square Garden. This was the first professional fight that Ali lost.
12. "Thriller in Manila"
Muhammad Ali fought Frazier two more times, winning both matches. One of them, which is known as the "Thriller in Manila", is rated as one of the best in the history of the sport.
13. "Rumble in the Jungle"
The "Rumble in the Jungle" fight that followed his fight with Frazier (October 30, 1974) is one of the most iconic fights in boxing. In the Zairean capital Kinshasa, Ali defeated George Foreman (who was considered unbeatable at the time) by knockout in the eighth round.
14. Fifteen rounds of victory
In 1978, Muhammad Ali regained his title against Leon Spinks, which he won by unanimous decision after fifteen rounds. Thus, he became the first world boxing champion to win the title for the third time.
15. Ali returned to boxing
In 1980, at the age of thirty-eight, Ali returned to boxing to fight for the heavyweight title against then-champion Larry Holmes. This was the first and only time Ali lost by knockout in the eleventh round. Unfortunately, during this match the first signs of Parkinson's disease were publicly noticed.
16. Olympic flame
On July 19, 1996, Ali, constantly shaking (from Parkinson's disease), lit the torch at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. It was noted by Sports Illustrated as one of the most emotional moments in sports history.
17. First in advertising
On February 4, 1999, Muhammad Ali became the first boxer to appear on a box of Wheaties breakfast cereal.
18. Spartan training
It's hard to believe today, but Ali trained his speed by dodging rocks. He asked his best friend to throw stones at him and practice dodging them.
19. IQ Ali
The US Army measured Ali's IQ, which was... 78. In his autobiography, Ali jokingly said: "I claimed that I was the greatest, not the smartest."
20. Most Outstanding Athlete
In 1999, Ali was named the most outstanding North American athlete of the twentieth century by Sports Illustrated.
21. Equipment is more expensive than an athlete
Almost fifty years after that fight with Liston, the gloves Ali wore in that fight brought in more money than the boxer earned in his championship fight. In 2013, an anonymous buyer purchased the gloves Ali wore to win his first world title for $836,000. By comparison, Ali only earned $630,000 for his victory.
22. Tribute to Muhammad Ali
The Greatest of All Time: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali, published by Benedikt Taschen, weighs 34 kilograms. Moreover, it is covered with silk and leather from Louis Vuitton. The book has 780 pages, its size is 50x cm. It contains 600,000 words and more than 3,000 images.
Muhammad Ali freed hostages in Iraq.
On November 27, 1990, Muhammad Ali met with Saddam Hussein in Baghdad to negotiate the release of American hostages in Iraq and Kuwait. The following month, Ali personally escorted fifteen freed American hostages from Iraq, which only added to his respect throughout the world.
Anyone who prefers an active lifestyle should learn about.
74 years ago he was born to a black woman, Odessa Clay. The boy was named Cassius in honor of his artist father. The father painted advertising signs, and the family lived quite well compared to other blacks. But racism flourished in America in the 50s: blacks were considered second-class citizens. Cassius's great-grandfather was Irish, but this did not play any role.
One day, a boy’s bicycle was stolen and he wanted to beat up the offender. And then, fortunately, he happened to make friends with a white policeman Joe Martin, who also worked as a boxing trainer. And within six weeks he wins his first fight. And in 1956, Cassius won the Golden Gloves tournament.
He always had problems with his studies. No one could force him to sit down to read his books. As a result, until the end of his life he couldn’t even really read.
In 1960 he was invited to the Olympics in Rome. Despite terrible aerophobia, Cassius flew to Europe (buying a personal parachute for himself!), confidently reached the finals and won gold. Even then, he had a signature style: he seemed to dance around his opponents on his toes, lowering his hands and skillfully dodging their blows.
In October 1960, he won his first fight in the professional ring. Money appeared, and the family moved to Miami. At the same time, he became interested in Muslim values, took the name Mohammed Ali and became a member of the Nation of Islam.
Our hero really wanted to serve in the army. But they didn’t take him. Ali failed the “mental ability” test and was unable to answer the question of how many hours a person works from six in the morning to three in the afternoon, taking into account the hour for lunch.
Muhammad Ali several times became “Boxer of the Year,” “Boxer of the Decade,” and even “Boxer of the Century.” In the early 90s, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame to forever remain a legend of the sport.
In 1984, Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He began to hear and speak poorly, all motor functions failed. The incurable disease was a consequence of professional sports activity: the champion, often winning, suffered heavy knockdowns more than once.
Mohammed was married four times. He separated from his first wife in his early youth because of her reluctance to become a Muslim. Second companion Belinda Boyd(after marriage - Khalila Ali) bore him four children. But Ali was not an exemplary husband, and his infidelities became the reason for another divorce.
His mistress Veronica Porsche She married him, becoming his third wife, in 1977. The marriage lasted nine years. After this, Muhammad married one of his many girlfriends Iolanthe Williams. They even adopted a child. By the way, in addition to the legitimate children listed above, Muhammad still had two more illegitimate daughters.
In recent years, he often suffered from severe pneumonia. In early June, he was hospitalized again due to serious respiratory problems. The doctors, alas, were powerless.
Muhammad Ali. Real name: Cassius Marcellus Clay. Born January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. American professional boxer who competed in the heavy weight category. Champion of the XVII Summer Olympic Games in light heavyweight (1960), absolute world champion in heavyweight (1964-1966, 1974-1978).
