Muhammad Ali: biography and obituary. How Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali - the great boxer and his strange beliefs

Muhammad Ali is rightfully called one of the most famous and great boxers of all time. professional history this sport.

This heavyweight in his entire professional career (21 years) spent 61 fights, won 56 victories, 37 of which were by knockout.

short biography

Muhammad Ali was given a name at birth Cassius Marcellus Clay He was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. . His father - Cassius Clay Sr., an artist who painted signs and various posters. His mother - Odessa Clay, housewife.

Cassius was the eldest child in the family. After 2 years, he had a brother - Rudolf(Rahman Ali).

Social status

The Clay family were considered representatives middle class among the black population of the United States, despite the fact that they lived much poorer than the "white" representatives of the same class.

Cassius did not have to provide for his family, as did many of his peers at school, but he sometimes took part-time jobs (washing desks and blackboards at the University of Louisville) to get pocket money.

First training

At the age of 12, an incident occurred with Cassius Jr., after which he began to box:

Somehow, his bicycle was stolen. After discovering the loss, he met a policeman, whom he said that he would beat the thief. To which he replied: “First, learn to fight,” and invited the boy to the gym.

That cop was Joe Martin, who was a trainer for beginner boxers. His pupils participated in amateur Golden Glove tournaments, and their fights were shown on TV.

2 weeks after talking with Joe, Cassius and his brother saw the performances of boxers on television, and the next day they came to training at Martin's gym.

“I will become the world champion, I am the best!”

Immediately the boy began to bully everyone in the hall, telling them in raised tones that become world boxing champion. At that time, almost no coach in Martin's gym saw the potential in the future of Muhammad Ali.

First victory

Already after 1.5 months after the start of training, Clay's first fight took place with a more experienced and adult opponent. Despite this, he managed to win the first victory in his history. The fight was broadcast on TV.

"Golden Glove"

The boy began to actively train, switched completely to healthy lifestyle life. 2 years after the first training, he won the Golden Glove tournament.

In 1960 he graduated from high school with a certificate. The director and so pulled him to the last. Mostly because of his sporting success.

At that moment his amateur career was in full swing: 100 fights, of which only 8 losses. Also at that time, he won a total of 4 tournaments (2 Golden Glove tournaments and 2 Amateur Athletic Union tournaments).

1960 Olympics

After graduation, the future Muhammad Ali wanted to go into professional boxing. However, the coach persuaded him to postpone this and participate in the Olympic summer games 1960.

Qualifying Tournament

Cassius accepted this offer. He passed the qualifying tournament in San Francisco. All fights, except for the final one, he passed easily. Final Rival Alan Hudson nearly knocked out Cassius in the first round with a head kick. But this did not prevent the latter from winning the battle.

Success at the Olympics

Cassius easily defeated his first opponent at the Olympics - the Belgian Yvona Beko by defeating him technical knockout in the second round.

In the quarterfinals, Clay met with the Soviet boxer Gennady Shatkov. The fight was dictated by Cassius, and the judges unanimously recognized him as the winner.

At the stage of the semi-finals, Clay was opposed by a familiar opponent - an Australian Tony Madigan(Cassius beat him in 1959). After the end of a tense duel, Madigan considered himself the winner, but the judges unanimously gave the victory to Clay.

In the final, an experienced boxer was waiting for him Zbigniew Pietrzykowski from Poland, he was nine years older than Cassius and had in his track record 230 fights.

Petshikovsky started the fight in an aggressive manner, trying to end the fight quickly. In the second round, Clay had to abandon his usual "light" manner and land several strong blows Pole. He did not slow down and last round, conducting a quick series of strikes, by the end of the fight Zbigniew was pressed to the ropes and close to an early defeat, but managed to survive until the final gong.

Cassius Clay won by unanimous decision, a few minutes later he was awarded gold medal.

Debut in professional boxing

Clay's first rival professional boxing was Tunny Hunsecker. Cassius conscientiously prepared for battle: he ran minimum 2 miles daily, sparred with his younger brother.

Before the fight, in his traditional manner, Clay bullied Hunseker, calling him a "bum" and promising to deal with him quickly in the 6th round. Cassius managed to win the victory, but the promised quick reprisal did not happen. Tunney said after the fight that he was lucky to fight with the future World Champion.

