The Life of Boxer Muhammad Ali - Essay Example

Muhammad Ali- The Spectacular Boxer with a Heart of Gold. There are a few people in the world of sports, who, by their brilliance and charm have become immortal. Muhammad Ali -Cassius Clay is one of them. There is no one in the annals of boxing, amateur or professional, who could equal him in the quality of his sport. His is one of the most recognizable faces on the earth, be it in the Americas or in Asia. Thomas Hauser writes, "For half a century he has walked among us, his face as familiar as that of a close friend"(Hauser p.5) Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., later to be known as Muhammad Ali, was born on 17 January 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. He was raised in a middle class black household in the poorer district of the city. When he was 12, his new bicycle was stolen. When he went to the local police station to complain, the local policeman, Joe Martin, suggested to him to learn boxing. Young Cassius started training under Martin .who was also a boxing coach, in Louisville's Columbia Gym. Although Martin gave him the idea and inspiration to become a boxer, it was the black trainer, Fred Stone, who taught Clay the finer intricacies of the science of boxing. Boxing as a sport was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "Boxing is a sport contested at the amateur and professional levels , which involves attack and defense with the fist. (Encyclopedia p. 177) Boxing had become a popular sport in the U.S, with the Irish immigrants, and later, the African Americans from early twentieth century. There were amateur and professional contests. Boxing was also a part of the Olympic Games. According to the Encyclopedia, "Boxing first appeared as a formal Olympic event in the twenty third Olympiad in 688 B.C."(Encyclopedia 178) In the 1960 Olympiad, eighteen year old Cassius Clay won the gold medal, which brought him fame. But he knew the big money was in professional boxing. "Ali signed the most lucrative contract- a 50-50 split -negotiated by a beginning professional in the history of boxing, with a 12 member group of millionaires called the Louisville Sponsoring Group."(Gale Cengage Learning) He has a great media personality- his boasts and sayings created public interest in him. Unlike the other heavyweight boxers, who were usually quiet and retiring, he was fond of publicity. His wit also helped to make him well known. He is reported to have told Gilbert Rogin of Sports Illustrated, "Boxing is dying because everybody is so quiet..What boxing needs is..more Clays" (Gale) In February 1954, he boasted to the readers of the same magazine, "Cassius Clay is a boxer who can throw the jive better than anybody." More money started to pour into the sport of boxing because of Ali's flamboyant personality and his witty boasts. In 1964, Ali fought Sonny Liston for the World Heavyweight Championship. Ali was only 22 at the time. Liston was a powerful fighter, but Muhammad Ali had science to his aid. Ali's war cry had been, "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee", which he did in the match in Miami. By using intelligence and science, young Ali won the championship. "He beat Liston in a display of beautiful, controlled boxing." (Gale) Although Liston was very powerful, he went down to Ali, who used his skills with good planning and great courage and confidence. An interesting anecdote about Liston is popular. According to Hauser, "Liston picks up the dice and throws craps and there is a big silence. Then a voice comes, "Look at that big ugly bear, he can't even shoot."(Hauser p. 50) Clay had made his announcement to everyone present. Confidence was the hallmark of Ali. Boxers without confidence are doomed. David Remnick writes about the fight on September 25, 1962. "On the morning of the fight, the heavyweight champion of the world packed a loser's suitcase. Floyd Patterson, for all his hand speed, for all the hours he put in the gym, was the most doubt-addled titleholder in the history of the division."(Remnick 1) But Ali was never doubt riddled, he was full of confidence and lan. Muhammad Ali wanted to help other African Americans throughout his career. After he won the gold medal in the Olympics, he was so proud of it that he wore it day and night, and showed it off to people. One day he went to downtown Loisville to a five -and-dime store and ordered a burger and a soda pop. The waitress refused to serve him saying that they did not serve 'coloreds' in the store. Ali was furious. "I went all the way to Italy to represent my country, won a gold medal, and now I come back to America and can't even get served at a five-and-dime store. I went to a bridge, tore the medal off my neck and threw it into the river. That gold medal didn't mean a thing to me if my black brothers and sisters were treated wrong in a country I was supposed to represent." Ali's first wife remembers him as saying , in The Philadelphia Inquirer. (Gale) Acording to Michael Ezra, "As an eighteen year old southern black arriving on the national scene, Cassius Clay faced pressures to understand and articulate himself in relation to the Civil Rights movement."