Biography and episodes of life Muhammad Ali. When born and died Mohammed Ali, memorable places and dates of important events in his life. boxer quotes, Photo and video.

Mohammed Ali's years of life:

born January 17, 1942, died June 3, 2016

Epitaph

"We don't have much life.
And all of it will soon be gone
But do something for God
And it will never die."

Biography of Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali during his lifetime became a legend not only in boxing- he was a cult athlete, an icon of his time. His active life position, religious beliefs and public speeches in defense of equality served his popularity no less than his undoubted talent and famous corporate style in boxing.

Young Cassius Clay grew up in a fairly wealthy and loving family and did not suffer, like many of his peers, from lack of money and poor conditions. But since childhood, he faced the problem of racial inequality, which was especially acute in the part of the United States where his family lived. Subsequently, Ali said that black children in his time lacked an idol to look up to; a person who would show them by example how high they can rise without using drugs and without living a "street" life.

Mohammed Ali became such an idol for his generation. From an early age he led healthy lifestyle life, subsequently converted to Islam and became a deeply religious person. His public behavior was often defiant, sometimes rude, he insulted opponents in the ring and often got involved in scandals. But behind this rampage there was no malice, and the audience saw in Ali simple guy with a warm heart, capable of making a fuss, but at the same time able to defend what he believes in and go through with it. That's what he was.

25 years of boxing were not in vain: Ali was forced against his desire to end his career when his health began to noticeably deteriorate. The boxer was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and Ali called the fight with her the most difficult in his life. After completing his professional career, he gave a lot of time to charity and generously donated his own financial resources to help children.

Deservedly named The Greatest Boxer died at the age of 74 from a lung disease.

Muhammad Ali during his visit to Soviet Union in 1978

life line

January 17, 1942 Date of birth of Cassius Marcellus Clay (Mohammed Ali).
1960 First professional fight Muhammad Ali and victory at the XVII Summer Olympic Games in light heavyweight weight class.
1961 Acquaintance with the spiritual mentors of Islam, Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X, who had a strong influence on Ali's worldview.
1964 Muhammad Ali becomes the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the title for two years. In the same year, he officially announces his membership in the Nation of Islam.
1967 Official refusal to perform military service, deprivation of a boxing license and a trial.
1970 Acquittal in the U.S. Supreme Court and reinstatement of Ali's license. First defeat in professional career.
1974 Muhammad Ali again wins the title of absolute world champion and holds the title for four years.
1981 The last fight with which Muhammad Ali ended his professional career.
1984 Ali's hospitalization and the discovery of Parkinson's disease.
1987 Muhammad Ali inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.
1990 Muhammad Ali is inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
1998 Mohammed Ali becomes UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
June 3, 2016 Date of death of Muhammad Ali.

Memorable places

1. Louisville (Jefferson, Kentucky, USA), where Mohammed Ali was born.
2. Rome (Italy), where Muhammad Ali won the 1960 Olympics
3. Miami, where Muhammad Ali began professional training.
4. Madison Square Garden in New York, where on December 30, 1970, the unique “Fight of the Century” took place between Muhammad Ali as the undefeated former world champion and Joe Frazier as the undefeated current champion, ending with Ali's first defeat.
5. Kinshasa, the capital of the Congo (formerly Zaire), where in 1974 Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman for the world title.
6. Manila (Philippines), where the third fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier took place, which ended in Ali's victory and was called one of the best in boxing history.
7. Scottsdale, Arizona, where Muhammad Ali died.

Episodes from the life of Mohammed Ali

Cassius decided to learn boxing after his newly bought bike was stolen. He was 12 years old. After 6 weeks, he had his first amateur fight.

In 1962, Mohammed Ali was tested by the level of intelligence as part of the draft medical board and was declared unfit for service even after repeated testing: his IQ was 78.

Muhammad Ali's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is the only one that is not located on the ground, but on the wall of a building. This was done at the request of Ali himself, who did not want the name of the prophet to be stepped on with his feet.

Mohammed Ali's daughter from his third marriage, Leyla, became the world middleweight boxing champion and ended her career without a single defeat.

10 best knockouts of Muhammad Ali

Boxer's testaments

"The most difficult duel is when you have to fight laziness for happiness."

"He who is not brave enough to take risks will achieve nothing in life."

“Champions are not made in gyms. A champion is born by what a person has inside - desires, dreams, goals.

“God will not place a burden on a man’s shoulders that he cannot bear.”

condolences

“Mohammed Ali was a great artist. I learned a lot from him. Thanks".
Sergey Shnurov, rock musician

"Rest in peace, greatest of all time. He was a man of strong character, faith, dignity and professionalism. You will continue to inspire us to make this world a better place."
Wladimir Klitschko, world boxing champion

“Mohammed Ali is a legend and one of the most celebrated athletes in the history of the sport, who ushered in the golden era of boxing. He paved the way for many boxers, myself included, taking boxing to a level that is watched in millions of homes around the world. Ali had undeniable talent, but he also made boxing more interesting. In the ring, he was fearless and fought against the most formidable opponents. This is an example of courage: he never looked for easy ways.
Oscar de la Hoya, boxing champion

Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali passed away exactly two years ago. He died on June 3, 2016 after a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease. Read about the main fragments of the biography of the great athlete and person in our material.

How did you spend your early years?

How did you get worldwide fame?

In the same 1960, the young boxer won the tournament of the "Athletic Amateur Union" and received an invitation to take part in the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games. Performance at this competition was largely a formality. Having received the coveted ticket to the Olympics, Cassius went to Rome and already there confidently issued the championship. The Olympic gold medal was the first major success of his career.

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

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

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

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

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

End of career

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

On October 30, 1974, the fight for the world title took place between George Foreman, the reigning champion, and Mohammed Ali. This fight experts consider "the greatest and unforgettable." It was won by Ali, becoming the champion.

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

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

During his career, Muhammad Ali earned about $ 50 million, which was simply an exorbitant amount at that time. However, the boxer managed his finances poorly. Due to the onset of lack of money in 1980, Mohammed was forced to re-enter the ring. At that time, the defending champion Larry Holmes became his opponent, who confidently defeated the veteran. From that moment on, Mohammed did not enter the ring again.

Personal life and struggle with the disease

Mohammed had four wives in his life. The boxer got along with the first of them in his youth, but soon broke up because of her unwillingness to convert to Islam. The marriage with his second wife Belinda Boyd (later Khalila Ali) lasted longer and led to the birth of four children. Despite this, being married, Cassius Clay began to have an affair with model Veronica Porsche, who, as noted in many sources, was not his only mistress. One way or another, it was Veronica that caused Mohammed to part with his ex-wife. They got married in 1977. Soon they had two children.

