Muhammad Ali

 

Muhammad Ali was the most recognised sportsman or his generation and probably the most recognised athlete ever. Ali is one of only a handful who has transcended the sport in which they excelled; even those who had no interest in the sport would recognise the face of Muhammad Ali. He became a symbol of black pride as Joe Louis did in the 1930s.

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Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, on January 17th 1942. The young Cassius would take up boxing when he had his bicycle famously stolen in his home town of Louisville, Kentucky, he vowed to catch the perpetrator and “whup him”. Clay had an impressive amateur career, winning the Golden Gloves championship aged seventeen. The following year he won Gold representing his country at the 1960 Olympics held in Rome, Italy.

When Cassius returned from Olympic glory, he joined the professional ranks and enlisted respected trainer Angelo Dundee, over the next two and a half years he gained a big reputation with his dazzling performances. The young Clay displayed youthful arrogance rhyming poems before each bout humiliating most opponents who could not compete with his intellect. This was all new to the sport even his style was against all logic, hanging his chin out goading, taunting and even talking to his opponent during the bout. Another of his traits was to predict in which round his opponent would fall, and he done this with frightening regularity.

Clay fought for the heavyweight title against the fearsome Sonny Liston in Miami on 25th February 1965, in the early rounds, the young challenger baffled the champion, and with a blend of speed and movement, Clay dazzled his opponent and opened up a cut under the left eye of Liston. At the end of the round, the champion’s corner treated the cut with ointment that ended up smeared on his gloves; Liston had been accused of smearing substance on his gloves in previous bouts. What followed next still causes much debate and controversy. The substance ended up in the eyes of the young challenger impairing his vision and he was fighting almost blind. Clay kept his distance waiting for his eyes to clear then in the sixth he came back with vengeance forcing Liston to retire on his stool.

Cassius Clay was the new heavyweight champion and he revelled in the moment like no other, claiming to be the greatest thing that ever lived, I pray to God every day if he with me ain’t nobody can beat me, I’m pretty, shook up the world I am a bad man). Later Clay announced he had become a Muslim, and gave up what he called his ‘slave name’ to call himself Muhammad Ali. In the return bout, Ali finished Liston in the first round. Ali became a true international champion defending his title in Canada, England and Germany. After seven successful defences, he faced WBA champion Ernie Terrell in a unification bout 1967, the contest showed his Ali’s darker side. Leading up to the fight Terrell refused to call Ali by his name insisting on calling him Clay, it was a mistake Ali pounded him for the full 15 rounds saying “ what’s my name“. Ali was now the undisputed champion. The following month he knocked out Zora Folley.

Shortly after this Muhammad Ali was requested for draft into the U.S Army, the Vietnam War was raging and the champion’s number came up. Ali was having none of it. Why should and fight your war” I ain’t got no quarrel with no Viet Cong” You are my oppressor, “No Viet Cong Ever Called Me Nigger”, in retrospect he was right, this was at a time when African Americans could not eat in certain restraunts and had to stand when travelling on a bus. Nevertheless the New York Commission stripped Ali of his title robbing the world of one of the true greats; and while at his peak. Compromises were made but Ali stood steadfast and refused them all claming it was against his religious beliefs.

It would be three years before Muhammad Ali retained his licence to fight, by which many now shared his opposition to the war. He lost in his quest to regain his old title to undefeated Joe Frazier in a memorable battle in 1971. During the bout Ali’s leg movement one of his main attributes seemed to have deserted him resulting in his first defeat. Many were of the opinion Ali was no longer a serious contender like many champions the lay of had effected him. How wrong they would be. Ali kept busy knocking out legitimate contenders, Frazier was still champion and the world wanted Frazier, Ali 2. Events took a unexpected turn in 1973 when Texan, George Foreman, demolished Joe Frazier in two brutal rounds in Kingston, Jamaica.

Ali now focused his attention on the new champion, a deal had been agreed for him to fight Foreman later in the year in Houston, Texas. However in a cruel twist of fate Ali had his Jaw broke in a warm up bout against ex-marine Ken Norton. After a brief spell for recovery Ali avenged his loss to Norton. Now Joe Frazier was back in the picture and a second fight was lined up as an eliminator for the right to face Foreman. The two met at Madison Square Garden, New York in January 1974. It was just as thrilling as their 1971 encounter only this time Ali got the decision.

30th-Oct-1974 Kinshasa, Zaire, Africa (Rumble in the Jungle)

This fight is legendary in the sports history; it was the first heavyweight title fight to take place in Africa. 65,432 people where in attendance, while tens of millions viewed through TV network. Ali was now 32, seven years elder than Foreman, and he had lost to both Frazier and Norton, men whom the Foreman had demolished with ease. The champion was a formidable character said by many to be the hardest hitting heavyweight they had ever faced, and with Ali having lost his quicksilver footwork the outcome looked Predictable. The champion indeed had no problem finding his target as Ali retired to the ropes in a style he later named “rope a dope”. The corner of Ali never even knew of his plan to stay on the ropes as they implored with him to get of the ropes. However, Ali remained there, knowing he could no longer dance his way out of trouble he let Forman punch himself out while blocking most of the barrage. This went on round after round, then in the eighth Ali sensed the champion had weekend and launched a rare attack of his own, throwing a flurry of combinations, he backed the champion on to the ropes before sending him crashing to the canvas for the first time in his career. Creating one of the most famous images in the sports history.

Joe Frazier was at ringside to put forward his claim for another title shot. The world had to wait a year before the trilogy with Frazier was completed, first Ali had three warm up fights.

1st-Oct-1975 Quezon City, Manila, Philippines (The Thrilla in Manila)

Ali surprised everyone by fighting with his old speed, movement and trickery and built up an early lead. Frazier began to have more success as he caught the tiring champion with some heavy blows to the body and head. It took both men beyond human endurance and at the end of the fourteenth, both looked visibly exhausting and out on their feet. As the round ended Fraziers face was grotesquely swollen, his eyes almost closed. His corner pulled him from the fight, too much of a risk.

It was at this stage many were advising the champion to call it a day, his speech was beginning to slur and those close feared for his health. But Ali fought on winning six bouts over the next two and a half years. Ali’s second reign would end on 18th Feb 1978; his opponent Leon Spinks had won Olympic Gold just as Ali had done 16 years earlier. Going into the fight, Spinks had only seven professional fights. Spinks got the decision in a bout the old champion looked a shadow of himself. Seven months later Ali won the return bout and made history becoming the only heavyweight to retain the title three times. He had two more fights losing to Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick in Dec 1981 in what would be his last contest.

Muhammad Ali done more to promote the sport than anyone in its illustrious history, he injected life back into the declining sport and dragged it into a new age. He touched the heart of millions around the globe. Muhammad Ali altered the consciousness of the world.