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 head 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 was the best athlete 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 Pole Zbigniew Petrzykowski, earning 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. AT professional boxing he came on October 29, 1960, when the fight with Tunny Hunsecker 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.
ALI , AL , union. Nar.-poet. = Or. * Is the fisherman taken by the waves, Ali is a drunken fellow, Al is robbed by thieves, A slow-witted merchant(Pushkin).
Ali(? - 661), the fourth caliph (from 656) of the Arab caliphate, the last of the "righteous caliphs". Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law. Proclaimed caliph after the assassination of Osman; led an armed struggle for power with the ruler of Syria, Muawiya (caliph from 661), during which he was defeated in 657. Killed by the Kharijites. Declared by the Shiites as the first imam.
ALIALI (Ali ibn Abi Talib) (c. 600 - January 661, Kufa, now in Iraq), the fourth of the "righteous caliphs" (656-661) of the Arab Caliphate (cm. ARAB CALIFATE). Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law (husband of the Prophet's daughter Fatima). Shiites (cm. SHIISM) considered the first imam (cm. IMAM), the "extreme Shiites" revere more than Muhammad
Ali came to power after the assassination of Osman (cm. OSMAN) and met with serious opposition to his rule, which culminated in numerous military conflicts. The first of them was played out near Basra and continued throughout his reign, which is associated with the struggle for strengthening in the possessions in the lower reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates, approval in Syria, some legislative changes in the provincial structure of the caliphate, as well as the struggle for power between Ali and Muawiyah (cm. MUAWIA I), founder of the first Umayyad caliph dynasty (cm. Umayyads). All attempts at reconciliation between the supporters of Ali and Muawiya were associated with the development of legislation on the succession to the throne and, in general, on the right of various descendants of Muhammad to power. In 658 an attempt was made to settle these relations by way of an arbitration court.
However, immediately after this experience, the tribal struggle sharply escalated. Ali began to operate mainly from the newly acquired territories in Iraq, where later, when the power of the caliphate was consolidated, the new capital of Baghdad was founded. In the lower reaches of Mesopotamia there are also the main shrines of the Shiites, that is, hereditary admirers and supporters of Caliph Ali and his family. Since the reign of Ali, there has been a contradiction between the institutions adopted by the first caliphs, which supplement the Koranic legalizations and the objections of the Shiites, who accept the Koran itself and the hadiths as the main rules of their behavior, that is, transmitted orally reports on the opinions, rulings and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. With Shiism, criticism of hadiths enters into everyday life, for Shiites reject all those of them that conflict with the texts of the Koran. The internal struggle in the Caliphate was also complicated by the ongoing military operations of Byzantium. In January 661, Ali was killed by Kharijite opponents in the cathedral mosque, but his supporters tried to transfer power to his son Hasan, however, this was just a stage in the continuation of the struggle between the direct descendants of the prophet and members of his family, which was led by Muawiyah and his entourage . With the death of Ali, power passes to the dynasty of the Umayyad caliphs.
encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .
Synonyms:See what "Ali" is in other dictionaries:
ali- (38) union. In will divide. value Or: if the Germans want to go with their goods to this city. the prince does not harrow or smolnion. or who want to drink water from the Gothic coast to the German land in Lubeck. the Germans do not harrow them that ... ... Dictionary of the Old Russian language (XI-XIV centuries)
ALI, ALE, AL, AI union or, or; | unless. Ali this, Ali this. Are you blind? To call or not to call? shows doubt, without expressing his thought; to call or not to call? shows that the speaker would think not to call. Al you were cramped in an open field ... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
- (Ali), USA, Forward Pass, Peters Entertainment, 2001, 156 min. Drama. The dramatic life story of one of the most prominent, most famous and most controversial athletes of our time, Cassius Clay, better known to the whole world under the name ... ... Cinema Encyclopedia
- (arab.). 1) male name: exalted ruler. 2) a title corresponding to our highness. 3) the first clerk among the Turks and Tatars. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. ALI arab. Title corresponding to ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
ALI, union and particle (popular poet and simple). Same as or (in 1 and 5 digits). Tired or sick. Did I not love you? Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
In Georgian mythology, evil spirits that harm women in childbirth, newborns, lonely travelers and other people. A. could be both male and female. They have a frightening appearance (the teeth are made of copper, the trace is glass, the hair is dirty). According to beliefs, A... Encyclopedia of mythology
And AL, union (reg., simple.). Or. “Ali harness is not red? are the reins not silk?” Pushkin. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov
Sublime Dictionary of Russian synonyms. or suggestion, number of synonyms: 3 al (3) or (24) ... Synonym dictionary
Ben Abi Taleb first Mozlem and fourth caliph, b. in Mecca in 602, was the most faithful and brave companion of Mohammed and married his daughter, Fatima. Elevated to the rank of caliph after the assassination of Otman in 656, he won like in 90 skirmishes of various ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
Ali- (.) the fourth Caliph (.) of the Arab Caliphate. Cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad (). Killed by members of the Muslim sect of Kharijites, separated from the Shiites. Ali is declared by the Shia as the first Imam... Encyclopedic Dictionary " The World History»
- (? 661), the fourth caliph (since 656) of the Arab caliphate. Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law. Killed by a member of the Muslim Kharijite sect. Declared by the Shia as the first Imam... Modern Encyclopedia
Books
- Muhammad Ali Unreleased Authorized photo album from the family of Mohammed in memory of his death, Ali M.. In your hands is the first and only authorized photo album of Muhammad Ali. Relatives of the boxer worked on its compilation: the publication includes previously unpublished photographs from the life of ...
