Clay cassius how many wins. How Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali: what made the "Great" change his name? Gift from Brezhnev
“If I had not converted to Islam, the world would never have known Muhammad Ali”
Muhammad Ali - American professional boxer, speaking in heavy weight category; Champion of the XVII Summer Olympic Games in 1960 in the light heavyweight category, absolute champion World Heavyweight Championship (1964-1966, 1974-1978). He is one of the most famous and recognizable black boxers in the history of world boxing. The merits of Muhammad Ali in sports are significant, and his contribution to the development of Islam is a separate topic for discussion.
"I never boxed just to win."
Muhammad Ali's childhood coincided with a time when an atmosphere of racial inequality reigned in the United States, blacks were constantly belittled and mocked. It was racial inequality among the population that strongly influenced the formation of the personality of 10-year-old Cassius. The little champion was worried about the following questions: “Why are white people allowed to do everything, but black people have so many restrictions? After all, in fact, all people are equal”, “Why is everything good white and bad black?”. This state of affairs had a strong effect on Muhammad, that he wanted to break out into people and prove to everyone his importance, and he began to train in the boxing section. For him, just boxing was not enough, he believed that he had to be the best in boxing in order to gain recognition from white people. In fact, Muhammad Ali, at the age of 18, became the first black athlete in America in the heavyweight division.
In 1960, he received an invitation to the Olympic Games, and when it turned out that it was impossible to sail a ship, he told his coach that he was refusing to participate in Olympic Games, because he suffered from aerophobia (fear of flying). The coach assured him: "This competition is a very important event for you, if you win the Olympic Games, everyone will listen to your words." As a result, Cassius agreed to fly, but agreeing to all precautions, namely the acquisition of a parachute and staying in it throughout the entire flight. In the Olympic Games, he had no equal.
During the presentation of awards, 18-year-old Muhammad Ali, standing on the podium, looking at his white rivals - a Pole and a Russian, was happy.
So, at the airport of his native Louisville, he was met by the mayor of the city and hundreds of fans, but he almost immediately received another lesson - the gold medal around his neck, which Cassius did not part with even during sleep at first, did not lead to success in the fight against discrimination. With a medal on his chest, the champion went into a diner with a sign typical for America of that time in front of the entrance: "Only for whites." “I thought,” he recalls, “that I would put them in their place, after all, the winner of the Olympics.” But I heard: “We don’t serve Negroes.” "It's all right," the 18-year-old talent responded, "I'm not a beggar." However, he was exposed to the street. After that, Cassius went to the Ohio River, where he sent his gold medal conquered by him for the country.
After this incident, the real struggle of Muhammad Ali began. “I never boxed just to win. I had a goal: To succeed in order to get people to listen to my words. I knew that people all over the world were looking at me, ”Muhammad Ali admitted in one of his interviews.
Muhammad Ali was brought to Islam not by a spiritual path, but by the presence in this religion of subtleties that coincide with the ideas of the struggle for racial equality, because by attending church, white and black Christians could not achieve equality between themselves, which aroused his interest in Islam.
How did Muhammad Ali convert to Islam?
In 1959 in Chicago, Cassius Clay first heard Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad speak. At that time, this organization was engaged in protecting the rights of black people, and called for economic and religious freedom. A year later, while training in Miami, he met Abdul Rahman. According to Muhammad Ali, this follower of Elijah invited the boxer to listen to his lecture "on the history of our ancestors" in the mosque. Together they went to the local mosque. This excursion had a profound effect on young man, he said, "The first time I felt spirituality in my life was when I entered this Muslim temple in Miami." After Clay began to regularly read the newspaper "Muhammad says", and more and more often he thinks about the meaning of life, the purpose of man.
Before the start of the first fight for the world heavyweight title with the famous Sonny Liston in February 1964, Cassius, along with his brother, prayed to Allah. And after winning that meeting, he officially announced the adoption of Islam and joining the "Nation of Islam".
Then the champion was 22 years old. Later in an interview, when Muhammad Ali was asked if he regrets anything in his life? - he replied:
– Yes, definitely. If I had been given the chance to live my life again, I would have converted to Islam at the age of ten.
"If I had been given the chance to live my life again, I would have converted to Islam at the age of ten."
Born Cassius Marcellus Clay converted to Islam in 1964 and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. At first, the reporters ignored his new name and called him, as before - Cassius Clay, but he began to yell in everyone's ear: “My name is different! I am Muhammad Ali. Now all over the world they know him - as Muhammad Ali, and not everyone remembers his former name. “If I were not a Muslim, I would not have achieved all that I have. If I wasn't a Muslim, I wouldn't change my name and spread goodness. I would not be who I am, if I had not become a Muslim, the world would never have known Muhammad Ali, ”the champion admits.
“There were wonderful moments in my life. But the feeling that I experienced when I stood on Mount Arafat during the Hajj was incomparable.”
With the adoption of Islam, the purpose of Muhammad Ali's life changed. Public reaction to the news was mostly negative. Ed Lassman, President of the WBA, said: "Clay has hurt the boxing world... and is setting a bad example for the youth." He tried to strip Ali of the title. But Muhammad was adamant. If earlier he “needed to show the world” how “great” he was, then with the advent of the Muslim faith, this need completely disappeared by itself. For the reason that "my spirituality" was developed, and from that time "all I need is to ask myself whether God will be pleased with me." “The world championship did not bring me happiness,” exclaims the unsurpassed Master, since true happiness comes from God. “After death, it doesn’t matter how much money I earned, how much I was educated,” Muhammad Ali sums up, “the most important thing is prayer and good deeds during life, because being on earth is a practice before eternal life.”
And after that, having achieved considerable success in life, Muhammad Ali associated all his achievements with Islam. And tirelessly repeated that the greatest success in life, he considers that he converted to Islam. He tries with all his heart to fulfill all the prescriptions of religion.
Here is what Ali said in an interview after he converted to Islam: “There were wonderful moments in my life. But the feeling that I experienced when I stood on Mount Arafat during the Hajj was incomparable. I was surrounded by an indescribable spiritual atmosphere at this place, where more than one and a half million Muslims cried out to God, begging Him to forgive their sins and bestow His blessings. It was a very exciting moment to watch how people of different skin colors and nationalities, kings, heads of state and people from common people, all dressed in two pieces of plain white cloth, were praying to God, leaving behind any sense of pride and superiority. It was a practical manifestation of the concept of equality in Islam.”
