About Me
In all of boxing history, I stand alone. In early boasts, I called Myself "The Greatest," and by the time my storied career came to an end, most fight fans agreed. I had also become the best-known athlete in the world and, very possibly, the best loved as well.Cassius Clay, my birth name until I became a Black Muslim in 1964. I grew up in a quiet black neighbourhood of Louisville, Kentucky. I was a popular student in high school, where my stunning self-confidence made me noteworthy even then. I had been focussed on boxing since I was twelve and trained with the single-mindedness of a future champion. I started boxing at the amateur level in my hometown and captured the AAU and Golden Gloves titles in 1959 and 1960. I competed in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, where I won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division. I first boxed professionally in 1960, at the age of eighteen, with a win over a boxer named Tunney Hunsaker. In subsequent early bouts, it was quickly apparent that I possessed unbelievable hand and foot speed for someone my size. As I developed, I displayed a stinging jab and a strong right hand. I liked to hold my hands low and evade punches to the head by simply bobbing out of harm's way. My knack for self-promotion nearly rivalled my ring skills. I mugged for the cameras, talked in rhymes, and boasted that I was not only the greatest, but also the prettiest of all time. I began to predict, with unnerving accuracy, the round in which I would stop opponents ("They all fall/in the round I call"). In a time when interest in boxing had waned, I dramatically revitalised the sport. I was a one-man show, full of swagger and contempt, and the press and public embraced me.I proved over and over, with great talent and boxing intelligence, that I was much more than an entertaining huckster. In 1961, I knocked out Alex Miteff, who had been considered a top contender the previous year. In 1962 and 1963, I defeated such daunting adversaries as George Logan, Billy Daniels, Archie Moore, Doug Jones and Henry Cooper. Having emerged as the top heavyweight contender, I faced the formidable Sonny Liston for the world championship in 1964. Many observers gave me little chance against big, bad Liston. But I dominated the fight despite being nearly blinded for two rounds by a foreign substance used by Liston's corner. (Perhaps liniment or a coagulant applied to a cut and then transferred to Liston's gloves). I won the Heavyweight Title when Liston refused to answer the bell for the seventh round, claiming an injured shoulder.After the victory, I announced that I had become a member of the Nation of Islam, the Black Muslim religion, and had changed my name. My conversion upset some fans. The jokester had gotten serious about race and politics. It cost me some popularity and probably, though never acknowledged, influenced my future as a titleholder. When I agreed to give Liston a return match, the WBA took the title away ostensibly because the rematch contract was a violation of WBA rules. I continued to be outspoken, particularly in statements against the Vietnam War. In my second fight with Liston, I triumphed in one round, using my famed "anchor punch." As with the first Liston fight, this rematch was shrouded in controversy. Some thought that Liston took a dive. After flooring Liston, I did not immediately move to a neutral corner. Liston eventually rose from the canvas and the fight resumed. It was only when Nat Fleischer, editor of The Ring, shouted from the ring-side that Liston had been down for at least a count of ten, that referee Jersey Joe Walcott stopped the fight.My refusal, on religious grounds, to accept induction into the armed forces caused me to be stripped of my undisputed world title in 1967. Furthermore, I faced imprisonment for my action and was barred from boxing while my case was litigated. I called myself "The People's Champion" & continued to be recognised as the world heavyweight titleholder in Great Britain and Japan. Ultimately, in June 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in my favor, after I returned to the ring in an October 1970 conquest over Jerry Quarry. In my last fights before my banishment, I had combined stylish footwork with great punching power. Most experts concede that upon my return, the older, slightly heavier fighter was not quite the equal of the 1967 Ali. I met the new champion, Joe Frazier, in the "Fight of the Century" in Madison Square Garden in 1971. In an extremely hard-fought battle, Frazier won the decision, handing me my first defeat. In one of the greatest series in ring history, we met twice more in battles of strength, skill and courage, with me emerging as the victor both times. I scored a technical knockout over Frazier in our final bout, called the "Thrilla in Manila" and considered by many to one of the greatest fights of all time.I reclaimed the heavyweight championship in 1974 when I knocked out the previously unbeaten George Foreman. Dubbed the "Rumble in the Jungle," the match was held in Kinshasa, Zaire. I used my "rope-a-dope" strategy in which he leaned against the ropes and allowed Foreman to punch himself out. After Foreman tired, I knocked him out. I lost my title to the unproven Leon Spinks in 1978, but reclaimed it in the rematch later that same year. I then announced my retirement only to make ill-fated comeback attempts against Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick.Plagued by ill health in retirement, I remain a respected public figure. The most recognised face in the world!I am the only man TO EVER beat Superman!http://www.boxing-memorabilia.com/muhammad%20ali%20
biography.htm