Muhammad Ali is rightfully called one of the most famous and great boxers in the entire professional history of this sport.
This heavyweight for all his professional career(21 years old) fought 61 fights, won 56 victories, 37 of which were by knockout.
short biography
Muhammad Ali was given a name at birth Cassius Marcellus Clay He was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. . His father - Cassius Clay Sr., an artist who painted signs and various posters. His mother - Odessa Clay, a housewife.
Cassius was the eldest child in the family. After 2 years, he had a brother - Rudolf(Rahman Ali).
Social status
The Clay family was considered representatives middle class among the black population of the United States, despite the fact that they lived much poorer than the "white" representatives of the same class.
Cassius did not have to provide for his family, as did many of his peers at school, but he sometimes took a part-time job (washing desks and blackboards at the University of Louisville) to get pocket money.
First training
At the age of 12, an incident occurred with Cassius Jr., after which he began to box:
Somehow, his bicycle was stolen. After discovering the loss, he met a policeman, whom he said that he would beat the thief. To which he replied: “First, learn to fight,” and invited the boy to the gym.
That cop was Joe Martin, who was a trainer for beginner boxers. His students participated in amateur tournaments"Golden Glove", and their fights were shown on TV.
2 weeks after talking with Joe, Cassius and his brother saw the performances of boxers on television, and the next day they came to training at Martin's gym.
“I will become the world champion, I am the best!”
Immediately the boy began to bully everyone in the hall, telling them in raised tones that become world boxing champion. At that time, almost no coach in Martin's gym saw the potential in the future of Muhammad Ali.
First victory
Already after 1.5 months after the start of training, Clay's first fight took place with a more experienced and adult opponent. Despite this, he managed to win the first victory in his history. The fight was broadcast on TV.
"Golden Glove"
The boy began to actively train, switched completely to healthy lifestyle life. 2 years after the first training, he won the Golden Glove tournament.
In 1960 he graduated from high school with a certificate. The director and so pulled him to the last. Mostly because of his sporting success.
At that time, his amateur career was in full swing: 100 fights, of which only 8 losses. Also at that time, he won a total of 4 tournaments (2 Golden Glove tournaments and 2 Amateur Athletic Union tournaments).
1960 Olympics
After graduation, the future Muhammad Ali wanted to go into professional boxing. However, the coach persuaded him to postpone this and participate in the Olympic summer games 1960.
Qualifying Tournament
Cassius accepted this offer. He passed qualifying tournament in San Francisco. All fights, except for the final one, he passed easily. Final Rival Alan Hudson nearly knocked out Cassius in the first round with a head kick. But this did not prevent the latter from winning the battle.
Success at the Olympics
Cassius easily defeated his first opponent at the Olympics - the Belgian Yvona Beko, defeating him by TKO 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 - an Australian Tony Madigan(Cassius beat 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 was waiting for him Zbigniew Pietrzykowski from Poland, 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 land several strong blows Pole. He did not slow down and last round, conducting a quick series of strikes, 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, a few minutes later he was awarded gold medal.