No matter how world champion he was, he tried to avoid feeling proud. After all, he did not consider it a humiliation to apologize to the enemy for past mistakes, for the fact that in his youth, before matches, he insulted Joe Frazier and swaggered over him, saying that "freaks are not champions, champions must be beautiful like me." Thirty years later, I apologized to him for my behavior - and he accepted my apology, ”said the champion.
"Killing innocent people is against my religion."
Another test followed, when Ali had to decide on a specific step. Not an ideological, not a theoretical, but a practical step that could cost him professional career.
In the second half of the 1960s, at the height of the Vietnam War, Ali, drafted into the US Army, refused to fulfill his military duty. He substantiated this, as you know, with his own position - the Vietnam War was assessed by him as unfair and killing an innocent person is contrary to the requirements of his religion.
The boxer recalls this event from his life with the following words: “After I received a summons with a call to participate in the Vietnam War, everyone advised me to agree. However, my religious beliefs were not compatible with the duties of a soldier in combat. I disagree with the reasons why the US Army fought in Vietnam. I couldn't bring myself to hurt or kill people I didn't even know. People who have never done any harm to me or my country. I just couldn't do it. I think it was meant for me by God. Many people said that I was afraid to go to war. In fact, standing up for my religious beliefs against the United States government and the millions of people who turned their backs on me was harder. The government offered me all kinds of deals. They said I would never have to hold a gun. They said I would never approach a war zone. Even if that were true, I still wouldn't be able to go to war. They wanted to use me to get other young Americans to follow my example. They don't seem to understand that by agreeing to this deal, I would be forced to give up my religion, faith, and beliefs. I decided to be true to myself and to God. If I turned my back on my religious beliefs, then my whole life would be like a ship sailing on the high seas without a rudder. Nothing could be scarier for me than trying to live without faith.”
Although many tried to present this step as a fear of going to the front, neither public opinion nor the threat of excommunication due to refusal to join the army did not frighten Muhammad Ali. As a result, he was suspended from his professional career for three years. His return to the ring was, of course, a triumph. He became a champion again. Because it has always been and always will be.
Attacks don't represent my religion
The tragic events of September 11, 2001 shocked the world, but it was especially heavy blow for American Muslims. After this tragic event, most Americans began to associate Islam with terrorism. The athlete, noticing the formation of a negative attitude towards Islam, chose not to remain silent. He addressed the people with the words: “I am a Muslim. I have been a Muslim for 40 years... You know me. I am a boxer. They call me the greatest. You know me as a boxer and as a truthful person. I would not represent Islam if it was on the side of the terrorists... I think that all people should know the truth and come to an understanding of the truth. Islam is peace.
"I am Muslim. I am American. As an American Muslim, I offer my deepest condolences for the events of September 11, 2001.
Islam is a religion of peace and tranquility. Islam does not support terrorism and killing people.
I cannot sit still and let people all over the world think that Islam is a religion of murderers. It pains me to see what radical people can do in the name of Islam. These people do things that are contrary to the laws of God. Muslims against cruelty.
If the perpetrators of all this are indeed Muslims, they have trampled on the teachings of Islam. The attack on the US does not represent Islam in any way. God is not on the side of the terrorists. Whoever did this must pay for their evil."
The speech of such an influential person as Muhammad Ali helped to perk up the spirit of many Muslims.
In 1998, Muhammad Ali became the UN peace envoy, and four years later he went to Afghanistan. Here he "immediately felt a semblance of harmony with the country and its inhabitants", feeling at home. All around "were my brothers and sisters." But Muhammad Ali was very worried about the Afghan children in the conditions of constant instability in the country. And he wrote them a letter in which he urged them to adhere to three aspects on the path of formation: faith in God, the obligation to study and receive a quality education and achieve physical strength. This is how he described his trip: “I became a peace envoy of the United Nations. This was very important to me. Many will be surprised to know that as a boxer I have always been against violence of any kind. It may be funny, but it's true. I always tried not to hurt my opponent, I tried not to hurt my opponent, so when I heard this news, I was overly proud. In November 2002, I went to Afghanistan on a three day mission. When we arrived, I immediately felt some kind of harmony with the country and local people. This is a Muslim country, and despite the danger, I felt at home. Everyone around me was my brothers and sisters. I liked hugging and kissing all the children. They seemed to be entertained by the tricks I showed them. Islam teaches not to cheat, so all those young children who may have believed that I actually made the scarf disappear had to reveal the secrets of magic tricks. It was difficult for me to leave the children. They were all so pure and innocent. I prayed that they would be able to keep all this in their country. I hoped that their future would be brighter than the past."
From this incident in his life, it can be understood that Muhammad Ali also loved children very much, like the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The proof is the following words of the champion: "When I am near my sons and daughters, when I talk to them, I feel closer to Allah Almighty."
What is Muhammad Ali doing now?
“We are all so small in the vast universe created by God,” he liked to repeat, drawing a parallel with the sensations of a person in an airplane, when passengers see houses or cars in a reduced size during takeoff. Everything on earth becomes the size of an ant. And what can we do? Therefore, everyone's life depends on God, who provides signals, including to Muhammad Ali, "how and where to move."
I wonder if he knows that he made a significant contribution to the Islamic religion?
Muhammad Ali has become a model Muslim for all people around the world.
Ali inspired many of his compatriots to embrace Islam. He dedicated himself to doing good: “Before going to bed, I always ask myself if I will be proud of how I lived today if I don’t wake up in the morning. I have always tried to do a lot of good things. As much as I can. At least sign an autograph or shake someone's hand. I just try to make people happy and go to heaven. I'm not perfect. I know that I still have a lot to change, and I'm working on it. Some of the things I've done I'm not proud of. Especially when I hurt other people. For this, I ask God for forgiveness."
How are you spending your time now? - one journalist once asked in an interview.
