ALI MOHAMMED
(born 1942)
Muhammad Ali is the greatest of boxers and one of the most famous people in the world. They wrote everything about him: a phenomenon, an actor, a rebel, a radical Muslim, a civil rights fighter. In 2000, Ali was named Sportsman of the Century by the BBC. He is a legend, a boxer who wins the most difficult fights. Even today he strives to win, but his current opponent is more insidious than all his former rivals.
We are talking about Parkinson's disease - a severe progressive brain disease that mainly affects middle-aged and elderly people. The reasons for its occurrence still remain a mystery. It is known, however, that during the course of the disease the subcortical cells of the brain die, and that with inflammation of the brain, with atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels, the disease progresses. Parkinson's disease is based on complex biochemical processes accompanied by a lack of dopamine, which plays the role of a signal carrier from one nerve cell to another.
It is easy to recognize a person suffering from Parkinson's disease: he moves in small steps, his movements are slow, his muscles are tense, his face resembles a mask. The patient makes involuntary movements with his fingers like “counting coins”; his head, lower jaw, and tongue are trembling. Trembling usually increases with immobility or with strong excitement, weakens with movement, and practically disappears during sleep. IN severe cases it is difficult for a person to perform the simplest actions - get out of bed, get dressed, maintain balance.
Parkinson's disease is incurable. Gradually the patient loses the ability to care for himself, but his intellect does not suffer. A person becomes uninitiative, apathetic, irritable, self-centered, annoying, whiny.
Muhammad Ali fell ill when he was not yet forty. The reason is numerous head bruises and concussions. Former coach Boxer Angelo Dundee estimated that over 22 years the champion received at least three thousand blows to the head in the ring. The outstanding boxer who “fluttered like a butterfly and stung like a bee” today moves with difficulty, barely speaks and is happy if, while drinking his morning cup of coffee, he manages not to spill a drop on the table. But even in his current state, such energy emanates from him that the youngest and most healthy athletes peace.
Muhammad Ali continues to be himself - flashes around his name from time to time another scandal. Then he's suing a company that used his name for advertising. sportswear. Then he is suing Columbia Pictures for $50 million because the company is going to make a film about him without agreeing with the Muhammad Ali Production company on the facts of his biography. Either he apologizes to his rival Joe Frazier for the insults inflicted in 1970. Then the daughters of Ali and Frazier meet in the ring.
Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, and was given the name Cassius Marcellius Clay at birth. His family was not poor: his father was an advertising artist, the boy was taught to draw, taught to read good literature. Cassius's famous problem was skin color, which in those years was a serious obstacle in his career.
Cassius's mother, Odette Clay, said that she almost brought someone else's child from the maternity hospital - she was given the wrong baby. Cassius himself helped restore justice, who screamed non-stop from the moment he was born. And the baby given to Odette was too quiet. She became worried that something was wrong with the baby and immediately discovered the mistake.
Having matured, Cassius continued to stand out from his peers with his irrepressible energy - he was irresistible in the ring and unbearable outside of it. It seemed that, having started screaming in the maternity hospital, he could not stop: “I am the smartest and most educated. The most daring, cultured and cheerful. I have no flaws. I can write interviews until your ink runs out. I am a role model, I am great!” This was said by the boxer during one of the press conferences.
Cassius began boxing at the age of 12 in one of the gyms in Louisville. The boy came there, driven by a thirst for revenge. His parents gave Cassius a bicycle for his birthday, but it was immediately stolen. Cassius flew into a rage and shouted threats at the thief: “If I find it, I’ll hit you on the first day.” And I heard in response: “Learn to fight first.” The policeman in front of whom Cassius was groping turned out to be the coach of a local amateur boxing club. His name was Joe Martin, and he became the first coach of the future star.
Neither the thief nor the bicycle were found, but Cassius was no longer interested. The boy found his calling. A week later, he scored his first victory in the ring, defeating one of the old club members. Feeling the taste of victory, Cassius set a goal: to become the best of the best, or rather, not so: to become the only one. And he had all the data for this.
A few years later, at the age of sixteen, Cassius changed his coach - he moved to Angelo Dundee. According to legend, Cassius himself called Dundee and said that he simply had to become his coach, since Cassius would soon become an Olympic champion, and then a world champion among professionals.
