Mohammed Ali - biography, information, personal life. How Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali - the great boxer and his strange beliefs Ali never threw his medal into the river

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 Rudolf, 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 with 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 one day he had to stay for the second year, but thanks to the support of the principal of the school, 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 the ABC channel, Joe's nerves failed, and he grappled with Mohammed right in live. 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.

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 the audience in the hall, many of whom were crying.

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 his 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 because of 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.

The boxer, who called himself the greatest, was born in 1942. At birth, he was given his father's name - Cassius Clay. However, in 1964, the young boxer, who had just won the title of world champion, changed his name. But why did he do it?

"Even Jesus has always been white in pictures"

Clay's childhood took place at a time when racial inequality reigned in America. The boy sincerely did not understand why blacks are considered second-class people, which is why he often cried into his pillow in the evenings. The injustice reached the point that even on a hot day in the cafe where Cassius' mother worked, they refused to give a glass of water to her son.

Clay's worldview was also influenced by a creepy story his father told as an example of racial prejudice. In 1955, 14-year-old black boy Emmett Till was brutally murdered by two white men. The reason was the allegedly inappropriate behavior of a teenager, for which there was no evidence. The 21-year-old girl complained that Till either whistled offensively (which could have happened due to his diction problems), or grabbed her hand, or said something too cheeky.

The girl's husband and his half-brother decided to deal with Till without trial or investigation. The men severely beat the teenager and threw his body into the river. The jury, consisting of white people, acquitted the murderers, although later they confessed to their deeds, taking advantage of the fact that they could not be brought a second time by law. The "injured" girl also stated that her words were false.

Such injustice simply frightened Clay. The boy could not understand why black people in society have such a position.

Little black boys had no role models. We didn't have a single hero who looked like us. Even Jesus has always been white in pictures. So one day I asked my mom: ">">

Little black boys had no role models. We didn't have a single hero who looked like us. Even Jesus has always been white in pictures. So one day I asked my mom, "What happens when we die? Are we going to heaven?"

Muhammad Ali

When a bicycle was stolen from 12-year-old Clay, he was going to beat his offenders, but for this he had to first learn not just to wave his fists. So Cassius ended up in the boxing section. Successes came one after another, and at the age of 18, Clay became Olympic champion. Inspired by success, he returned to his hometown, where he entered an institution with a sign "Only for whites", hoping to impress the staff with an Olympic gold medal.

However, the answer of the waiter Clay discouraged: "We do not serve Negroes." Cassius was so upset that he threw out Olympic award, which did not change his position in society, into the river. After 36 years, he was given a new one to replace the lost one.

"Forget my old name! Now I'm Muhammad Ali"

By that time, Clay had learned about the "Nation of Islam" - a religious organization that aimed to improve the spiritual, social and economic situation of blacks in the United States and beyond. Cassius had been in close contact with members of the organization for several years and in 1964, immediately after winning the first world title, announced his entry into the "Nation of Islam".

Clay first renounced his last name, which he received from white slave owners, and asked to be called Cassius X. And two weeks later, as a permanent member of the organization, the boxer received a full-fledged Muslim name - Mohammed Ali.

Photo: © RIA Novosti / Vladimir Vyatkin

Everyone was in shock. During the fights, Ali continued to be called Clay, black boxers said that he let his fans down, and the WBA president even said that "Clay caused damage to the boxing world ... and sets a bad example for the youth." Cassius Clay Sr., who was sure that his son had been brainwashed, also spoke out against his son’s decision, and he himself continued to bear his name.

Ali claimed to have experienced enlightenment.

I have had many pleasant moments in my life. But those feelings that I experienced, standing on Mount Arafat on the day of Hajj, were the most unique.

Muhammad Ali

Ali immediately wanted to strip all the titles, but this was not possible: there were no legal grounds for this. However, the adoption of Islam still backfired on the great boxer. In 1967, he refused to serve in the army for religious reasons, for which he was stripped of all titles and excommunicated from boxing for three years.

When Mohammed began to run out of money, he said that for the sake of a decent fee he was ready to return to the ring. Here, his spiritual mentor from the Nation of Islam was already furious, excommunicating Ali from religion for a year because he put the money of white slave owners above serving Allah.

Was it Ali?

Already after the death of the legendary boxer in 2016, USA Today journalists conducted an investigation, during which they found out that Muhammad Ali never actually existed. The fact is that the change of the name of Cassius Clay was only announced, but legally it was not formalized in any way, and no documents confirming this could be found.

Photo: © RIA Novosti / Vladimir Vyatkin

As it turned out, in the 60s in the USA it was not required to officially change the name: even a nickname could be written in the social card if the applicant called it. In addition, one of the boxer's wives said that among the adherents of the "Nation of Islam" it was considered right not to follow the laws of white people.

