Thomas S. Owens Muhammad Ali Boxing Champ & Role Model 2011

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Content Consultant:
Erik Arnold, boxing historian
MUHAMMAD ALI
by Thomas S. Owens
Published by ABDO Publishing Company, 8000 West 78th Street, Edina,
Minnesota 55439. Copyright 2011 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc.
International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this book may
be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.
SportsZone is a trademark and logo of ABDO Publishing Company.
Printed in the United States of America,
North Mankato, Minnesota
112010
012011
Editor: Chrs McDougall
Copy Editor: Paula Lewis
Series Design: Christa Schneider
Cover Production: Emily Love and Christa Schneider
Interior Production: Sarah Carlson and Carol Castro
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Owens, Tom, 1960-
Muhammad Ali : boxing champ & role model / by Thomas S. Owens.
p. cm. (Legendary athletes)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-61714-752-4
1. Ali, Muhammad, 1942- 2. Boxers (Sports)United StatesBiography.
3. Role models. 4. SportsBiography. I. Title.
GV1132.A4O84 2011
796.83092dc22
[B]
2010046233
TABLE 0F
C0ITEITS
CHAPTER 1 Caterpillar Cassius,
Butterfly Ali 6
CHAPTER 2 The Greatest
Growing Up 16
CHAPTER 3 Turning Pro 26
CHAPTER 4 Fighting for a Cause 34
CHAPTER 5 The US Army and Ali 44
CHAPTER 6 The Fight of the Century 52
CHAPTER 7 Rumble in the Jungle 58
CHAPTER 8 Thrilla in Manila 68
CHAPTER 9 A Different Kind of Fight 78
CHAPTER 10 Life after Boxing 86
Timeline 96
Essential Facts 100
Glossary 102
Additional Resources 104
Source Notes 106
Index 110
About the Author 112
Before his 1962 fight with Archie Moore, Clay bragged that he
would knock Moore out in four rounds. He went on to do so.
7
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CateriIIar Cassius,
ButterfIy AIi
I
efore he was known as Muhammad Ali
or called himself the Greatest, Cassius
Clay might have been The Loudest. He
bragged, often in rhyme. He not only promised
great wins, he often predicted the round in which
he would win. His actions infuriated the boxing
establishment and the American public. No other
athletes at the time acted as he did. Further, few
believed he was good enough to back up his words.
Clay had begun his professional boxing career
in 1960 after competing in the Olympic Games.
Throughout the next four years, he beatand
belittledevery opponent in his path. But none of
the wins convinced the public that he was a future
titleholder.
In June 1963, Clay went to London, England,
seeking his nineteenth consecutive win. A crowd
of 55,000 turned out to see him battle Henry
Cooper. His opponent was referred to in London
newspapers as Our Enry, a familiar form of his
name borrowed from the working-class cockney
8
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dialect of London.
1
Clay decided to show England how
he wished to be known. He entered the ring dressed
in a red robe adorned with the words, Cassius the
Greatest.
Before the fight, Clays image appeared on the
cover of Sports Illustrated with the daring headline
Cassius Invades Britain.
2
This was the first of 38
times that his image would be on the magazines cover.
The magazine summed up
Clays talkative scheme, Cassius
in England applied the economic
theory he has found so workable
in the US: to sweeten the gate,
you must first sour the people.
3

Clay returned to America with a
fifth-round knockout, just as he
predicted. His continued success
frustrated many boxing fans.
But after 19 winswith 15
knockoutsClay finally got the
title fight he had been seeking.
Sizing Up Sonny
Eight months after
beating Cooper, Clay faced
Charles Sonny Liston for
the heavyweight title. Listons
A Helpful Left Hook
In n l962 mnfch ngnInsf
Sonny Innks, CIny wns
knockod off hIs foof by n
Ioff hook In fho fIrsf round.
In fhnf momonf, wIfh
CIny`s roncfIon, frnInor
AngoIo undoo know fhnf
fho boxor wouId somodny
bo chnmIon.
Innks hIf AII wIfh fho
fInosf Ioff hook I`vo ovor
soon. If wouId hnvo fIoorod
KIng Kong. AII`s oyos
gInzod IIko ho wns ouf of
If, nnd hIs koosfor hIf fho
cnnvns. Thon ho srnng
bnck u, brIghf-oyod nnd
bushy-fnIIod nnd sfood
fho guy coId. Ho won by
n knockouf. Thnf`s whon
I know for suro. I ronIIy
fhoughf for n sIIf socond
fhnf Innks` unch wns
goodbyo fo ovoryfhIng,
fhon nnd fhoro.