This union lasted nine years. After her divorce from Veronica Porsche legendary boxer married longtime girlfriend Yolanta Williams. Soon they adopted a five-year-old boy together. In addition, Mohammed has two more illegitimate children from previous unions.

In 1990, Ali was elected to the National Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1996, he carried the torch at the Atlanta Summer Olympics. For the last 32 years, he has been fighting not in the ring, but in life with Parkinson's disease. Muhammad Ali passed away on June 3, 2016.

Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay. Born January 17, 1942 in Louisville (USA) - died June 4, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona. An American professional boxer who performed in the heavyweight category, one of the most famous and great boxers in the history of world boxing.

Champion of the XVII Summer Olympic Games in 1960 in the light heavyweight category, absolute champion World Heavyweight Championship (1964-1966, 1974-1978). Winner of the title "Boxer of the Year" (five times - 1963, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978) and "Boxer of the Decade" (1970s) according to The Ring magazine.

The second boxer in history to win the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award (1974), he was named the Sportsman of the Century by several sports publications.

At the end of his career, he was included in the Boxing Hall of Fame (1987) and the International Boxing Hall of Fame (1990).

After the championship fight with Sonny Liston, which took place on February 25, 1964, he joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Cassius X (eng. Cassius X), then to Mohammed Ali and later performed under him.

At the peak of his career, he refused to serve in the US Army, after which he was stripped of all titles and suspended from participation in competitions for more than three years. Upon returning to the sport, he regained the title of world champion in the fight against the best boxers of the “golden era of boxing”.

Ali's confrontation with Joe Frazier has become one of the most famous in the history of sports.

After finishing sports career was engaged in social and charitable activities, was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador (1998-2008).

Muhammad Ali - best knockouts

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of Odessa Clay, a housewife, and Cassius Clay, a sign and poster artist.

Two years later, his only native brother Rudolf, who later changed his name to Rahman Ali. Cassius Sr. believed that he was a descendant of the famous liberal politician Henry Clay, who represented the state of Kentucky in the US House of Representatives and the Senate.

The Cassius family was black middle class: the Clays lived much poorer than white middle class families, but were not destitute. Cassius Sr. painted signs in an attempt to become a professional artist, and his wife occasionally cooked and cleaned the homes of wealthy white families. Over time, their savings were enough to buy a small cottage in a well-maintained “black” quarter for $4,500.

Unlike many black peers who had to provide for their families with early age, Cassius did not work as a child. He only occasionally worked part-time at the University of Louisville (washing desks and chalkboards) in order to have pocket money. According to her mother, during walks, passers-by often spoke to her, noting that her son could become the next Joe Louis.

In the early 1950s, an atmosphere of racial inequality reigned in Louisville, which greatly influenced the formation of the personality of 10-year-old Cassius. He later recalled that before falling asleep, he cried because he did not understand why blacks were considered second-class people in society.

His mother said that one hot day she and Cassius were waiting for a bus at a bus stop. She knocked at the nearest cafe to ask for a glass of water for her son, but she was refused and the door was closed in front of her. Perhaps the decisive moment in the formation of Cassius's worldview was the story of his father about a black teenager Emmett Till, who was brutally murdered on the basis of racial hatred, and the boy's killers were acquitted.

Cassius Sr. showed a photograph of Till's mutilated body to his sons in order to explain to them what "white justice" is. Cassius' mother traced her ancestry back to Irish grandfather Abe Grady. The fact that white blood flows in her veins was a matter of particular pride for Odessa, but was unpleasant for her son, who criticized racial inequality in the United States all his life. During public speeches, he claimed that the white blood in his veins was the blood of "rapist slave owners", although in fact his Irish ancestor was legally married to his black wife.

Clay started boxing at the age of 12 after a red bike from the Schwinn Bicycle Company was stolen from him, which he bought with the money he earned. The day after the purchase, Cassius, along with a friend, went to the fair, where children were treated to ice cream for free.

On his way home, he discovered that his bicycle had been stolen. Clay was very upset and at that moment met white policeman Joe Martin, telling him that he would beat the one who stole his bicycle, to which Martin replied: "Before you beat someone, you must first learn how to do it." He invited Cassius to the gym, where he trained young boxers, many of whom participated in amateur tournaments"Golden Gloves".

Six weeks after the first visit to the hall, Cassius made his debut amateur fight. As Clay had hoped, the fight was televised on Future Champions. His opponent was a white teenager Ronnie O'Keefe, both boxers performed in the weight category up to 89 pounds (40.389 kg). Cassius was younger and less experienced, despite this, he won by decision. After the announcement of the result, Clay began to shout into the camera that he would become the greatest boxer.

From that moment on, he worked every day on boxing technique and endurance. Most often, Cassius preferred a run to school over a bus trip. He did not drink, smoke or use drugs, becoming a healthy eating fanatic.

Over the next two years, Clay fought about one fight every three weeks, winning victory after victory.

In 1956, he won the first Golden Gloves tournament of his career. In 1957, he had to give up training for four months due to the fact that doctors discovered he had a heart murmur (later it turned out that his heart was in perfect order).

At the age of 15, Clay transferred to Louisville Central High School, the largest African-American school in the city. Cassius' academic performance was so poor that he once had to repeat the year, but thanks to the support of the headmaster, Atwood Wilson, he was able to graduate. Wilson was impressed by Clay's determination and hard training, and he wanted the promising boxer to graduate and bring fame to the school.

Cassius graduated from an educational institution in June 1960, having received only a certificate of attendance, but not a diploma, which was issued upon successful completion of studies. He always had problems with reading, and people around him often had to read to him. By the end of school, Clay won 100 victories in the amateur ring with only 8 defeats. His main successes are considered to be victories in the Golden Gloves and in two tournaments of the Athletic Amateur Union in 1959 and 1960.

At this time, Cassius began to invent his own, unique style of fighting. He "danced" around the opponent on toes with his hands down, provoking the opponent into a sweeping blow, from which he confidently dodged. This manner caused a lot negative feedback among coaches and veteran boxers.

Cassius wanted to become a professional boxer immediately after graduation, but the coach persuaded him to wait and take part in the 1960 Olympics. Thanks to the victory in the 1960 Amateur Athletic Union competition, Clay received an invitation to qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in San Francisco.

Cassius suffered from a fear of flying, and the way to the competition venue was a real test for him. At the age of 18, he was the youngest participant in the cruiserweight division, and possibly the entire tournament. Before the competition, the local press wrote several devastating articles about Clay, largely for his boastful manner of communication, because of this, the public booed him during the second fight in the tournament.

