Muhammad Ali: Story of the Greatest Boxer of All Time

Muhammad Ali was well-known boxer worldwide. He was veritably kind and supported people with their problems. People all over the world called him “The Greatest” because he was the unbeatable boxer of that time. He won many world titles and became a hero in sports.

He was the world champion at the age of 22. Later, he converted to Islam and chose the name Muhammad Ali for himself. Ali did not fight in the Vietnam War due to his beliefs. He was the voice of black Pride. He retired in 1981 and was also fighting Parkinson’s complaint.

Early Life & Education

Muhammad Ali was born and raised in Louisville. His father got the name of a literal person who fought against slavery. His family had African roots, as well as some Irish and English ancestry.

A DNA test report proved that he was related to a man who was slave once. Archer Alexander and Muhammad Ali were from the same family. Ali’s father did a painting job and his mother worked as assistant in other people’s homes.

His father followed the Methodist religion. His mother and brother, Rudy, raised him. Ali went to Central High School in Louisville. He found the writing and reading difficult there. He was raised in a time when people disliked black people.

Once, he was stopped from drinking water in a store due to his skin color. The murder of Emmett Till hurt him; he later said that that was one of the saddest things for him.

Beginning of Boxing Career

Muhammad Ali began his boxing career in a young age. Someone stole his cycle and he told about his desire to beat the thief to officer. The officer knew boxing and advised him to learn how to fight first. Ali saw the young boxers called Tomorrow’s Champions and became interested.

After that, he began to train with a coach named Fred Stoner. Ali said Fred gave his real training. Also provided boxing knowledge, became strong, and fought in the ring. During the last four years of amateur boxing, he was a pro boxer. Also trained by another coach named Chuck Bodak.

Ali fought a boy from his town named Ronnie O’Keefe and won. It was his first fight of Ali. After that, he won several fights and awards. He went to the Olympics in Rome and got a light heavyweight boxing gold medal.

In his 1975 book, Ali said that after the Olympics, a restaurant that served only white people would not serve him. He got into fight with white men. He stated that he was upset for that behavior and threw his medal in Ohio River.

Later, some friends said that the story wasn’t true and that he lost the medal a year later. In 1996, at the Atlanta Olympics, he was given a new gold medal and was chosen to light the Olympic flame.

Professional Career of Muhammad Ali

He began his professional career on October 1960. He got the victory against Tunney Hunsaker after six rounds. Ali won 19 fights and did not lose any. Also got victory against 15 opponents and won against his old trainer, Archie Moore, in 1962.

He beat Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, Willi Besmanoff, Lamar Clark and Henry Cooper.

Ali had some hard times in these early fights. He was knocked down by Sonny Banks and Henry Cooper. In the fight with Cooper, Ali was hit hard at the end of the fourth round but was saved by the bell. He later won because Cooper got a bad cut on his eye.

The Fight with Doug Jones was the toughest fight for him. Jones hurt Ali in the first round. When Ali won by decision, many fans were unhappy and threw things into the ring. The fight was called “Fight of the Year” by a boxing magazine.

Even the champion Sonny Liston said that with fight against Ali will be trouble for his opponent. Ali often talked about his opponents. He called Doug Jones “an ugly little man” and Henry Cooper a “bum.”

Ali stated that he was ashamed to fight against Alex Miteff. He taught about talking from a wrestler named “Gorgeous George”. That wrestler told him that proud would assist him in getting more fans. So Ali became known for being loud and confident.

Muhammad Ali Vs Sonny Liston

He has to fight with Sonny Liston first time in career. The fight was scheduled in Miami beach. Liston was an arrogant and powerful fighter.

Several people said that Ali would easily lose. Because Ali called Liston “the big ugly bear”, he should be in the zoo. Liston will talk revenge of his insult. Ali was both excited and nervous before the fight.

At last, the fight started. Liston was in an aggressive mood and was trying to knock out Ali quickly. But Ali was quicker and protected himself from opponents’ punches. Ali began to hit back Liston hard in the third round. Liston got cut under his eye first time in his boxing career.