4

9
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boxing education occurred behind bars. Armed robbery
and assaulting police officers headlined Listons 19
career arrests. He took up the sport of boxing at the
urging of two prison chaplains.
Clay bragged that Liston, the world heavyweight
champion, had met his match. But few others agreed;
Clay was seen as the underdog. Many questioned
whether fans would pay the sky-high ticket prices. On
February 25, 1964, even Clays wild promises did not
fill the Miami Beach Convention Center. Ultimately, the
arena attracted just 8,300 paying fans, despite having
capacity for 15,744.
The mental battle between the two boxers began
months before the first bell rang. In July 1963, Liston
When Clay compared Sonny
Liston to a bear, he was not
thinking of a teddy bear. Liston
was born in Arkansas, the twenty-
fourth of twenty-five children (and
the tenth Listons father had with
Listons mother). The poor family
did not even keep track of his birth
date. Reporters guessed he was
born between 1927 and 1932.
Liston never attended school
and never learned to read or write.
Instead, his father sent him to
work in farm fields at age eight
and gave him frequent beatings.
Liston ran away to St. Louis,
Missouri, to live with his mother.
She had left the farm to work in a
factory. In St. Louis, Liston joined
a street gang and became involved
in crime. He was sentenced to five
years in prison for robbery when
he was approximately 20 years old.
When he became a
professional boxer in 1953, men
who had ties to organized crime
bought his contract.
0ne Scary "Bear"
10
defended his title against
Floyd Patterson in Las Vegas.
After Listons win, Clay ran to
announcer Howard Cosell in the
ring and seized the microphone:
The fight was a disgrace! Liston
is a tramp! Im the champ. I
want that big ugly bear!
5
Dancing with Bears
Clay found a strategy.
He could not compete with
Listons size or his menacing
background. Instead, Clay led
up to the fight by haunting the
champion with his outlandish
personality, hurling insults,
jokes, and more.
The morning of the fight,
both heavyweights were
required to attend a weigh-in.
Clay appeared wearing a
denim jacket with the words:
bear huntin. Clay turned the
weigh-in into a circus sideshow
to scare Liston into thinking he
would be fighting a crazy man.
How Clay Could Pay
IoxIng roorfors nofod
fhnf Sonny !Isfon, ns
chnmIon, wns fnvorod fo
wIn fho fIghf ngnInsf CIny.
Oddsmnkors fnvorod !Is-
fon 8l. IooIo who bof
on fho Iossor-fnvorod CIny
fo wIn wouId rocoIvo oIghf
doIInrs (nnd fhoIr own
doIInr bnck) for onch bof
of ono doIInr. Whon odds
nro IIsfod nf ll, or ovon
monoy, If monns fhnf fho
ooIo nccofIng fho bofs
fooI fhnf rodIcfIng n
wInnor bofwoon fwo woII-
mnfchod boxors Is nonrIy
ImossIbIo.
11
Sonny Liston ducked low to escape a punch from Clay during the
fifth round of their February 25 fight in 1964.
Round eight to prove Im great! shouted Clay,
predicting his victory round. Bring that big, ugly
bear on!
6
Clays babbling threats stunned the boxing
commission doctor. Clays pulse soared to 120 beats
per minuteup from 54. Unless he calmed down, he
12
would not be allowed in the
ring. Following Clays frenzy, the
doctor questioned his fitness to
fight for the championship.
During workouts, even the
night of the fight, Clay and
cornerman Drew Bundini
Brown stood toe to toe,
shouting their motto: Float like
a butterfly, sting like a bee.
7

The catchy slogan proved to be a
winning game plan.
The ClayListon bout
did not last long. Liston was
nine years older than Clay,
and it was clear that he had
underestimated his opponent.
Showing the effects of half-
hearted training, Liston was
wearing himself out trying to
catch the fleet-footed Clay.
However, the momentum
quickly turned after the fourth
round; suddenly it was Clay who
looked doomed.
After the bell, Clay returned
to his corner. I cant see! Clay
The Cornerman
Tho cornormnn Is sImI-
Inr fo n conch. WnIfIng
oufsIdo fho rIng roos
on fho mnf nron In fho
cornor, somoono IIko
row Irown mIghf gIvo
ndvIco. Iofwoon rounds,
n cornormnn wIII fronf n
fIghfor`s cufs nnd bruIsos.
