MUHAMMAD ALI BOXER BIOGRAPHY

 

            MUHAMMAD ALI ( January 17, 1942 – 3 June 2016)

MUHAMMAD ALI :

He was an Olympic and World Champion boxer, who also had a unique personality, based on self-belief and strong religious and political convictions. In 1999, Ali was crowned “Sportsman of the Century” by Sports Illustrated. He won the World Heavyweight Boxing championship three times and won the North American Boxing Federation championship as well as an Olympic gold medal.

EARLY LIFE :

In 1942, Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He was given the name Cassius Marcellus Clay after his father (who was named after the 19th-century abolitionist and politician Cassius Clay). After joining the Nation of Islam, Ali would subsequently change his name. In 1975, He converted to Sunni Islam in 1975.

EARLY BOXING CAREER :

Muhammad Ali won his first professional match against Tunney Hunsaker , who was the police chief Fayetteville, West Virginia.  The young boxer amassed a 19-0 record with 15 knockouts between 1960 and 1963. He knocked out boxers like Doug Jones, Henry Cooper, Alonzo Johnson, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, George Logan, Tony Esperti, Willi Besmanoff, and Lamar Clark (who had won his previous 40 fights by knockout).

FIGHT OF THE YEAR :

Muhammad Ali defeated Doug Jones in a contentious 10-round decision. Despite being smaller than Clay, Jones staggered Clay at the start of the fight with a right hand and consistently outpunched Clay throughout the contest. The contest won the title of "Fight of the Year" in 1963.

VIETNAM WAR :

                         

                                     Nov 1, 1955 – Apr 30, 1975

Muhammad Ali failed the Armed Forces qualifying test in 1964 due to his poor writing and spelling skills. However, Ali was reclassified 1A in the beginning of 1966 after the tests were changed and he refused to serve as a conscientious objector in the United States Army during the Vietnam War because "War is against the teachings of the Holy Quran.". We don’t take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers.” 

MUHAMMAD ALI ONCE SAID :

“I ain’t got no quarrel with those Vietcong” and “no Vietcong ever called me nigger.”

CASSIUS CLAY TO MUHAMMAD ALI :

Muhammad Ali said everyone to read his name as "Ali" after converting to Islam instead of Cassius clay. As Ali was the name instructed by his mentors from the Nation of Islam.

AS ALI SAID :

" Cassius clay is a slave name I don't want it. I am Muhammad Ali as a free name it means beloved of God. And I insist peoples to call me Muhammad Ali rather than clay when they talk to me " .

BANNED ON ALI :

Due to his refusal to serve in the military and affiliation with the Islam, Ali has become the biggest controversy of that time. Near the end of 1967 professional boxing commission banned Ali for more than three years to fight. He was also convicted for refusing induction into the army and sentenced to five years in prison. Throughout these years Ali was the biggest spotlight and he gave many speeches and explain why he refused to fight in vietnam war.

Once he said :

"Why should they ask me to don a uniform, travel 10,000 miles from home, and drop bombs and bullets on brown people while purportedly black people in Louisville are treated horribly?"

COMEBACK OF ALI :

In 1970 Ali was allowed to play again and gain a boxing liscense .

FIGHT OF THE CENTURY :

Ali and Frazier fought each other at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971. One of the most anticipated fights in history—and one of the most well-known—was the "Fight of the Century." There were two accomplished, undefeated fighters competing for the heavyweight title. Evantually Frazier won the match after 15th round by the points and retained his title by unanimous decision of the judges. This is the first professional loss for Muhammad Ali.

MUHAMMAD ALI RETIREMENT AND PARKINSON'S DISEASE  :

Ali retire from boxing in 1981 due to his Parkinson’s disease  which his motor functions began a slow decline. After retirement he started focus on his religion and activism.

Speaking of his own Parkinson’s disease, Ali remarks how it has helped him to look at life in a different perspective.

" 

Perhaps God is using my Parkinson's to help me remember what's important. It made me take my time and listen more than talk. Actually, because I speak less now, people pay closer attention to me.

"I've always enjoyed to chase women. Parkinson's disease puts a stop to everything. I may now have a chance to enter heaven.

KENTUCKY ATHELETE OF THE CENTURY :

On september 13, 1999 Ali was named as "  Kentucky Athlete of the century " by Kentucky Athlete Hall of Fame.

In 1999 he also received a special award from BBC. Which was best BBC Sports personality of the year .He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony on November 9, 2005.

MUHAMMAD ALI MARRIGE LIFE :

Ali married four times and have seven daugters.

 MUHAMMAD ALI CENTER WBSITE STATED :

In 2012, the Muhammad Ali Center website stated:

Ali has dedicated himself to humanitarian causes all over the world since he stopped boxing. He travels the globe as a devoted Sunni Muslim, lending his name and presence to organisations that fight hunger and poverty, support educational initiatives of all kinds, encourage adoption, and promote mutual respect and understanding.

Muhammad Ali died on 2016 due to parkinson's disease.

May Allah grant him higher rank in jannah.( Ameen)

THANKS FOR READING THIS BLOG

Hashir Hussain December 11, 2022

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