Biography

[b]Life[/b][br /]
[br /]

This is the legend of Muhammad Ali,[br /]

The greatest fighter that ever will be[br /]

He talks a great deal and brags, indeed,[br /]

Of a powerful punch and blinding speed.[br /]

Ali fights great he’s got speed and endurance; [br /]

If you sign to fight him, increase your insurance[br /]

Ali’s got a left, Ali’s got a right;[br /]

If he hits you once, you’re asleep for the night. [br /]

(Ali describing himself in a poetic manner)[br /]
[br /]
[b]Born as a ‘Black’[/b][br /]
[br /]

Cassius Marcellus Clay was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. A healthy child weighing over sixpounds, he was named after one of his forefathers, Cassius Marcellus Clay, a plantation owner of Kentucky and also a politician, who had once held the position of American Ambassador at the Court of St. James.[br /]

Cassius’ mother was Odessa Lee Grady.[br /]
[br /]


Clay’s great grandfather was an Irishman who had married a black woman.[br /]
[br /]


Cassius’ forefathers were of slave stock, a fact that would play a big role in the future.[br /]
[br /]

[b]A Child From Mediocre Family[/b][br /]
[br /]

Cassius grew up in West End Louisville, a black-dominated area. His parents were hard working. His father, also named Cassius Clay, was a sign painter and his mother worked as a cleaner and cook. The Clays were not well off. His elder brother Rudolf or Rudy, also helped the family by contributing his mite with odd jobs. Though they never had to worry for their supper, better accommodation was beyond their reach. Cassius and Rudolf wore clothes received from the charity organization, Good Will. The best part of it all was that they had their own house. Though it was not in a good condition, under the roof of this ramshackle cottage, the close knit family led a happy life with love and togetherness, not bothered by the hardships they faced.[br /]
[br /]


Cassius’ parents were devoted to each other, in spite of their different nature. As Cassius later wrote about his parents, his mother Odessa – Bird (a nickname given to his mother by young Cassius) was a quiet, homely and religious woman. In contrast, Cassius Sr. was a hep-cat (a word used by Cassius himself for his father). He was not only a drunkard, but also a girl chaser. He had a history of offences related to drunken behavior and careless driving.[br /]
[br /]

[b]First Punch[/b][br /]
[br /]

When Odessa and Cassius Sr. looked proudly at their tiny son, who walked and talked early, they had not in their wildest dreams envisioned his world-class heavy weight boxing career. It is said that Cassius’ first ever boxing activity took place when the six-month-old infant hit his mother on the face. It is said that the punch was so hard that two of her teeth had to be pulled out ![br /]
[br /]

According to his mother, Cassius’ first ever words were ‘Gee Gee’. In retrospect, Cassius later said that he may have been trying to say "Gee Gee I'm the greatest, or it might mean Golden Gloves."[br /]
[br /]

[b]The Foolhardy Boy[/b][br /]
[br /]

As he grew up, he and his family attended the Mount Zion Baptists Church on Sundays. Who could have imagined that a devout Christian would turn towards Islam in the future to seek answers.[br /]
[br /]

Physically, Cassius was a strong and able boy but quite a poor student. Initially, he used to attend Virginia Avenue Grade School and later the Central High School in Louisville. At first, he blamed his preoccupation with boxing at an early age for his poor academic record. Later on, he confessed that he wished he had put forth more efforts, because he had to struggle all his life due to his slow reading ability. Another reason for his poor results was that he used to clown around in school. In his boyhood, he was a prankster and practical joker. His pranks were aimed mainly to frighten his parents. Sometimes, he would put a bed sheet over his head and jump at them from a closet. At times, he would tie a string to a bedroom curtain and when his parents went to bed, he would immediately move it, creating a ghost like image. His playfulness resulted in poor marks at the school examinations. But his sportive ability found its own way in what can be called a violent and male dominated game – Boxing.[br /]
[br /]

[b]Love Affair with Boxing[/b][br /]
[br /]

How Cassius turned to boxing is indeed very interesting. At the age of 12, Cassius and his best friend went cycling to town on a rainy day. The heavy rain forced them to seek shelter at the Louisville Home Show, at the Columbia Auditorium.[br /]
[br /]

It was an annual Black bazaar, where the boys were provided with hot dogs and candy, free of charge. While the boys were enjoying their snacks inside, someone stole Cassius’ brand new Schwinn bike. The bewildered boys went to a policeman, Joe Elsby Martin to report the theft. Joe listened to them calmly and advised the frustrated youngsters to fight for themselves. He also offered them to join his boxing gymnasium situated in the basement of the auditorium.[br /]
[br /]

[b]The ‘Cub’ Stepped into the Ring[/b][br /]
[br /]

Cassius, weighing around 112 pounds joined Martin’s gym. He started practicing boxing and that became a part of his schedule. When the 12-year boy put on the gloves for the first time, he understood that ‘ring’ was the exit from the foggy atmosphere for the black boys prevailing in his time. Apart from Martin, another coach who taught boxing to Cassius was Fred Stoner. To move around quickly, using legs with the grace of a dancer was the first lesson taught to Cassius. At first, Cassius was beaten time and again, as he was short and used to hold his gloves too low. But being an enthusiastic student, he soon learned whatever was taught to him. He had the natural abilities to understand the nuances of the game. The best thing he learned was to hit the opponent without being hit back and it was truly unique.[br /]
[br /]

Not even for a single night, did he miss his practice – two hours with Martin and then four hours with Stoner. His reflexes were fast. His coaches were satisfied with the agility of his hands and his 'psychology to win attitude’, which is the most important quality of any winning sportsperson.[br /]
[br /]
[b]First Bout[/b][br /]
[br /]

Cassius’ coach Joe Martin would search for new talent and present them in his amateur boxing show on TV called Tomorrow’s Champions. Only six weeks after Cassius joined the gym, Martin booked him for a fight against a white boxer, Ronny O’ Keefe and Cassius won his first official bout on a split decision. The show was broadcast all over Kentucky. The audience who watched Cassius perform live, didn’t like him because he bragged about how strong he was and that no one could beat him.[br /]
[br /]