Ho mIghf offor n drInk
or dry n fIghfor`s swonfy
fnco. ThrowIng In fho
fowoI Is n boxIng hrnso.
Whon n fIghfor cnnnof
confInuo, fho cornormnn
wIII wnvo or fhrow n fowoI
fo gof fho roforoo fo sfo
fho fIghf whon fhnf sIdo
hns gIvon u.
13
pleaded.
8
He asked to have his gloves cut off. How could
he fight someone he could not see?
Trainer Angelo Dundee looked at his fighters
agonized squinting. Dundee sponged water in Clays
eyes. He touched the sponge to his own eyesand
shared the burn Clay felt. Some substance from Listons
face or gloves was torturing Clay. Was it a muscle
liniment, ointment for Listons cut face, or even a
purposeful powder used to blind a surprising foe?
Regardless of the problem, the trainer knew one
solution. Dundee ordered Clay to go out there and run.
He pushed the blinking boxer back into the ring.
For one round, Clay danced, backpedaled, and
avoided a boxer he could barely see. Sweat and tears
cleansed his eyes by the end of the round. In a deciding
sixth round, Clay skipped his fancy footwork, moved
toward Liston, and delivered a flat-footed barrage of
left hooks and right uppercuts until the bell sounded,
ending the round.
Liston remained seated as the bell rang for the
start of the seventh round. He later claimed that his
shoulder was injured. My shoulder feel like its broke,
Liston said. I dont know whats wrong with it.
9
A
doctor confirmed Listons torn tendon. However, some
reporters questioned if Liston could have continued.
Wounded pride was another explanation for Listons
surrender.
14
GGGGGGG LLLLLLLLLEEEEEGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY LLLLLLEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGGEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHH TTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL SSSSSSS EEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS EEEEEEEEETTTTTTTEEEEEEESSSSSSS
At the rings other corner, Clay shouted to the
crowd, I am the king! King of the world!
10
To the
reporters who once felt Clay had no chance, he yelled,
Eat your words!
11
Clay had become the heavyweight
champion.
Changing Names
One day later, on February 26, the victor
announced to the world that Cassius Clay was no
more. He said Clay was the name slave owners gave
his ancestors to show whose property they were. The
champion said he wanted to be called Cassius X. He
also confirmed that he was a member of the Nation
of Islam, a religion few Americans knew much about.
Before his next fight, the religions leader gave the
new champ a new name: Muhammad Ali, meaning
Praiseworthy One.
Ali would soon give America, and the world,
more than a boxer. He would create one of the most
controversial, unforgettable personalities in sports
history.
After his win against Sonny Liston was announced, Clay had to be
held back as he reacted in excitement.
At age 12 and at only 89 pounds (40.4 kg), Cassius made his
amateur boxing debut in Louisville, Kentucky.
17
"The 0reatest"
0roving U
I
orn January 17, 1942, in Louisville,
Kentucky, Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.
spent lots of time with his brother
Rudy, who was two years younger. Rudy loved to
tell people how his big brother honed his speed.
Cassius would ask Rudy to throw rocks at him.
Rudy claimed that he never hit his brother once,
because Cassius dodged every one. When he was
not playing with Rudy, Cassius kept neighborhood
boys spellbound as a talkative, imaginative leader.
His mother, Odessa, worked as a cook and
housekeeper for many different families. His
father, Cassius, painted signs and murals around
Louisville. Many churches hired the senior Clay
to paint religious murals, paying in cash or fried
chicken dinners.
Odessa recalled her firstborn son spending
time on tiptoe. One cynical relative joked that
Cassius was simply imitating his mothers
movement in high-heeled shoes. But Odessa
credited his later speed and grace in the ring with
18
the way he learned to move in his early days. However,
it was not until age 12 that the boy who would become
Muhammad Ali accidentally stumbled upon boxing.
From Biking to Boxing
In 1954, Cassius and a friend rode their bicycles
to the Louisville Home Show. Along with merchant
displays, the show offered attendees free popcorn
and candy. When it was time to leave the auditorium,
Cassius discovered that his new red bike was stolen.
Policeman Joe Martin came across the crying boy
who wanted his bike back. Seeking action, he vowed
to whup the thief.
1
The officer, a smiling white
man with silver hair, asked Cassius if he knew how
to fight. After all, he should know what to do if he
planned to whup someone. Martin spent his spare
time teaching boys how to box for the citys recreation
department. He showed Cassius
the auditoriums basement
gymnasium where they trained.
