Mohammed Ali - biography, information, personal life. Two years without Muhammad Ali: what did the great boxer do for world sports What illness did Muhammad Ali have

On June 3, 2016, the whole world was struck by the sad news. The most famous boxer Muhammad Ali has died. Mohammed Ali was considered a real icon, a great and invincible fighter who left a bright mark on the history of boxing and all sports in general.

Mohammed Ali died June 3, 2016 at the age of 74 years. The American boxer died in a hospital in Phoenix, where he spent the last three days in serious condition. Muhammad Ali was admitted to the hospital due to lung problems. The athlete's condition was complicated by Parkinson's disease. Ali was transferred to the intensive care unit and put on a life support machine. It is reported that the doctors warned relatives who were with him all this time to prepare for the worst. According to doctors, there was practically no hope for Ali's salvation and he was close to death.

Later, a representative of the family of the famous boxer, Bob Gunnel, in his interview to one of the publications named the cause of death of Muhammad Ali. According to him, the cause of death was septic shock. "The shock occurred for an unknown reason." It is also clarified that septic shock occurred of natural causes due to Ali's age and illness. Muhammad Ali spent the last minutes of his life surrounded by his family. Khan's daughter Ali reported that his heart was beating for another 30 minutes after the failure of all his other organs: “I have never seen anything like it. This is another confirmation of his strength of mind and will. The funeral the legendary Mohammed Ali will be held next Friday June 10 in the boxer's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Muhammad Ali (real name Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.) is a great American boxer. Born January 17, 1942. During his career, he fought 61 fights, including 56 wins (37 wins by knockout). Last Stand Ali spent in 1981 in the Bahamas, where he went to a duel with a boxer from Canada, Trevor Berbick.

Mohammed Ali best knockout video

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 qualifying tournament to 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. Golden medal Olympic Games became the first major success in 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. Chosen for the final battle Olympic champion 1976 Leon Spinks, whom Ali lost to. 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.

January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, housewife Odessa Clay gave birth to a son. The boy was named after his father, an artist by profession, Cassius Jr. However, the world recognizes him under a pseudonym - Muhammad Ali. Cassius' brother Rudolf, who appeared to the couple 2 years later, having matured, will also change his real name to Rahman Ali.

Their family was never in need, representing the middle class, although the living conditions of the white and black populations differed. The father of the family made a living by painting signs, his wife periodically worked part-time, cooking and cleaning in rich houses. The budget was even enough to save up money for a cottage in a very good "black" area.

The childhood and youth of the future champion were far from cloudless. In the 1950s, a very difficult atmosphere of inequality reigned in America. Even 10-year-old Cassius felt the pressure and fell asleep with tears, not understanding why blacks are considered second-class people. The father contributed to the worldview of his sons by showing them photographs of Emmett Till, a black teenager brutally murdered by whites, who were later found, but not imprisoned. Ironically, Odessa Clay was proud of her white Irish grandfather. And although the images of white “rapist-slave owners” will forever settle in the mind of Cassius Jr., which he liked to say from the stands, there was nothing to reproach his Irish ancestor for - he entered into a legal marriage with his black lover.


After his favorite bike was stolen from 12-year-old Clay, he threatened to beat the offenders. The white policeman he met, part-time boxing trainer Joe Martin reasonably remarked that "before you beat someone, you must first learn how to do it." And Cassius began to study, taking his brother to training.

It was hard to train Cassius: he bullied a lot of others, constantly shouted that he the best sportsman and future champion. Joe Martin even kicked him out of the gym quite often, and none of the coaches could see any special potential in the guy.


6 weeks after the arrival of the boy in the section, the first fight took place. Much to the delight of Cassius, the fight was televised. Despite the lack of experience, the future Muhammad Ali wins the white opponent, his joy knows no bounds. He yells at the camera that he will become a great boxer. From that moment on, the real work began.

Boxing

In 1956, he won the Golden Gloves tournament, which can be considered a great start to his career. 100 victories in the amateur ring and only 8 losses by the time of graduation. However, the young boxer studied very badly, and only the diligence and understanding of the director is due to him receiving a school education. Everything was so bad that Muhammad Ali forever had problems with reading.