Following his first victory, Martin booked him on the show regularly. Every week, Cassius had a new opponent. Conscious of his short stature, the clever boy tried a new tactic by composing short poems using his poetic skills and speak loudly in the ring. Influenced by his father’s creativity in making slogans for signboards, Cassius was successful in combining the two – boxing and poetry :[br /]
[br /]

[i]This guy must be done[br /]

I’ll stop him in one.[/i][br /]
[br /]

About his style of bragging in the ring, Cassius later said, "Almost from my fights, I’d mouth off to anybody who would listen about what I was going to do to whoever I was going to fight. People would go out of their way to come and see, hoping I would get beaten. When I was no more than a kid fighter, they would put me in bills because I was a drawing card."[br /]
[br /]

[b]Becomes National Champion[/b][br /]
[br /]

Cassius’ style was different from the rest. He was faster than most of his opponents. Not using his hands to guard himself, instead he held them at waist height while dodging from the flurry of punches by his opponent, with his deft footwork and reflexes. To build up stamina, he used to eat a lot and visit the gym regularly. He developed a Herculean type physique, weighing in at 175 pounds, required for any light-heavyweight boxer.[br /]
[br /]

Subsequently, he won many fights in a series, gaining perfection with every fight. Until 1960, he had won 100 out of 108 fights, winning six Kentucky State Golden Gloves tournaments. At the end of 180 amateur fights, he had earned the National Golden Gloves and the National Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) titles, twice.[br /]
[br /]


Steadily moving towards international exposure, he beat a Black army champion Allen Hudson at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. In that Olympic trial match, he attacked so ferociously that the referee had to stop the match way before the last round. Cassius Clay was declared the best light–heavyweight boxer of USA. He packed his bags for the 1960 Rome Olympics to represent USA.[br /]
[br /]

[b]To Rome[/b][br /]
[br /]

The year 1960 was a golden year for Cassius Clay. On one side, he got a chance to participate in the Olympics and on the other side, he graduated with rank 367 out of 391 students of his class from the Central High School getting a diploma, inscribed a mere ‘Certificate of Attendance.’[br /]
[br /]

It is indeed hard to believe that the No. 1 amateur boxer in the USA was scared of flying. Cassius was not even ready to step on the plane. An author, David Remnick wrote that Joe Martin, Cassius’ coach had to spend four hours at the aerodrome to convince his lion hearted boxer that there was no railway to Rome! At last, Cassius boarded the plane to Italy. He had equipped himself with a parachute, which he purchased himself, and which he kept wearing and did not take off during the entire flight![br /]
[br /]


But the moment he found himself at the Olympic village, Cassius immediately regained his courage and his boastful speech. From the first day in the Eternal City of Rome, he attracted many athletes and mediapersons, with his bragging style. He began to prepare himself for the glorious future, destined for him.[br /]
[br /]


Because of his confident foretelling, Cassius became a hot favorite overnight and was bestowed with the title ‘Mayor of the Olympic Village’, by the local public. Some of his fellow athletes, smoldered with the feeling of neglect on being ignored by the media. Such was his ability to attract the media and the public by his outspokenness and charisma.[br /]
[br /]

[b]Olympic Gold[/b][br /]
[br /]

When the bout started, Cassius entered the ring full of confidence. As A. J. Liebling wrote, "just when the sweet science appears to lie like a painted ship upon a painted ocean, a new Hero…comes along like a Mortan tug to pull it out of the ocean." Cassius implemented his strategy to threaten his opponents, repeatedly shouting slogans while fighting against them. His favorite slogan that became synonymous with him thereafter was :[br /]
[br /]

I’m the greatest.[br /]
[br /]

Cassius’ first victory was against a Belgian boxer, Yvon Bacus. His next fight was a little tougher as his Russian opponent Gennady Shatkot was more experienced than Cassius. But Cassius, who had learned never to give up, won not only that fight but went on to beat Australian boxer Tonny Madign in the semi-finals enroute to the final.[br /]
[br /]


The final was the bloodiest battle fought in the Olympics. Cassius faced a Polish boxer Zbigniew Piertrzkowski who was a veteran of over 200 fights. At the beginning, Cassius seemed in trouble because Piertrzkowski was a southpaw and Cassius lacked the experience in battling a left-handed boxer. Even at the end of the second round, he found no succor and had lost all but hope. But after the last and third round, Cassius’ gloves and his opponent’s trunks were covered with Piertrzkowski’s blood. The audience saw the Pole, hanging on the ropes, defenseless. Cassius won the Olympic Gold, his first big achievement in life at an international venue.[br /]
[br /]


While returning to the USA, Clay was not scared of flying, instead he happily wrote a poem on the plane expressing his patriotism :[br /]
[br /]

To make America the greatest is my goal,[br /]

So I beat the Russian, and I beat the Pole,[br /]

And for USA won the Medal of Gold.[br /]

Italians said, ‘You’re greatest than the Cassius of Old.’[br /]

We like your name, we like your game,[br /]

So make Rome your home if you will.[br /]

I said I appreciate kind hospitality[br /]

But the USA is my country still,[br /]

‘Cause they waiting to welcome me in Louisville.[br /]
[br /]

Back in USA, the people welcomed their ‘hero’ with great enthusiasm at the airport in New York. The newspapers highlighted the great achievement of the boy with the imperial Roman name, Cassius Clay – the best amateur light-heavyweight boxer in the world.[br /]
[br /]

[b]Turning Professional[/b][br /]
[br /]

During one of his fights at the Olympics, Cassius had challenged Floyd Patterson, the then heavyweight world champion. Patterson was among the crowd of spectators assembled to welcome him. As Cassius saw him, he shouted out : "Patterson, some day I’m going to whup you. I am the greatest."[br /]
[br /]

And Patterson had smilingly answered : "You’re a good kid, keep trying kid."[br /]
[br /]