(Ezra 9) While in Miami, he was influenced by Malcolm X, the human rights activist. Clay converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali, in 1961, when he was 21. Muhammad Ali means "the beloved of Allah" .Ali said, "God is still God, I just call him by a different name."(Hauser 18) For Ali, changing his name gave him freedom from the ever present feeling of slavery. Ali says, "Changing my name was one of the most important acts in my life."(Hauser 20) In June 1965, Ali had another fight with Sonny Liston in which he retained his world championship. In this fight, Ali showed his speed. He threw a right hand punch to the side of Lison's head. The blow was thrown with extreme speed, so that its force lifted Liston's left foot off the canvas. It was a great knock out blow, with no parallel. In 1966, Muhammad Ali refused to go to Vietnam, as a conscientious objector to the war. He did not believe in war. But his refusal generated a public outcry. Newspapers, T.V and radio commentators, politicians and some clergymen condemned his attitude His boxing license was suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission. As soon as he announced that he would not submit to induction into military service, in May 1967, Ali was stripped of his heavyweight title. Ali is quoted by Edwin Shrake in Sports Illustrated, "I'm giving up my title, my wealth, maybe my future. Many great men have been tested for their religious beliefs. If I pass the test, I'll come out stronger than ever." Muhammad Ali was sentenced to five years imprisonment. He was released on appeal. Three years later, his conviction was overturned. Ali exhibited the same quest for peace when he visited Iraq many years later. When Ali embraced Saddam Hussein and kissed him o the cheek, it was televised throughout the world. According to Ali, it was "an act of love in quest of peace. He hoped that his presence would promote dialogue and forestall war." (Hauser 9) Ali believed that all wars are wrong. Muhammad Ali came back into the limelight in 1970, when he won the fight against Jerry Quarry in Atlanta. Nearly 5000 people watched the thrilling fight.Through this victory, he got back his reputation, which had been marred by slurs. But his reputation of invincibility did not last long- he went down to Joe Frazier in the much publicized fight in New York. Joe Frazier became the world champion after this match watched by millions all over the world. Ali fought Frazier again in 1974 and 1975. Ali won both the times. In 1974, Ali regained the world champion title by defeating George Foreman in a match that took place in Zaire. By this time, Ali was called "the Greatest". His autobiography written in 1975 is also titled "The Greatest: My own Story", showing his modesty! So many blows to the head finally took their toll- Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's Syndrome in 1982. Although his illness affects his speech, there are no intellectual deficits, and the illness is not life threatening. He started his treatment His last fight was in 1981, when he lost to Trvor Berbich.. Ali quit boxing after that, although he had been advised by his doctor as early as 1977 to retire from boxing, because his reflexes had become too slow. The lure of the standing ovation did not allow him to retire when he ought to have done. During his boxing career, Ali earned more than $50 million. He appeared in the film The Greatest in 1976 and in the television film Freedom Road. He has co authored five books including the 2004 book Soul of a Butterfly : Reflections on Life's Journey, and I am the Greatest: The Best Quotations from Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali has met some of the most influential personalities of his time, like Queen Elizabeth, Bill Clinton, Pope Jon Paul II and Nelson Mandela. A Muhammad Ali Centre has been built in Louisville in 2005, which is a museum about his life. It promotes his ideals of respect, hope and understanding. He was given a fitting tribute when he lighted the Olympic flame on June 19, 1996, in Atlanta, signaling the start of the Olympic Games. More than 3 billion people all over the world watched him as the three- times world champion stepped up slowly , and with trembling hands , lighted the cauldron. It was an unforgettable moment. Muhammad Ali's wit, integrity, and willingness to take chances brought him wher he is today. He is a remarkable person, a mixture of contradictions. Above all, he is a humane person. As Ezra writes, "He is a gentleman who will do almost anything to avoid hurting another person."(Ezra p. 9) Muhammad Ali is a legend. References Ezra, Michael. Muhammad Ali: The Making of an Icon 2009. Temple University Press. Gorn, Eliot G. (ed) Muhammad Ali: The People's Champ.1995 Hauser, Thomas. Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times. 1991. Hastings House Publishers Hauser, Thomas Muhammad Ali & Company. 1998 Hastings House Publishers Remnich, David. King of the World.: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero 1999. Vintage New York "Muhammad Ali" The Encyclopedia Britannica. Vol 15 E/17. 2005. Chicago Rogin, Gilbert. Sports Illustrated. " Muhammad Ali" Gale Cengage Learning http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/bhm/bio/ali_m.htm viewed on 2 April 2009. Read More