Muhammad Ali Biography

Cassius Clay: I am the greatest. Male: By his account, he floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee. According to Sports Illustrated in the BBC, he was the sportsman of the 20th century. That honor would have come as no surprise to the three-time world heavy weight champion who always says he is the greatest. Ahead of his 1963 fight against Henry Cooper, still boxing with the leading name, Cassius Clay, he make a fly with this cocky prediction of initial victory. Cassius Clay: This will be no contest. This will be a total annihilation. Male: Any special training out there? Cassius Clay: No, special training, just be at the fight. I’m ready to back up everything I’m saying and into talking. Male: His arrogance proved justified. By the end of the year, he had a master record of 19 straight wins with 15 knockouts earning the crockets, Sonny Liston for the world title. In the lead up to the clash in Miami in February 1964 Liston injured his own fair share of Clay’s trademark talks. Liston: Fifteen times I’ve told the crowd what round he is going down and his campaign is no difference. He will fall to prove that I’m great and if keep talking that I’m going to cause a fight. Male: The fight came under the threat of cancellation due to rumors of the young contender’s links with Malcolm X in the nation of Islam which affect on him was viewed as a hate group. According to Ali’s 1975 autobiography, promoter Bill Faversham persuaded him to delay his intended conversion to Islam until after the fight so as not to put off the crowds. Despite his underdog status, Clay’s famous speed and agility kept him out of trouble in the early rounds and by round three he was ahead on points while Liston had a cut to his eye. Liston failed to answer the bell at the start of round seven and Cassius Clay delivered on his promise to shake the world. Now world champion, he revealed he was a member of the nation of Islam and declared his support of separatism renaming him self Muhammad Ali. He successfully defended his title many times for his boxing license was suspended in 1967 refusing to sign up to fight in the Vietnam War. He made a come back in the 1970’s and suffered his first ever professional defeat with the hands of Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden in 1971. Frazier met Ali down in the 15th with a left hook and retained his title with the unanimous decision. Nine years later, despite doctors finding a hole in the membrane of his brain. Ali went ahead with the WBC world title fight against Larry Holmes. He lost the fight and retired the following year. Not long after, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease which brought about tremors and the decline of his motor function. Debate as to whether the condition had been brought on by boxing rage but Ali insisted he had no regrets about his choice of career path. Now on his fourth marriage, he’s fathered two sons and seven daughters; one of whom Laila has followed him into the ring despite his famous objections to female boxing. Yolanda Ali: Muhammad has never been wanted to do anything halfway and he has never settled for doing something second in anything that he has done, in the ring, in his work on humanitarian causes, or in his personal life. Male: On a trip to Afghanistan on behalf of the United Nations Children’s Fund. His legal advisor confirmed that he is still very much on the war. Di Nicola: His very sharp and he’s still fit and able to do all the things that he was able to do before. Just a little bit slower. Male: In 2005, he was the guest of honor at the opening of the 16 million dollar money between the success in Louie Dale Kentucky where he was born in 1942 as well as showing off his boxing memorabilia to the Muhammad Ali’s center is an official showcase for his humanitarian ideals of peace and understanding. Laila: Life is like a fact that people for years to come and will be able see what my dad was about not only as a fighter but as a person and hopefully inspire the people to be better.