Cassius remained preoccupied with Patterson’s reply. Another event that stimulated his desire to fight Patterson happened in Kentucky when one day, he was passing through the Manhattan amusement arcade. Suddenly, he saw a machine, which was showing phony news headlines for 23 cents. Cassius found it interesting and paid the sum. The headline appeared on the screen:[br /]
[br /]

[h4]Cassius signs for Patterson fight.[/h4][br /]
[br /]

Cassius read it, and made up his mind that he would practice heavyweight boxing. Some famous professional heavyweight trainers offered to train him.[br /]
[br /]


Archie Moore, former world heavyweight champion sent a message : "If you want a good, experienced manager, call me, collect."[br /]
[br /]


A well known heavyweight boxer Rocky Marciano sent a telegram, which read, "You have the promise. I can give you the guidance." Even, Cus D’ Amato, a coach of Floyd Patterson, also took interest in Clay.[br /]
[br /]


Meanwhile, in the same year, he signed a contract with Bill Faversham, a Louisville businessman and a boxing fan. A contract with 11 millionaires from Louisville, called ‘Louisville Sponsoring Group’, was to run for six years. Cassius was given $ 10,000 as an advance. With a portion of it, Cassius bought a Cadillac for his parents, the rest he spent on renovation of their old Kentucky home. Moreover, Clay would get 50 per cent of his future income, as per the conditions of contract.[br /]
[br /]


Now, Clay had enough financial support, but still he couldn’t choose his manager. Bill Faversham was impatient to bring Cassius into the ring. So he arranged his first professional bout on October 29, 1960, against Tunney Hunsaker, a white sheriff of Virginia. In the fight that lasted six rounds, Cassius won but his performance was without charm. After this unconvincing victory, Cassius was pressed to get a manager by his sponsors. His father rejected Joe Martin, because he did not trust the policeman. Faversham chose Archie Moore, the ex-heavyweight champion. Cassius refused to join his camp for two reasons : Moore’s gym was in the mountains near San Diego, California. It was a place of quietude and Cassius was not habituated for such environment. And the second, more important reason was – Moore tried to change his style, and to get him away from professional fights until he got ready, suggesting that Cassius would need to train for years. Cassius couldn’t wait for such a long time. He went back to Louisville, giving the reason – Christmas celebrations.[br /]
[br /]


Meanwhile, he received another management offer from a much experienced Italian coach, Angelo Dundee. Dundee’s trainee list included the name of ex-world light–heavyweight champion Willie Pastrano. Cassius had known Dundee for two years and once had sought some valuable tips from him regarding boxing. At the end of 1960, Cassius went to Miami Beach to meet Dundee and became his disciple. Dundee didn’t try to change Cassius’ natural style, but instead nourished it. It turned out to be the greatest pair of trainer–boxer history had witnessed.[br /]
[br /]

[b]Poetic Predictor[/b][br /]
[br /]

Cassius’ next four bouts gave ample evidence of his improvement. He got a lot of media attention by winning all the subsequent fights with knockouts. After a number of fights, he began to show his confidence that all his opponents would fall in the round he presumed. Now, Cassius became a hot favorite with the media. He was presumed to secure the world heavyweight title, although he was ranked nine in the list of heavyweight boxers.[br /]
[br /]

The first important opponent in Cassius’ professional career was Archie Moore, his ex-coach. On November 16, 1962, 20-year old Clay switched to 48-year Moore. Before his bout, Cassius came out with his poetic prediction :[br /]
[br /]

When you come to the fight[br /]

Don’t block the halls[br /]

And don’t block the door[br /]

For Y’all may go home[br /]

After round four.[br /]
[br /]

And Moore did not last till the fifth round as Cassius had predicted. With this victory, Cassius had predicted his 11th win correctly. Till March 1963, his prophecies proved right. Before the fight against Doug Jones, Cassius, the ‘loudmouth’ (an adjective given to Clay by some media person) challenged his opponent, publicly :[br /]
[br /]

Jones likes to mix,[br /]

So I’ll let it go six.[br /]

If he talks jive,[br /]

I’ll cut it to five.[br /]

And if he talks some more,[br /]

I’ll cut it to four.[br /]
[br /]


In a jam packed-Madison Square Garden in New York, Cassius asked Jones, "How tall are you ?" Jones asked angrily, "Why do you want to know ?" Cassius answered, "So, I’ll know how far to step back when I knock you out in the fourth."[br /]
[br /]


But this time, Cassius failed to fulfil his prediction, as Jones survived up to the sixth round. The audience booed him, shouting ‘Fake!’ When the match ended, Cassius had one more victory in his pocket, a victory by a ‘whisker’.[br /]
[br /]


After the Clay – Jones fight, fans seemed to be unimpressed with Clay’s predictions. Soon it was over with his next fight. An English fight promoter, Jack Solomons, arranged a fight between Clay and the European champion Henry Cooper, affectionately known as ‘Enery’. Cassius, weighing 207 pounds, entered into the ring shouting that he would defeat Cooper, ‘a bum and a cripple’, in round five.[br /]
[br /]


In the first round, Cooper punched on Cassius’ nose. It started bleeding. After three rounds, Cooper swung in with his most famous and effective, wild left hook. It was the hardest Cassius had ever faced. He fell back, dangling on the ropes. When the bell rang declaring the end of the fourth round, Cassius could hardly stand on his legs. His trainer Dundee helped him to recover in the regular 60-second break. Prior to the start of the fifth round, Dundee noticed a rip in Cassius’ glove. As per boxing rules the gloves must be in good condition. It took another 60 seconds to replace the gloves. The fifth round became the last for Cooper. Cassius, an injured lion, came back with a vengeance and one of his blows opened a cut above Cooper’s left eye making Cooper nearly blind. The air in the auditorium was filled with the smell of Cooper’s blood. Cassius showered a flurry of punches on Cooper. It was becoming unbearable, not only for Cooper but also for the spectators. The famous actress Elizabeth Taylor, who was present there, screamed out to stop the match. Cooper was covered with a red mask. Cassius, seemingly unstoppable attacked again and again until the referee stopped the match, announcing him the winner. Cassius’ prediction had once again come true.[br /]
[br /]