Angelo Dundee later said that when he heard such shameless boasting, he was about to sharply refuse and hang up. But unexpectedly for himself, he invited the impudent man to train, and when he saw Cassius in the ring, he thanked Heaven for not allowing him to make the biggest mistake of his life. The young man was undoubtedly psychomotor gifted, easily mastered the most complex techniques, had amazing intuition and built the most complex combinations that required quick intelligence and indefatigable imagination. And finally, speed - Joe Martin inspired him that in boxing everything is about speed.
Cassius was very proud of his instant reaction, developed in a barbaric but reliable way: he asked his friends to throw stones at him. The boxer himself did not move from his spot and only dodged flying stones. At first he walked around with bruises, but soon began to return home completely unharmed.
Despite Cassius's athletic genius, many believed that nothing good would come of him, since he weighed very little. There was another oddity that frightened the doctors: Clay’s pulse was usually 55–56 beats per minute, but at the slightest excitement it jumped to 120. The upper blood pressure at this time reached 190. The coach was afraid that medical indications his ward would have to leave the sport, but Cassius himself was the only person who did not worry about the vagaries of his own body. He continued to work for victory.
Exhaustive training did its job. By the age of 18, Clay had won 100 victories in the ring in 108 fights, and was the winner of the US Championship six times. In 1959, Clay won the amateur Golden Glove tournament and joined the US professional team. The culmination of his meteoric career was the victory at Olympic Games Ah 1960 in Rome.
Later, the boxer will shock the audience with statements about his victories, predicting in which round he will knock out his opponent. However, when he was included in the national team, he was so afraid of losing that at first he did not want to go to the Games.
In Rome, he met with serious opponents, but from the first minutes of Clay’s appearance in the ring, it became clear that a new star had risen. His style appeared immediately: incredible mobility, constant circling, soft springy jumps, blocking retaliatory strikes, movements similar to ritual dances. He danced around the ring, wearing out his opponent.
Standing on the highest step of the Olympic podium, the new champion also danced, performing improvisations in honor of his own victory. And then he wandered the streets of Rome all night and demonstrated gold medal to all passersby.
America greeted Cassius with celebrations in his honor. Mom cried with joy as she and her son drove through Louisville, accompanied by an escort. At receptions in honor of the champion, the state governor showered him with compliments and took photographs with him as a souvenir.
But several days passed, and Cassius was not allowed into the local restaurant - “we do not serve colored people.” It was a knockout. That same day, Cassius threw his medal into the Ohio River. The award still rests there - however, in 1996 the boxer was solemnly presented with a duplicate of it.
Cassius Clay became the pride of Louisville, and it was decided to finance the training professional boxer. The town was shocked when the money was donated by millionaire William Faverham, a notorious miser. Clay laughed: “He came to my training and watched what was happening suspiciously. He wanted to make sure he made a good investment. He brought me notes about my boxing exploits, but did not forget to claim the few cents he paid for the newspapers.”
After winning the Olympics, Cassius retired from amateur sports. Rank Olympic champion- this is 9-10 places in the professional ranking. Clay was eager for the championship belt, but many considered him an upstart who was about to get what he deserved, let him know his place.
In February 1964, Cassius Clay entered the ring against then world champion Sonny Liston. The betting odds before the start of the fight between Clay and Liston were 1:7. Cassius insulted his opponent in every possible way (later this became a “good tradition”), and in the sixth round it all ended - Sonny Liston gave up, announcing that he could not continue the fight due to a shoulder injury. The champion started talking about a rematch, but the bosses of the World Boxing Association did their best to avoid bringing Liston and Clay together, nominating some incomprehensible candidates. But Clay was impenetrable - only Liston. He longed for real victory.
As a result, the results of the match were declared invalid, and the World Boxing Association stripped Clay of his championship title. In May 1965, the rematch did take place (according to the WBC), and Clay confirmed his right to the championship title.
The next year and a half were triumphant for Cassius Clay. He defeated Floyd Patterson, Zora Folley, George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper and Brian London. However, by that time Cassius Clay no longer existed - Mohammed Ali entered the ring.