Debut in professional boxing
Clay's first opponent in professional boxing was Tunny Hunsecker. Cassius conscientiously prepared for battle: he ran minimum 2 miles daily, sparred with his younger brother.
Before the fight, in his traditional manner, Clay bullied Hunseker, calling him a "bum" and promising to deal with him quickly in the 6th round. Cassius managed to win the victory, but the promised quick reprisal did not happen. Tunney said after the fight that he was lucky to fight with the future World Champion.
New coach: Angelo Dundee
After the first victory in the professional arena, the question arose of finding a new coach for Clay. The team that sponsored the boxer opted for Angelo Dundee.
Dundee immediately understood how to work with an active and sometimes aggressive boxer. He never shut his mouth, did not control - only directed his energy “in the right direction”.
winning streak
Cassius confidently won the next 4 fights and 1 sparring:
- After a week of training with a new coach, he defeated Herb Siler in the 4th round by knockout.
- The next victory was over Tony Esperti.
- The next fight seemed the most difficult of all. Mohammed Ali said he would beat the reigning world champion - Ingemar Johhansson. And not just beat - send in a knockout. There was no official fight, Yuhhanson's manager organized a sparring, in which Ali confidently won.
- The fourth official knockout victory was over Jimmy Robinson.
Further victories brought Clay closer to the Champion title. He defeated famous heavyweights one after another.
World Champion title
On February 25, 1964, a fight took place in which Cassius Clay was a contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. His opponent is the reigning champion Sonny Liston.
After the duel began, Cassius began to circle around Liston, eluding his powerful attacks and counterattacking. In the third round there was a fracture - Clay began to frankly 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.
Joining the "Nation of Islam"
In 1964 Cassius Clay joined the Nation of Islam religious society. Leader of this organization Elijah Muhammad later became his spiritual mentor and influenced in many ways later life boxer.
It was Elijah Muhammad who gave the name to the new world champion - Mohammed Ali.
New name
After Cassius entered the nation of Islam, he began to introduce himself Muhammad Ali- it was a Muslim name given to him as a member of the community. Society reacted negatively to this fact.
The boxer's father believed that he was "brainwashed" on religious grounds, and said that he himself would continue to proudly wear his first and last name.
Second fight with Liston
May 25, 1965 rematch between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston small town— Lewiston. The stakes were in favor of the old champion.
Nobody expected what happened in the ring: in the 2nd minute of the first round, Ali knocked out Liston. Even Mohammed himself believed that Sonny set himself up on purpose, and said this in a post-match interview.
However, the fight was won and the young champion defended his title for the first time. There were no serious rivals among boxers for him at the moment.
Later, until the spring of 1967, Ali 8 times was able to defend the world heavyweight title.
Refusal to serve in the army and disqualification
In 1967 Ali for 3 years was forced to retire from professional boxing. This happened because of his refusal to serve in the army. The boxer explained this by the fact that his religious views did not allow him to participate in hostilities.
However, representatives of the prosecution believed that he could serve outside the hot spots. The champion still refused to serve in the army. At trial, the jury gave him a guilty verdict.
Sports commissions revoked the boxer's license, and he could no longer compete in the professional ring.
Return to big sport took place only in 1970, when the court considered one of the next appeals of Ali's lawyer, and made a positive decision in his favor.
End of career
After his return to big boxing, Muhammad Ali had many more great fights. In 1980 his last fight took place. in professional sports. He lost ahead of schedule for the first time to the reigning young champion Larry Holmes. It happened in the 10th round.
Further fate
After leaving boxing, Muhammad Ali fell ill after 4 years Parkinson's disease. Ali suffered from the symptoms of illness, 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.
Death of a Great Boxer
On June 2, 2016, Muhammad Ali was brought to Scottsdale Hospital. He had a lung problem. The next day, June 3, 2016 at the age of 75 Great Mohammed Ali died in the hospital from septic shock.
June 10 and 11 in the native city of the boxer Louisville funerals were held with lowered flags.
If we turn to statistics, we can see that over four million people suffer from Parkinson's disease. Among them may be as usual elderly woman, which we meet on the way to the bakery, and a famous person which the whole planet knows. The history of celebrity struggle with this disease is an example of how not to give up in such a situation and try to prolong an active life. Muhammad Ali's illness became a difficult test for him, but the world-famous boxer did not even think of stopping the fight against the disease.