Martin created instant
sports celebrities. He produced a
local TV show called Tomorrows
Champions. Clay showed the
trainer endless determination
even after suffering a bloody
nose and mouth during his
Champion of
Nicknames
As n chIId, CnssIus`s nr-
onfs cnIIod hIm C. C. HIs
mofhor snId fhoso woro
fho fIrsf words CnssIus
ovor soko. !nfor, whon
CnssIus bocnmo nn nmn-
four boxIng chnmIon In
CoIdon CIovos comofI-
fIons, hIs fnfhor jokod
fhnf hIs son`s fIrsf words
woro n rodIcfIon.
19
first day sparring in the gym. After just six weeks of
training, Cassius boxed his first match. He fought
three rounds, one-minute each, with fellow 89-pounder
(40.4 kg) Ronnie OKeefe. Cassius won a split decision,
meaning that he landed a few more punches than his
foe. There was no knockout, and it was not a pretty
win. But it was his first win.
Whistling in the Dark
After that win, Cassius began shouting from
the ring about his greatness. Martin did not believe
Cassiuss rants. He felt that the bragging was a way the
young boxer tried to overcome his fears. But Cassius
never stopped doing it.
One of Cassiuss earliest
wins was earning a high school
diploma. After his sophomore
year at Louisvilles Central High
School, he left school due to
poor grades. When he returned,
Cassius still was not an honor
roll student. He ranked low in his
senior class, 376th out of 391. Due
to traveling the country in boxing
tournaments, his attendance was
spotty.
Some teachers wanted to keep
Cassius from graduating. However,
Principal Atwood Wilson made a
speech to the faculty, begging that
Cassius get a second chance. After
that, an English teacher allowed
the future heavyweight champion
to give an oral report on the cities
he had boxed in as an amateur,
giving him just enough credit to
pass. Fellow students remember
Cassius at the 1960 graduation
ceremony. While other boys wore
shirts and ties under their robes,
Cassius wore a T-shirt and his
steel-toed work boots.
Fighting to 0raduate
20
Cassiuss endless appetite for boxing led him to
Fred Stoner, who coached young boxing students in a
gym in a church basement. But Cassiuss unwillingness
to take suggestions resulted in Stoner banishing
him from the group. Clay charmed his way back into
Stoners graces and even worked out an evening option
for more training.
This was Cassiuss one hobby, his one passion.
As his boxing ability grew, his school football coach
showed interest in the athletic student. The invitation
received a polite turndown. Cassius explained to more
than one classmate, in all sincerity, that someone could
get hurt playing football.
At home, Cassiuss life was less predictable. His
father had more than one encounter with the police.
Most were from drinking-related offenses. Cassiuss
boxing gave him a refuge from an emotionally explosive
parent.
Cassius also grew up during a time in which African
Americans, like himself, were discriminated against in
the United States. Louisville and other US cities were
segregated. That meant many public facilities were
designated whites-only or blacks-only. The whites-only
facilities were usually of higher quality. Segregation
deeply affected Cassius as he was growing up, and those
feelings helped shape his extreme worldviews that
garnered so much attention during the 1960s and 1970s.
21
Cassius met his future trainer, Angelo Dundee, in 1957.
Room Service
Cassiuss boxing future was shaped by a daring act.
In 1957, he learned that accomplished trainer Angelo
Dundee was in town with future light heavyweight
champion Willie Pastrano. Using the phone in the hotel
lobby, Cassius was connected to Dundees room.
Cassius introduced himself as Louisvilles Golden
Gloves champion. Golden Gloves is an organization
that puts on amateur boxing tournaments across the
22
nation. He went on to share outlandish promises of all
the boxing titles he would win in the future. Finally, he
asked the big question: Could he and his brother come
upstairs and say hello?
Pastrano and Dundee agreed to see the kids.
Cassius and Rudy stayed more than three hours,
quizzing Dundee on diet, sleep, and other training
techniques for professional boxers.
In 1959, Dundee and his fighter returned to
Louisville for a match. Cassius, then age 17, found the
trainer and Pastrano at a local gym. He begged to spar
with the pro. Dundee feared
the teen could get hurt. But he
remembered Clays enthusiasm
and dedication to the sport.
After days of being asked,
Dundee relented.
The result stunned the
trainer and the pro. Cassius
dominated Pastrano for two
rounds. Dundee stopped the
sparring, thinking that his
fighter was stale. Pastrano
confessed that he could not do
anything against this young
unknown.