The boxer's ancestors were the property of a certain Cassius Marcellius Clay. Once upon a time, a black servant gave his eldest son the name of his master, and since then all the eldest sons in the family were called by this name. The future champion was given the same name, but in February 1964 the boxer shocked everyone with the announcement that he would no longer bear the name of a slave. He converted to Islam, joined the Black Muslims sect, changed his name and became a priest. From now on his name was Mohammed Ali. Ali's act colored the life of a professional boxer with political implications - from now on, each of his victories in the ring was a victory for all black Americans.
Ali faced a difficult choice. The contract with the Louisville businessmen who promoted him in the ring ended, and Ali was left alone with the gangster laws of the boxing associations. He refused to cooperate with professional promoters. The champion's manager was his spiritual mentor, Herbert Mohammed.
In addition to boxing, Ali began to preach. "Black Muslims" and preaching gave impetus to Ali's natural abilities: he was endowed with the gift of eloquence and knew how to keep his audience on the edge of their seats. He liked the new role. The topics of the sermons were very different, but most often Mohammed talked about his victories and plans.
Ali strictly observed the laws of Islam and the code of “Black Muslims”: he did not drink, did not smoke, did not dance, and did not sing secular songs. He demanded the same from his first wife, fashion model Sonya Roy, who could not come to terms with the role of an obedient Muslim wife and left the boxer six months after the wedding.
Ali almost sacrificed his sports career to the harsh code, because the “Black Muslims” condemned boxing. However, the fame of Muhammad Ali was an excellent advertisement for them, and an exception was made for him. In addition, Ali's manager was the son of the head of the Black Muslims, who did not hide the fact that Muhammad Ali's membership was very important to them not only ideologically, but also financially.
And he continued to win victories. On February 6, 1967, Muhammad Ali confirmed his right to the title of the strongest professional boxer by winning a convincing victory over the WBA world champion. He was a certain Ernie Terrell, to whom the title, once taken by the Association from Muhammad Ali, passed. At one time, Ali pretended that he was indifferent to the WBA decision, but now he has the opportunity to get even. Poor Ernie became the scapegoat - Ali beat him for fifteen rounds. Before each round, he gently asked Ernie: “So, do you still remember my name?”
Before the hype around this match had died down, Ali again found himself at the epicenter of a political scandal. This time, Muhammad Ali refused to take the military oath and opposed the Vietnam War.
The recruits were lined up on the parade ground of a military base in Houston and the text of the oath was read to them. After that, everyone, hearing their name, had to take a step forward. When the officer called for Muhammad Ali, he remained in line. The officer repeated Private Ali's name, but he did not move.
The news instantly spread throughout the United States - the press was present at the oath-taking ceremony. Mohammed stated: “Guided by my conscience, personal and religious beliefs, I have decided to refuse to serve in the army. I will not travel thousands of kilometers to help those who profess the faith of slave owners and oppress people of a different skin color in different countries peace." Mohammed had made similar statements before, but everyone was sure that this was bravado. No one expected that Ali would actually speak out against government policies.
Ali's act had the effect of a bomb exploding. The World Boxing Association has once again stripped Muhammad Ali of his world title. This decision was supported by the New York Boxing Association, the European and English Associations. A case was brought against Mohammed for evading military service, and a Houston court sentenced him to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He managed to avoid imprisonment: the boxer paid a large cash deposit, but lost the opportunity to perform in the ring. The lawyer filed an appeal, and a long four-year battle began.
Officially, Ali could not participate in competitions, but he constantly spoke at anti-war rallies and conducted active propaganda. He played in an anti-racist play in a theater on Broadway, revealing his extraordinary acting skills.
Petitions were drawn up in support of Ali by both ordinary Americans and the country's intellectual and creative elite. In December 1969, an appeal was sent to the White House demanding that Ali be allowed to return to the ring. Under it were the signatures of Igor Stravinsky, John Updike, Elizabeth Taylor, Isaac Asimov, Henry Fonda, Irvine Shaw - a total of one hundred and twenty signatures.