Childhood
The future great boxer was born on January 17, 1942 in the city of Louisville, his mother was a housewife Odessa Clay. He was named after his father, who was an artist by profession. So the boy became Cassius Jr. Two years later, his younger brother, Rudolf, was born. Having matured, both boys will take pseudonyms for themselves: the eldest - Muhammad Ali, the youngest - Rahman Ali.
Their friendly family never belonged to the needy, although, of course, the white population lived an order of magnitude better. My father painted signs, my mother sometimes worked part-time, cleaning the houses of wealthy people. Parents were even able to save money for a decent cottage.
During the childhood of Cassius, America existed in an atmosphere of inequality. The boy did not understand why blacks were considered to be some kind of second-class people. The father, for his part, often showed his sons photographs of a teenager who had been brutally murdered by whites. They were found, but not punished. And my mother was proud of her white-skinned Irish grandfather.
First steps in boxing
Once, a bicycle was stolen from 12-year-old Clay, which he loved very much. The boy decided to beat the guys who offended him. But the white policeman Joe Martin, who met him, who was a boxing coach in parallel with this work, said that first you need to learn how to fight, and then beat someone. Thus began the training of Cassius, who took his younger brother to them.
It was hard to work with Cassius: he often and a lot bullied other boxers, without stopping, shouting that the best athlete is he and only he. But so far, no coach could see a special potential in the guy. Everything changed the first fight, which took place just a month and a half after the arrival of Cassius in the section. The boy liked that this fight was broadcast on television. Despite the fact that Cassius was a beginner, he won against a white opponent. After the fight was over, overjoyed, he shouted at the camera that he would soon become a great boxer. From the first victory, the boy's serious work on himself began.
Sports career of a great boxer
These were the years when Muhammad Ali's illness had not yet taken over his body. He was only fourteen when he won the Golden Gloves tournament in 1956. It was a great start to his career. By the day he graduated from school, the young man won 100 fights and received only 8 defeats.
Gradually, the boxer's signature style began to emerge. He seemed to be dancing around the enemy, dodging his blow. At the Olympic Games, Muhammad Ali defeated Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, earning a gold medal. He came to professional boxing at the end of October 1960 after a fight with Tanny Hunsecker, which ended in Ali's victory.
In order to get started with a new coach, Cassius Clay moved to Miami. The coach managed to find an approach to a boxer with a difficult character: he did not try to control Clay, but respected and guided him. In 1962, in just six months, the young boxer scored five victories by knockout.
The disease of Muhammad Ali has not yet manifested itself in the powerful body of an athlete. He was strong and invincible. The fight with Liston was quite serious and difficult, but after the victory, Muhammad Ali reached the title of world heavyweight champion. He later earned the title of boxer of the century. And in the early 90s, Ali got into the International Boxing Hall of Fame to remain a sports legend for many years.
Boxers and Parkinson's disease
To date, scientists have not been able to understand why changes in the brain develop, which subsequently lead to But it is known: there is a direct link between traumatic brain damage and the gradual development of motor pathology. If a person has had a head injury, then the risk of developing this disease is about four times higher than in those people who have not had such injuries.
Most often chronic injuries of the skull get boxers. Doctors say that parkinsonism is dangerous for both professional athletes and amateurs, because during the fight there is not enough protection. From each blow to the head, a microconcussion occurs, which leads to structural damage to the substance of the brain.
According to statistics, more than half of boxers suffer from brain disorders. But the first symptoms remain invisible both for the boxers themselves and for their relatives. First, there is a violation of memory, tremor, coordination is disturbed. This can go on for months or even years.
Unfortunately, boxer Muhammad Ali was also among the sick. The cause of his illness was connected precisely with such injuries received over the years in the fights in the ring. All his battles were equally difficult and did not exclude blows to the head. And every touch of the enemy's fist on Ali's head brought him closer to the onset of the disease.
Parkinson's disease and Muhammad Ali
The most famous patient with parkinsonism was Muhammad Ali. Parkinson's disease overtook him three decades ago, but he courageously fought against it, being an example for the rest of the sick and their relatives who gave up. For the boxer, the fight against the disease has become the meaning of his life.
He began this battle many years before the end of his sports career. He was diagnosed in 1984. Their recent fights he spent in the ring, already being not quite healthy. And 13 years later, in 1997, Muhammad Ali's illness did not prevent him from opening the first center where movement disorders were treated.