During the fight, Ali also got bad punches to the eyes and was hurt a lot. In the sixth round, Ali got angry and hit Liston several times with power. Liston didn’t come back for the 7^th round and Ali won by TKO.

After getting the victory, Ali shouted, “I am the greatest! I shook up the world.”  He was the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title.

Rematch With Sonny Liston

Liston and Ali fight 2^nd time against each other in 1965.  It was first planned for the year before, but it got delayed because Ali had surgery. The rematch caused a lot of debate. Sonny Liston got down with a punch that was not clearly seen by people or the referee.

Few people called it “phantom punch. It was not counted due to Ali did not step back. Sony stayed down for 20 seconds and then got up. But a second later, the referee got remarks that Liston had been down for a long time. Ali won by knockout in less than two minutes.

Several people said Liston was threatened or lost on purpose. In the slow-motion video, it was clearly shown that Ali hit him. People still doubted the power of that punch.

Fight Against Floyd Patterson

Ali protected his title against Floyd Patterson. Patterson called him by his old name, “Cassius Clay.” This made Ali angry, and he called Patterson “The Rabbit” by mocking. Ali was winning clearly, but the fight continued for 12 rounds. Ali won the fight by specialized knockout.

People said that all the drama was planned to sell more tickets. Ali even helped Patterson years later by arranging a rematch so Patterson could earn money.

After the fight, Ali started his own company called Main Bout to handle his boxing events. Around this time, the WBA took away Ali’s title because of his link to the Nation of Islam.

Ali was also told he would be drafted into the army, but he refused. By saying he had no problem with the Vietnamese. Because of this, a planned fight with Ernie Terrell in Chicago was canceled.

Ali went to Canada and Europe for his fights against George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper and Karl Mildenberger and won all fights. He came back to the United States and got a victory against Cleveland Williams in too too-crowded.

Finally Ali got opportunity to fight against Ernie Terell. Terrell mocked Ali by his old name “Clay”. During the fight Ali asked him loudly while hitting “ What’s my name? ” Ali won by decision after the 15th round. Many groups of people said Ali is so arrogant and tried to hurt Terrell.

Draft Resistance

Muhammad Ali inked up for the U.S. service draft at the age of 18. He was not accepted due to his bad performance. But later, the army changed the rules, and Ali was on the fit list. The Vietnam War was happening, but Ali refused to join the army.

He stated that his religion did not allow him to fight in wars. he stated that he had no problem with the Vietnamese and did not want to fight with people. When Ali was invited for his draft appointment, and denied to join. He was arrested his boxing license and world title were canceled.

He got a ban for three years from boxing. Several popular black athletes raised their voices in Ali’s support and at a meeting called the “Cleveland Summit”.

Ali was found wrong of draft evasion and went to jail. But the Supreme Court announced to free Ali. During his time he was away from boxing, giving speeches and speaking out the civil rights.

Impact of Draft Refusal

Muhammad Ali did not want to join U.S. Army during war. Many people were angry. He got death threats and lost support. A sports writer, Jerry Izenberg, defended him and also got threats. Someone even broke his car window. But later, people started to respect Ali for standing up for his beliefs.

• The famous writer William Rhoden wrote that Muhammad Ali is not just a good athlete. He has the power to stand for the right.
• Another basketball player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, stated that Ali is very confident and spoke out without anyone fear. This inspired many young people.

Ali lost some of his best boxing years because of his choice. His coach latterly said Ali was right, and what he did outside the ring was indeed lesser than his boxing. His story is told in the movie The Trials of Muhammad Ali( 2013).

The Government Spied on Ali

While all this was happening, the U.S. government was secretly watching Ali. A program called “Minaret” run by the National Security Agency (NSA). That was listening to the phone calls of people who were against the Vietnam War.

Ali was one of them. Other people being watched included Martin Luther King Jr. and some U.S. Senators. Later, the NSA said this spying program was not only wrong it was probably illegal.

In 1971, during Ali’s famous fight with Joe Frazier. A group broke into an FBI office and found proof that the government was spying on civil rights and anti-war activists, including Ali. They even looked at his school records from when he was a child. One note said he liked to draw.