In 1960, Cassius, dreaming of a dizzying sports career, received an invitation to participate in the Olympic Games. The boxer's signature style began to emerge. The innovator was exactly "dancing" around the opponent on his toes, and his lowered hands provoked a blow, from which he always dodged. He was often criticized both for his manner of fighting and for his boastful manner of presenting himself.

Only fear of flying could stop his pressure. The boxer was so afraid of flying to Rome that he almost abandoned the Olympics. Cassius made up his mind by purchasing a parachute. Clay confidently reached the final and in a difficult duel defeated the Pole Zbigniew Petrzykowski, earning a gold medal.


The father was proud of his son and even painted the steps in the color of the US flag. However, nothing has changed in his hometown. And when the champion came with a gold medal to a local cafe where they did not serve "colored ones", they still refused to serve him.

At the beginning of his career, boxer Muhammad Ali hired 11 managers. He came to professional boxing on October 29, 1960, when the fight with Tanni Hunseker took place. Ali diligently prepared for the fight, although he stated that Hunseker was a slacker and the victory would be easy. The victory was indeed his. The enemy predicted him the world championship.

Clay moves to Miami to train with new coach Angelo Dundee. There are no authorities for him, but Angelo found a way. He respected the ward and did not seek to control him in everything, but only skillfully directed him.


Clay was looking for mentors not only in sports. The beginning of the 60s is the time of his spiritual searches. In 1962, he met with the leader of the "Nation of Islam" Muhammad himself and became a member of the organization, which greatly influenced his life.

In the same year, he, continuing to win battle after battle, voluntarily passed the commission, but he never got into the army. After passing all the tests for physical health he failed the test for mental capacity without answering the question of how many hours a person works from 6 am to 3 pm, including an hour for lunch. Clay liked to joke:

"I'm the greatest, not the smartest!"

For six months in 1962, boxer Muhammad Ali wins 5 knockout victories.

55,000 people came to the stands to watch the fight between Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper. A few seconds before the end of the fourth round, Cooper sent Ali into a heavy knockdown. And if Ali's friends had not broken the glove, having won some time for the champion to rest, it is not known how the fight would have ended. In the 5th round, Muhammad cut Cooper's eyebrow with a blow, and the fight was stopped.


Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson

The match between Ali and Liston was spectacular and difficult. Ali outplayed the current world champion, he had a cut at the eyebrow and a serious hematoma appeared. By the fourth round, Ali stopped seeing, but the coach insisted on entering the ring and was right - his vision returned, and the boxer Muhammad Ali became the world heavyweight champion.

In subsequent years, Muhammad Ali 5 times becomes the "boxer of the year", deserves the title of not only "boxer of the decade", but also of the century. In the early 90s, he enters the International Boxing Hall of Fame to remain a sports legend forever.

Parkinson's disease

In 1984, Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He began to hear badly, to speak, everything motor functions have failed. Mohammed courageously held the main blow in his life - the blow of fate. An incurable disease was a consequence of Clay's professional sports activities. His body suffered, but his mind remained sharp and his heart kind, and the athlete devoted himself to helping people. To this day, he is involved in charity work.

Personal life

Muhammad Ali was married 4 times. He broke up with his first wife at an early age because of her unwillingness to become a Muslim. The second wife Belinda Boyd (after the marriage of Khalil Ali) gave birth to her husband four children. However, Ali was not an exemplary husband, and his betrayals became the reason for the divorce of the couple.


His mistress Veronica Porsche married him, becoming his third wife in 1977. The marriage lasted 9 years. But Mohammed did not remain alone for long, marrying a close friend, Yolanta Williams. They even adopted a child. In addition to legitimate children, Muhammad has two more illegitimate daughters.

Death

At the end of May 2016, the legend of world boxing due to breathing problems. In one of the hospitals in the city of Phoenix, where Mohammed Ali lived in recent years, he spent several days. But they couldn't save him.


June 4, 2016. He is 74 years old. The main disease of the athlete was Parkinson's disease.

Muhammad Ali died in one of the hospitals in Phoenix, where he spent the last few days.

The athlete, who will forever go down in history, fought Parkinson's disease for more than 32 years. Recently, he has become so weak that he could hardly speak or leave the house.

A memorial service for Ali is planned to be held in his hometown of Louisville (Kentucky, USA).

As an athlete, he will be remembered for classic fights. In particular, for beating the formidable Liston, after which he became the champion, "Fight of the Century", "Thriller in Manila" against Joe Frazier and "Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974, when at the age of 32 he beat George Foreman in Kinshasa and regained his title.