A Boxer, Not a Bully
CnssIus novor soomod fo
uso hIs unchIng owor
fo buIIy hIs oors whIIo
growIng u. HIgh schooI
cInssmnfo Indrn Irown
romomborod hor frIond
fIghfIng onIy onco whon
fwo boys fnunfod CnssIus
ncross fho sfroof from fho
schooI nf n doIIcnfosson.
Ho nskod fhom fo Ionvo
hIm nIono; fhoy confInuod
fo hnrnss hIm.
CnssIus fInnIIy wonf
nffor ono of fhom, Irown
snId. Ho fIoorod hIm. A
rIghf hnnd. To fho jnw.
CnssIus nImosf crIod. I
couId foII by hIs voIco. Iuf
fhnf wns fho ond of fhnf.
Thoy novor bofhorod hIm
ngnIn.
2
23
Flying Colors
Cassius was soon challenging boxers throughout
the United States. In a six-year career leading up to
the 1960 Olympic Games, he registered 100 wins
with only eight defeats. Two national Golden Gloves
championships and two Amateur Athletic Union
national titles highlighted his success.
Cassius was seeing cities he had never imagined
possible. However, he encountered the same prejudiced
attitudes while on the road boxing. Martins wife
drove Cassius and other amateurs to tournaments
in the family station wagon. If they were not in a
ring, they were in the car. The white driver was the
only one who could go into
segregated restaurants, bringing
sandwiches to the car for the
athletes to eat on the road.
As an Olympian, Cassius
faced another battle with travel.
He had never flown before.
Going by overland train to
US amateur tournaments was
different than going over the
ocean to Rome, Italy, for the
Olympics.
Trainer Martin fought hard
to convince Cassius to fly.
Fighting Brothers
CnssIus wns cInssIfIod ns
n IIghf honvywoIghf whon
ho won hIs l960 OIym-
Ic goId modnI. In fhnf
dIvIsIon, ho woIghod l?8
ounds (80.?4 kg). Ho
wnnfod hIs brofhor !udy
fo qunIIfy for fho OIym-
Ics In fho honvywoIghf
dIvIsIon. Thnf novor hn-
onod. CnssIus`s youngor
brofhor, fhon known ns
!nhnmnn AII, furnod ro
In l964. HIs rocord wns
l43l wIfh sIx knock-
oufs. Ho rofIrod In l9?2
nffor consocufIvo Iossos.
24
GGGGGGG LLLLLLLLLEEEEEGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY LLLLLLEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGGEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHH TTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL SSSSSSSSS EEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS EEEEEEEEETTTTTTTEEEEEEESSSSSSS
But then he went to an army surplus store and bought
a parachute and actually wore it on the plane, Martins
son told a Louisville newspaper. It was a pretty rough
flight, and he was down in the aisle praying with his
parachute on.
3
Four Olympic bouts ended with four Cassius
victories and the gold medal. The boy from Louisville
faced older, more experienced boxers throughout the
Olympics. The ultimate challenge came from Polands
Zbigniew Pietrzykowski. A left-handed fighter, he had
won a bronze medal in the 1956 Olympics. The Pole did
not buckle to Cassiuss combinations until the climactic
third round of the gold-medal bout.
When Cassius returned to Louisville from the
Olympics, approximately 300 fans met his airplane.
The boxer had launched a rhyme or two for reporters in
the past, but this was his defining poetic moment. He
responded for all in attendance with a four-line poem:
To make America the greatest is my goal.
So I beat the Russian and I beat the Pole.
And for the USA won the Medal of Gold.
Italians said, Youre greater than the Cassius of old.
4
Cassius Clay and the US boxing team returned from the 1960
Olympics in Rome wearing their gold medals.
On October 29, 1960, Clay made his professional boxing debut
against Tunney Hunsacker. He won after six rounds.
27
Turning Pro
I
ighteen-year-old Cassius Clay had won a
gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games
in Rome. But he still had a lot to prove
on the professional circuit. He started out in his
hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The Louisville
Sponsorship Group11 local businessmen who
pooled their money to bankroll Clays career
paired him against relatively unknown boxers.
Clays first professional match was against Tunney
Hunsacker, who worked days as the chief of a one-
man West Virginia police department.
Clay got off to a fast start as a professional
boxer. After beating Hunsacker, he knocked out
his second opponent in 1960 and then knocked
out the four opponents he faced through April
1961. Occasionally, the rising star had showed
his humor with rhymes or other taunts. In his
sixth pro fight against Lamar Clark, Clay began to
predict the round in which he would win his fights.