Only in 1970 did the US Supreme Court decide to dismiss the case against Muhammad Ali and acquit him: the boxer had the right to refuse military service according to religious and moral convictions. The disqualification was overturned and Ali was able to return to the ring. The coach, however, looked at Mohammed’s future without optimism: professional boxing does not recognize such a long break.
The fights after the “second coming” of Ali showed that there are no rules without exceptions.
The ex-champion did not shy away from any proposed match and trained with phenomenal tenacity. Ali said: “I ran until my lungs almost burst and my tongue swollen. How I tormented my body and how I hated the endless training, when every muscle begged for mercy! But I kept telling myself: suffer if you want to become a champion.”
In October 1970, Ali returned to the ring, defeated several opponents in a row, and on March 20, 1971, the “match of the century” took place between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Ali, as always, boasted, insulted Frazier in every possible way (thirty years later he would apologize to him) and eventually lost on points.
The defeat in fights with Frazier, one of the strongest heavyweight boxers, spurred Ali on, and he began to prepare for a rematch, which took place on January 28, 1974. Muhammad Ali won this fight on points. Ali is back. He danced again, twirled, made fun of himself, pretended to be so exhausted that his legs were giving way, confused his opponent, hid in the corner of the ring as if he was scared powerful blows"Gorgeous Joe" And then he attacked Fraser with all his might - and won. It was no longer just boxing, it was a theatrical act.
However, Ali could not regain the world title in that match. Frazier had by then been defeated by George Foreman. At a press conference, Ali brazenly declared: “I beat Frazier, I’ll beat Foreman, and then I’ll become a champion again.”
The following year, Ali consolidated his success by defeating Frazier in a match known as the “Thriller in Manila.” This fight became a turning point in the careers of both. Joe gave up the idea of fighting for the championship title. Ali himself was still in glory for some time, but he no longer showed the highest results - at least, that’s what experts think.
But this was in 1975, and on October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, the capital of Zaire (Congo), Ali met with George Foreman. The match was called "Rumble in the Jungle".
George Foreman was considered a boxer with fantastic punching power: out of 40 matches he won, 37 ended in a knockout in the second round after a crushing right hand to the jaw. His coach Dick Sandler said: “I raised a real monster. Not a single person on earth can cope with him.” It would seem that Ali has no chance - in previous fights, Foreman won on points, and Ali’s speed and agility have noticeably decreased compared to previous years.
The audience believed that Joe would crush Ali; the majority bet on Foreman. The coach said that for the first time he saw fear in the eyes of Ali who entered the ring. However, from the first seconds he showed masterly fighting and defense techniques.
Ali went on the offensive in the fifth round, landing eight punches to Foreman's head. Exhausted Foreman was losing strength, and therefore his main advantage. In the eighth round, he rushed at Ali with all his weight, drove him into a corner, and struck. The ropes sprang, Ali fell straight onto his opponent. During this moment, he managed to turn around and strike. Foreman fell. Knockout.
The victory of 32-year-old Ali was not only unconditional, but also extremely beautiful. He became the second person in professional boxing to regain the world title. At a press conference, he said: “Skill will always triumph over brute force.”
In 1975, Muhammad Ali held an experimental match in Tokyo with the famous Japanese karateka Antonio Inoki to get an answer to the age-old question: if a boxer and a karateka meet, who will beat whom? The match ended in a draw. The question remained unanswered.
In 1977, Muhammad Ali lost the champion title to the young professional Leon
Spinks, the 1976 Olympic champion, had a rematch scheduled for the fall of 1978, and before that, Muhammad Ali toured the Soviet Union.
Ali made an indelible impression on Muscovites. Getting up at 5.30, Ali went for a run, ending on Red Square. He approached the mausoleum and watched with interest the ceremony of changing the guard. A commotion arose, as a result of which the translator Yuri Markov, then the executive secretary of the USSR Boxing Federation, was obliged to constantly remain near Ali in order to control and, if possible, suppress his antics.
On his trip to the republics of the USSR, Ali was accompanied by his wife Veronica, who shamelessly took everything that was bad. In Tashkent, for example, after each reception she collected the silverware and put it in a large bag. The embarrassed Uzbeks looked at each other, but did not dare to make any comments, while Veronica took advantage of the confusion of the owners. Later, during the divorce, she robbed Ali, but... this happens to many famous Americans.