I read a variety of books - the most beloved of them, of course, is the Holy Quran. When I was young, I didn’t particularly like to read - so now I’m catching up. I help the poor, I also build gyms for children, because when I was a child they didn’t let me in - there were signs “White Only” everywhere. But the main goal of my life now is to praise God and promote Islam.
The wife of Muhammad Ali says the following about him: “If he did not like to read before, now he spends hours reading the Koran, writes out some passages from it in order to learn them. He mainly reads Islamic literature and research books and compares their contradiction with the gospel. He gives alms to the poor so that they can buy clothes, but it is known that they take money to drink. But he still continues to give alms.
You've only lost a fight three times in your career. How did they react to it?
I was not happy about this, but I understood - I did everything I could, gave my best. And if at the same time it turned out that I lost, then it is so pleasing to God.
The boxer tirelessly calls all those around him and his fans to Islam. About his constant call, he expresses the following thought: “The rooster crows only when it sees the light, leave it in the dark and it will never utter a sound. I see the light and I scream."
"Allah Almighty sent me sickness as a test."
Muhammad Ali celebrated his 70th birthday two years ago and is now suffering from Parkinson's disease. His hearing, speech function and motor functions of the body deteriorated. Muhammad Ali says the following about his illness: “I am definitely being tested: will I continue to pray, will I keep the faith? God tests all great men. I will not lose willpower, I will not lose heart. Allah Almighty sent me this disease to show that He is “the first”, and not me.”
Indeed, illness did not prevent him from worshiping and doing good. He made significant contributions to the funding of Islamic institutions such as the Masjid al-Fatir, the first mosque built from scratch in the city of Chicago. Truly great people, as he once said, do not want to be great, but they want to help others, to be closer to God. The following advice is addressed to young people who aspire to be famous: “Be strong, read the Qur'an, worship God. It will certainly help you,” serve as an instruction to all of us.
There are many quotes and catchphrases about Muhammad Ali, however, one of them is special: “I do not smoke, but I continue to carry a matchbox in my pocket. When my heart slides towards sin, I light a match, bring it to my palm, and then I say to myself: “Ali, you cannot bear this heat, since how can you bear the unbearable heat of Hell?” After that, I retreat from bad thoughts.” These words should be an example for all Muslims.
To the question “Who would you like to meet?”, Muhammad Ali replied: “With the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He adhered to the canons of Islam in difficult times, became an example for all Muslims around the world, called for good.
We wish him the fulfillment of his dream, to die with faith in his heart and meet the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the next world, at the bottom of the paradise river Kausar.
Translation from Kazakh - Ainagul Dzhumagaziev
As a child, Cassius Clay had his bicycle stolen. The boy approached the policeman and asked him to find the thief. “And when you find it, I will beat him!” - said Cassius Marcellus Clay. The cop replied that before you beat someone, you need to learn how to do it. Fate or not, that cop worked part-time as a trainer at a teenage boxing club. The very next day, the future legendary fighter Mohammed Ali began boxing. From childhood, he developed boxing strength.
IN professional boxing, like many of the American fighters, Muhammad Ali (eng. Muhammad Ali) got after the 1960 Olympics. There he confidently won in the category up to 81 kg, after which he made his debut as a pro in a fight with Lamar Clark. Ali knocked out the opponent for good - Clark ended his career after this fight.
In February 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay went on title fight against champion Sonny Liston. It was hard for both of them in the ring: Liston's eyebrow was cut and a hematoma formed, Clay began to have vision problems in the fourth round. But the future Mohammed Ali still won. Cassius Clay became the champion in heavyweight.
Actually, the name change occurred precisely after receiving the championship belt. Immediately after the fight, Clay had already officially joined the Muslim organization "Nation of Islam" and changed his name to Mohammed Ali.
After that, for another 7 years, Ali continuously won, until in 1971 he met in the ring with Joe Frazier. The match immediately promised to be interesting, because there were two undefeated champion. Now one had to lose this title. The battle went on for 15 rounds until Frazier slapped Ali properly, and he stopped "fluttering like a butterfly" and fell. Knockdown. Muhammad Ali lost for the first time.
Ali made the decision to leave boxing as early as 1978. For last fight Leon Spinks was chosen as a partner, Olympic champion 1976 year. Ali considered Spinks a weak opponent and was careless about the preparation. For which he paid - the farewell fight turned into the boxer's third defeat. True, the decision of the judges is still considered controversial, but history is history.
Ali did not want to leave defeated. He demanded a rematch. 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 again took up his habit of insulting opponents before the fight. For which he paid: Larry Holmes beat 38-year-old Ali well. That one had excess weight, he moved slowly, but Holmes respected the legendary fighter. Many believe that the knockout did not happen, due to Larry's desire to keep Mohammed at least a little self-confidence. One way or another, the battle was lost. After receiving $ 8 million for participation, Muhammad Ali had 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. Both his father and boxing mates condemned his participation in it, and WBA President Ed Lassman even wanted to deprive Clay of the champion title. But Ali's popularity kept the belt behind him.
Regardless of religious predilections, Mohammed Ali created a unique fighting style. He moved around the ring on his toes (fluttered!) and evaded the opponent's attacks. It was like a real dance and it was beautiful. Plus on account tall(191 cm) Ali often hit the head from unexpected angles.
Alas, there was also a drawback. Ali paid little attention to the protection of the body - in time against him. Speed helped out: Mohammed, being a heavyweight, managed to move around the ring at the level of a boxer with an average weight.
The amazing speed of Muhammad Ali (video):
But in addition to physical data, Ali knew how to influence the enemy psychologically. He called the round in which he would lose. Composed offensive poems about his opponent. He knew how to get it - Joe Fraser did not forgive Ali, even after. They say that a couple of years before Fraser's death, they still reconciled, but according to other sources, Joe did not wait for 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 his hometown of Louisville. And from the third marriage with fashion model Veronica Porsche, Leila Ali was born, who became the world boxing champion, I will follow in my father's footsteps.
Interestingly, in childhood, Ali's father and mother taught him poetry (well, he did compose poetry) and drawing. Perhaps this helped Muhammad Ali to demonstrate in the ring beautiful boxing, boxing as an art.
Fight Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman (video):
He was one of the few whom Ali feared.
The second name of Kasius Marcellus Clay is often translated as Muhammad Ali, but the correct pronunciation of "Mohammed", through "o».