Despite this, Cassius confidently defeated all his opponents before meeting in the final with the uncompromising boxer Alan Hudson, representing the US Army. During the first round, Clay missed an accurate blow and fell to the floor of the ring, but managed to get up and continue the fight. After an equal second round, Cassius upped the pace in the third three-minute period and, after a clean hit in the opponent's head, carried out an attack, after which the referee stopped the fight. At the end of the competition, Clay threw away his return plane ticket, borrowed money from one of the tournament judges, and left for Louisville by train.

To participate in the Olympics, Cassius needed to fly again. When it turned out that it was impossible to sail a ship, he told his coach that he was refusing to participate in the Olympic Games. For two hours, Clay's mentor convinced him that if he did not fly, he would ruin his career. As a result, Cassius agreed to fly, but took precautions - he bought a parachute in a military store and flew right in it. After arriving in Rome, Clay settled in the Olympic village and immediately became the main character among the athletes. He met foreigners, told everyone that he would win gold medal, exchanged badges with other Olympians. Many joked that if they had to choose the mayor of the Olympic village, it would certainly be Clay.

Good mood Cassius did not leave during the competition either, he easily defeated his first opponent in the Olympic tournament, the Belgian Yvon Beko, defeating him by technical knockout in the second round. In the quarterfinals, Clay met with the Soviet boxer Gennady Shatkov. The fight was dictated by Cassius, and the judges unanimously recognized him as the winner.

At the stage of the semi-finals, Clay was opposed by a familiar opponent - Australian Tony Madigan (Cassius defeated him in 1959). After the end of a tense duel, Madigan considered himself the winner, but the judges unanimously gave the victory to Clay. In the final, an experienced boxer Zbigniew Petrzykowski from Poland was waiting for him, he was nine years older than Cassius and had in his track record 230 fights. Petshikovsky started the fight in an aggressive manner, trying to end the fight quickly. In the second round, Clay had to abandon his usual "light" manner and deliver several strong blows to the Pole. He did not slow down in the last round, conducting a quick series of punches, by the end of the fight Zbigniew was pressed to the ropes and close to an early defeat, but managed to survive until the final gong.

Cassius Clay won by unanimous decision of the judges, a few minutes later they put an Olympic gold medal around his neck.

Mohammed Ali - Olympic champion

Before leaving for the USA, wherever he went, Cassius appeared everywhere with a medal, he did not take it off even during sleep. Louisville Mayor Bruce Hoblizell, cheerleaders, and hundreds of fans greeted Clay at the airport. Cassius drove to his school in a festive motorcade, where even more fans and a huge banner with the words "Welcome home, champion" were waiting for him. The mayor gave a speech in which he cited Clay as an example for the youth of the city.

When Cassius arrived home, he saw that his father had painted the steps on the porch red, white and blue - the colors of the American flag. Cassius Sr. hugged his son and said: "God save America." Clay continued to proudly wear his medal, one day he went into a restaurant in Louisville - it was an institution that did not serve "colored". He asked for a menu, but was refused and asked to leave, to which Cassius pointed his finger at his medal and said that he was an Olympic champion, but he was again refused to be served. According to his brother Rahman, Clay was so upset that he went to a bridge across the Ohio River and threw his medal into the water.

At the 1996 Summer Olympics, IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, during a break basketball game between the teams of the USA and Yugoslavia, carried out a repeated awarding procedure, presenting the champion with a duplicate of the medal he lost.

At the beginning of his professional career, Cassius needed to decide on his manager. He wanted one of his idols, Sugar Ray Robinson or Joe Louis, to become one, but they refused. Robinson was simply not interested, and Louis, a naturally modest and quiet person, did not want to work with Clay. As a result, 11 partners became Cassius' managers, investing $ 2,800 each. Clay received $ 10,000 immediately after signing the contract, the managers also took care of all the expenses for flights and training of the athlete.

Clay's debut in professional boxing took place on October 29, 1960, against Tanni Hunsecker. Before the fight, Cassius called him a "bum" and said that he would "easily lick him." Clay prepared for this fight by running two miles every morning and sparring with his brother Rudolf. These trainings helped him win a landslide victory, but he was never able to finish the 6-round fight ahead of schedule.

In 1959, in Chicago, Clay heard Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad speak for the first time. And in 1961, shortly after arriving in Miami, Clay met with Abdul Rakhaman, the messenger of Muhammad. 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." Clay began to read the newspaper Muhammad Speaks regularly, meet members of the Nation of Islam, and increasingly reflect on his spiritual life. In late 1961, Rahaman began working for Clay's team, and in early 1962, Cassius traveled to Detroit, where he met with Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X. The leaders of the Nation of Islam became Clay's spiritual guides and greatly influenced his life.

Between February and July 1962, Clay scored five victories, all of the fights ended in knockouts no later than the sixth round. In September, he attended the World Heavyweight Championship match between Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson. To fight Patterson for the title was Cassius's childhood dream., however, Liston knocked out his opponent in the first round.

After the fight was over, Sonny spotted Clay and yelled at him, "You're next, screamer!" Cassius' next rival was Archie Moore, his former mentor. The press and experts did not give Moore a chance to win, he himself admitted that he agreed to the fight due to lack of money. Tickets for the boxing evening sold poorly, and they decided to postpone it for three weeks. Cassius predicted his victory in the fourth round and did everything to make the prediction come true: Moore fell in the "correct" round after several missed blows to the head. After the fight, Archie said, "Clay would beat Joe Louis in four out of five fights."

An uncertain victory over Doug Jones and a knockdown received in a fight against Henry Cooper made experts wonder if Clay is ready for a fight with a world champion. Liston's team was confident in the victory of their ward, they wanted to use the bright personality of Cassius to gather a full hall of spectators in front of whom the champion would knock him out. Clay began psychological pressure on Sonny from the first days after the official announcement of the fight. He tried to humiliate Liston in every interview that journalists took from him.

At the weigh-in before the fight, Cassius behaved inappropriately, for which he was subsequently fined. He shouted out threats and predictions, and his pulse was beating feverishly, the doctors who conducted the physical examination of the boxers said that Clay was in a state of temporary clouding of reason. After the duel began, Cassius began to circle around Liston, eluding his powerful attacks and counterattacking. In the third round, there was a turning point - Clay began to openly outplay the champion. After one of his successful combinations, Liston's legs began to tangle, and he almost fell. In a completely lost round, Sonny opened a cut under his left eye, and a hematoma formed under his right. Suddenly, during the fourth round, Clay began to have problems with his eyesight, he began to experience a sharp pain in his eyes.