Ali met with L. Brezhnev and received gifts from him: a volume of “Little Land” and a watch. Finally, in the CSKA hall, Mohammed Ali played an exhibition match with Soviet boxers Gorskov, Zaev and Vysotsky.
Ali returned from the USSR happy, he finally saw a state where there is no racism and senseless wars are not fought. The idyll ended quickly: Soviet troops entered Afghanistan. Ali condemned this action in the harshest terms - he even traveled to African countries, calling on the local athletes to boycott the Moscow Olympics.
On November 15, 1978, Ali defeated Leon Spinks in a 15-round match. He won the title of absolute world champion for the third time, repeating Joe Louis' record, and announced his retirement from the ring. Of the 56 fights he fought, only 3 were lost. Ali said that he would not try to climb the boxing Olympus for the fourth time.
However, in October 1980, 39-year-old Ali attempted to return to the ring to win the title of the strongest, but suffered a crushing defeat from his former sparring partner Larry Holmes. In 1981 he spent professional ring his 61st fight, suffered his 5th defeat and left the sport.
By that time, divorces from frequently changing wives had greatly depleted Mohammed's accounts. The Muslim Brotherhood also did not let Mohammed Ali's capital out of their sight. It’s good that Ali invested part of the money in a chain of fast food restaurants.
However, the current measured life and the need to strictly control his accounts turned out to be unusual for Ali; over the years he had become accustomed to luxury. Having difficulty adapting to the new reality, he became addicted to whiskey, thereby violating the laws of the Black Muslims. But the worst thing is health problems. In 1986, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. It was difficult time for Ali, he lived as a recluse for several years, trying to confront the disease alone.
And then Ali married again, to the neighbor’s “girl Lonnie,” who was fifteen years younger than him. From the age of seven, she dreamed of marrying Cassius Clay - and achieved her goal. They now live on a ranch in Michigan with their adopted son Assad.
In 1996, Muhammad Ali once again appeared before the world as the personification of sports glory. During opening Summer Olympics in Atlanta, in the year of the centenary of the modern Olympic movement, he lit olympic flame in the bowl of the stadium. He made incredible efforts so that the torch in his hand did not tremble - and he won this another fight. Probably one of the hardest in life.
Today Ali has completely switched to social and religious activities; he often attends charity events, children's hospitals, and the National Parkinson's Foundation. The main thing for Ali is to prove that he does not give in to the disease, that his intellect is not affected. Those who often communicate with Ali see him as a living, thinking and witty interlocutor.
Sometimes he is asked to appear as a “dancing boxer.” And then a miracle happens. For some moments, Ali’s body overcomes the disease: his arms and legs work as in the old days, and a passionate fire flashes in his eyes.
This text is an introductory fragment.MOHAMMED ALI (born 1942) Part showman, part manager, and overall champion, Muhammad Ali was in boxing - no, more precisely in the world - something like the Pied Piper of Hammel, always leading his own procession at the head of a troop of fans, and so it was in
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ALI MOHAMMED (b. 1942) Muhammad Ali is the greatest of boxers and one of the most famous people in the world. They wrote everything about him: a phenomenon, an actor, a rebel, a radical Muslim, a civil rights fighter. In 2000, Ali was named Sportsman of the Century by the BBC. He -
The Greatest Muhammad Ali (January 17, 1942, Louisville) On December 30, 1970, the “Fight of the Century” took place at Madison Square Garden. For the first time in boxing history, the undefeated former champion and the undefeated defending champion. More than three dozen countries have conducted
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 corporate identity: He seemed to be dancing around his opponents on his toes, lowering his arms 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 a name for himself 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 an 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. An incurable illness was a consequence of an occupational sports activities: The champion often wins, but he himself has 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.
In 1964, Cassius Clay converted to Islam and renounced his “slave name.” After joining the Nation of Islam, he was given the name Mohammed Ali. The irony is that Ali's parents named him after Cassius Marcellus Clay, a former abolitionist who advocated for the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of slaves in the 19th century.