He told anyone who would listen, This Clark will
fall in two. Sure enough, a second-round knockout
28
occurred. But Clays outrageous
trash talk grew to a new level
after he appeared on a June
1961 radio program to promote
his seventh professional fight.
Becoming a Showman
Professional wrestler
Gorgeous George Wagner was
also on the program that day.
Clay was captivated at how this
athletic performer bragged and
shouted about his own talent.
Gorgeous Georges explanation
of his behavior might have
surprised Clay.
A lot of people will pay to see someone shut
your mouth, the wrestling star told Clay. So keep on
bragging, keep on sassing, and always be outrageous.
1

Clay realized the power of big talk when he learned
that 15,000 people bought tickets to Wagners match
after the rowdy radio appearance. Some believe Wagner
was the inspiration for Clay to wear white trunks and
boots (later with tassels)finding another way to turn
boxing tradition upside down.
Clay was sold on the power of Gorgeous George and
attended his next wrestling match. He later said:
Three Early Stunners
CIny`s roufnfIon ns
n dovnsfnfIng fIghfor
srond fnsf. In l96l, WII-
IIo CuoInf novor showod
u for n mnfch In MInmI
Ionch. CIny noodod jusf
94 soconds fo knock ouf
roIncomonf JImmy !ob-
Inson. Affor CIny bonf
28-yonr-oId onnIo IIoo-
mnn for wIn numbor fIvo,
IIoomnn rofIrod from box-
Ing. !nMnr CInrk, wIfh n
442 rocord, fncod CIny In
fho noxf fIghf. A socond-
round knockouf, comIofo
wIfh n brokon noso, con-
vIncod n socond sfrnIghf
CIny vIcfIm fo rofIro In
dofonf.
29
Gorgeous George stopped to challenge a heckler before stepping
into the wrestling ring.
The whole place was sold out when Gorgeous
George wrestled. There was thousands of people,
including me. And thats when I decided Id never
been shy about talking, but if I talked even more,
there was no telling how much money people would
pay to see me.
2
Clay continued to predict the winning round. This
trash talk was unheard of. It angered, amazed, and
sometimes frightened fans, reporters, and opponents.
Some of the fear came from worries that the boxing
matches were fixed. People wondered if criminals who
bet on the bouts bribed the boxers to lose on purpose.
30
Years later, Clay claimed that his first written
poetryas opposed to off-the-cuff rhymeswas
penned for his bout against Archie Moore. Clay
fought Moore, his onetime trainer and a former light
heavyweight champion, on November 15, 1962, in Los
Angeles, California. The extensive prefight TV coverage
allowed Clay to show off his abilities. Like a TV theme
song or commercial jingle, he kept repeating:
When you come to the fight, dont block the aisle,
and dont block the door.
You will all go home after round four.
3
Indeed, Moore suffered a fourth-round knockout
before a sold-out crowd. Clay later expressed
amazement at his accuracy:
Gorgeous George Wagner
made professional wrestling one
of the most-watched television
programs of the 1950s. The
wrestler began appearing on TV
in 1947. He grew his hair down
to his shoulders and dyed it
platinum blond. Sometimes, his
pre-match performance seemed
to take longer than the wrestling.
One assistant would spray the ring
apron with insecticide for Wagner.
Another would prepare the ring
flooring with perfume. He was
always shouting and bragging,
even taunting and arguing with
audience members (who may have
been actors hired by the wrestler).
Wagner appeared in sequined
robes while his entrance music
was played. In matches, he played
a cheating villain. Wagner died in
1963 of a heart attack. He was 48.
Clay was influenced by Wagners
showmanship.
CIay's Insiration
31
And over the years, 17 out of 21 of my predictions
came true. Thats a miracle. I dont know how I did
it. I started making predictions to sell tickets and
my predictions started coming true.
4

Before a 1963 bout in New York City, Clay
announced that he would beat his opponent, Doug
Jones, with a sixth-round knockout. Later, he told a
press conference before the match, Im changing the
pick I made before. Instead of six, Doug goes in four.
5

Things did not go as Clay had
planned. The referee finally
announced Clay the winner after
ten rounds. After the fight, Clay
tried to explain the unexpected
result. I called it in six. Then
I called it in four, he claimed.
Thats ten, right?
6
Nonetheless, Clay continued
his rhyming and winning ways
through 1963. He had won his
three bouts that year, knocking
out two of his opponents. The
third win was against Henry
Cooper in London, which set
Clay up with the heavyweight
title fight against Sonny Liston.