Cassius practically did not see anything and asked the coach to take off his gloves, at a difficult moment Angelo Dundee showed composure, releasing his fighter to the next round with the task of moving around the ring, avoiding Liston's attacks. Clay managed not to miss a heavy blow from the champion, and in the fifth round his vision was restored. Cassius again dominated the ring, and after many accurate blows to Sonny, in between rounds, Liston refused to continue the fight. At 22, Clay became the heavyweight champion of the world.

In April 1967, Ali officially refused military service. Just an hour later, the New York State Athletic Commission revoked his boxing license and also refused to recognize him as a world champion - this was done before the official indictment. The Texas and California athletic commissions followed New York's lead, and the WBA later joined them.

On June 19, 1967, a trial was held at which Ali's case was considered. Lawyers noted that the defense side had no legal grounds for Mohammed not to serve. It was planned that thousands of members of the Nation of Islam would come to Houston, where the trial was taking place, to stage a massive demonstration, but Ali gave a speech asking them not to. On July 20, the composition of the jury was determined - six women and the same number of men, all white, after nine hours of hearings, the jury retired for discussion, after only 21 minutes they returned to the hall and announced the verdict - guilty. Ali's team filed an appeal, the trial of which took place in New Orleans. It was rejected, and Mohammed had no choice but to continue hearings in the US Supreme Court.

At the time of his retirement from boxing, Ali had earned more than $3 million. Most of this money went to the maintenance of his entourage, which was always quite large. Ali invested about $100,000 in a pension fund and also, on the advice of the Nation of Islam, in small Muslim companies. The income from these investments helped Mohammed, but could not fully cover his expenses.

In 1969, he starred in the Broadway musical Big Time White Buck. Although the production was quickly cancelled, Ali received positive reviews from critics. He later starred in documentary A/K/A Cassius Clay for $7,000. That same year, for $900,000, Mohammed sold the rights to use his name to advertise hamburgers.

Ali also received $200,000 from sales of his autobiography, The Greatest. Having an impressive amount on his accounts, he, not believing in the success of the appeal, began to talk about leaving boxing. In an interview with Esquire magazine, Ali said that he was going to retire and devote his life to helping the poor.

During a forced break, Mohammed began successful career speaker, many universities in the country invited him to lecture on a paid basis. At these speeches, Ali was surprised to learn that, despite his attitude towards the Vietnam War, he is an idol for young people. Mohammed found support in colleges, many students were also against the war, he received a standing ovation. This made a huge impression on Ali, even being absolutely sure of the racial division of the country, he began to admit that someday this social problem could be overcome. In 1967, Ali spent ten days in a Florida state prison for driving. vehicle with rights of the wrong category.

"Fight of the Century"

On December 30, 1970, Ali and Joe Frazier signed a contract to hold a unique fight at Madison Square Garden: for the first time in history, an undefeated former champion and undefeated defending champion. All tickets were sold out in advance. 35 countries were supposed to see the fight in live. It has been the most anticipated event in the boxing world since 1938, when Joe Louis and Max Schmeling met in the ring.

Many agreed that this fight would go down in the history of world sports. Feeling the importance of the moment, Mohammed tried to hurt Fraser in the press as much as possible. He called him a freak, a gorilla, and Uncle Tom. In his autobiography, Joe noted that white lawyers were able to save Ali from prison, and he dared to call him Uncle Tom. Fraser was offended and wanted to punish Ali at all costs.

On the evening of the fight, a huge number of celebrities were present in the hall, Hugh Hefner, Barbara Streisand, Bill Cosby and others were sitting at the ring. Dustin Hoffman and Diana Ross were kicked out of the press area, since they had no right to be there, Frank Sinatra went unnoticed and watched the fight from the place of one of the photographers.

The beginning of the battle took place in an equal fight, it was evident that Mohammed could not keep Fraser at a distance, constantly missing strong blows along the hull. In the middle of the fight, Ali began to defend himself, standing with his back to the ropes, along the way he managed to shout in Frazier's ear: "Didn't you know that I was God?" Mohammed predicted his victory in the sixth round, but it was won by Joe, he did not release Ali from the ropes, landing blows to the head and body. The referee of the fight Arthur Mercante recalled that Mohammed outright lost several rounds, for example the sixth, in the eighth round he instructed the applicant that he needed to fight. In the ninth round, Ali seized the initiative with a successful combination. However, in the 11th round, he was already close to defeat, Frazier pinned him again against the ropes and landed several accurate hooks, Ali stepped back across the ring. While teasing Joe, he tried not to show how hard it was for him in this round. At the very end of the fight, Mohammed went forward with his last strength, Frazier took advantage of this and delivered an accurate blow to his head, Ali fell to the floor of the ring. It seemed to many that he would not rise, this hit was so strong and accurate, but surprisingly, Mohammed almost immediately got up and finished the fight on his feet. Frazier won by unanimous decision and struck Ali's first defeat in his professional career.

The next day, at a press conference, Mohammed noted philosophically that there was nothing wrong with his defeat.

In June 1971, Ali's team attempted to set up an exhibition match against Los Angeles Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain. The fight promised to be a huge commercial success, but was never made. Mohammed took part in three more fights in 1971, as well as six in 1972, he won all, and finished six of them ahead of schedule. On September 20, 1972, Ali met his childhood idol Floyd Patterson for the second time. In the sixth round, Patterson opened a severe cut in the eye area, in the seventh round the hematoma completely closed his eyes, and Floyd's corner refused to continue the fight. This fight was the last in Patterson's professional career.

Meanwhile, Joe Frazier lost his title against Olympic champion George Foreman, making a rematch with Ali more likely. On March 31, 1973, Mohammed met with Ken Norton, his opponent never had significant fights, and for his last fight he received only $ 300.

Despite this, Norton was Frazier's sparring partner and prepared well for the duel with Ali. In the second round, Ken landed an accurate blow to Mohammed's jaw and broke it. The doctor in Ali's corner wanted to stop the fight, but the boxer forbade him to do so. The fight lasted all 12 rounds, Ali lost by split decision. The doctor who operated on Mohammed's jaw after the fight said he did not understand how he could continue the fight with such an injury. Many ill-wishers immediately began to spread rumors in the press that Ali's career was coming to an end and that he was no longer able to show high results. Despite this, after a recovery that lasted six months, Ali met again with Norton. In a tough 12-round fight, Mohammed won - also by a split decision.

After the rematch with Norton, the stage was set for second fight against Frazier, which was supposed to go back to Madison Square Garden. Before that, Ali fought against the Dutch heavyweight Rudy Lubbers, which took place in Indonesia. Mohammed dominated throughout the fight and won via unanimous decision. A few months before the fight, Ali began his attacks in the press. Frazier tried to focus on training and not react to his attacks. But during an interview on ABC, Joe's nerves broke down and he confronted Mohammed on the air. On the day of the fight, Madison Square Garden was sold out, the hall was filled with celebrities, including John F. Kennedy Jr. and reigning world champion George Foreman.