2. Irish descent
Even more surprising is that Ali hated whites. Mohammed's great-grandfather on his mother's side, Abe Grady, who moved from Ireland to Kentucky in the mid-19th century, was legally married to his black wife. The couple had a son, the future father of Muhammad Ali's mother Odessa Lee. In 2009, former absolute champion World Boxing Championships visited Ennis, a small town in the West of Ireland, and met with his relatives there.
3. The first “victim”
“The first person I knocked out was my mother,” Ali said. At the age of two, Mohammed knocked out two of his mother Odessa Clay's teeth.
Muhammad Ali with his mother Odessa Clay
4. An idol named Sugar
In 1960, when he was 18 years old, Cassius Clay, contrary to the existing ban, entered the restaurant of Sugar Ray Robinson (famous American boxer) and turned to his owner: “You are the king, my lord, my idol! I won a gold medal at the Olympics and I want you to be my manager." However, Robinson refused him, ordering him to leave the restaurant as quickly as possible, where they did not want to see black people. “I swore to myself at that moment that I would never alienate my fans,” Ali later recalled.5. Ali never threw his medal into the river
According to one of the many legends, in 1960, after returning from the Roman Olympic Games, Mohammed was refused service in one of the restaurants in his native Louisville. This upset Ali so much that he allegedly threw his gold medal into the Ohio River. Later, the legendary boxer admitted that he simply lost the award. Ali received a copy of the medal in 1996 during the opening of the Olympic Games in Atlanta.
6. Ali was a bad student
“After beating Liston in 1965, I met Ali at his motel. Some Mexican asked Mohammed for an autograph and said that he had many friends in Mexico. Ali immediately replied: Mexico? Oh great! How do you spell Mexico? “I haven’t been to school for a long time,” Muhammad Ali’s manager William Klein said in 2012.
7. Boxer, dancer and singer
In addition to oratory, Ali had another talent, which was very underestimated. In 1963, shortly before his fight against Sonny Liston, then-Cassius Clay released an album called “The Greatest.” Later, when the boxer converted to Islam, Columbia Records withdrew the album from sale.
8. Ali saved a man from suicide
Los Angeles, 1981. A 21-year-old guy, standing on the edge of a window of a nine-story building, threatens to commit suicide. The situation looks hopeless, the police and psychologists tried in vain to dissuade him. Ali, who happened to be at the scene of the events quite by chance, turned to the young man: “I am your brother, I want to help you,” Mohammed shouted from the nearest window. Communication between them continued for 20 minutes, and, in the end, the man abandoned his plans.CBS news report on the incident involving Ali
9. Attitude to illness
In 1984, after a long examination in a New York hospital, doctors came to the conclusion that Ali was suffering from Parkinson's disease. “This is God's decision. He gave me this disease to remind me that number one in this world is not me, but he,” Muhammad Ali reacted to the shocking news.
10. Not like everyone else
In 2002, Ali received his star in Hollywood, but not the famous Walk of Fame. The legendary athlete asked to be celebrated on the wall at the Kodak Theater, where the Oscars are held annually. Ali did not want his name to be trampled on.
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Muhammad Ali was born in 1942 in Louisville (Kentucky) and received the name Cassius Marcellus Clay. All biography of Muhammad Ali is a story of struggle and victories, not only in the ring, but also in life. He confessed many times best athlete year and even received the title of boxer of the century, took an active part in public life America, after finishing his career he became Ambassador Goodwill UN.
Muhammad Ali boxing biography and date of death All over the world, Mohammed is known not only as an athlete, but also as a fighter for the rights of black citizens, a pacifist and a philanthropist.
Muhammad Ali's childhood
The mother of the future great boxer was a housewife, and his father made a living by drawing posters and advertising signs. In addition to Mohammed, there was another son in the family, Rahman, younger by two years.
Muhammad Ali had a special one in his arsenal, with the help of which he was able to so clearly practice all the blows and execute them as if from a cannon!
As children, the brothers more than once experienced the negative attitude of others towards dark-skinned Americans, which became the reason for Mohammed’s constant struggle against the foundations of society.
Many fights were held both in the initial and professional rings The boy started boxing at the age of 12. The reason was the theft of a bicycle, which Mohammed bought with his own earned money. After discovering the loss, Mohammed approached police officer Joe Martin and said that he would beat the kidnapper. To which he received the answer that you need to be able to fight in order to beat someone, and he invited the daring boy to the gym, where he taught boxing classes.