Muhammad Ali is Cassius Clay's real name. One of the founders of modern boxing. "Fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee" - this tactic, invented by Ali, was later adopted by many boxers around the world.
Brilliant American boxer, Olympic champion in Rome in 1960, three-time world champion in professional boxing. In any sport there is its own Champion, its unsurpassed Professional, in relation to which all subsequent winners experience reverent awe. And if in connection with football the name Pele is remembered, with hockey - Wayne Gretzky, then in professional boxing it is Muhammad Ali, more precisely, Great Mohammed Ali.
Usually all successful professional boxers come up with permanent nicknames for themselves. They are presented in this way before the start of the battle, for example: “Buffalo” George Chuvalo, “Pulling Fighter” Floyd Patterson, “Predator of the Jungle” Sonny Liston, “Baltimore Ogre” Dwyd Cuevi. But do they outlive their carriers or remain in the rings? Muhammad Ali did not have such a nickname in the ring. But in history he has forever remained the Great - Mohammed Ali.
His real name is Cassius Marcelius Clay.
He was born on January 17, 1942 in the American city of Louisville, Kentucky in the Negro family of an advertising artist. Clay could not study at school, which he still regrets. As a boy, he dreamed of many things, but his cherished dream was to rise so high that he did not reach the hatred emanating from racists, which, willy-nilly, he himself and his family had to face. Boxing opened up the only one hundred percent opportunity to achieve anything in life for Clay - he was well aware of this. He started boxing at the age of 12 in 1956 with police trainer Joe Martin. After 2 years, he moved to the famous coach of professional boxers Angelo Dundee.
In 1957, Muhammad Ali received the most prestigious prize in American amateur boxing - the Golden Glove. And some time later, having easily overcome the pre-Olympic qualifying fights, he got the right to speak at the Olympics in Rome. In the Apennines, he also reached the final without any problems, defeating three opponents, and in the final defeated the Pole Zbigniew Petiszewski and won the Olympic gold medal.
But 18-year-old Muhammad Ali returns to the United States as a champion. Here is how Clay himself tells about it: “When I returned to Louisville in 1960 with an Olympic gold medal, I hung the medal on my chest and went out into the street. The one who glorified the American flag can have a cup of coffee where he wants, I decided and went into the restaurant. A voice was heard from behind the bar: "No Negroes allowed." - "But I'm Cassius Clay, I won a gold medal for the United States!" - "I don't care who you are!" - came the answer.
This incident changed a lot in the life of the Olympic champion. Cassius Clay became a member of the radical sect of "black Muslims" and took the name Mohammed Ali. “Now Clay is no more,” he told reporters. “I am Mohammed Ali! Clay is the nickname of a slave. I belong to no one but myself!”
From that moment begins the impressive career of the Great Muhammad Ali as the most famous American professional boxer. At that time, in the early 1960s, Charles (Sonny) Liston sat confidently at the top of American professional boxing. Already by his arrival in professional boxing, Liston had earned himself the most unkind fame. Here was his criminal past, and an uncontrollable tendency to drink, drugs and hooligan antics. Even his very appearance inspired fear and hatred: deceitful impudent eyes, a disproportionately small head planted on broad shoulders, meter-long hands with huge fists and rather short but incredibly powerful legs. "Predator of the jungle", "evil Neanderthal", "ruthless gorilla" - that's what the Americans called Liston. But no matter how negatively the USA treated this boxer, Liston still remained the winner, leaving many eminent boxers lying in the ring, including the previous champion, the intelligent and skillful Floyd Patterson.
It is worth noting that not only whites, but also black Americans, who were simply ashamed of such an impersonation, did not want to see the former convict on the championship throne. Was no exception among the detractors of the "ruthless gorilla" and 21-year-old Mohammed Ali. Long before his historic duel with Liston, he often pestered him with all sorts of insults. "You fat mess, I'll beat you worse than your daddy!" - and it was not the most offensive. Once, when he saw Liston on the street, he yelled with all his might: “The beast is free!” From the outside, such attacks on the champion looked almost comical. Sonny Liston himself did not take seriously the young contender for the championship title, who was completely confident in his enormous strength and hypnotic effect on opponents. Liston said that it would be enough for him to just take off his robe, show his muscles, and Muhammad Ali would faint.
Mohammed's verbal attacks on Liston reached their climax at a press conference before their duel, when the former was so carried away in his insults and threats to tear the champion to pieces that he simply could not find an answer and was ready to burst from impotence and anger.
The fight took place on February 25, 1964 in Miami Beach. And although the bets were made seven to one in favor of Liston, from the very first rounds it became clear that the champion was faced with something completely unknown to him, fearless and tireless. While Liston, who did not look like himself, walked listlessly around the ring with his head down, Mohammed Ali, dancing, sent hard debilitating blows one after another. It seemed that Liston was doomed by the third round, but in the fourth round Ali's eyes began to water, and after another round he told the second that he could not see anything and could not continue the fight. Subsequently, one of Liston's trainers, Joe Palino, admitted that he asked to rub some kind of salt substance into his combat gloves. But even this vile cunning did not help him escape from a shameful defeat. Pushed into the ring by his second, Mohammed Ali was able to survive the fifth round, and in the next he began to beat Liston with renewed vigor. When the gong sounded for the seventh round, Sonny Liston, bloodied and with a damaged joint in his left shoulder, did not rise from his chair. It was his first major defeat and Muhammad Ali's first major professional victory.
By the rematch, Liston was simply afraid of Mohammed, and he felt like a full-fledged champion. After the first blow, Sonny suddenly fell on his back, and the triumphant Ali shouted: "Get up, you bastard, get up and fight!" Panic broke out in the ring and in the stands. The spectators who were betting on Liston, showering him with curses, rushed from their seats to the ring. Mohammed continued to mock Liston, who was lying crushed, and the referee could not open the score. Finally, the fight resumed, but within seconds, Nat Fleischer, editor of The Ring magazine, waving his stopwatch, shouted that Liston had been on the floor for 17 seconds. And again - chaos. Referee Joe Walcott rushed to explain to Fleischer, and Ali and Liston, left unattended, beat each other as best they could for the amusement of the public. Finally, Walcott returned and, standing between the boxers, announced the victory of Muhammad Ali.