Unlike the first fight, Ali decided not to fight at the ropes, but focused on moving around the ring and inflicting a large number of jabs, at the slightest danger, Mohammed "knitted" the opponent's hands and did not let him hit. At the end of the second round, Ali landed an accurate right hook to Frazier's head, from which his legs buckled. After accurate strike Mohammed began to develop an attack, but the referee made a mistake: thinking that the round was over, he spread the boxers to their corners, giving Joe time to recover. This oversight by the referee did not help Frazier, who could not do anything for 12 rounds, the judges unanimously gave the victory to Ali. After the fight, Joe disagreed with the decision of the judges, openly stating that he was stolen from the victory, and also that his opponent acted "dirty" during the fight.

After defeating Frazier, Ali was once again ready to fight for the world title held by the young heavyweight. George Foreman. The organizer of the fight was the young promoter Don King, for whom this fight was the first in his career. It was King who proposed to fight in Africa, agreeing with the Zairian dictator Mobutu and persuading him to allocate $ 12 million in prize fund(each boxer got 5 million). Also, infrastructure was built with Mobutu's money and everything was purchased and set up. necessary equipment for broadcast on television and radio. When all the details were settled, it became clear that for the first time in the history of boxing, the fight for the world heavyweight title would take place on the African continent.

Due to the harsh tropical climate, the boxers arrived in Zaire well in advance and spent the entire summer of 1974 there. Foreman preferred to train in a hotel in Kinshasa, the capital of Zaire, where the fight was to take place. Ali, on the other hand, preferred to communicate more with ordinary people, he went jogging with children, and also held many open workouts. People from Mohammed's entourage said that he was surrounded by fans and energized by them. Despite the great support of the local population, few in the world believed that Ali was able to cope with the young champion. At that time, Foreman had 40 wins and 0 losses with 37 fights he completed ahead of schedule. He easily knocked out Ken Norton and Joe Frazier - boxers who beat Ali. George was called one of the greatest punchers of all time, and the odds were 3 to 1 in his favor. The bout was originally scheduled to take place on September 25, but due to a cut sustained by Foreman in training, the fight had to be rescheduled for October 30.

IN last days before the fight, Ali increased the psychological impact on Foreman, one of his quotes, said by him at the time, went down in history: "I saw George Foreman box with a shadow and the shadow won". Foreman remained impassive, being absolutely sure of his victory. The day before the fight, both boxers attended a party hosted by President Mobutu. The next morning, Ali, along with his entourage, went on several buses to the May 20 Stadium, where 60,000 people were waiting for the fight, mostly rooting for him.

According to boxing tradition, Ali, as a contender, was the first to enter the ring. From the locker room, the boxer walked along the corridor of the soldiers of the Zairian army, protecting him from the fans. A temporary roof was built over the ring, which was supposed to protect the boxers from the rain predicted by weather forecasters.

10 minutes later, the champion appeared, he came out with the American flag, along with him was Archie Moore - the famous boxer, who was knocked out by Mohammed earlier in his career. While the referee was reminding the boxers of the rules of the fight, Ali launched a psychological attack on Foreman: “You heard about me when you were a baby. You followed me when you were a little boy. Now you have met me - your teacher".

In conditions of high humidity and high air temperature, both boxers began to give up quite physically already in the first rounds. Foreman tried to keep Ali from moving, overtaking him at the ropes and guiding him powerful blows on the body and head.

Mohammed quickly realized that the opponent is well trained to predict his movements around the ring. Therefore, starting from the middle of the second round, he hung on the ropes, trying to defend himself and counterattack at the first opportunity. Ali chose tactics similar to his first fight against Frazier, the only difference was that he was in great shape. physical form. The referee was not always able to keep the ropes taut due to the fact that the boxers hung on them with all their weight. This gave Mohammed an advantage, as there was more additional room for defensive maneuvers.

During the first half of the fight, he missed several powerful punches that could end the fight, according to Ali, from them he began to hallucinate. But also a lot of powerful blows of George passed by or casually, exhausting him. After the fifth round, Foreman's corner asked to stop the fight and tighten the ropes in the ring, but the referee ignored these requests. By this time, the champion looked tired, Ali had time to shout in his ear: “Show your best hit!" In the seventh round, Mohammed began to dominate the fight, throwing a large number of accurate jabs.

By the eighth round, George had lost his last strength, and Ali, right before the signal for the end of the round, performed a right-left-right combination that shocked the young champion, he was on the ropes, after which Mohammed carried out an accurate attack that sent Foreman to the floor of the ring. George managed to get up at the count of 9, but the referee decided to stop the fight. The whole stadium was on its feet, all that could be heard was the chant of "Ali kill him!" (“Ali bomaye!”).

Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman

After the fight, Mohammed announced that he was not going to end his career, after this fight he was given the nickname that he awarded himself - Greatest. Foreman, on the other hand, was morally crushed, he came up with conspiracy theories, explaining his defeat (specially weakened ropes, a quick referee countdown, and even poisoned water).

Third fight between Frazier and Ali It was decided to hold in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. President Ferdinand Marcos, as well as Mobutu from Zaire, provided a prize fund of about $ 14 million, which the boxers divided in proportion: 9 million to Ali and 5 million to Frazier. By the time of the fight, Mohammed was on the verge of a divorce from his wife Belinda. At a meeting with President Marcos, Ali introduced his girlfriend Veronica Porsche as his wife, which caused a lot of publicity in the American media. Shortly before the fight, Mohammed began his bullying of Frazier. He called him Gorilla and carried a little monkey doll everywhere, beating her at every opportunity, for the amusement of the public, he said: "Come on, gorilla, let's have a thriller in Manila." Perhaps this was the last straw in the relationship between the two great boxers, after this fight, Frazier was never photographed again and tried not to run into Ali

On October 1, 1975, a fight took place that went down in boxing history under the name "Thriller in Manila"(English) Thrilla in Manila). Before the fight, the prize of President Marcos was brought into the ring, which was supposed to be received by the winner of the fight - it was a golden structure, which Ali, to the laughter in the hall, immediately took it to his corner. The fight took place in incredible heat - more than 30 degrees.

It was one of best fights in the history of boxing, the advantage has shifted from one boxer to another. Perhaps due to the fact that Ali was not in the best shape, it was he who sought a quick knockout. Mohammed dominated during the first two rounds, but Frazier showed a real will to win and leveled the course of the fight. In the sixth round, Ali missed a heavy left hook to the head, the blow shocked the champion, but he survived. Boxers continued to attack each other, and the fight turned into a frank "cutting".