New coach: Angelo Dundee

After the first victory in the professional arena, the question arose of finding a new coach for Clay. The team that sponsored the boxer opted for Angelo Dundee.

Dundee immediately understood how to work with an active and sometimes aggressive boxer. He never shut his mouth, did not control - only directed his energy “in the right direction”.

winning streak

Cassius confidently won the next 4 fights and 1 sparring:

• After a week of training with a new coach, he defeated Herb Siler in the 4th round by knockout.
• The next victory was over Tony Esperti.
• The next fight seemed the most difficult of all. Mohammed Ali said he would beat the reigning world champion - Ingemar Johhansson. And not just beat - send in a knockout. There was no official fight, Yuhhanson's manager organized a sparring, in which Ali confidently won.
• The fourth official knockout victory was over Jimmy Robinson.

Further victories brought Clay closer to the Champion title. He defeated famous heavyweights one by one.

World Champion title

On February 25, 1964, a fight took place in which Cassius Clay was a contender for the title of World Champion in heavyweight. His opponent is current champion, Sonny Liston.

After the duel began, Cassius began to circle around Liston, eluding his powerful attacks and counterattacking. In the third round there was a fracture - Clay began to frankly outplay the champion. After one of his successful combinations, Liston's legs began to tangle, and he almost fell.

In a completely lost round, Sonny opened a cut under his left eye, and a hematoma formed under his right. Suddenly, during the fourth round, Clay began to have problems with his eyesight, he began to experience a sharp pain in his eyes. Cassius practically did not see anything and asked the coach to take off his gloves, at a difficult moment Angelo Dundee showed composure, releasing his fighter to the next round with the task of moving around the ring, avoiding Liston's attacks.

Clay managed not to miss heavy blow from the champion, and in the fifth round his vision was restored. Cassius again dominated the ring, and after many accurate blows to Sonny, in between rounds, Liston refused to continue the fight. At 22, Clay became the heavyweight champion of the world.

Joining the "Nation of Islam"

In 1964 Cassius Clay joined the Nation of Islam religious society. Leader of this organization Elijah Muhammad later became his spiritual mentor and largely influenced the future life of the boxer.

It was Elijah Muhammad who gave the name to the new world champion - Mohammed Ali.

New name

After Cassius entered the nation of Islam, he began to introduce himself Muhammad Ali- it was a Muslim name given to him as a member of the community. Society reacted negatively to this fact.

The boxer's father believed that he was "brainwashed" on religious grounds, and said that he himself would continue to proudly wear his first and last name.

Second fight with Liston

May 25, 1965 a rematch between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston took place in a small town - Lewiston. The stakes were in favor of the old champion.

Nobody expected what happened in the ring: in the 2nd minute of the first round, Ali knocked out Liston. Even Mohammed himself believed that Sonny set himself up on purpose, and said this in a post-match interview.

However, the fight was won and the young champion defended his title for the first time. There were no serious rivals among boxers for him at the moment.

Later, until the spring of 1967, Ali 8 times was able to defend the world heavyweight title.

Refusal to serve in the army and disqualification

In 1967 Ali for 3 years was forced to retire from professional boxing. This happened because of his refusal to serve in the army. The boxer explained this by the fact that his religious views did not allow him to participate in hostilities.

However, representatives of the prosecution believed that he could serve outside the hot spots. The champion still refused to serve in the army. At trial, the jury gave him a guilty verdict.

Sports commissions revoked the boxer's license, and he could no longer compete in the professional ring.

Return to big sport took place only in 1970, when the court considered one of the next appeals of Ali's lawyer, and made a positive decision in his favor.

End of career

After his return to big box, Mohammed Ali had many more great fights. In 1980 his last fight took place. in professional sports. He lost ahead of schedule for the first time to the reigning young champion Larry Holmes. It happened in the 10th round.

Further fate

After leaving boxing, Muhammad Ali fell ill after 4 years Parkinson's disease. Ali suffered from the symptoms of illness, but his mind remained clear and he decided to devote himself to the service of Islam. Mohammed started helping people, he could make a $100,000 donation with just a couple of questions, or get out of the car and help the average homeless person.

During the solemn ceremony on the occasion of the end of his career, he was presented with a commemorative diamond ring, which Ali gave to a disabled girl on the same evening.

Mohammed used his popularity to help those in need, he turned to wealthy people with a request to follow his example, and few people refused him.