Muhammad Ali's style was completely new in heavyweight boxing. His amazing mobility and favorite way to attack from a distance with blows to the head delighted the audience. His signature hit-and-run tactic had opponents chasing him around the ring, and then, tired to death, they were usually finished off with a series of strong, accurate punches from Mohammed. In one of these series, experts counted up to 20 strokes! This has never been seen in heavyweight. Ali literally changed boxing, bringing it closer to a real art.
In 1967, Muhammad Ali, the World Boxing Council's world champion, faced off against the World Boxing Association's (WBA) world champion Ernie Tarrell. The latter was known for an unusual and very unpleasant manner for rivals - his long arms as if to entangle the enemy, for which he earned the nickname Octopus. But even this palisade of Tarrell's hard "tentacles" did not prevent Mohammed from using his, as it turned out, more effective tactics - hitting the enemy's head and torso from a distance. Turrell lost on all counts.
Mohammed Ali was at the zenith of fame, but was soon forced to interrupt his career. The reason is the refusal to fight in Vietnam. He even threw an Olympic medal into the dark waters of the Hudson in protest against the intervention of American troops against Vietnam. The court was inexorable: several years of hard labor and 10 thousand dollars in the form of a fine, and the WBA commission took away the champion title from Mohammed and deprived the boxer of the right to compete in the ring.
When, after three years, the protest of lawyers finally restored justice, Muhammad Ali met in a 15-round duel with the mighty puncher Joe Frazier. This fight for a prize of $ 2.5 million was won by Joe Frazier, which is not surprising: Mohammed's three-year excommunication from the ring could not but affect his physical form.
However, Ali found the strength to start intensive training again and restore his former great shape, and with it a brilliant series of his great victories. True, there was another failure on March 31, 1973, when Ken Norton, who was seventh in the heavyweight ranking, broke Mohammed's jaw in the first round with a left-handed blow, and although the injured Ali defended all 12 rounds, the victory was given to Norton. But in general, everything was fine. After winning a rematch with Norton, Mohammed challenged his long-term abuser Joe Frazier to a fight. Both remained true to their manners throughout the fight: Frazier attacked endlessly with powerful side kicks, and Ali, dancing, "stung like a bee." The boxers gave a lot of strength, Fraser's face was completely broken, his left eye was tightly closed, and with only one half-open eye he could see after the final round how Mohammed was awarded the victory.
“I have nothing to be ashamed of,” Joe said after the defeat. “Maybe I’ll be lucky another time?”
Muhammad Ali confidently "caught up" with the then champion - the famous George Foreman, who by that time had won 36 knockouts in 39 fights. Having won another victory over Norton, Foreman shouted to Mohammed, who acted in that match as a TV presenter: “Well, buddy?” Ali's response was immediate: "You only hit those who crawl like a turtle!"
October 30, 1974 in Kinshasa, a fight for the world title between George Foreman, reigning champion, and challenger Mohammed Ali. Experts consider this fight as the greatest and unforgettable. Seven rounds Mohammed Ali inexorably led Foreman to a spectacular denouement. His opponent so and so approached Mohammed Ali, but to no avail. In the middle of the eighth round, Muhammad Ali made a false combination and sharply hit Foreman in the jaw. Foreman in some strange way made a complete turn, then two or three steps on buckling legs and collapsed onto the platform. It was George Foreman, a powerful and strong-willed fighter, a few years ago he returned to the big ring at the age of 42 and beat many of the current ones. What masters he and others were at the time of their heyday, and what power, finally, Mohammed Ali represented if he sent any of them to the floor!
In 1975 Ali defeated Ron Lyle in succession and for the 2nd time Joe Bugner.
In September 1975, the 3rd fight took place between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. The battle took place in incredible heat - higher than +30. It was a stubborn and aggressive fight with intrigue until the very end: Ali and Frazier staged a real scuffle. In the 14th round, Frazier's corner refused to continue. After this fight, Ali called Frazier the best boxer after himself. The fight was named Triller in Manila (Trilla in Manila) and the status of fight of the year according to Ring magazine.
In 1976, Ali successfully defended titles against Jean-Pierre Koopman, Jimmy Young and Richard Dunn.
In September 1976, Ali's 3rd fight against Ken Norton took place. Norton looked preferable, but the judges unanimously awarded the victory to Ali. The decision was highly controversial. It was Ali's 4th unconvincing victory.
In 1977, Ali defeated Alfredo Evangelista and strong puncher Ernie Shavers.
In 1978, Muhammad Ali planned to retire from boxing. For the last fight, the 1976 Olympic champion Leon Spinks was chosen. Spinks had in track record only 7 fights, nevertheless qualified for championship fight. The fight took place in February 1978. Ali scornfully treated the enemy, for which he paid. Spinks gave the champion a real beating. After 15 rounds, the judges awarded Spinks the victory by split decision. The split decision was controversial, with Spinks winning in a landslide. It was Ali's 3rd defeat. The fight was named Fight of the Year by Ring magazine.
Ali did not put up with the defeat and called the offender for revenge. Spinks had to defend the belt against Ken Norton. Spinks chose a rematch, for which the WBC stripped him of his title. In September of that year, Ali convincingly outplayed his opponent. He became the champion for the 3rd time. After that, he announced his retirement from boxing.
In 1980, Muhammad Ali again shocked the boxing world, deciding to become the strongest for the 4th time and making a sensational statement: “There were many champions: Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, now Larry Holmes. And yet - they are nothing next to me! On the eve of the fight, Ali endlessly watched the video of one and, as it turned out, far from the best of Holmes' fights, confidently repeating: “He is a weakling, I will rush at him and kill him. This is my last frontier. I'm like a Japanese kamikaze - victory or death. But Mohammed did not calculate his strength and underestimated the power of the enemy. Already after the first round, he mentally prayed to God for salvation, and after the 11th, beaten and exhausted, he could not get up with a gong from his chair, and his coach threw a towel on the ropes - a symbol of surrender. Larry Holmes rejoiced, his fans rejoiced, but there were many among the audience who, not embarrassed by tears, wept uncontrollably - saying goodbye not only to the champion of all times and peoples, the Great Mohammed Ali, but also to the great era of big professional boxing.