Ali fought all his life with everyone around him: with oppressors, the government, rivals in the ring and Parkinson's disease. The champion lost only in the 75th round with a sense of accomplishment - with a change in attitude towards the black population for the better. He was sure that not only exceptional boxing talent, but also faith helped him in this.

It is for certain difficult to establish whether Cassius Clay officially changed his name to Muhammad Ali. However, regardless of the name on paper, in history his name is invariably - the Greatest.

In 1964, Cassius Clay converted to Islam and renounced his "slave name". After joining the Nation of Islam, he was given the name Mohammed Ali. Ironically, Ali was named after Cassius Marcellus Clay, a former abolitionist who advocated the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of slaves in the 19th century.

2. Irish origin

Even more surprising is that Ali felt hatred for the whites. Mohammed's maternal great-grandfather Abe Grady, who moved from Ireland to Kentucky in the mid-19th century, was legally married to his black wife. The couple had a son, the future father of Mohammed Ali's mother Odessa Lee. In 2009 the former absolute champion boxing world visited Ennis, small town in the West of Ireland, and met his relatives there.

3. The first "victim"

“The first person I knocked out was my mother,” said Ali. At the age of two, Mohammed knocked out two of his mother's teeth, Odessa Clay.

Muhammad Ali with his mother Odessa Clay

4. An idol named Sugar

In 1960, when he was 18 years old, Cassius Clay, contrary to the existing ban, went to the restaurant of Sugar Ray Robinson (a famous American boxer) and turned to his owner: “You are the king, my lord, my idol! I won gold medal on Olympic Games ah, and I want you to be my manager.” However, Robinson refused him, ordering him to get out of the restaurant as soon as possible, where they did not want to see black people. "At that moment, I swore to myself that I would never alienate my fans," Ali later recalled.

5. Ali never threw his medal into the river.

According to one of the many legends, in 1960, after returning from the Roman Olympic Games, Mohammed was refused to be served in one of the restaurants of his native Louisville. This upset Ali so much that he allegedly threw his gold medal into the Ohio River. Later legendary boxer admitted that he simply lost the award. Ali received a copy of the medal in 1996 during the opening of the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

6. Ali was a bad student

“After defeating Liston in 1965, I met with Ali at his motel. Some Mexican asked Mohammed for an autograph and said that he had many friends in Mexico. Ali immediately replied: Mexico? Oh cool! How do you spell Mexico? I haven’t been to school for a long time,” Mohammed Ali’s manager William Klein said in 2012.

7. Boxer, dancer and singer

In addition to oratory, Ali had another talent, very underestimated. In 1963, shortly before the fight against Sonny Liston, then Cassius Clay released an album called The Greatest. Later, when the boxer converted to Islam, Columbia Records withdrew the album from sale.

8 Ali Saved A Man From Suicide

Los Angeles, 1981 A 21-year-old boy, standing on the edge of a window of a nine-story building, threatens to commit suicide. The situation looks hopeless, the police and psychologists tried in vain to dissuade him. Ali, who happened to be on the scene by chance, turned to the young man: “I am your brother, I want to help you,” Mohammed shouted from the nearest window. Communication between them lasted for 20 minutes, and, in the end, the man abandoned his plans.

CBS news report on the incident involving Ali

9. Attitude towards the disease

In 1984, after a long examination in a New York hospital, doctors concluded that Ali was suffering from Parkinson's disease. “This is God's decision. He gave me this disease to remind me that the number one in this world is not me, but he, ”Mohammed Ali reacted to the shocking news.

10. Not like everyone else

In 2002, Ali received his star in Hollywood, but not the famous Walk of Fame. The legendary athlete asked to be commemorated on a wall at the Kodak Theater, home of the annual Oscars. Ali didn't want his name trampled on.

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 the "Islamic" name Mohammed Ali, was born on January 17, 1942 in the small town of Louisville, located in Kentucky. His father was a successful advertising artist, liquor fanatic and lover of available 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 forever entered the history of boxing. 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 the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and held this 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, former boxer a terrible disease was diagnosed - 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, 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

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, the absolute world champion in heavyweight (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 in 1974, he was named 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 sports, he regained the title of world champion in the fight against the best boxers"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 brother Rudolph was born, 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 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 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.

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 shaping the worldview of Cassius was his father's story 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 point 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).

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 on 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 in a row that he would win a 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. The Liston 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 which 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 heavy blow from the champion, and in the fifth round his vision was restored. Cassius again dominated the ring, and after many accurate strikes according 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 mass 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 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, as 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 lost several rounds outright, 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 to Olympic gold medalist 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 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 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 kid. 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 delivering powerful blows to 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 blows, which could end the fight, according to Ali, he began to hallucinate from them. 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, just 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 - the 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 track 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 spent no 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 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 a lot of crying spectators in the hall.

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 his 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 because of 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 tutors 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).

Spectacular pumping of the body - Health Portal