Death of a Great Boxer

On June 2, 2016, Muhammad Ali was brought to Scottsdale Hospital. He had a lung problem. The next day, June 3, 2016 At the age of 75, the Great Muhammad Ali died in the hospital from septic shock.

June 10 and 11 in the native city of the boxer Louisville funerals were held with lowered flags.

January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, housewife Odessa Clay gave birth to a son. The boy was named after his father, an artist by profession, Cassius Jr. However, the world recognizes him under a pseudonym - Muhammad Ali. Cassius' brother Rudolf, who appeared to the couple 2 years later, having matured, will also change his real name to Rahman Ali.

Their family was never in need, representing the middle class, although the living conditions of the white and black populations differed. The father of the family made a living by painting signs, his wife periodically worked part-time, cooking and cleaning in rich houses. The budget was even enough to save up money for a cottage in a very good "black" area.

The childhood and youth of the future champion were far from cloudless. In the 1950s, a very difficult atmosphere of inequality reigned in America. Even 10-year-old Cassius felt the pressure and fell asleep with tears, not understanding why blacks are considered second-class people. The father contributed to the worldview of his sons by showing them photographs of Emmett Till, a black teenager brutally murdered by whites, who were later found, but not imprisoned. Ironically, Odessa Clay was proud of her white Irish grandfather. And although the images of white “rapist-slave owners” will forever settle in the head of Cassius Jr., which he liked to say from the stands, there was nothing to reproach his Irish ancestor for - he entered into a legal marriage with his black lover.

After his favorite bike was stolen from 12-year-old Clay, he threatened to beat the offenders. The white policeman he met, part-time boxing trainer Joe Martin reasonably remarked that "before you beat someone, you must first learn how to do it." And Cassius began to study, taking his brother to training.

It was hard to train Cassius: he bullied a lot of others, constantly shouted that he the best sportsman and future champion. Joe Martin even kicked him out of the gym quite often, and none of the coaches could see any special potential in the guy.

6 weeks after the arrival of the boy in the section, the first fight took place. Much to the delight of Cassius, the fight was televised. Despite the lack of experience, the future Muhammad Ali wins the white opponent, his joy knows no bounds. He yells at the camera that he will become a great boxer. From that moment on, the real work began.

Boxing

In 1956, he won the Golden Gloves tournament, which can be considered a great start to his career. 100 victories in the amateur ring and only 8 losses by the time of graduation. However, the young boxer studied very badly, and only the diligence and understanding of the director is due to him receiving a school education. Everything was so bad that Muhammad Ali forever had problems with reading.

In 1960, Cassius, dreaming of a dizzying sports career received an invitation to participate in Olympic Games Oh. The boxer's signature style began to emerge. The innovator was exactly "dancing" around the opponent on his toes, and his lowered hands provoked a blow, from which he always dodged. He was often criticized both for his manner of fighting and for his boastful manner of presenting himself.

Only fear of flying could stop his pressure. The boxer was so afraid of flying to Rome that he almost abandoned the Olympics. Cassius made up his mind by purchasing a parachute. Clay confidently reached the final and in a difficult duel defeated Pole Zbigniew Petrzykowski, earning a gold medal.

The father was proud of his son and even painted the steps in the color of the US flag. However, nothing has changed in his hometown. And when the champion came with a gold medal to a local cafe where they did not serve "colored ones", they still refused to serve him.

At the beginning of his career, boxer Muhammad Ali hired 11 managers. He came to professional boxing on October 29, 1960, when the fight with Tanni Hunseker took place. Ali diligently prepared for the fight, although he stated that Hunseker was a slacker and the victory would be easy. The victory was indeed his. The enemy predicted him the world championship.

Clay moves to Miami to train with new coach Angelo Dundee. There are no authorities for him, but Angelo found a way. He respected the ward and did not seek to control him in everything, but only skillfully directed him.

Clay was looking for mentors not only in sports. The beginning of the 60s is the time of his spiritual searches. In 1962, he met with the leader of the "Nation of Islam" Muhammad himself and became a member of the organization, which greatly influenced his life.

In the same year, he, continuing to win battle after battle, voluntarily passed the commission, but he never got into the army. After passing all the tests for physical health, he failed an intelligence test by not answering the question of how many hours a person works from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., including an hour for lunch. Clay liked to joke:

"I'm the greatest, not the smartest!"