Exile and Comeback

When Muhammad Ali denied the joining of the U.S Army. He faced several problems, like losing his boxing license in all states, and his passport was taken. He was not allowed to fight. The Supreme Court canceled his conviction, and his ban ended.

While he couldn’t box, Ali used his time to speak out. As more people started to oppose the Vietnam War, some began to support Ali’s point of view. He gave speeches at colleges across the country. He lived in Chicago and spoke against the war.

At first, all the media were against him. Some people were afraid that if the young generation followed his examples, they would refuse to join the army.

The Super Fight

While banned from real boxing, Ali agreed to take part in a “fantasy” fight against retired champion Rocky Marciano. This was done to settle a lawsuit with a radio producer. In 1969, the two boxers were filmed sparring in short rounds.

The footage was edited, and a computer program was used to “choose” the winner based on their skills and stats, with help from boxing experts. In the U.S. version of the fight, Ali lost by a fake knockout in the 13th round.

In the European version, Marciano lost due to fake cuts. Ali joked about it, saying, “ That computer was made in Alabama, ” intimating that racism may have played a part in the result.

Muhammad Ali Vs Joe Frazier

Muhammad Ali fought against Joe Frazier first time. Both the fighter never lost one time in their boxing career. It was named “Fight of the Century” by the people worldwide.

Before the fight, they argued a lot. Frazier called Ali “Cassius Clay,” which made Ali mad. Ali called Frazier names and said he was fighting for poor people. Frazier got very angry and didn’t agree.

Ali trained at a quiet farm in Pennsylvania. He liked it and made his own training camp there. The fight was very hard. Frazier kept coming forward and hit Ali many times. Ali got hurt but stayed strong.

In the last round, Ali got a hard punch from Frazier and went down. But he quickly got up and the judges said Frazier won. This was the first loss of Muhammad Ali in his entire boxing career.

Ali & Chamberlin, Then The Ellis Fight

Basketball Star Wilt Chamberlain challenged Muhammad Ali for a fight. The fight was held for 26 July. Chamberlain was much taller than Ali. But Ali joked during the interview and called him a “Tree of Timber.

This made Chamberlain nervous. His basketball team owner told him to quit boxing or lose a big contract, so Chamberlain canceled the fight. At the same time, the U.S. Supreme Court dropped Ali’s draft case.

So, Ali’s team needed a new opponent. They selected Jinny Ellis, an old training partner. Ali beat Ellis in the 12th round by a specialized knockout. After that, Ali won against Jerry Quarry, Floyd Patterson and Bob Foster

He faced the Ken Norton. Ali thought Norton wasn’t dangerous. But Norton broke Ali’s jaw and gave him the second loss of his career.

Ali allowed about retiring, but came back and won a close alternate fight with Norton. also he got ready to fight Joe Frazier again in 1974.

Second Fight with Joe Frazier

Ali and Frazier fought again. At the start, Ali was strong. In the second round, he almost knocked Frazier down. The referee in misunderstanding, stopped the fight early, thought that the round was over. This gave Frazier time to relax.

Later, in the middle rounds, Frazier got better. In round seven, he hit Ali hard. He pushed Ali to the ropes in round eight. The last rounds of fights were very close. Both fighters had amazing moments.

But Ali moved well and protected himself from Frazier’s strong left hand. When Frazier got close, Ali held him. At the end, the judges all said Ali won the fight.

Ali Becomes Champion Again – The Rumble in the Jungle

After the last fight, Ali got an opportunity to fight against George Foreman for the world title on. Foreman was a strong opponent and had beaten the fighters who had beaten Ali. Most people thought Ali would lose.

But Ali was confident. He joked and fans cheered for him before the fight. The crowd was also shouting “Ali, bomaye!” (which means “Ali, kill him”).

Ali used the innovative tricks during the fight. He leaned on the ropes and let Foreman punch, while blocking and saving energy. This was called the “Rope-a-dope.” Foreman got tired.

In round 8, Ali used quick punches and got him down and knocking him out. Ali got the victory and became world champion again.

Ali fought Chuck Wepner next. Wepner knocked Ali down, but Ali said he tripped. This fight gave the idea for the movie Rocky.