After the 14th round, Frazier's coach stopped the fight - a hematoma completely closed Frazier's left eye, and he practically did not see with his right (the referee showed three fingers and asked them to count, Joe answered "one").

At the same time, in his corner, Ali said: "I am very tired, take off my gloves." According to the doctor in the corner of the champion, he would not have been able to reach the 15th round. After the end of the fight, Mohammed fell unconscious in his corner. In whose favor the fight would have ended if the referee had not stopped him, the question remains. On this one of greatest fights in the history of boxing was over, Ali won the duel and defended his title.

The event was named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring magazine.

After the fight, both boxers were in deep exhaustion. Fraser was crying on the couch, and a tragedy happened in Ali's locker room: the policeman guarding his room wanted to play with his gun and accidentally shot himself in the head, which was a real shock to Ali who entered the room. For a long time he could not believe what happened in the ring that evening, later Ali concluded that he could easily die then.

In subsequent interviews, Mohammed called Frazier the second greatest boxer in history - after himself.

Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier (third fight)

In 1976, Ali successfully defended his titles against Jean-Pierre Koopman.

In April 1976, Ali met with Jimmy Young. Ali entered the ring with a clear advantage and was slower than his opponent. Younger and lighter Young fired at him from a distance, due to which he won the battle. He retreated whenever possible and often held his head very low to avoid Ali's serious blows. In a number of cases, when Ali came close, Young turned his back to the ropes.

For some, Young's fighting style seemed like a brilliant strategy, he neutralized strengths opponent and forced him to fight on his own terms, exposing Ali's inability to fight counter-attacking boxers. To others, he appeared cowardly as he stopped the fight every time Ali had the advantage.

Ali could not oppose anything to his opponent, only in the 12th round Ali knocked Yang down. At the end of the fight, the official judges awarded the victory to Ali by unanimous decision, while the unofficial judges awarded the victory to Young. The decision was controversial: according to many fans and journalists, Young surpassed the slower Muhammad Ali in that fight and should have become the champion. Lester Bromberg (former editor of The Ring magazine) called the decision "a travesty".

New York Daily News reporter Dick Young said: "Ali won at the mercy of three heroes who worship officials who I think, like many people, refuse to believe what they see when one of their superheroes doesn't work as expected. ".

Because the fight was televised, many viewers complained about the decision. Even Ali and his trainer Angelo Dundee said it was the "worst fight" of their career. After that, many advised Ali to resign.

Muhammad Ali vs Jimmy Young

In September, his third fight took place against Ken Norton. This fight was a continuation of the first two, Norton was again better at the beginning of the fight, and Ali leveled the situation towards the end, and everything was decided in the last round, in which Mohammed turned out to be stronger. Ali's next fight was against Uruguayan boxer Alfredo Evangelista, who came to professional boxing just 19 months ago. The fight lasted all 15 rounds and was very boring, Mohammed won, but the journalists dubbed this fight the worst fight in the history of boxing.

In his next fight, Ali won after the 12th round against the English knockout Ernie Shavers, but in the 14th round the Englishman shocked the champion, and, according to eyewitnesses, Mohammed could hardly stand on his feet, but still managed to hold out for the 15th round and won the battle. After this fight, Ali's doctor - Freddie Pacheco - concluded that his ward could receive irreparable damage to his health if such a fight was repeated. He was so upset that he sent letters to Angelo Dundee, the leader of the Nation of Islam, Wallace Muhammad, and Ali's wife, asking them to persuade him to end his career.

Ali continued his performances in the fight against Leon Spinks. Initially, Mohammed refused to fight the young boxer due to the fact that Spinks had only 7 fights in his record, nevertheless the fight took place, largely due to the fact that Leon was an Olympic champion.

On February 15, 1978, the boxers entered the ring, unfortunately for Ali, the fight was not a commercial success, as many believed that Spinks was not able to seriously compete with the champion. When journalists tried to pull his usual pre-match attacks on his opponent out of Ali, he refused, saying that it would look stupid.

Before the fight, Mohammed had only a few sparring sessions, he was negligent in preparing for the fight, considering himself the absolute favorite. During the fight, Ali used his tried-and-true defense tactics at the ropes and then wore down his opponent, but Spinks did not think to get tired. TO last round the duel was absolutely equal with a slight advantage of Spinks. Two judges out of three gave him the victory - it was a real sensation.

At the post-match press conference, Ali fully admitted defeat, noting that he did not have the best fight, unlike Spinks. Exactly six months later, Ali met Spinks again. The fight took place at the New Orleans Superdome in front of 65,000 spectators, Mohammed was going to teach the young boxer a lesson, he began to outplay Spinks from experience. In the fifth round, Ali landed several accurate strikes, and Leon frankly looked into his corner, asking for advice. The fight lasted all 15 rounds, and no one was surprised when Mohammed was declared the winner by unanimous decision, he won the world title for the third time, repeating the record of Joe Louis.

A year later, Ali said that the loss to Leon was the most hurtful of his career.

For two years, Ali did not enter the ring, during his career he earned about $ 50 million, but only a small part was invested in business, the rest went to Mohammed's entourage.

In 1980, Ali felt the need for money, which prompted him to fight again. By that time, Mohammed had no great desire to re-enter the ring, he was brought together with the reigning world champion in his prime Larry Holmes. The boxers were well acquainted with each other, since Holmes was Ali's sparring partner. The fight took place on October 2, 1980, at that time Mohammed was 38 years old, he had excess weight, and it looked frankly slow. The champion respected Ali and tried not to injure the veteran, but, nevertheless, inflicted numerous injuries on him during the fight.

Holmes dominated throughout the fight and confidently won every round, many believed that he did not seek to knock out Ali, as he was afraid to inflict serious injury on him. In the tenth round, Angelo Dundee did not let his ward into the ring, shouting: “I'm the main second! I demand to stop the fight!” This was the first fight in which Mohammed lost ahead of schedule. The camera snatched out a lot of crying spectators in the hall.

For your last Stand Ali earned about $ 8 million, which significantly improved his financial situation. This time he disposed of the money prudently, investing them in business and real estate. However, despite the material success, Mohammed decided to enter the ring again and was surprised to find that none of the leading boxers wanted to fight him, and also that the athletic commissions of most states were not going to issue him a license to fight due to his condition. his health.

Despite all the difficulties, Ali managed to get permission to fight in the Bahamas, with the Canadian heavyweight Trevor Berbick. Mohammed looked much better than in the fight with Holmes, and even dominated in the fifth round. However, despite this, Ali lost by unanimous decision in a 10-round bout. After this fight Muhammad Ali announced his retirement and never entered the professional ring again.