For six months in 1962, boxer Muhammad Ali wins 5 knockout victories.

55,000 people came to the stands to watch the fight between Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper. A few seconds before the end of the fourth round, Cooper sent Ali into a heavy knockdown. And if Ali's friends had not broken the glove, having won some time for the champion to rest, it is not known how the fight would have ended. In the 5th round, Muhammad cut Cooper's eyebrow with a blow, and the fight was stopped.

Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson

The match between Ali and Liston was spectacular and difficult. Ali outplayed the current world champion, he had a cut at the eyebrow and a serious hematoma appeared. TO fourth round Ali stopped seeing, but the coach insisted on entering the ring and was right - his vision returned, and boxer Muhammad Ali became the world heavyweight champion.

In subsequent years, Muhammad Ali 5 times becomes the "boxer of the year", deserves the title of not only "boxer of the decade", but also of the century. In the early 90s, he enters the International Boxing Hall of Fame to remain a sports legend forever.

Parkinson's disease

In 1984, Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He began to hear badly, speak, all motor functions failed. Mohammed courageously held the main blow in his life - the blow of fate. An incurable disease has become a consequence of professional sports activities Clay. His body suffered, but his mind remained sharp and his heart kind, and the athlete devoted himself to helping people. To this day, he is involved in charity work.

Personal life

Muhammad Ali was married 4 times. He broke up with his first wife at an early age because of her unwillingness to become a Muslim. The second wife Belinda Boyd (after the marriage of Khalil Ali) gave birth to her husband four children. However, Ali was not an exemplary husband, and his betrayals became the reason for the divorce of the couple.

His mistress Veronica Porsche married him, becoming his third wife in 1977. The marriage lasted 9 years. But Mohammed did not remain alone for long, marrying a close friend, Yolanta Williams. They even adopted a child. In addition to legitimate children, Muhammad has two more illegitimate daughters.

Death

At the end of May 2016, the legend of world boxing due to breathing problems. In one of the hospitals in the city of Phoenix, where in last years Mohammed Ali lived, he spent several days. But they couldn't save him.

June 4, 2016. He is 74 years old. The main disease of the athlete was Parkinson's disease.

In Rome (Italy), Cassius Clay, under his own name, became the light heavyweight champion of the Olympic Games. After that, he turned pro.

In 1963, Cassius Clay defeated Doug Jones. The fight received the status of "fight of the year" according to the magazine "Ring"

In 1964, Cassius Clay received his first title as a result of a fight with Sonny Liston, defeating him by technical knockout in the seventh round. In the same year, Clay converted to Islam and changed his name to Mohammed Ali.

On May 25, 1965, a second duel took place between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, in which Ali again won.

In 1966-1967, the boxer defended his title against Brian London, Karl Mildenberger, Cleveland Williams, Ernie Terrell and Zora Folly.

In 1967, during the Vietnam War, Muhammad Ali was drafted into the US Army, but refused to participate in the war. His title was annulled, and the boxer himself was sentenced to five years for evading service. At this time, Ali was banned from boxing. In 1970, the US Supreme Court overturned the verdict, and the boxer returned to the ring.

In March 1971, Muhammad Ali entered the ring for the first time against Joe Frazier. This fight was subsequently named "fight of the year" according to the magazine "Ring". In the 15th round, Ali was knocked down, and after the end of the fight, the judges came to the conclusion that he had lost the fight. It was Ali's first loss in his career.

In 1974, the second duel took place between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Ali won this fight, winning him on points.

On October 30, 1974, the fight for the world title took place between George Foreman, the reigning champion, and challenger Muhammad Ali. Experts consider this fight as "the greatest and unforgettable". It was won by Ali, becoming the champion.

On October 1, 1975, Ali had another fight, which also remained forever in the history of world boxing. They became a duel in which Muhammad Ali met Joe Frazier for the third time and again defeated him.

In 1976, Muhammad Ali successfully defended titles against Jean-Pierre Koopman, Jimmy Young and Richard Dunn. In 1977 he defeated Alfredo Evangelista and Ernie Shavers.

In 1978, Muhammad Ali decided to end his boxing career. Chosen for the final battle Olympic champion 1976 Leon Spinks, whom Ali lost to. The fight received the status of "Fight of the Year" according to the magazine "Ring".