Ali, Frazier and Foreman. We were one. And part of me has now slipped away,” Foreman tweeted.


“God has come for his champion. Been great for so long,” writes another former champion world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.


Former World Champion Oscar De La Hoya also expressed condolences on the death of the legendary boxer. "Rest in peace Muhammad Ali. A legend that transcended sports. Ali was a true champion for everyone."


“R.I.P. the greatest of all time in every way,” the WBA, WBO, IBO world heavyweight champion tweeted. Tyson Fury.


Ali's influence outside the ring was no less noticeable. First, he shocked all white America by converting to Islam and changing the name of Cassius Clay to Cassius X, and later to Mohammed Ali. Later, he refused to serve in the army, saying that he did not quarrel with Vietnam.

In 1967, still undefeated and with no worthy opponents in sight, Ali was stripped of his titles. He spent about three and a half years on Broadway. He lost his best years as a fighter, but along with opposition to the Vietnam War, his popularity only grew. By the mid-1970s, he was the most recognizable sports star on the planet.

In his prime, 10 years earlier, he had incredible strength and speed. Watching him was like going to a ballet. At the age of 18, he won the gold of the Olympics in Rome, and 4 years later, in 1964, he became the heavyweight champion of the world, leaving Sonny Liston out of work. When Ernie Terrell called him Cassius Clay, he called out "What's my name?" and continued beating.

Ali vs Sonny Liston

In 1971, 5 months after his return, Ali achieved a fight with Frazier. By that time, he was no longer so quick-footed, elusive and brilliant. The exciting fight ended with the defeat of Ali, which became the first for him in his career.

Defeated by Ken Norton only confirmed the fall of Ali, which ended in 1974, when he knocked out Foreman. When asked if he was going to end his career, Ali replied that he had already done so.

However, he continued to plow until a grueling fight with Frazier, which he won when the opposing coach did not release his ward for the 15th round. After the fight ended, Mohammed fell unconscious in his corner, and later stated that this was the only time he was close to death.

Mohammed Ali (real name Cassius Marcellus Clay) is a true legend of world boxing. "Flit like a butterfly - sting like a bee" - his motto for many years to come determined the course of this sport, becoming the basis for thousands of coaches and boxers around the world. Mohammed Ali was not just a boxer - he is a man who turned the history of world boxing into a new direction. During his career, he spent 61 fights, of which 56 were crowned with victory.

Probably, today there is hardly a person in the world who would never have heard of the "People's Champion", the brilliant heavyweight of the 60s and 70s. But is it worth saying that Mohammed Ali is a person about whom absolutely everything is known? Of course not. After all, the human soul is a city in which the light is rarely turned on.

The early years of Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay)

Cassius Clay, better known by his "Islamic" name Mohammed Ali, was born on January 17, 1942 in small town Louisville, located in Kentucky. His father was a successful advertising artist, liquor fanatic and lover of accessible women. That is why in his interviews the heavyweight legend rarely mentioned him. As some acquaintances of Cassius noted, he frankly disliked his father, since hard drinking and "spree" for him were the usual norm of life.


A completely different matter is the mother of the future boxer. Odessa Grady Clay was a housekeeper who worked primarily in the homes of wealthy white Louisiana residents. She cooked and cleaned, and always remembered at every opportunity that her father was Irish. It is noteworthy that Mohammed Ali himself repeatedly said that "white blood" makes him weaker. Although the rivals of Cassius Clay, for sure, could argue with this.

Our today's hero began to get involved in sports at the age of twelve after ... someone stole his bicycle. His family was not poor, however, despite this, his own "great" always seemed to Cassius a real treasure. That is why the fact of his loss has become one of the most difficult episodes in the life of a young guy. On that day, Mohammed Ali swore that he would certainly “heap” on the thief. With this idea, he first came to the training room for boxing. This is how the legendary career of a great fighter in world sports began. He came to the gym with his two-year-old younger brother Rudolf, who later helped Cassius in sparring. It is noteworthy that initially the coaches, with the exception of Fred Stone, did not see prospects in the guy.


Soon the first fight of Cassius Clay took place. Once in a three-round confrontation, he defeated the boy from Louisiana - Rony Okiba. After that, the young boxer was invited to local television and appeared in the program "Stars of Tomorrow".