Throughout his life, Mohammed Ali went to victories and justice through great obstacles and sacrifices. It was for the sake of victories and justice that he had to sacrifice his real name, his gold medal at the Olympics in Rome, and finally, his enormous, but still human health. “I am a decent person and do not like unpaid debts,” Mohammed once said after one bloody duel. It seems, however, that fate also turned out to be quite decent in relation to the greatest boxer. So, years after his pacifist action with the throwing away of the Olympic gold medal, Mohammed expressed regret about this act, and the International Olympic Committee presented him with a copy of the award.
Following her Great father, the daughter of Mohammed, the beautiful Leyla Ali, rose to the professional ring.
Today, suffering from a serious illness nervous system- Parkinson's disease - and experiencing in connection with this some difficulties with speech, Mohammed Ali nevertheless lives an active social life. IN last years he frequently travels to various countries as a "messenger of peace", and his peacekeeping work has been widely recognized. Wherever he arrives, he, as before, is met by crowds of fans who do not forget about their legend.
Black boxer Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, USA. At birth, he was named Cassius Marcellus Clay. He was not afraid of fights either in childhood or later - wherever they took place, inside the ring or outside it.
During his childhood, Louisville (Kentucky) was not the most rosy place for black residents - Cassius Clay managed to experience racial discrimination and prejudice, which, quite possibly, influenced his passion for boxing.
Appeal to boxing
At the age of 12, the future champion began boxing - this happened thanks to an accident that brought him together with his future trainer Joe Martin. A bicycle was stolen from Cassius Clay - telling Martin, who was also a police officer, about this, he showed a clear desire to teach the thief a lesson with his fists.
Martin asked if the guy could fight. Cassius replied that no, but he would still fight. To this, the coach advised him to first come to the gym and learn. So he set foot on the road that led him to the role of one of the most famous and recognizable boxers in the history of this sport.
Clay began to train under Martin and soon became involved in fights. He won his first amateur fight in 1954 by decision of the judges. In 1956, he won the rookie gold glove tournament in the light heavyweight division.
Olympic gold
In 1960, Cassius Clay won the competition of the Athletic Amateur Union and received an invitation to qualifying tournament to the Olympic Games. With his height of about 1.9 m, he was a very imposing figure in the ring.
Ali had already begun to develop his own style - he seemed to “dance” around the opponent with his hands down, provoking him to powerful blows, which the boxer himself successfully evaded.
After winning the Olympics, he returned home with a gold medal. The boxer wore it everywhere without taking it off, but his pride in his achievement soon wavered when he tried to visit a whites-only restaurant.
The restaurant staff refused to serve him, even hanging around his neck, as usual, a golden Olympic medal did not change the situation. This incident made a very strong impression on Clay - according to his brother Rahman, he was so upset that he went to the bridge over the Ohio River and threw the medal into the water. However, this was not the end of the story of the man who would soon take the name Muhammad Ali. The biography of "The Greatest" was just beginning.
Professional sports
Shortly after winning the Games, he signed a contract with managers, which were 11 partners, who also took on the costs of flights and training for the athlete.
The first debut of the young champion in professional sports took place on October 29, 1960, against Tanny Hunsaker, whom he confidently defeated. After the fight, Clay participated for some time in Archie Moore's training camp, but they could not find a common language, and the young boxer returned to Louisville.
In addition, Clay, in addition to his own fighting style, formed another defining feature - his language. Boasting, jokes, outright insults towards opponents served as part of the show and helped him to be a very bright and eye-catching personality.
From this point of view, Clay was an excellent publicist for himself - he worked on this no less than Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum cares about the "economic miracle" of Dubai.
In the meantime, a coach was found for him - the choice of managers fell on Angelo Dundee. Dundee was not just a good specialist and one of the best in the treatment of wounds during the battle - he also managed to find the right approach to Clay without trying to change his manner of communication, control or forbid anything.
The first fight under the leadership of Dundee took place at Clay with Herb Seeler. Next was Tony Esperti, after him - the Swedish champion Ingemar Johansson. He often referred to himself as "The Great", and his way of praising himself and bullying his opponents was as unorthodox as his fighting style.
Clay entered the ring against more and more serious opponents until he eventually faced Sonny Liston. The then world heavyweight champion, Liston received his title in September 1962.
The fight between him and Clay (as well as the interviews that preceded it, which both gave during the break between the official announcement and entering the ring) was bright and spectacular. Cassius, in his usual manner, applied psychological pressure to Liston immediately after the fight was officially announced. As a result, at the age of 22, after a tough fight, Clay became the heavyweight champion of the world.
"Nation of Islam"
It was after the fight with Liston that the boxer officially announced his entry into the Nation of Islam, a religious and nationalist organization in the United States, whose main goal is to improve the spiritual, social and economic situation of African Americans in the States and around the world. The second and most famous name - Muhammad Ali - the leader of the organization, Elijah Muhammad, gave Clay two weeks after joining, in accordance with tradition.
This act of the boxer caused a violent and negative public reaction. WBA President Ed Lassman even tried to strip the champion of his title, although he failed. His fellow boxers Louis and Patterson also reacted ambiguously to the act, the latter generally considered the Nation of Islam to be an anti-American organization. Ali answered him in his own way, promising to "play" with him for 10 rounds, and then beat him.
Division of the "Nation" and the choice of champion
At that time, the leader of the association was Elijah Muhammad, the second person after him was Malcolm Ex, a former radical fighter for the rights of blacks, who at that time was a very influential member of the organization and a fairly close friend of Ali.
Such an abundance of the names of the Prophet is no accident: they were very popular in the organization, just as they are popular among Muslims around the world both now and in the past. The name of the Prophet was borne by the Khedive of Egypt in the 19th century, an Irish scholar and public figure by the name of Mokri, the current Emir of Dubai, Mohammed al Maktoum.
After Ax's travels in Africa and the Middle East, his views began to diverge from that of Elijah, so in March 1964 he was forcibly excommunicated from The Nation. In this regard, Ali was forced to make a choice between him and Elijah - in the end, he chose the second.