Boxing Mohammed Ali I immediately began to perceive it as a chance to achieve success in life. After his first victory, during the broadcast of the fight on TV, the boy shouted into the camera that he would definitely become a famous boxer.
Young Muhammad Ali's Beginning of Life in the Ring
From that time on, Mohammed believed in himself and reconsidered his attitude towards life and sports. He became a devotee healthy image life: did not take drugs, did not drink alcohol, did not smoke, went jogging.
He and his coach began to pay special attention to gaining the ability to fight, acquiring tactical skills, and professional knowledge.
Boxing and fighting Muhammad Ali put it first in life. Already in 1956, he won the first Golden Gloves tournament in his life. Studying at the same time at the most prestigious school for black children in Louisville did not bring pleasure, inclination, and the boy had no desire to gain knowledge. He was retained for a second year several times. I managed to finish school only thanks to the support of the director of the educational institution, who respected Mohammed’s desire to win and his confidence in early success in the adult ring.
In the late fifties and early sixties of the last century, during numerous hard training and participation in competitions, the boxer began to create his own individual style of fighting. He seemed to be dancing around his opponent in the ring, standing on his toes and lowering his relaxed arms. His counterpart was provoked by Mohammed's apparent indifference and tried to strike first, which Ali skillfully dodged and quickly counterattacked.
Young Muhammad Ali's Beginning of Life in the Ring
Many experts and fans did not accept the new style, but changed their attitude towards Mohammed after his victory confident victory at the Olympics in Rome in 1960.
How Muhammad Ali entered professional sports
Biography of Muhammad Ali in boxing opens a new main page in October 1960, after his first professional fight with Tanny Hunsecker.
Mohammed's problem was his intractable nature and impudent disposition, because of which many famous coaches refused to cooperate with him.
Over the next few years, the talented athlete won many victories, many of the fights ended in knockouts of opponents who were considered very strong boxers.
How Muhammad Ali entered professional sports Watch Muhammad Ali boxing it became interesting, exciting, spectators bought up entrance tickets for a lot of money, “stuck” to the TV screens during the broadcast of fights with his participation.
In 1967, the athlete had to interrupt his victorious march to the boxing Olympus. He refused to serve in the army and was found guilty. The court revoked Mohammed's license to participate in competitions.
During these years, Ali's oratorical abilities were revealed, and a stormy social activities. He became the idol of many young people, despite the negative attitude towards the Vietnam War.
In 1970, after filing an appeal and its positive consideration, Mohammed was able to fight his first fight in three years against Jerry Quarry. And in 1971, Mohammed was acquitted by the court and was able to begin professional training.
Watch Muhammad Ali's most popular fights Until 1980, he performed excellently in the ring with various opponents. Three championship fights were held with Frazier, which allowed Ali to earn a lot of money and become one of the most revered boxers in the world.
Muhammad Ali boxing video continues to attract the attention of fans of this sport and specialists; young boxers are educated using these examples.
Ended sports career great master in the early 80s, when Parkinson's disease began to manifest itself.
Who will win Muhammad Ali or Tyson?
The question is who would win in a hypothetical fight between Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. Boxing Muhammad Ali – Tyson, unfortunately, was impossible in life, but thanks to modern television and video technologies, contemporaries can imagine how this duel between the two greatest Masters would have taken place.
Under the direction of director Reid Farrington, the hour-long show was created as a tribute to the memory and admiration of the great athletes. Actors demonstrate different stages the lives of the heroes, perfectly convey the behavior and individual characteristics of the boxers. The culmination of the spectacle is the fight between Ali and Tyson, which takes place amid general excitement in California. There are no empty seats in the huge arena, the spectators frantically greet their idols, empathizing with every successful blow or missed hook.
As a child, Cassius Clay's bicycle was stolen. The boy approached the policeman and asked him to find the thief. “And as soon as you find him, I’ll beat him!” - said Cassius Marcellus Clay. The cop replied that before you hit someone, you need to learn how to do it. Fate or not, that policeman also worked as a trainer in a teenage boxing club. The very next day, the future legendary fighter Mohammed Ali began boxing. Since childhood, he developed boxing strength.