Muhammad Ali Vs Joe Frazier 3^rd Fight

Ali and Frazier faced third time in the Philippines. At first, both fought hard. Later, Ali was tired of using the technique of rope-a-dope again. Frazier was hitting constantly, but in round 12, Ali punched him hard.

In the 14th round, Frazier’s eyes were blown shut. His coach stopped the fight. Ali won. He was so tired he could barely sit. He later said, “That was the closest thing to dying.”

After the fight, Ali said Frazier was the best fighter after him. He also said he might retire because he was very tired and sore.

Later Career of Muhammad Ali

In 1976, Ali knocked out Jean- Pierre Coopman in round 5. also he fought Jimmy Young and won by decision, but numerous people believed Young should have won. Ali said he was getting old and saving energy for his next fight.

Next, Ali beat Richard Dunn using a special punch taught by a martial arts teacher. That was the last time Ali knocked somebody out.

Ali fought Ken Norton for the third time. Ali won, but numerous people thought Norton was better. After this fight, Ali said he wanted to retire and follow his new religion, Sunni Islam.

In 1977, Ali came back and beat Alfredo Evangelista. latterly that time, he fought Earnie Shavers. Shavers hit Ali hard, but Ali still won. Ali’s doctor was very worried and told him to stop boxing. Ali didn’t listen, so the doctor quit.

Losing and Winning the Title Again

Ali fight against Leon Spinks and lost, a young fighter with little experience in 1978. In the rematch in September, Ali won and became the first heavyweight to win the title three times. That fight make lot of money.

Ali Tries to Come Back

Ali said he was retiring. But he came back to fight against Larry Holmes to try and win the title for a fourth time in 1980. Ali needed money. Holmes did not want to fight because he knew Ali’s health condition

Ali was spoke slowly and hands were also shaking. Doctors said he could fight. But in the ring, Holmes was much better. Ali’s coach stopped the fight after 10 rounds.

Final Fight and Retirement

The last fight of Ali was against Trevor Berbick in the Bahamas in 1981. He lost the fight. After that, Ali retired forever. Many people believe these last fights hurt Ali’s health and may have caused his Parkinson’s disease.

Muhammad Ali Personal Life

Muhammad Ali got wedded four times. He’d nine children. One of his daughters, named Laila, came a notorious fighter. Ali was a veritably kind and soft- hearted person. After converting to Islam, he changed his name.

After retirement, He wanted to live a peaceful life. Ali spoke up openly about all the things. He does n’t watch if people love or detest him. He was fighting Parkinson’s complaint in his last days. Ali still assisted people in giving charity.

Muhammad Ali – Awards & Achievements

• Olympic gold medal
• Three-time world heavyweight champion
• Multiple “Fighter of the Year” awards from The Ring magazine
• Named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated
• BBC Sports Personality of the Century
• Presidential Medal of Freedom
• United Nations Messenger of Peace
• Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Arthur Ashe Courage Award
• Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
• Widely called the greatest heavyweight boxer by many groups
• Liberty Medal for humanitarian work

Muhammad Ali Net Worth

His net worth was around 50 million dollars at his death. Several people said that It was higher like 80 million dollars. He earned all this money from his boxing career and collaboration with brands. After he retired from boxing, he was still a popular person in the world. He also got money from the partnerships.

Conclusion

Muhammad Ali was well-known boxer worldwide. He was veritably kind and supported people with their problems. People all over the world called him “The Greatest” because he was the unbeatable boxer of that time. He won many world titles and became a hero in sports. He was the world champion at the age of 22. Later, he converted to Islam and chose the name Muhammad Ali for himself. Ali did not fight in the Vietnam War due to his beliefs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Muhammad Ali religion?

He was born as Christian. In his early 20s he converted into Islam & became muslim.

Who was the Muhammad Ali spouse?

Muhammad Ali got wedded four times. He’d nine children. One of his daughters, named Laila, came a notorious fighter.

What was the Muhammad Ali real name?

Before converting to Islam his name was Cassius Clay.

What was the cause of Muhammad Ali death?

He was fighting with parkinson’s disease from 30 years. He died from septic shock due to respiratory infection.