"God, I've suffered and suffered and suffered. It really hurts. It's time for a new life... I don't want to fight anymore. I've been doing this for 25 years. It changes a person. It changed me. I see it. I feel this", he said.

Parkinson's disease:

In September 1984, Ali was hospitalized due to hearing, speech and motor functions organism.

Mohammed was admitted to the New York Presbyterian Hospital, after all the tests and tests, the doctors concluded that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease. The disease is incurable, all existing treatments are aimed at alleviating its symptoms (symptomatic treatment).

Ali was prescribed a drug that eliminates movement disorders - levodopa.

The hospitalization of Mohammed, as well as a number of deaths of boxers in the ring, caused a wide public outcry. The prestigious medical journals Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and The Lancet published articles about the harm that a professional boxing career brings to the body. JAMA published a large study that examined the condition of 38 professional boxers, more than half of whom were found to have different kinds brain damage. Based on these studies, a campaign was launched in the United States to ban professional boxing.

Even after Ali found out about his terminal illness, he opposed the ban, explaining that boxing is one of the main opportunities for an African American to succeed in life.

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

During the solemn ceremony on the occasion of the end of his career, he was presented with a commemorative diamond ring, which Ali gave to a disabled girl on the same evening. Mohammed used his popularity to help those in need, he turned to wealthy people with a request to follow his example, and few people refused him. Ali also participated in negotiations with Islamic extremists in Lebanon and Iraq.

Deteriorating physical condition, as well as the emergence of a new "sports icon" Michael Jordan prevented Ali from being productive in the field of fundraising. Therefore, he and his wife Lonnie spent a lot of time on their farm in Michigan. After the end of her career, it was Lonnie who took over the management of all his financial affairs. She took Ali out of all dubious deals and broke off contacts with her husband's numerous entourage, who wanted to capitalize on his name. Lonnie had an MBA and also had great experience in business, which helped her successfully manage her husband's fortune, which was estimated at $ 3.5 million.

In 1994, George Foreman regained the world title, becoming the oldest champion in history. Ali said in his interview: “It really touched me to the core, and I also wanted to return. But then the morning came - it was time to go for a run. I got back into bed and said, "Okay, I'm the greatest anyway.".

In 1996, Ali had the honor of lighting olympic fire at the Atlanta Olympics. The organizers were very worried, because by that time Mohammed had difficulty speaking. However, Ali confidently coped with his role: in front of 80,000 people, he lit the Olympic flame.

During the Olympic Games themselves, Mohammed visited many competitions, and also visited the Olympic village, where he talked with the athletes. The Olympics were the catalyst for Ali's return to active life, his foundation received multiple donations, and hundreds of letters from fans flooded the mail. He insisted that every letter sent be read to him, and he signed about 2,000 autographs every week. Lonnie was very worried about the heavy workload that suddenly fell on her husband, so she made a schedule for him.

Ali spent about half of his time supporting his companies and a charitable foundation, and the other half was working with various companies (Adidas, Gillette, IBM, etc.) that paid for the right to use his name in advertising their products.

Ali traveled extensively and in 1998 became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, he visited many countries in Africa and Asia. In 2002, he visited a girls' school in Afghanistan, where women were not allowed to study under Taliban law. Ali also criticized the start of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

On November 15, 2011, Ali attended the funeral of Joe Frazier, his main opponent in the course of his career.

At the end of 2014, Ali was hospitalized after his breathing stopped.

On June 2, 2016, he was admitted to the hospital due to breathing problems - he was found "barely breathing" in his home. Doctors immediately told Ali's family that the chances that he would survive were slim.

Mohammed Ali Height: 191 centimeters.

Mohammed Ali's personal life:

Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons. Mohammed's first wife was a waitress, Sonji Roi, and the couple got married a month after they first met. Ali's mentors from the Nation of Islam were preoccupied with his marriage to a non-Muslim woman and ultimately led him to choose between religion and his wife.

On June 23, 1965, the couple filed for divorce. During his speech in court, Ali especially emphasized his wife's unwillingness to comply with the Muslim dress code. He complained that she dressed too revealingly for the press conference before her second fight with Sonny Liston. The process continued until January 1966, when the couple officially received a divorce.

On August 17, 1967, Ali married Belinda Boyd, who shortly after their marriage converted to Islam and changed her name to Khalil Ali.

The couple had four children: daughter Mariyum (b. 1968), twin daughters Jamila and Rashida (b. 1970), and son Mohammed Ali Jr. (b. 1972).

In the mid-1970s, the couple's relationship began to deteriorate, this was due to the huge number of fans who pursued Mohammed. One of them was Veronica Porsche, a fashion model who was shot for the Ali vs. George Foreman fight poster. She was in Zaire during Mohammed's preparations for the fight, and they began an affair, even though Ali's wife was also in the camp at that moment.

Mohammed Ali and Belinda Boyd (Khalila Ali)

In the summer of 1977, Khalila and Mohammed divorced, after which he married Porsche.

At the time of the wedding, the bride was pregnant, and the couple already had a child - a daughter named Hana (born 1976).

Their second daughter Leila Ali (born 1977) became the absolute world boxing champion in the future.

Ali and Veronica divorced in 1986.

On November 19, 1986, Ali married Yolanthe "Lonnie" Williams, with whom he had been friends since his youth in Louisville. The couple adopted five-year-old Asaad Amin (b. 1981). Asaad also decided to connect his life with sports, he became a baseball player and was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in 2009.

Muhammad Ali and Yolanthe "Lonnie" Williams

In addition, Ali has two illegitimate daughters: Miya (b. 1972) and Kalia (b. 1974).

Muhammad Ali: Biography of the legendary boxer

From open sources

One of the most famous and recognizable boxers in the history of world boxing died on June 4, 2016 in a hospital, surrounded by his children.

Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay, is one of the most famous and recognizable boxers in the history of world boxing.

He was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of Odessa Clay, a housewife, and Cassius Clay, a sign and poster artist. Two years later, his only brother Rudolph was born, who later changed his name to Rahman Ali.

Clay's family lived much poorer than middle-class white families, but were not destitute. Cassius Sr. painted signs in an attempt to become a professional artist, and his wife occasionally cooked and cleaned the homes of wealthy white families. Over time, their savings were enough to buy a small cottage in a well-maintained "black" quarter for $4,500.

Unlike many black peers who had to provide for their families from an early age, Cassius did not work as a child. He only occasionally worked part-time at the University of Louisville (washing desks and blackboards) in order to have pocket money.