Muhammad Ali wanted to fight for peace and the rights of blacks. In this regard, he converted to Islam and changed his name at birth to a Muslim one.
In 1964, Clay officially announced that he had joined the Nation of Islam and changed his last name. From that time on, everyone had to call him Cassius X/Cassius X. Members of the organization abandoned their surname because they believed that they got it from their white oppressors. The majority of Nation of Islam members bore the letter "X" instead of their last name. But two weeks later, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad honored the champion with a “full” Muslim name, which was given only to permanent members of the organization. So Elijah called the athlete Muhammad Ali.
Cassius, informing the world about the name change, said the following words: “I am a religious fighter! From now on my name is Muhammad Ali, and I forbid calling me by my old name. The world champion is Muhammad Ali!”
Public reaction to Cassius Clay's name change was largely negative. Ali's father, Cassius Sr., said that representatives of the Nation of Islam had "scrambled" his son's brains and that he would continue to bear his name with pride. World Boxing Association President Ed Lassman suspended Ali, saying: "Clay has damaged the boxing world... and sets a bad example for young people." Although state boxing commissions ignored his decision, when Ali attended his colleague's match in New York on March 20, 1964, Madison Square Garden president Harry Markson refused to pronounce the champion's new name, announcing over the loudspeaker: "Cassius Clay."
However, the pseudonym Muhammad Ali soon caught on, and the athlete became known by this name.
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born into a black middle-class South American family. Father - Cassius Sr. was a descendant of the famous liberal politician Henry Clay. Mother - Odessa Grady Clay, granddaughter of the Irishman Abe Grady, who was a white man. Odessa was proud that white blood flowed in the veins of its children. She convinced her husband to take the last name Clay. Two years after the birth of Cassius Jr., his brother Rudolf was born.
Cassius Clay started boxing at age 12. His first fight took place 6 weeks after his first visit to the gym. Every day Clay worked on technique and endurance in the gym, but he constantly got into fights with other boxers, announced to the whole gym that he was the best boxer and would become the world champion.
Over the next two years, Clay fought approximately once every three weeks, winning victory after victory. In 1956, Cassius won the first amateur Golden Gloves tournament. In 1959, he surpassed the world champion in the first heavy weight category, Willie Pastrano, who admitted that Clay had a great future ahead of him.
At the age of 15, Clay attended Louisville Central High School, the largest school for African Americans in the city. Cassius' academic performance was very poor, but in June 1960 he finally received a certificate. By the time of his high school graduation, Cassius had won 100 victories in the amateur ring with only 8 defeats. Cassius began to invent his own unique fighting style. He danced around his opponent on tiptoes with his arms down, provoking his opponent into a sweeping blow, which he confidently dodged.
Thanks to his victory in the 1960 Amateur Athletic Union competition, Clay received an invitation to the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rome, which was held in San Francisco. Cassius' rival was Alan Hudson, representing the US Army.
At the Olympics, Cassius easily defeated his first opponent, the Belgian Yvon Beko, winning by technical knockout in the second round. In the quarterfinals, Clay met with Soviet boxer Gennady Shatkov. The fight took place under the dictation of Cassius, and the judges unanimously gave him the victory. At the semi-final stage, Clay faced a familiar opponent - Australian Tony Madigan (Clay defeated him in 1959). The judges also gave the victory to Cassius. In the final, the experienced Zbigniew Pietrzykowski from Poland was waiting for him; he was 9 years older than Clay and had 230 fights in his record. After an intense battle, Cassius Clay was declared the winner of the match and won the gold medal. Before flying to the USA, wherever he went, Clay appeared everywhere with a medal around his neck, he did not take it off even while sleeping. Mayor Bruce Hoblitzell and hundreds of fans greeted Clay at the Louisville airport.
To start a professional career, Cassius needed to find a manager. And 11 partners became Cassius’ managers, investing $2,800 each. Clay's debut in professional boxing took place on October 29, 1960, against Tanny Hunsecker. Clay won a landslide victory.
From 1964 to 1974, Muhammad Ali became a multiple world professional heavyweight champion. Weighing 97 kg and height 192 cm, Muhammad Ali was unusually light and agile in the ring. He owns the phrase: “I flutter like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” During his 20-year professional career, Muhammad Ali was a trendsetter in the ring. Muhammad Ali's rare defeats, and there were only 5 of them, were considered an accident. In total, Muhammad Ali had 25 title or qualifying fights. But, unfortunately, he did not break the record of Joe Louis, who had one more fight.
Muhammad Ali experienced his first defeat in March 1971, in New York from Joe Frazier, “Black Marciano.”
On October 30, 1974, a world title fight took place in Kinshasa between George Foreman, the reigning champion, and challenger Muhammad Ali. Experts consider this fight to be “the greatest and unforgettable.” In the middle of the eighth round, Muhammad Ali performed a false combination and sharply hit Foreman in the jaw. Foreman collapsed onto the platform.
Ali ended his career in the early 80s. At the age of less than 40, Muhammad Ali was struck by Parkinson's disease. In the professional ring, Muhammad Ali fought 56 fights, winning 51, 37 of them by knockout. Currently, Muhammad Ali is a well-known public and political figure.