The heyday of Muhammad Ali's career

In 1956, Cassius appeared before the audience at his first major boxing competition, the Golden Gloves, and immediately won the tournament. This victory was followed by others. In total, by the time he graduated from high school, Cassius Jr. had more than a hundred won fights. It is noteworthy that one day he even managed to win in sparring the real champion - Willy Pastrano. Of course, he was extremely dissatisfied with such a turn of events, however, in the end, he admitted that the guy had a great future.

Muhammad Ali: the best knockouts!

In 1960, the great athlete volunteered for the US Army. It was during this period that he set about creating his own unique boxing style. He asked his brother and army buddies to throw rocks at him at close range so he could learn to dodge them. Moreover, in fights with his rivals, he often "danced" in the ring, standing in front of his opponent with his hands down. This boastful style has caused many negative reviews from professional boxers, however, attracted the attention of the general public to Cassius.


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. However, the performance at this competition was only a formality. Having received the coveted ticket to the Olympics, Cassius went to Rome, where he confidently confirmed the championship. The gold medal of the Olympic Games was the first serious success in the career of our today's hero.

Muhammad Ali at the 1960 Olympics

In 1964, the talented native of Louisville first appeared before the public under the name Mohammed Ali - the name under which the athlete entered the history of boxing forever. Shortly before this, the athlete converted to Islam. As is commonly believed, the reason for this decision was the athlete's dislike for white people - all childhood and youth, Cassius and his family suffered from racial harassment.

In 1964 Mohammed became absolute champion world heavyweight title and held the title for two years in a row. Subsequently, he became the owner of the title "Boxer of the Year" five times (1963, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978), and was also recognized as the "Boxer of the Decade" (70s). In 1974, Ali was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Century. In 1987, he was included in the American Boxing Hall of Fame, and three years later - in the international one.

Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson in the same studio - in Russian

The end of Muhammad Ali's career

During his career, Muhammad Ali earned about $ 50 million, which was simply an exorbitant amount at that time. However, the boxer disposed of his finances frankly mediocre, for the most part wasting them on his entourage.

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. The legendary boxer looked frankly pathetic. But despite this, Mohammed received about eight million dollars for that fight.


This time, the money earned was invested in business and real estate. However, despite the financial success, in 1981 the boxer again entered the ring. In a fight with Canadian heavyweight Trevor Berbick, he looked pretty good, but still lost. From that moment on, Mohammed did not enter the ring again.

Fight between Muhammad Ali and Trevor Berbick

In 1984, the former boxer was diagnosed with a terrible disease - Parkinson's syndrome, which caused Mohammed to have impaired coordination and breathing. However, the athlete's mind remained clear, and thanks to the prescribed levodopa, he was able to cope with everyday activities. Realizing that about further career boxer is out of the question, Mohammed Ali decided to devote his life to charity: he helped the needy, urged wealthy Americans to follow his example, and participated in negotiations with radical Islamists in Lebanon and Iraq.


Personal life of Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali was married four times. With his first wife, a waitress named Soji Roy, the boxer met in his youth, but a month later the marriage broke up due to his wife's unwillingness to convert to Islam and "immodest behavior."


The second marriage, with Belinda Boyd (later Khalila Ali), lasted longer and led to the birth of four children: three daughters and a son named Mohammed Ali Jr. Shortly after the birth of their fourth child, the couple's relationship cracked, and Mohammed began an affair with model Veronica Porsche, who, as noted in many sources, was not his only mistress. One way or another, it was Veronica who became the official reason for the divorce of Mohammed and Khalila.


Muhammad Ali and Veronica Porsche got married in 1977. Soon they had two children.


This union lasted nine years. After his divorce from Veronica Porsche, the legendary boxer married his longtime girlfriend Yolanta Williams. Soon they adopted a five-year-old boy together. In addition, Mohammed had two more illegitimate children from ties on the side.

Death of Muhammad Ali

On June 2, 2016, Muhammad Ali was hospitalized in one of the Arizona clinics (Phoenix city) in serious condition - breathing problems. She made herself aware of Parkinson's disease, it became impossible to stop it with medicines over the years. Doctors fought for the life of the great boxer, but they could not defeat death - on June 3 he died.

In memory of Muhammad Ali

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