Ali challenged Leon Spinks to a rematch, which took place on September 15, 1978. This time, Ali won by unanimous decision. Then he retired from boxing. Due to financial difficulties, he soon had to enter the ring again. But only to lose two fights - one in October 1980 against Larry Holmes and the second against Trevor Berbick in December 1981. After that, Ali finally retired from boxing.

Soon the athlete was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

In 1990, Ali was elected to the National Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1996, he carried the torch at the Atlanta Summer Olympics.

Muhammad Ali - Olympic champion in 1960, absolute world heavyweight champion (1964-1966, 1974-1978), world heavyweight champion according to WBC (1974-1978), WBA (1967, 1974-1978, 1978). The Ring magazine named him "Boxer of the Year" five times (1963, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978) and, in addition, "Boxer of the Decade" (1970s). In 1999, Sports Illustrated and the BBC named Ali

Muhammad Ali. His real name is Cassius Marcellus Clay. Born January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. American professional boxer, speaking in heavy weight class. Champion of the XVII Summer Olympic Games in light heavyweight (1960), absolute world champion in heavyweight (1964-1966, 1974-1978).

Muhammad Ali wanted to fight for peace and black rights. In this regard, he converted to Islam and changed his birth name to a Muslim one.

In 1964, Clay officially announced that he had joined the Nation of Islam and changed his surname. From that time on, everyone had to call him Cassius X / Cassius X. Members of the organization abandoned their surname because they believed that they got it from white oppressors. The bulk of the members of the Nation of Islam wore the letter "X" instead of their last name. But two weeks later, the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, honored the champion with a "full" Muslim name, which was given only to permanent members of the organization. So Elijah called the athlete Muhammad Ali.

Cassius, informing the world about the name change, said these words: "I am a religious fighter! From now on, my name is Muhammad Ali, and I forbid calling me by my old name. The world champion is Muhammad Ali!"

Public reaction to Cassius Clay's name change was mostly negative. Ali's father, Cassius Sr., said that representatives of the "Nation of Islam" "powdered" his son's brains and that he would continue to proudly wear his name. World Boxing Association President Ed Lassman dismissed Ali, saying, "Clay has hurt the boxing world... and is setting a bad example for the youth." Although the state boxing commissions ignored his decision, when Ali attended his colleague's match in New York on March 20, 1964, Madison Square Garden president Harry Markson refused to say the champion's new name, declaring "Cassius Clay" over the loudspeaker.

However, the pseudonym Muhammad Ali soon caught on, and the athlete became known by this name.

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born into a South American black middle class family. Father - Cassius Sr. was a descendant of the famous liberal politician Henry Clay. Mother - Odessa Grady Clay, granddaughter of the Irishman Abe Grady, who was a white man. Odessa was proud that the blood of whites flows in the veins of its children. She convinced her husband to take the surname Clay. Two years after the birth of Cassius Jr., his brother Rudolph was born.

Cassius Clay started boxing at the age of 12. His first fight took place 6 weeks after his first visit to the gym. Every day, Clay worked on technique and endurance in gym, but he constantly bullied with other boxers, announced to the whole room that he best boxer and become world champion.

Over the next two years, Clay fought about once every three weeks, winning victory after victory. In 1956, Cassius won the first amateur Golden Gloves tournament. In 1959, he surpassed the world champion in the first heavy weight category, Willy Pastrano, who recognized that Clay had a great future.

At the age of 15, Clay began to study at the Central high school Louisville, the largest African American school in the city. Cassius' academic performance was very poor, but in June 1960 he nevertheless received a certificate. By the time of his high school graduation, Cassius had won 100 victories in the amateur ring with only 8 defeats. Cassius began to invent his own unique fighting style. He danced around his opponent on tiptoe with his arms down, provoking his opponent into a sweeping blow, which he confidently dodged.

Thanks to the victory in the 1960 Amateur Athletic Union competition, Clay received an invitation to the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rome, which was held in San Francisco. Cassius' rival was Alan Hudson, who represented the US Army.

At the Olympics, Cassius easily defeated his first opponent, the Belgian Yvon Beco, winning by TKO in the second round. In the quarterfinals, Clay met with the Soviet boxer Gennady Shatkov. The fight was dictated by Cassius, and the judges unanimously gave the victory to him. At the semi-final stage, Clay was opposed by a familiar opponent - Australian Tony Madigan (Clay defeated him in 1959). The judges also gave the victory to Cassius. The experienced Zbigniew Petrzykowski from Poland was waiting for him in the final, he was 9 years older than Clay and had 230 fights on his record. After a tense fight, Cassius Clay was declared the winner of the fight, he won the gold medal. Before flying to the USA, wherever he went, Clay appeared everywhere with a medal around his neck, he did not take it off even during sleep. Mayor Bruce Hoblizell and hundreds of fans greeted Clay at the Louisville airport.