[b]The World Champion[/b][br /]
[br /]

After the match with Cooper, when Cassius was waving to the booing crowd, two eagle eyes were watching him. They belonged to Jack Nilon, manager of the then World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston. After the match, Nilon went to meet Cassius in the dressing room with a message given by Liston. The message was : "Please, drink your orange juice and your milk shakes. Stay well and healthy. You talked yourself into a world title fight."[br /]
[br /]

Sonny Liston, a former prisoner, reigned in the heavyweight category. Two years earlier, he had dethroned Floyd Patterson. Liston had routed his opponent in a match that lasted only for two minutes and six seconds. He seemed invincible as he had lost only one professional fight in his career. Now, what was needed for Clay was more perfection. Luckily, he got Drew ‘Bundini’ Brown as his motivator and court jester, and they remained together from then on.[br /]
[br /]

Until 1964, Clay had achieved victories in all his 19 professional bouts, 16 of them by KOs. Cassius and Brown together invented the slogan that became a synonym of Clay’s boxing style :[br /]
[br /]

Float like a butterfly[br /]

And sting like a bee ![br /]
[br /]

Cassius tried hard to attract the media attention before he signed a contract for the Liston v/s Clay fight. He began taunting Liston, making fun of his appearance and predicted that he would demolish the champ in eight rounds :[br /]
[br /]

King Liston will stay[br /]

Until he meets Cassius Clay[br /]

Moore fell in four[br /]

Liston in eight.[br /]
[br /]

He tried a new trick to tease Liston by driving a bus around America. On the top of the bus a slogan was painted by his father :[br /]
[br /]

Cassius Clay – World’s Most Colorful Fighter[br /]
[br /]

And under that slogan, another one was drawn :[br /]
[br /]

Sonny Liston is Great[br /]

But He’ll Fall in Eight[br /]
[br /]

The most awaited bout was scheduled for February 25, 1964, in Miami. The match attracted a lot of hype, largely due to Clay’s boastful rhymes :[br /]
[br /]

Clay comes out to meet Liston[br /]

And Liston starts to retreat [br /]

If Liston goes back any further[br /]

He’ll end up in a ringside seat.[br /]

Clay swings with a left,[br /]

Clay swings with a right,[br /]

Look at your Cassius [br /]

Carry the fight.[br /]

Liston keeps backing [br /]

But there’s not enough room[br /]

It’s a matter of time.[br /]

There, Clay lowers the boom.[br /]

Now Clay swings with a right,[br /]

What a beautiful swing, [br /]

And the punch raises the bear,[br /]

Clear out of the ring.[br /]

Liston is still rising [br /]

And the ref wears a frown,[br /]

For he can’t start counting,[br /]

Till Sonny comes down.[br /]

Now Liston disappears from view.[br /]

The crowd is getting frantic, [br /]

But our radar stations have picked him up.[br /]

He’s somewhere over the Atlantic.[br /]

Who would have thought[br /]

When they came to the fight[br /]

That they’d witness the launching[br /]

Of a human satellite ?[br /]

Yes, the crowd did not dream [br /]

When they laid down their money [br /]

That they would see[br /]

A total eclipse of the Sonny ![br /]

I am the greatest ![br /]
[br /]

[i]Until the morning of weigh-in for the match, Cassius seemed crazy with pre-bout tension. During medical check-up, his pulse was found to be 120 a minute and was certified as a person – ‘scared to death’. This thing had the desired effect on his opponent, who started presuming that Clay was nothing than a loudmouth youngster and he (Liston) would win before the fourth round. Very few believed that Cassius had a chance. The night of the fight the odds seemed to favor Liston as the book makers had declared him the hot favorite by 7-1.[br /]
[br /]


At last, the most awaited fight began. Liston did not know how fast Cassius was. Indeed, Clay didn’t give Liston a chance to throw a single punch. He danced around him like a butterfly. Whenever Liston tried to hit him, Clay would float away. An exhausted Liston was breathing hard in the third round. Cassius began to hit him and hit a big punch under the left eye. During the fight, Cassius also had trouble in his eyes, and even he wanted to quit. But his manager Dundee stopped him and shouted : ‘No way, get in there and fight.’[br /]
[br /]


Cassius, at his coach’s command, continued fighting. He exhibited great grace and beauty of strength and control in the ring. In the sixth round, his vision became clear again. He used his quick fists to frustrate the champ and Liston, claiming a badly hurt shoulder, did not come out of the corner for the seventh round. When the bell sounded, Liston was like a fallen statue, unable to move. It was a historical moment in the world of boxing as Cassius Marcellus Clay, a 22-year American boy was proclaimed as the second youngest heavyweight boxer to win the World Championship Title.[br /]
[br /]


As Cassius first realized this fact, he ran around the ring and shouted at the media persons, "Who is the greatest ? Eat your words ! I shook up the world!"[br /]
[br /]


This was a solid beginning to his long and successful career.[br /]
[br /]


In an interview with Sports Illustrated magazine, Ali confidently said : "If you wonder what the difference between (other heavyweight boxers) and me is, I’ll break the news : you never heard of them. I’m not saying they’re not good boxers. Most of them…can fight almost as good as I can. I’m just saying you never hear of them. And the reason for that is because they cannot throw the jive. Cassius Clay is a boxer who can throw the jive better than anything."[/i][br /]
[br /]

[b]Birth of Muhammad Ali[/b][br /]
[br /]

In 1964, he converted to Islam. The most recognizable and the most outspoken athlete in the world declared, the very day after his triumph as the World Heavyweight Champion, that he had joined the Nation of Islam, a popular Black organization.[br /]
[br /]