Floyd Patterson
After the second fight with Liston, which took place in 1965 and also ended in Clay's victory, he simply did not have any serious rivals. So he went on vacation - a world tour.
After returning, there was a fight between Ali and his childhood idol, Floyd Patterson. In full accordance with the promise, Muhammad spent eleven rounds, not allowing his opponent to do anything serious, but he himself did not deliver decisive blows.
Only in the twelfth round did he start boxing in full force, as a result of which the referee stopped the fight, and another victory appeared in the record of the champion.
However, trouble was already approaching the man known as Muhammad Ali. The biography of the boxer contains a three-year break in his career and the deprivation of him of all won titles.
Rejection of the army
In August 1966, the Nation of Islam hired a lawyer to help the champion free himself from military duty. A few years earlier, he had already received a summons, but was declared "unfit" because he did not pass the IQ tests. On this occasion, Ali joked during an interview: "I'm the greatest, not the smartest."
However, this situation could not remain - even if the commission did not recognize the boxer fit for war, he could be used for auxiliary work, and he also did not want this.
In April 1967, the boxer officially abandoned military service and a trial in June 1967 found him guilty. He was stripped of his title and the right to speak in the ring.
Break and new beginning
The boxer himself explained his refusal with religious beliefs. The "Nation of Islam" did not welcome the war, naturally, Muhammad Ali could not go to serve either. Quotes from his interview with Esquire magazine during this period clearly indicate that he was contemplating leaving boxing and changing careers.
During the forced break, the champion managed to play in a Broadway musical, star in documentary, sell the rights to use his name in a hamburger advertisement and try himself as a public speaker - many universities invited him to lecture for a fee.
In June 1971, the US Supreme Court ruled favorably in Ali's case. He was acquitted and restored in all rights, he could again enter the ring and travel around the planet. Lawyers succeeded in restoring his license, and the championship title began in the second round.
Personal life
The famous boxer was married four times, as a result of these marriages, seven daughters and four sons were born. Muhammad Ali's first wife, the waitress Sonji Roy, was not a Muslim, and under the influence of the Nation of Islam, their relationship ended in divorce (January 1966).
Already in August 1967, Ali married Belinda Boyle, who, unlike her first wife, converted to Islam and the name of Khalil Ali. In this marriage, 4 children were born - three daughters and one son. Their relationship, however, began to deteriorate. In 1977, Mohammed divorced Khalila, after which he married Veronica Porsche, with whom he had an affair during their marriage. From this connection, two daughters were born, but in 1986 they divorced.
The boxer's attitude towards women was very conservative - Muhammad Ali himself spoke about this. Quotes from his numerous interviews create the image of his woman as a beautiful, elegant lady. Cassius himself believed that a woman should not work - she should take care of the children, the house, be beautiful for her husband.
In 1986, Ali married his childhood friend Yolanthe Williams, with whom he still lives. They have no children of their own, but the couple adopted a boy, five-year-old Asaad Amin. In addition to those already mentioned, the boxer has two more illegitimate daughters.
On the Walk of Fame there is his star - the first and so far the only one installed on a vertical surface, more precisely, on the wall of the Kodak Theater. So Muhammad Ali himself asked - the Prophet and his name should not be under the feet of passers-by. He himself did nothing to diminish the dignity of the Muslim spiritual leader:
- Muhammad Ali suffered from a fear of flying. When he flew to the Olympics for the second time, he bought a parachute and spent the entire flight in it.
- After his debut fight with Ronnie O'Keefe, Clay took training very seriously. He preferred to run to school instead of taking the bus, did not drink, did not smoke, and became a supporter of a healthy diet.
- At the end of school, Ali received only a certificate of attendance, but not a diploma, which was issued in case of successful graduation from an educational institution. He had problems with reading until the end of his life.
- Throughout his career, the boxer finished 37 fights ahead of schedule - 12 of them were clean knockouts and 25 were technical.
- In the second round in a duel against Ken Norton, the opponent broke his jaw, but he refused to stop the fight and boxed all 12 rounds with a broken one.
- His fight with George Foreman was the first heavyweight title fight in history to take place on the African continent.
- The third fight between Muhammad Ali and Frazier went down in history as one of the hardest and greatest fights in history. heavyweight champion. It lasted 14 rounds and is known as the "Thriller in Manila".
Here he is, the legendary boxer!
Capricorn, who decided to climb a mountain steep, can only be stopped by an avalanche. One of these purposeful and hardy "top climbers" is Cassius Marcellus Clay, or Mohammed Ali, an American professional boxer who gave knockdowns and knockouts right and left.
Success Story, Mohammed Ali Biography
Cassius Clay was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. At the age of 12, he began training with police trainer Joe Martin, at the age of 17 he entered the US national team and became the Olympic light heavyweight champion in 1960. Multiple world heavyweight champion. He spent 61 fights in the professional ring, losing only five of them and knocking out the opponent 37 times. In 1981, he ended his professional career and at the age of 40 began a battle with Parkinson's disease, which he continues to this day.
Cassius Clay was not afraid of work and as a child he scrubbed desks with chalkboards at the University of Louisville, earning pocket money. But the parents dreamed of a different future for their son. Однако, как ни пыталась интеллигентнейшая пара Клеев усадить своего гиперактивного ребёнка за сборники поэзии и всучить ему карандаши с красками, тот как самый простонародный ниггер рвался на улицу из уютного и ухоженного коттеджа погонять на велосипеде и побегать с друзьями. Until this bike was taken from him by a local hooligan, who slapped the young owner.
Cassius at first burst into tears, but then, like a true American, he went to the police, where, in addition to the complaint, he also left a verbal oath to get even with the offenders. The policeman realized that for such feints a daring, but loose-looking Negro would be pressed to the asphalt, advised him to first learn how to tumble the offenders properly, promised to show several tricks and invited him to training. And he trained the guy so famously that a few years later he called one of the famous trainers, Angelo Dundee, and said that if the mass of Dundee wants to help, then he, that is, Cassius, will smear everyone who dares to poke around in the ring. The coach was stunned by the pressure, but he took the boy and did not regret it even once. In addition to the pressure, he turned out to have "extraordinary muscular talent", natural mobility, damn intuition, elephantine endurance and reaction, like a mongoose.