His activity has now become a thorough study of the mechanism of the development of the disease, as well as all kinds of developments aimed at slowing the progression of this serious disease. The workers of this center tried to improve the social adaptation of patients with this diagnosis, to change the attitude of healthy people to the disease.
Charity
Today, there are several foundations and centers that deal with this disease.
Muhammad Ali helped carry out annual charity events. The sickness of this strong man. Thanks to charity, he was able to collect impressive amounts of money. Donations help to develop the scientific activities of the foundations, support and help patients with this disease. There are many different videos where you can see how the famous boxer himself (Muhammad Ali's illness, whose photo is often still found on the pages of glossy publications, has already progressed by this point) is struggling with the disease, trying to independently perform the simplest self-service actions.
Main battle
The boxer's daughter also tried to make her contribution to making people perceive this disease in a different way. She wrote a special book for young readers, in which she talked about the causes of the development of this disease, about how to correctly understand such people, about their Everyday life. And all this was done out of respect for his father, who always believed that the most important fight of his life was the fight with Parkinson's disease.
That was greatest boxer twentieth century Muhammad Ali. Now the disease will no longer affect the health of the famous boxer, because on June 3, 2016, his life was cut short.
The name of Muhammad Ali is familiar, if not to everyone, then to almost all the inhabitants of our planet. One of the greatest boxers in the history of the sport, he rose to prominence firmly and confidently, overcoming obstacles one after another. And there were many of them, given that the childhood of the future champion took place in an atmosphere of racial inequality that prevailed in all states of America.
Born into an ordinary black family, Cassius Marcellus Clay, which is the real name of the boxer, nevertheless stood out from other colored guys. And all because of the parents, who had, though not a large, but stable income, thanks to which Cassius did not have to work hard at several jobs from a young age in order to feed his family. His mother periodically worked as a governess in the homes of rich people, and his father painted signs, never losing hope of becoming a great artist. Cassius also had a younger brother - born two years later than himself - Rudolf.
Being very young, the boy simply did not understand why he and his family were so hated, why he often cried at night. Daily injustice against black people, as well as the resonant murder of a black guy Emmett Tille on the basis of racial hatred, largely influenced the formation of a guy as a person. He quickly realized that in this world you can only rely on yourself, not expecting support and understanding from others.
Clay came to boxing at the age of 12 by coincidence. It was at one of the city holidays, to which the boy came with his friend, taking a brand new bicycle he bought with his own money. The fair was in full swing, but the good day was overshadowed by the news that Clay's bicycle had been stolen. Set categorically, the boy wanted to find and beat the thief, about which he told a policeman he met on the way. Law enforcement officer Joe Martin made a very smart idea that before being a good idea to learn how to do it. Oddly enough, Clay listened to the white adviser, and part-time boxing coach and accepted his invitation to gym. However, the impulsive boy soon changed his mind and forgot about the offer. Everything changed when he saw Martin and his boxers on TV - he really wanted to be in the “blue box” himself.
So Cassius first got to training, not forgetting to take his brother Rudolph with him. Training didn’t work out from the very beginning - Clay was a badass and constantly wanted to stand out, against the background of other guys and not in himself good sense. Initially, the entire coaching staff did not see a drop of potential in the kid. He was kicked out of the gym, he was suspended from training, he was not trusted. And only Fred Stoner, who taught him to do the “jab”, could see something in Clay, for which the latter was especially grateful.
Clay changed his attitude to everything that happened just a month and a half after the start of training - he was sent to the first fight, which was also broadcast on TV. Having won it without problems, Cassius has traditionally declared that he is the future champion and the greatest boxer. But now these were not just words - the young man began to work hard on himself.
Carrying out fight after fight, winning tournaments one after another, Clay simply does not want to learn. After transferring to Central Louisville High School, he even stayed for a second year, it was so bad. The only thing that saved the guy was the favor of the director of the institution, thanks to which he received a certificate of graduation from the institution. Not a diploma, but still! Around this time, Clay began to develop his own fighting style. He already had significant achievements behind him, the main of which was the victory at the Golden Gloves tournament in 1956. At the same time, his manner of conducting the fight - daring and provocative - was criticized to the nines by the coaches. But this was all he was - the future Mohammed Ali.