Most of the White people in America were stunned by the news. They couldn’t believe that their champ was not a Christian anymore. The Nation of Islam, whose leader was Elijah Muhammad, favored the liberation of the Blacks from slavery and subjugation, saying they should claim their own territory in the US instead. The Black Muslims were considered to be the ‘militants’ of the civil rights movements that was at its peak in America at the time. It was due to the efforts of Malcolm X, the most charismatic minister of the Nation of Islam that it was revealed only after the Clay–Liston bout that Clay had joined Muslim secret meetings for the last three years.[br /]
[br /]


An important event that played a vital role in his decision to convert occurred three years ago, when Cassius had been denied employment at a soda fountain counter because he was a black. Disgusted with racism in his own country, Cassius had thrown his Olympic gold medal into a river. Cassius later said with disappointment, "That gold medal didn’t mean a thing to me if my black brothers and sisters were treated wrong in a country I was supposed to represent." After this event, Cassius came in touch with Malcolm X at Miami and decided to join the Nation of Islam.[br /]
[br /]


At first, he changed his name to ‘Cassius X’. Here, ‘X’ meaning the unknown family name of his ancestors who were brought to USA from Africa as slaves. But after four weeks, Elijah Muhammad gave him a new name.[br /]
[br /]


Now, the world would recognize Cassius Clay as Muhammad Ali, meaning Beloved of Allah.[br /]
[br /]


The reaction was what he had presumed. His ‘good boy’ image took a beating. Many Americans started looking at ‘bad Muhammad Ali’ as a member of a militant sect. Many Americans, including journalists kept calling Ali by his original name – Cassius Clay - and rooted for him to lose at upcoming matches. Yet Ali, firm in his decision, continued to march on the path of his chosen career.[br /]
[br /]

[b]Marital Knot[/b][br /]
[br /]

Meanwhile, in the summer of 1964, there were changes in his personal affairs. In July, he met a beautiful half-black woman. She was Sonji Roi, a model and a cocktail waitress. On August 14, 1964, Ali married her in Gray, Indiana.[br /]
[br /]

For their honeymoon, they went on a tour of Africa. The fairy tale marriage didn’t last more than a year as a result of their conflicts with each other on Ali being extremely loyal to the Nation of Islam.[br /]
[br /]


It resulted in the annulment of their marriage, soon after his rematch with Sonny Liston in 1965.[br /]
[br /]

[b]The Phantom Punch[/b][br /]
[br /]

Clay, now weighing in at 245 pounds, was back in the ring with a new name and radiated confidence. A disastrous event happened just three days before the match. During a fight against Jimmy Ellis, he took a heavy low blow and suffered hernia. Immediately, Ali was admitted to the hospital. As a result, the Ali–Liston bout was postponed.[br /]
[br /]

Finally, it took place on May 25, 1965. What happened in the two minute bout is still a matter of controversy. In a dramatic first round, Ali swung with his infamous blow what later became famous as the ‘phantom punch’. Ali hit Liston squarely on the jaw so hard that he flopped on the mat within a fraction of a second. Referee Jersey Joe Walcott could not pick up the timekeeper’s count and allowed the fight to continue. Nat Fleischer, one of the journalists sitting in the press box, alerted the referee about the error and the match was immediately stopped. But the controversial ‘phantom punch’ made the critics cry foul. Even former champ Joe Louis stated that Ali was a part of a racist organization and that he lacked the skills to compete with past ‘great persons’ like him and Rocky Marciano. Some people started believing that Liston had lost the bout intentionally because there was a rumor that some Black Muslims had threatened to shoot him if he won. Nevertheless, Ali was the winner and the victory had added another feather in his cap, while defending his heavyweight title. [br /]
[br /]


In retrospect, Floyd Patterson, who had been the world heavyweight champion twice, began criticizing Ali and the Black Muslims. He made a controversial statement, "I am willing to fight, just so I can bring the championship back to America."[br /]
[br /]


And the inevitable Ali–Patterson fight was held at Las Vegas, on November 22, 1965. Ali had knocked out Patterson twice before. This time he answered Patterson’s wish to fight against him in a very ridiculous manner :[br /]
[br /]

I’m gonna put him flat on his back,[br /]

so that he will start acting black.[br /]

Because when he was champ[br /]

he didn’t do as he should [br /]

He tried to force himself [br /]

into an all–white neighborhood.[br /]
[br /]

And Ali did it. In 12 rounds, he finished the match. Once again the critics had to accept the fact that Ali was the champ.[br /]
[br /]


In 1966, Ali successfully faced five fighters in the ring : George Chuvalo in Canada, Henry Cooper and Brian London in England, German champion Karl Milden Berger in Frankfurt and Cleveland Williams in Houston. The monstrous matches against WBA champion Ernie Terrell and tough fighter Cleveland Williams validated his claim as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time.[br /]


[b]The Champ – Without A Title[/b][br /]
[br /]

Throughout this time, Ali was shrouded in controversies arising from his involvement with Nation of Islam. He had another battle to face the following year. This time outside the ring. The act had been staged two years ago, when Ali was called to serve for the US armed forces. He had failed to pass the mental aptitude test at a military induction center in Florida and classified 1-Y, meaning unfit for service. But later on, the US armed forces required more soldiers for the ongoing Vietnam War and the pass-percentage marks for the soldier’s test had been dropped to 15. All of a sudden, Ali was classified 1-A, meaning fit for service.[br /]
[br /]


On April 28, 1967, his name was announced at the induction center on San Jacinto Street, Houston; ‘Cassius Clay – Army.’ Ali refused to co-operate with the draft and did not join the armed forces saying he was a member of Nation of Islam, which was a pacifist organization. When asked by journalists, he simply replied, "I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Congs. No Viet Cong ever called me nigger".[br /]
[br /]


This is probably the most famous statement ever made by Ali.[br /]
[br /]


The reaction was quick. The so-called patriotic fans and sports journalists precipitated a tremendous outcry against him. Ali was charged for violating the Selective Service Act by the US government and was sentenced to five years imprisonment and fined $1,00,000. On appeal, he could save himself from the jail but the worst thing that happened to him was his exile from the boxing world. The World Boxing Association stripped him of his title and boxing license. Moreover, his passport was impounded by the government to ensure that he did not box abroad.[br /]
[br /]