An Early Prediction
Af n l960 nmnfour fournn-
monf In ChIcngo, IIIInoIs,
CIny nnd frnInor Joo
MnrfIn sfood nonr dofond-
Ing chnmIon JImmy
Jonos nf fho woIgh-In.
CIny IoudIy nskod MnrfIn
If ho wns In n hurry, mnk-
Ing suro fhnf Jonos couId
honr. CIny fhon nnnouncod
fhnf hIs frnInor couId
chooso whofhor CIny
shouId knock Jonos ouf
In fho fIrsf round so fhoy
couId gof homo soonor or
If CIny shouId fnko If onsy
on hIs oononf nnd Iof
fho mnfch confInuo for
fhroo rounds. Tho nmusod
frnInor foId CIny fo fnko
hIs fImo. Ho dId, nnd
ho bonf fho sychod-ouf
Jonos In n fhroo-round
docIsIon.
32
Missing the Cut
After defeating Cooper, Clay had a professional
record of 190 with 15 knockouts. But Clay had more
to worry about than boxing. During the 1960s, the
military draft was a fact of life for US males. Everyone
registered at age 18. Those whose names were drawn
at random were required by law to serve in the armed
forces. In 1962, a draft board committee classified Clay
1-A. That meant that he was seen as physically fit and
ready to be called for service in the army.
In January 1964, he took a mental aptitude test.
The math and reading portions of the test overpowered
the star boxer and he failed. That February, Clay won the
heavyweight title for the first time when Liston refused
to return for the seventh round, giving Clay a technical
knockout. But soon the army insisted Clay retake the
test. They thought he might be trying to fail on purpose.
Clay, however, was doing his best. He was
reclassified as 1-Y and not qualified for military service.
I said I was the Greatest, he joked to the media,
trying to avoid embarrassment. I never said I was the
smartest.
7
He got off this time, but it would not be the
last time Clay heard from the army.
It did not take long for the new champion to cause
more controversy. He immediately faced public scrutiny
for his new affiliation with the Nation of Islam. He would
soon face more scrutiny for his stance on the war, too.
Outside Sonny Listons practice gym, Clay shows the crowd how
he plans on hitting Liston in the upcoming fight.
Muhammad Ali signs autographs while with Malcolm X, left, a
leader in the Black Muslim Movement.
35
Fighting for a Cause
C
assius Clay had been intrigued by the
Nation of Islam long before his first
championship fight. He once asked a high
school teacher if he could write a report on Black
Muslims. The answer was no.
Clay was 19 when he secretly attended his
first Nation of Islam meeting in 1961 in Miami,
Florida. Remembering his initial trip to that
mosque, he later told reporters that he had never
felt so spiritual. He asked his brother Rudy to join
him in Miami. Within a month, Rudy joined and
became known as Rahaman Ali.
Boxing Believer
The Nation of Islam differed from orthodox
Muslim religion in two major aspects. First, under
leader Elijah Muhammad, the nation preached
racial separation. While the civil rights movement
stressed equal rights of all races, Muhammad often
referred to whites as devils. The Nation of Islam
wanted a state or territory of their own to live
36
apart from those they disagreed
with.
Secondly, the Nation of
Islam supported an alternative
theory of creation. This view
claimed that more than 6,600
years ago, an exiled scientist
named Mr. Yacub created the
first race of white people to
take revenge on those who had
banished him to the isle of
Patmos.
The Nation of Islams belief also spelled out the
upcoming end of the world that would begin with
a wheel-shaped spaceship orbiting Earth. When
Allahs day of reckoning neared, pamphlets in Arabic
would be dropped. These would direct the faithful
where to hide for survival. Then, 1,500 planes would
leave the spacecraft, dropping explosives that would
destroy all others. These concepts were credited to
Nation of Islam founder W. D. Fard and later to Elijah
Muhammad but were not found in the Quran.
Going Public
Following his 1964 title win over Sonny Liston,
Clay told the press conference that his name was
Cassius X and that he was no longer a Christian.
Where Belief Began
In l96l, AII vIsIfod hIs
fIrsf mosquo, fho Mns-
jId AI-Ansnr Mosquo, In
!Iborfy CIfy, IIorIdn. In
l934, fho fIrsf buIIdIng
In fho !nIfod Sfnfos buIIf
socIfIcnIIy fo bo n mosquo
wns cronfod In Codnr
!nIds, Iown. Moro fhnn
2,000 mosquos nro ncfIvo
In fho !nIfod Sfnfos nnd
cnn bo found In ovory
sfnfo.