In 1960, the young boxer received an incredibly tempting offer - to go to Olympic Games However, he seriously considered giving up. And the thing is that the future champion was simply afraid of flights, and he had to fly far - to Rome. Nevertheless, having bought a parachute, Clay represented the country at the games, having won a worthy victory over the Pole Zbigniew Petrzykowski. The Olympic medalist went home by train.
From Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali
The name change came during the period of Cassius's acquaintance with the Nation of Islam organization. Its membership included dark-skinned people who, upon joining, had to give up their surname, since, for their reasons, they got it from white slave owners. So Clay became Cassius X, and soon he received a purely Islamic name, which was awarded only to members of the organization - he was named Muhammad Ali.
The public reaction was not long in coming. Everyone was indignant - from parents to serious sports organizations, and the president of the WBA even tried to deprive him of the champion title, but failed. However, Ali, in his characteristic manner of superiority, expressed a tough position on this matter and confidently stated that, as before, he would beat all his rivals, which he soon confirmed. First in a fight with Liston, then with Patterson.
A special fight in Ali's career was the duel with Joe Frazier, the contract for which was signed on December 30, 1970. The uniqueness of the fight was that the undefeated former champion and undefeated defending champion. The resonance of the event was unheard of: tickets were sold, broadcasts were bought in 35 countries of the world, the press vied with each other to write about the event. The fight took place on March 8, 1971 and was a failure for Ali - after spending the entire fight at the ropes, he won the first defeat in his professional career. Three years later, Ali would take revenge on the enemy - the fight, held on January 28, 1974, by unanimous decision, Muhammad Ali would win. Without losing his dexterity, in subsequent years he will be named “boxer of the year” five times, and already in the early 90s he will be honored to be in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Retirement and Parkinson's disease
In the early 80s, the boxer, who had not entered the ring for about two years, was surprised to realize that his financial situation was rather unstable. And this despite the fact that in general, during his career he earned more than $ 50 million. Unfortunately, most of the money was spent rather frivolously. So, 38-year-old Ali had to re-enter the ring in order to earn money for living. The form of the athlete left much to be desired and his rival Larry Holmes defeated Ali. So Muhammad for the first time in his life finished the fight ahead of schedule, after the coach of the legend insisted on it. The people in the hall were crying.
Having earned about 8 million, Ali considered it necessary to enter the ring again, but it turned out to be not so easy - firstly, there were few people who wanted to fight, and secondly, sports commissions refused to issue him a license. The fight nevertheless took place in the Bahamas, with Canadian heavyweight Trevor Berbick. Ali lost and announced the end of his boxing career.
Keeping a blow from rivals throughout his life, Ali withstood the blow of fate in the form of Parkinson's disease with the same stamina. In 1984, he was diagnosed with professional activity. The legendary boxer had impaired hearing, speech, vision, while his mind remained clear until the end of his days. After leaving the ring, Ali turned to charity work. The athlete died at the age of 75 in one of the hospitals in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he was urgently taken for health reasons. Legendary boxer left the world on June 3, 2016, and his funeral took place on June 10 and 11, 2016, according to a plan drawn up by himself.
Personal life
Ali was not only a great athlete, but also a rather loving man. Throughout his life, he had four official wives. The reasons for parting with each spouse were different. So, the first wife of Sonji Roy, lost this status due to unwillingness to accept his Muslim position. Belinda Boyd did not repeat the mistakes of her predecessor and converted to Islam, even changing her name - she became Khalila Ali. However, neither Islam nor the four children she gave birth to saved the situation - Muhammad had too many fans. It was one of the fans - Veronica Porsche - who became the replacement for Belinda. Porsche bore him two children, but soon this marriage broke up. The last wife of the athlete was his longtime friend Jolanta "Lonnie" Williams, with whom they adopted the boy Asaad Amin.
- Ali's daughter from her marriage to Vernica Porsche, Layla Ali, is a world middleweight boxing champion. In 2007, she ended her professional career without suffering a single defeat.
- Ali has not only sports victories, but also a music record, with a loud, but so characteristic name for him, "I am the greatest." Released by Columbia Records.
- Half a thousand, or rather 549 rounds, Ali steadfastly defended in the professional ring.
- 170 fights, 13 presidential changes and 4 absolutely different women on the life path Ali has seen a lot!