Reflecting upon this period Sports Illustrated published, "The noise became a din, the drumbeats of holy war. TV and radio commentators, little old ladies… bookmakers, and parish priests, armchair strategists at the Pentagon and politicians all over the place joined in a crescendo of get-Cassius clamor."[br /]
[br /]


Ali, who had earned millions in the ring, was soon in financial trouble. The helpless, but not hopeless guy opened his heart in an interview to Edwin Shrake for Sports Illustrated : "I’m giving up my title, my wealth, may be my future. Many great men have been tested for their religious beliefs. If I pass this test, I’ll come out stronger than ever."[br /]
[br /]


His great will power has been exhibited in his poem :[br /]
[br /]

Keep asking, no matter how long[br /]

On the war in Vietnam I sing this song [br /]

I ain’t got no quarrel with the Viet-Cong.[br /]

Clean out my cell[br /]

And take my tail to jail[br /]

’Cause better to be in jail fed[br /]

Than to be in Vietnam, dead.[br /]
[br /]

Ali was no longer the titleholder. But to the true boxing fans, he was still the champ.
Ali had no fights for three years. It was a big loss for him as he was at the peak of his career then. Meanwhile, he married 17-year-old, Belinda Boyd, a Black Muslim from Chicago. He had first met Boyd when he visited her school in 1961. After his second marriage, Ali had to look for other sources of income, as he wasn’t allowed to box. Soon he found a way. He started giving speeches at colleges and universities. In most of the
lectures, he would explain his vision regarding war or segregation of Blacks. His lectures would attract huge audiences. Soon he became the third most charismatic speaker in America, the first two being – US Senators Edmund Muskie and Edward Kennedy.[br /]
[br /]


Although, the income from his lectures fell short of his legal fees, he also tried acting and gave public appearances. He acted as a leading actor in the Broadway Musical Buck White. Moreover, a computer bout between him and Rocky Marciano and a documentation of his life provided enough financial support for Ali.[br /]
[br /]


The only unfortunate thing that happened was his failure in the venture of ‘Champburger’ chain of fast food restaurants.[br /]
[br /]

[b]Back to the Ring[/b][br /]
[br /]

During this period, new heavyweight champions Jimmy Ellis and Joe Frazier had captured Ali’s place. But boxing seemed to lack charm without Ali. Ali never regretted his decision not to join the US army.
Whenever he was asked if he missed boxing, his answer would be : "No. Boxing misses me."[br /]
[br /]


It was true. Boxing was missing Ali. During his exile, Black and non-Black Americans began to feel that Ali should be allowed to enter the ring again. As an echo of the sentiments of the masses, the Supreme Court overturned his conviction, on June 20, 1970. Ali got his passport and license back and he returned to the ring after a three and half years in exile.[br /]
[br /]


In October 1970, the first fight after his exile was held in Atlanta, against a tough promising fighter Jerry Quarry. Roaring like a lion, Ali jumped into the ring. The hearts of the spectators missed a beat for a moment. Quarry was disposed of in three rounds, because he got a huge cut above his eyes that was bleeding heavily. After this non-artistic match, Ali faced a strong boxer from Argentina, Oscar Bonavena. He was so stubborn that even after being hit, he would get wilder and full of energy without showing any sign of weakness. The boring fight lasted 15 rounds. It ended with Bonavena’s impressive knock out. For Ali, these matches were just like a pre-war preparation.[br /]
[br /]


A true challenge was yet to come.[br /]
[b]Fight of the Century[/b][br /]
[br /]

During Ali’s exile, ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier, a former slaughterhouse worker, had become the new WBA heavyweight champion. Since Ali didn’t lose his title in the ring, his fans believed that Ali was still the champ. So it became necessary that an Ali–Frazier fight should take place.[br /]
[br /]


The curiosity ended on March 8, 1971. The most challenging fight scheduled in Madison Square Garden, New York City, where two undefeated champions were going head to head. The fight was going to be a big event, because both the opponents were guaranteed the previously unheard of sum of $ 2.5 million each. For the promotion of this most important fight, Ali used his old psyching trick. Like every time, he could not stop himself from teasing his opponent :[br /]
[br /]

Joe’s gonna come out smokin,[br /]

But I ain’t gonna be jokin,[br /]

I’ll be pickin and pockin[br /]

Pouring water on his smokin,[br /]

This might shock and amaze ya[br /]

But I’m gonna destroy Joe Frazier.[br /]
[br /]

Despite this comment, Frazier gave a tough fight, without getting disturbed. In the early rounds, Ali came out fast, as expected. Surprisingly, his fists could not damage the iron man Frazier. In return, Frazier started hitting Ali with vicious punches after the fourth round. Ali lost his speed and collapsed, absorbing the punishment that he never had before. In the 15th round, Frazier planted a bone-crushing left hook on Ali’s jaw that sprawled him. His right cheek was badly damaged. Frazier was declared the winner. It was Ali’s first professional loss, but he was not ready to quit.[br /]
[br /]


The defeat was followed by a new victory, outside the ring. On June 29, 1971, Ali got the news that the US Supreme Court had reversed his conviction for draft dodging, and had dismissed all criminal charges against him. An eclipse was over. Now, he was going to open a new, more colorful chapter of his career.[br /]


[b]Fighting on and on[/b][br /]
[br /]

After being defeated by Frazier, Ali had to prove that he was still ‘The Greatest’. He won three fights in 1971, which included pocketing the North American Heavyweight Title. Then in 1972, he defeated six opponents and all this time, he continued to tell the mediapersons that he would surely meet Frazier and compel him to accept his [Ali’s] greatness.[br /]
[br /]


The year 1973 was a tragic one for Ali, when he faced Ken Norton. Ali’s arrogance stopped him from taking the fight seriously. He trained himself for just three weeks before the fight. On the day of the bout, Ali was put in a humiliating situation when Norton, comparatively an unknown boxer, broke his jaw in the second round.[br /]
[br /]