To start a professional career, Cassius needed to find a manager. And 11 partners became Cassius' managers, investing $ 2,800 each. Clay's debut in professional boxing took place on October 29, 1960, against Tanni Hunsecker. Clay won a landslide victory.

In 1964-1974, Muhammad Ali became the multiple world heavyweight champion among professionals. With a weight of 97 kg and a height of 192 cm, Muhammad Ali was unusually light and mobile in the ring. He owns the phrase: "I flutter like a butterfly and sting like a bee." For 20 years it professional career, Muhammad Ali was a trendsetter in the ring. The rare defeats of Muhammad Ali, and there were only 5 of them, were considered an accident. In general, Muhammad Ali had 25 title or qualifying fights. But, unfortunately, he did not break the record of Joe Louis, who had one more fights.

Muhammad Ali experienced his first defeat in March 1971, in New York, from Joe Frazier, "Black Marciano".

On October 30, 1974, a fight for the world title between George Foreman, the reigning champion, and challenger Muhammad Ali took place in Kinshasa. Experts consider this fight as "the greatest and unforgettable." In the middle of the eighth round, Muhammad Ali performed a false combination and sharply hit Foreman in the jaw. Foreman collapsed onto the platform.

Ali ended his career in the early 80s. In less than 40 years, Muhammad Ali was struck by Parkinson's disease. In the professional ring, Muhammad Ali had 56 fights, winning 51, 37 of them by knockout. Currently, Muhammad Ali is a well-known public and political figure.

Mohammed Ali (real name Cassius Marcellus Clay) is a true legend of world boxing. "Flit like a butterfly - sting like a bee" - his motto for many years to come determined the course of this sport, becoming the basis for thousands of coaches and boxers around the world. Mohammed Ali was not just a boxer - he is a man who turned the history of world boxing into a new direction. During his career, he spent 61 fights, of which 56 were crowned with victory.

Probably, today there is hardly a person in the world who would never have heard of " People's Champion”, the brilliant heavyweight of the 60s and 70s But is it worth saying that Mohammed Ali is a person about whom absolutely everything is known? Of course not. After all, the human soul is a city in which the light is rarely turned on.

The early years of Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay)

Cassius Clay, better known by the "Islamic" name Mohammed Ali, was born on January 17, 1942 in the small town of Louisville, located in Kentucky. His father was a successful advertising artist, liquor fanatic and lover of affordable women. That is why in his interviews the heavyweight legend rarely mentioned him. As some acquaintances of Cassius noted, he frankly disliked his father, since hard drinking and "spree" for him were the usual norm of life.

A completely different matter is the mother of the future boxer. Odessa Grady Clay was a housekeeper who worked primarily in the homes of wealthy white Louisiana residents. She cooked and cleaned, and always remembered at every opportunity that her father was Irish. It is noteworthy that Mohammed Ali himself repeatedly said that "white blood" makes him weaker. Although the rivals of Cassius Clay, for sure, could argue with this.

Our today's hero began to get involved in sports at the age of twelve after ... someone stole his bicycle. His family was not poor, however, despite this, his own "great" always seemed to Cassius a real treasure. That is why the fact of his loss has become one of the most difficult episodes in the life of a young guy. On that day, Mohammed Ali swore that he would certainly “heap” on the thief. With this idea, he first came to the training room for boxing. This is how the legendary career of a great fighter in world sports began. He came to the gym with his two-year-old younger brother Rudolf, who later helped Cassius in sparring. It is noteworthy that initially the coaches, with the exception of Fred Stone, did not see prospects in the guy.

Soon the first fight of Cassius Clay took place. Once in a three-round confrontation, he defeated the boy from Louisiana - Rony Okiba. After that, the young boxer was invited to local television and appeared in the program "Stars of Tomorrow".