In the early 1950s, an atmosphere of racial inequality reigned in Louisville, which greatly influenced the formation of the personality of 10-year-old Cassius. He later recalled that before falling asleep, he cried, because he did not understand why blacks were considered second-class people in society. His mother said that one hot day she and Cassius were waiting for a bus at a bus stop. She knocked at the nearest cafe to ask for a glass of water for her son, but she was refused and the door was closed in front of her.

Clay started boxing at the age of 12 after his red bicycle was stolen from him, which he bought with the money he earned. The day after the purchase, Cassius, along with a friend, went to the fair, where children were treated to ice cream for free. On his way home, he discovered that the bike was missing. Clay was very upset and at that moment he met a white police officer, Joe Martin, and told him that he would beat the one who stole the bike. Martin replied: "Before you beat someone, you first need to learn how to do it." He invited Cassius to the gym, where he trained young boxers.

From the very beginning it was difficult to train him, Clay was constantly bullying with other guys, announcing to the whole room that he best boxer and become world champion. Because of this, Martin had to briefly kick him out of the hall. Coaches, with the exception of Fred Stoner, who taught the young boxer how to properly perform the jab, did not see much potential in Cassius.

Six weeks after the first visit to the hall, Cassius made his debut amateur fight. The fight was broadcast on television in the program "Future Champions". His opponent was a white teenager Ronnie O'Keefe, both boxers performed in the weight category up to 89 pounds (40.389 kg). Cassius was younger and less experienced, despite this, he won by decision. After the announcement of the result, Clay began to shout into the camera that he would become the greatest boxer. From that moment on, he worked every day on boxing technique and endurance. He did not drink, smoke or use drugs, becoming a healthy eating fanatic.

Start of a brilliant career

Over the next two years, Clay fought about one fight every three weeks, winning victory after victory. In 1956, he won the first Golden Gloves tournament of his career. In 1957, he had to give up training for four months because doctors discovered he had a heart murmur. Later it turned out that the heart is in perfect order.

At the age of 15, Clay transferred to Louisville Central High School, the largest African-American school in the city. Cassius' academic performance was so poor that he once had to repeat the year, but thanks to the support of the headmaster, Atwood Wilson, he was able to graduate. Wilson was impressed by Clay's determination and hard training, and he wanted the promising boxer to graduate and bring fame to the school. Cassius graduated from an educational institution in June 1960, having received only a certificate of attendance, but not a diploma, which was issued upon successful completion of studies. He always had problems with reading, and people around him often had to read to him.

At the same time, by the end of the school, Clay won 100 victories in the amateur ring, suffering only 8 defeats.

worldwide fame

Clay's debut in professional boxing took place on October 29, 1960, against Tanni Hunsecker.

Between February and July 1962, Clay scored five victories, all of the fights ended in knockouts no later than the sixth round.

At 22, Clay became world heavyweight champion by winning a world title fight against Sonny Liston.

After the rematch with Norton, the stage was set for a second fight against Frazier, which was supposed to take place again at Madison Square Garden. Before that, Ali fought against the Dutch heavyweight Rudy Lubbers, which took place in Indonesia. Mohammed dominated throughout the fight and won via unanimous decision. A few months before the fight, Ali began his attacks in the press. Frazier tried to focus on training and not react to his attacks. But during an interview on ABC, Joe's nerves broke down and he confronted Mohammed on the air. On the day of the fight, Madison Square Garden was sold out, the hall was filled with celebrities, including John F. Kennedy Jr. and reigning world champion George Foreman.

Unlike the first fight, Ali decided not to fight at the ropes, but focused on moving around the ring and inflicting a large number of jabs, at the slightest danger, Mohammed "knitted" the opponent's hands and did not let him hit. At the end of the second round, Ali landed an accurate right hook to Frazier's head, from which his legs buckled. After an accurate blow, Mohammed began to develop an attack, but the referee made a mistake: thinking that the round was over, he spread the boxers to their corners, giving Joe time to recover. This oversight by the referee did not help Frazier, who could not do anything for 12 rounds, the judges unanimously gave the victory to Ali. After the fight, Joe disagreed with the decision of the judges, openly stating that he was robbed of the victory, and also that his opponent acted "dirty" during the fight

During his career, Cassius Clay (Mohammed Ali) fought 61 fights, in which he won 56 victories, 37 of them by knockout.

When Muhammad Ali lost, the audience in the hall cried

For two years, Ali did not enter the ring, during his career he earned about $ 50 million, but only a small part was invested in business, the rest went to Mohammed's entourage.

In 1980, Ali felt the need for money, which prompted him to fight again. By that time, Mohammed had no great desire to re-enter the ring, he was brought together with the reigning world champion Larry Holmes, who was in his prime. The boxers were well acquainted with each other, since Holmes was Ali's sparring partner.

The fight took place on October 2, 1980, at that time Mohammed was 38 years old, he was overweight, and he looked frankly slow. The champion respected Ali and tried not to injure the veteran, but, nevertheless, inflicted numerous injuries on him during the fight. Holmes dominated throughout the fight and confidently won every round, many believed that he did not seek to knock out Ali, as he was afraid to inflict serious injury on him.

In the tenth round, Angelo Dundee did not let his ward into the ring, shouting: "I'm the main second! I demand to stop the fight!" This was the first fight in which Mohammed lost ahead of schedule. The camera snatched out the audience in the hall, many of whom were crying.

For his last fight, Ali earned about $ 8 million, which significantly improved his financial situation. This time he disposed of the money prudently, investing them in business and real estate. However, despite the material success, Mohammed decided to enter the ring again and was surprised to find that none of the leading boxers wanted to fight him, and also that the athletic commissions of most states were not going to issue him a license to fight due to his condition. his health. Despite all the difficulties, Ali managed to get permission to fight in the Bahamas with Canadian heavyweight Trevor Berbick. Mohammed looked much better than in the fight with Holmes, and even dominated in the fifth round. However, despite this, Ali lost by unanimous decision in a 10-round bout. After this fight, Mohammed announced his retirement and never entered the professional ring again.

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 Golden Glove rookie 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 the qualifying tournament for 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, his opponent was Tunny Hunsaker, whom he confidently defeated. After the fight, Clay briefly participated 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, frank 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 only 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, at that time 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 begin to box in full force, as a result of which the referee stopped the fight, and another victory appeared in the champion's track record.

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 refused military service, and the court, held 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 a documentary, sell the rights to use his name in a hamburger advertisement and try himself as a speaker - many universities invited him to lecture on a paid basis.

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 the 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 toughest and greatest fights in the heavyweight division. It lasted 14 rounds and is known as the "Thriller in Manila".

Here he is, the legendary boxer!