Soon after his jaw healed, he recharged himself with all his skills and speed, beating Norton in a rematch held in the same year at Los Angeles, on September 10.[br /]
[br /]


In 1974, Ali faced his rival Joe Frazier for the second time. Frazier had recently lost his title in Jamaica against a young, giant killer George Foreman. Both boxers tried to influence each other before the fight, as they had done earlier. The fight was noted more for its pre-fight brawl in a studio during a TV appearance than for the action in the ring.[br /]
[br /]


The Ali–Frazier bout, the richest non-title fight in the history was not as brutal as the first one. Ali won by a unanimous decision, once again proving that he was still a creditable fighting force.[br /]
[br /]

[b]Rumble in the Jungle[/b][br /]
[br /]

The victory over Joe Frazier put Ali on the stage where the next challenge was ready to welcome him. It was the World’s No. 1 heavyweight boxer George Foreman. Seemingly, the most ferocious and invincible champ then, Ali’s target was clear. He had to get his title back.[br /]
[br /]

When Ali was preparing to battle, some people, even his keenest supporters wondered whether he could survive against a powerful puncher like Foreman. But Ali was confident of winning the world championship crown. His manager Dundee and he had discussed their original plan that was to dance around Foreman and attack him from long range. Moreover, he did the same thing what he had done in the past – he came up with his new rhyme :[br /]
[br /]

You think the world was shocked when Nixon resigned ?[br /]

Wait till I whup George Foreman’s behind.[br /]

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee[br /]

His hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see[br /]

Now you see me, now you don’t[br /]

George thinks he will, but I know he won’t.[br /]

I done wrassled with an alligator[br /]

I done tussled with a whale[br /]

Only last week I murdered a rock[br /]

Injured a stone, hospitalized a brick[br /]

I’m so mean I make medicine sick.[br /]
[br /]

On the night of October 30, 1974, Ali tangled with Foreman at Kinshasa in Zaire, a country in the ‘heart of darkness’, in Central Africa. Mobutu, the dictator of Zaire provided $ 5 million for each fighter, which was double than what they received for their first fight. Both the contenders exhibited their best. Since Ali’s ancestors belonged to the land, he could attract the black people.[br /]
[br /]


Some 70,000 spectators had gathered in the soccer stadium at Kinshasa. The fight was to be broadcast live on TV. As both contenders entered into the ring, people began screaming, "Ali, boma aye-yay !" meaning "Ali, knock him down and kill him !"[br /]
[br /]


The audience sympathy was totally in favor of Ali, as Foreman was always surrounded with German folks and used to keep himself away from strangers whereas Ali was totally different – witty, funny and expert in seeking love from the people. As the fight began, Ali used the same strategy against Foreman, which he had used against Sonny Liston some 10 years ago. But this time he didn’t show his footwork. Whenever Foreman tried to hit him, Ali would lie himself on the ropes, actually inviting Foreman to hit him. The wise thing he did was to protect his face with the gloves, his kidneys and belly with his arms and elbows. Later, Foreman admitted that he had hit Ali as hard as he could, but he didn’t go down.[br /]
[br /]


Ali’s ‘rope-a-dope’ strategy proved to be successful. In the eighth round, he came off the ropes and attacked Foreman with a perfect combination and all his strength. Before Foreman could comprehend what was happening, he found himself sprawled in the center of the ring by Ali’s powerful punch on his jaw. It was Foreman’s first career knockout defeat. The Rumble in the Jungle was over. Ali had done the impossible.[br /]
[br /]


He became the first boxer after Floyd Patterson to regain the heavyweight title, after seven years. The rule for the champs, ‘They never come back’ was broken. His victory compelled many of his past critics to shut their mouths. He was also invited by the US President to visit the White House.[br /]
[br /]


The entire event of the Ali–Foreman fight was an inspiration for When We Were Kings, a 1996 award-winning documentary.[br /]
[br /]


His next opponent was 35-year-old Chuck Wepner who held out against Ali’s attacks for almost 15 rounds. Referee Tony Perez stopped the fight in the last round. Wepner was admired by many, even impressed the Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone to come out with Rocky, the movie based on Wepner’s courageous fighting. After Wepner, Ali successfully defended his title against Ron Lyle in Las Vegas and Joe Burgner in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nine months after his fight against George Foreman, he fought another exciting match.[br /]
[br /]

[b]Thrilla in Manila[/b][br /]
[br /]

Many people, even from his side, thought that Ali would quit the ring, but Ali was still willing to fight for many years to come. He was training himself for the next challenge – Joe Frazier, once again.[br /]
[br /]

Before the fight known as The Thrilla in Manila, Ali prepared himself to rout ‘Smokin’ Joe. A few days before the bout, Ali had referred to the challenger as a ‘gorilla’ in a joint press conference that created tension between the two giants :[br /]
[br /]

It will be a killer[br /]

And a chiller[br /]

And a thrilla[br /]

When I get the gorilla[br /]

In Manila[br /]
[br /]

Ali always kept a toy gorilla in his pocket. At times, he would take out and punch it. Ali also imitated Frazier’s slang to make him angry.[br /]
[br /]


Both contenders met for the third time on September 30, 1975, at Manila. Around 20,000 spectators saw Ali, dominating in the early rounds. These included Ali’s new manager and the son of the Nation of Islam’s leader – Herbert Muhammad, his doctor Ferdie Pacheco, Drew ‘Bundini’ Brown, Ali’s best friend and the photographer Howard Bingham and also beautiful Veronica Porche, who soon became his third wife.[br /]
[br /]


The bout, held at Quezon City, on the outskirts of Manila, was a very grueling battle and perhaps the hardest professional fight ever seen. Throughout the bout, both men landed hard punches. The spectators saw Ali dominating the early rounds. In the sixth round, Frazier beat Ali so badly that Ali felt himself ‘close to death and wanted to quit in the tenth’ round.[br /]
[br /]