« I hated every minute of training but I told myself don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.».
With his height under two meters and weight under a centner, Cassius moved so easily around the ring, he felt the distance so accurately and so deftly carried out hooks, uppercuts and jabs that he introduced opponents first into extreme amazement, and then into heavy knockouts. " I flutter like a butterfly and sting like a bee' he said, putting on gloves.
This "butterfly" with its dances on toes and crushing blows to the head confused recognized boxers, remembering the instructions of the same policeman that speed decides a lot in a duel. " I am very fast. In the bedroom, before going to bed, I hit the light switch and get into bed before the lights go out.».
Seventeen-year-old “ring dancer” Cassius went through the Golden Glove tournament without a hitch and without a hitch. However, the desire to conquer the whole world did not leave him alone, and at the age of twenty-two he had a duel with Sonny Liston, the then champion. After a hard fight, Liston could hardly stand on his feet, and Cassius's eyesight lost its sharpness, but the world title warmed his soul. His matches gathered clouds of amateurs and connoisseurs, and Cassius Clay, who had already changed his name to Muhammad Ali, gave them a beating to the most iron-headed rivals, repeatedly confirming his champion title. " Champions are not made in the gym. A champion is born by what a person has inside - desires, dreams, goals».
The first guy to slightly wrinkle the wings of a twenty-nine-year-old "butterfly" was Joe Frazier, but nicknamed "Smoking". As they said, he clobbered his opponents with such force that smoke curled from his gloves. He also beat Muhammad Ali pretty badly, knocking him down in the fifteenth round, but three years later Ali was able to take revenge, and a year later he had such a fight with "Smoking" that he was not only called the "massacre in Manila", but also the "battle century." " Joe lasted fourteen rounds and I couldn't knock him out. Since then, I constantly dream about this very fight, and my wife says that I, sleeping, wave my hands, trying to land the right blow to Frazier, calling his name". After this battle, one thought flashed through Joe's battered head - about ending his career, the thoroughly shabby "butterfly" was still fluttering, but no longer showed matches of this class. " Boxing is when a bunch of white people bet money on two black people punching each other in the face. However, if boxing is banned, people will still watch it, such is their nature. But only these will already be underground battles, conducted with much more cruelty and blood". A few years later, already heavy and losing his former speed, Ali again tried to shake the old days and demonstrate top-quality boxing, but he was beaten and ended his career as a professional boxer.
Character
Mohammed Ali set himself goals and moved towards them with the relentlessness of a tsunami. Deciding at all costs to learn to repulse the offenders, Ali asked his brother to throw stones at him, trying to dodge. Over time, the bruises became smaller, and Cassius dodged from the stones, like a cat from a slipper. The future star of world boxing was not frightened by the high pressure that tore his head. The doctors strictly ordered him to quit the sport and take up health, but the seventeen-year-old Cassius once again scoffed, advising the docks not to throw tantrums.
In addition to the fact that the guy was gifted physically, with mental abilities, he also had everything in order. Yes, and more than enough tricks. Having once noticed that the recognized boxers didn’t give a damn about the Louisville “upstart” and were not eager to fight him, he began to challenge them to a fight, provoking the fire for what the world was worth. Cassius jumped in front of the cameras, demonstrating exactly how he was going to kill his rivals, announced the entire list by last name, invented the title “The Greatest” for himself and yelled in the face of opponents that “freaks are not champions.” " I am the smartest, bravest and funniest. I have no flaws. Everyone should imitate me - I'm great! Professionals were amazed, looking at the boor with a tinned throat, gritting their teeth, rushing into the ring with a great desire to knock the spirit out of the impudent one ... and there they were knocked out from his fast and powerful blows.
In addition to cunning and a flexible mind, Clay boasted a sharp view of the world and a good sense of humor. Cassius told everyone about his vision of racism, when everything around white represents good and bright, and everything black is creepy and dangerous. " All white angels go to heaven, and black angels cook milk with honey in the kitchen. And why does an angel bake a white cake, and the devil cooks chocolate?»
And when Cassius, an Olympic champion and an exemplary Christian, was not allowed to dine in a restaurant in his hometown, refusing to serve, this was the drop that inspired the "Greatest" to convert to Islam. Religion, which, in his opinion, is more truthful than others and does not wash the heads of believers: “ Love whites, hate blacks!»
When Cassius Clay decided to convert to Islam and change his name, although he was incredibly proud of the former and believed that it sounds “gladiator-like”, those around him opened their mouths. The newly-made orthodox approached the change of religion with all responsibility: he began to pray five times a day, and then he generally apologized to those opponents whom he winged according to his mother, and wrote the brochure “Healing”. The World Boxing Association did not stand aside and took away the champion title from him, but Ali again quickly defeated everyone, and the title was returned to him. A similar story with the title was repeated when Ali pretended to be imbecile so as not to do military service.
« I will not be what they want to see me, and I'm not afraid to be myself and think the way I want».
Personal
Although Cassius Clay was a stubborn man like no other, the opposite sex clung to him. Nose personal life Ali did not in the best way. Not only did his wives come across as mercantile and strove to snatch more from him, some of them also dishonored their husband during foreign visits, hiding silverware in their purse. " She was enterprising - she robbed not only Mr. Brezhnev, but later me as well. All my ex-wives were adventurous”, Ali said in an interview. Eight offspring grew up from three wives. One of the daughters of fashion model Veronica Porsche, Layla, made a career in women's boxing and won the fight with the daughter of the same "Smoking" Joe Frazier, without disgracing her father's fame.
In the end, Mohammed, who had thoroughly spent money in family battles, took a chance for the fourth time and married his Louisville neighbor Lonnie, who also had a sense of purpose. Even as a child, the girl buzzed everyone's ears that she would marry Cassius, and she achieved her goal years later. The family settled on a ranch in Michigan and took up charity work. They say that Mohammed still reads the Koran to the best of his ability, promotes Islam, helps the poor and fights the disease. And when asked what, in his opinion, is missing in modern boxing he answered without a shadow of a doubt: Me!" “Being a world champion is very nice, just being a champion is already a great feeling, but being a champion in several categories is like being a god, being Muhammad Ali, when the whole world knows you».
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