Muhammad Ali, like many American fighters, entered professional boxing after the 1960 Olympic Games. There he confidently won the up to 81 kg category, after which he made his professional debut in a fight with Lamar Clark. Ali knocked out his opponent forever - Clark retired after this fight.
In February 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay went to title fight against champion Sonny Liston. It was hard for both of them in the ring: Liston had a cut in his eyebrow and a hematoma formed, and Clay started having vision problems in the fourth round. But the future Muhammad Ali still won. Cassius Clay became heavyweight champion.
Actually, the name change occurred precisely after receiving the championship belt. Immediately after the fight, Clay officially joined the Muslim organization “Nation of Islam” and changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
After that, Ali continuously won for another 7 years, until in 1971 he met Joe Frazier in the ring. The match immediately promised to be interesting, because two undefeated champions were behind the ropes. Now one had to lose this title. The battle lasted 15 rounds until Frazier hit Ali hard, and he stopped “fluttering like a butterfly” and fell. Knockdown. Muhammad Ali lost for the first time.
Ali decided to leave boxing back in 1978. For last fight Leon Spinks, the 1976 Olympic champion, was chosen as a partner. Ali considered Spinks a weak opponent and was careless in his preparation. For which he paid - the farewell fight turned into the boxer’s third defeat. True, the judges’ decision is still considered controversial, but history is history.
Ali did not want to leave defeated. He demanded revenge. Spinks agreed to a return fight, for which he was stripped of the title (according to the rules, he first had to fight Ken Norton and defend the belt). Mohammed Ali took revenge and defeated Spinks. After the fight, the legendary boxer announced his retirement from boxing.
However, “retirement” did not work out. For financial reasons, Cassius Clay returned to the ring. He resumed his habit of insulting his opponents before a fight. For which he paid: Larry Holmes beat 38-year-old Ali well. He had overweight, he moved slowly, but Holmes respected the legendary fighter. Many believe that the knockout did not happen because of Larry's desire to keep Mohammed at least a little bit of self-confidence. One way or another, the battle was lost. Having received $8 million for his participation, Muhammad Ali fought another fight with Trevor Berbick. He lost again and left the sport forever.
Ali's biography includes a long period of interaction with the Nation of Islam, an American religious organization. His participation in it was condemned by both his father and his boxing partners, and WBA President Ed Lassman even wanted to deprive Clay of the championship title. But Ali's popularity retained his belt.
Regardless of religious preferences, Mohammed Ali created a unique fighting style. He moved around the ring on his toes (fluttering!) and dodged his opponent's attacks. It was like a real dance and it was beautiful. Plus, due to his height (191 cm), Ali often hit the head from unexpected angles.
Unfortunately, there was a drawback. Ali paid little attention to protecting his body - eventually against it. Speed came to the rescue: Mohammed, being a heavyweight, managed to move around the ring at the level of a middleweight boxer.
Mohammed Ali's amazing speed (video):
But in addition to his physical attributes, Ali knew how to influence his opponent psychologically. He told him the round in which he would lose. He composed insulting poems about his opponent. He knew how to get at him - Joe Frazier did not forgive Ali, even after. They say that a couple of years before Fraser’s death, they finally made peace, but according to other sources, Joe never received a real apology.
Ali would have been married four times. They divorced again because of religion: the boxer’s mentors from the Nation of Islam were against his marriage to a non-Muslim woman. Ali's last wife was his longtime girlfriend from hometown Louisville. And from her third marriage with fashion model Veronica Porsch, Leila Ali was born, who became a world boxing champion, following in her father’s footsteps.
It’s interesting that as a child, Ali’s father and mother taught him poetry (well, he did write poetry) and drawing. Perhaps this helped Muhammad Ali demonstrate beautiful boxing in the ring, boxing as an art.
Mohammed Ali vs. George Foreman fight (video):
He was one of the few whom Ali was afraid of.
Casius Marcellus Clay's middle name is often translated as Muhammad Ali, but the correct pronunciation is "Mohammed", with "o"».