His former coach ‘Bundini’ Brown shouted out : "Force yourself, champ ! Go down into the well once more !"[br /]
[br /]


Ali went on pounding Frazier in the succeeding rounds. When the bell for the final round sounded, Frazier was unable to answer it. Ali had once again defended his World Heavyweight Title.[br /]
[br /]

[b]Losing his ‘Magic’[/b][br /]
[br /]

The champ hardly survived his title defence in 1976, when he fought against Ken Norton for the third time. Though he won, it was considered as the result of a little mistake made by Norton. Later Ali admitted that he had ‘almost lost the title’.[br /]
[br /]

Many began to think that Ali should quit, as not much of his ‘magic’ was left that he had shown against Foreman or Frazier. Ali entered the ring once again, winning the fight against Spaniard Alfredo Evangelista.[br /]
[br /]


As Ali’s boxing skills began to decline, so did his marriage. His second wife Khaliah [Belinda] filed for divorce in the same year and his marriage ended. A year later, he married Veronica, one of the four poster girls who promoted the Rumble in the Jungle.[br /]
[br /]


In the late 1970s, Ali’s health began to deteriorate slightly. It would have been wise for him to retire at this point but he continued boxing.[br /]
[br /]


In 1978, Ali weighing in at 242 pounds, fought against 1976 Olympic Gold Medallist Leon Spinks. Ali once again tried to be successful with his ‘rope-a-dope’ strategy, but this time he failed. Spinks, who had fought only seven professional bouts, didn’t tire and kept punching on Ali’s arms and belly. In a huge upset, Ali lost his crown on a split decision. It was the most unfortunate moment for Ali as he lost his World Championship Heavyweight title for the first and only time.[br /]
[br /]


Accepting his defeat with a great sportsman spirit, Ali said, "Of all the fights I lost in boxing, losing to Spinks hurt the most. That’s because it was my own fault. Leon fought clean, he did the best he could. But it was embarrassing that someone with so little fighting skills could beat me."[br /]
[br /]


After seven months, on February 15, he took back his title with masterful display of his skills. With this victory, Ali became the only man to win the greatest prize in boxing three times.[br /]
[br /]


Ali at 37 had a professional record of 59 victories and three defeats. His skills seemed to have eroded with age, his body so damaged and his arms so weak that he couldn’t fight without shots of novocaine. But because of his lavish lifestyle, he always found himself in need of money.[br /]
[br /]


On October 2, 1980, he put himself in the ring once again. This time, he was to fight Larry Holmes at Las Vegas, for the WBC title with a guaranteed purse of $ 8 million. Holmes gave Ali a bad beating. In the 11th round, Ali was unable to answer the bell and Holmes knocked out Ali. His manager Dundee said, "That’s all, the ballgame’s over."[br /]
[br /]


But it was not over. In autumn of 1981, Ali almost 40 entered the ring for the last time. It was also a bad day for Ali, as he lost the fight against Trevor Berbick in Nassau. It was the end of a great career that lasted 21 years.[br /]
[br /]

[b]Boxing Still Misses Him[/b][br /]
[br /]

After hanging up his gloves, Ali steered towards political activism and philanthropic work. He supported Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party. During this period, his health appeared to be on a rapid decline. Initially, he was misdiagnosed as having a thyroid disease. Upon another medical check-up in 1982, Ali was diagnosed to be suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. He began treatment for the disease, which is caused by the repetitive trauma to the head, and at times badly affects speech and muscular co-ordination.[br /]
[br /]


Without any kind of disappointment, Ali commented on his condition : "I’ve got Parkinson’s syndrome. I’m in no pain…If I was in perfect health, if I had won my last two fights, if I had no problem, people would be afraid of me. Now, they feel sorry for me. They thought I was Superman. Now, they can say ‘He’s human, like us. He has problems."[br /]
[br /]


Despite his much-publicized disease, Ali has been enjoying his rest of years peacefully with his family at his farm in Berrien Springs, Michigan, US.[br /]
[br /]


Ali has also founded WORLD (the World Organization for Right, Liberty, and Dignity), which fights for human rights against any kind of slavery or exploitation.[br /]
[br /]


In 1996, the Olympic Committee honored Ali by choosing him to light the Olympic torch during the opening ceremonies of Olympic Games at Atlanta. It is considered to be the greatest reward for any athlete in a lifetime.[br /]
[br /]


Ali fought his entire life, and is still fighting on for equal rights of Blacks and Whites. He got success in his efforts in 1999, becoming the first boxer ever to appear on the cover of a Wheaties box.[br /]
[br /]


In February 1985, he functioned as a lay diplomat and tried to secure the release of four kidnapped Americans in Lebanon. He has also traveled around the world as a diplomat, and is still on the platform to influence people all over the world. Wherever he goes, he attracts huge audiences.[br /]
[br /]


The great fighter for social and radical justice, Ali is happily living a good social life with his fourth wife, Lonnie Williams Ali, and nine children, eight from his marriages and one adopted child. He is accompanied by his seven daughters : Maryum, Rasheeda and Jamilla (twins), Miya, Khaliah, Hana and Laila, and two sons : Muhammad Jr. and Assad [adopted son]. He amuses himself by performing conjuring tricks at times. [br /]
[br /]


Khaliah, one of his daughters, has successfully built up her boxing career following in the footsteps of her champion father. Now, Laila too has followed suit, taking up boxing as a career.[br /]
[br /]


Bill Clinton, the former President of the US presented the boxing legend with an award, celebrating a lifetime of achievement on October 29, 2000, at the NIAF’s (National Italian American Foundation’s) 25th anniversary celebration in Washington. At the ceremony, Clinton recalled the day when Ali had lit the Olympic flame saying, "It was the greatest personal thrill I have ever had as an American citizen."[br /]
[br /]


Muhammad Ali, the ‘Greatest of All’ as he says for himself, will forever remain truly, The People’s Champ.[br /]
[br /]
[br /]