The heyday of Muhammad Ali's career

In 1956, Cassius appeared before the audience at his first major boxing competition, the Golden Gloves, and immediately won the tournament. This victory was followed by others. In total, by the time he graduated from high school, Cassius Jr. had more than a hundred won fights. It is noteworthy that one day he even managed to win in sparring the real champion - Willy Pastrano. Of course, he was extremely dissatisfied with such a turn of events, however, in the end, he admitted that the guy had a great future.

Muhammad Ali: the best knockouts!

In 1960 great athlete volunteered for the US Army. It was during this period that he set about creating his own unique boxing style. He asked his brother and army buddies to throw rocks at him at close range so he could learn to dodge them. Moreover, in fights with his rivals, he often "danced" in the ring, standing in front of his opponent with his hands down. This boastful style has caused many negative reviews from professional boxers, however, attracted the attention of the general public to Cassius.

In the same 1960, the young boxer won the tournament of the Athletic Amateur Union and received an invitation to take part in qualifying tournament to the Olympic Games. However, the performance at this competition was only a formality. Having received the coveted ticket to the Olympics, Cassius went to Rome, where he confidently confirmed the championship. Golden medal The Olympic Games was the first serious success in the career of our today's hero.

Muhammad Ali at the 1960 Olympics

In 1964, the talented native of Louisville first appeared before the public under the name Mohammed Ali - the name under which the athlete forever entered the history of boxing. Shortly before this, the athlete converted to Islam. As is commonly believed, the reason for this decision was the athlete's dislike for white people - all childhood and youth, Cassius and his family suffered from racial harassment.

In 1964 Mohammed became absolute champion world heavyweight title and held the title for two years in a row. Subsequently, he became the owner of the title "Boxer of the Year" five times (1963, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978), and was also recognized as the "Boxer of the Decade" (70s). In 1974, Ali was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Century. In 1987, he was included in the American Boxing Hall of Fame, and three years later - in the international one.

Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson in the same studio - in Russian

The end of Muhammad Ali's career

During his career, Muhammad Ali earned about $ 50 million, which was simply an exorbitant amount at that time. However, the boxer disposed of his finances frankly mediocre, for the most part wasting them on his entourage.

Due to the onset of lack of money in 1980, Mohammed was forced to re-enter the ring. At that time, the defending champion Larry Holmes became his opponent, who confidently defeated the veteran. The legendary boxer looked frankly pathetic. But despite this, Mohammed received about eight million dollars for that fight.

This time, the money earned was invested in business and real estate. However, despite the financial success, in 1981 the boxer again entered the ring. In a fight with Canadian heavyweight Trevor Berbick, he looked pretty good, but still lost. From that moment on, Mohammed did not enter the ring again.

Fight between Muhammad Ali and Trevor Berbick

In 1984, former boxer a terrible disease was diagnosed - Parkinson's syndrome, which caused Mohammed to have impaired coordination and breathing. However, the athlete's mind remained clear, and thanks to the prescribed levodopa, he was able to cope with everyday activities. Realizing that a further career as a boxer was out of the question, Mohammed Ali decided to devote his life to charity: he helped the needy, urged wealthy Americans to follow his example, and participated in negotiations with radical Islamists in Lebanon and Iraq.

Personal life of Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali was married four times. With his first wife, a waitress named Soji Roy, the boxer met in his youth, but a month later the marriage broke up due to his wife's unwillingness to convert to Islam and "immodest behavior."

The second marriage, with Belinda Boyd (later Khalila Ali), lasted longer and led to the birth of four children: three daughters and a son named Mohammed Ali Jr. Shortly after the birth of their fourth child, the couple's relationship cracked, and Mohammed began an affair with model Veronica Porsche, who, as noted in many sources, was not his only mistress. One way or another, it was Veronica who became the official reason for the divorce of Mohammed and Khalila.

Muhammad Ali and Veronica Porsche got married in 1977. Soon they had two children.

This union lasted nine years. After his divorce from Veronica Porsche, the legendary boxer married his longtime girlfriend Yolanta Williams. Soon they adopted a five-year-old boy together. In addition, Mohammed had two more illegitimate children from ties on the side.

Death of Muhammad Ali

On June 2, 2016, Muhammad Ali was hospitalized in one of the Arizona clinics (Phoenix city) in serious condition - breathing problems. She made herself aware of Parkinson's disease, it became impossible to stop it with medicines over the years. Doctors fought for the life of the great boxer, but they could not defeat death - on June 3 he died.

In memory of Muhammad Ali