37
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA MMMMMMMMMUUUUUUHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD AAAAAAAAAADDDDDDD AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIII LLLLLLLIIIIII
Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam, had controversial
views on black and white relations in the United States.
I know where Im going and I know the truth, he said.
I dont have to be what you want me to be. Im free to
be what I want.
1
Because he spoke out about his beliefs, the head of
the Nation of Islam rewarded him with a new name. On
a radio broadcast on March 6, 1964, ten days after Clay
beat Liston, leader Elijah Muhammad said:
38
This Clay name has no divine
meaning. I hope he will accept
being called by a better name.
Muhammad Ali is what I will
give him for as long as he
believes in Allah and follows
me.
2

Ali would be known as a
minister from the Nation of
Islam. The newly named Ali
made his new religion a priority
in his schedule. In 1964, he
made a month-long trip to
Egypt and elsewhere in Africa,
learning about Muslim worship
in other countries. Villagers
would chant Alis name. In turn,
he would tell reporters that
these were my true people.
3
Ali later said that he had
attended Nation of Islam
meetings for three years prior
to his championship fight with
Liston. He had feared that
boxing officials would not have
granted him a championship if
they knew his religious leanings.
Freedom of Religion
Odossn nnd CnssIus CIny
hnd rnIsod fhoIr chII-
dron ns ChrIsfInns nnd
nffondod n InfIsf
Church wookIy. WIfh hIs
docIsIon fo chnngo roII-
gIon, AII fhoughf ho mIghf
bo mIsundorsfood: Wns ho
furnIng hIs bnck on n roII-
gIon nnd hIs mofhor
If fook hIm somo fImo fo
fInd words fo oxInIn fhnf
ho nnd hIs mofhor cnIIod
Cod by dIfforonf nnmos,
buf sfIII worshIod fho
snmo Cod. Affor hor InI-
fInI shock, hIs mofhor
ncknowIodgod fhnf hor
son wns mnkIng n choIco
gunrnnfood by fho IIrsf
Amondmonf fo fho !S
ConsfIfufIonfroodom of
roIIgIon.
39
Emotional Wins
Ali continued fighting
after he announced he was a
member of the Nation of Islam.
His next bout was a rematch
with Liston on May 22, 1965.
In a controversial ending, Ali
knocked Liston out in the first
round. Some people believed
Liston threw the fight either due
to his ties with organized crime
or out of fear of retaliation from
the Nation of Islam. In either
case, Ali won and retained his
title.
Alis next fight was against
former champion Floyd Patterson on November 22,
1965. Ali showed up at Pattersons training camp toting
lettuce and carrots. He told the press Patterson was
a scared rabbit. Patterson then told reporters that he
was a Roman Catholic, explaining that his religion did
not stress hate. Patterson vowed that he would reclaim
the title for the United States and eliminate the Black
Muslim influence from boxing.
Instantly, Ali called Patterson an Uncle Tom. The
insult implied that a black person tried overly hard to
please whites. In the ring, Ali toyed with the already
Tolerance Built
Team Ali
Whon roorfors nccusod
AII of suorfIng rncIsm
fhrough hIs nffIIInfIon
wIfh nfIon of IsInm,
AII oInfod fo fho bnck-
grounds of hIs nssIsfnnfs.
AII`s frnInor, AngoIo
undoo, wns IfnIInn.
IundInI Irown, hIs nssIs-
fnnf frnInor, wns bInck
nnd JowIsh. Cnm mnn-
ngor Cono KIIroy wns
whIfo. IordIo Inchoco, hIs
rIng docfor, wns Cubnn.
Hownrd IInghnm, n cIoso
frIond who hofogrnhod
AII for yonrs In nnd ouf
of fho rIng, wns n bInck
ChrIsfInn.
40
injured Patterson. He pounded him for 12 rounds but
never to the point of a knockout. Finally, Ali won with a
technical knockout after the twelfth round. Afterward,
reporters insisted that the winning Ali doled out extra
punishment to the older boxer.
The Army Calls Again
Alis controversial views came to the forefront
again in 1966. As the war in Vietnam worsened, so did
the need for US troops. In early 1966, minimum test
score requirements were cut in half. That meant his
failing grade was now a passing grade by 1 percent.
Some people were surprised
when Ali married Sonji Roi in
1964. The two had met only
weeks earlier, and Rois partying
lifestyle did not fit well with Alis
Islamic beliefs. Those who knew
the couple were not surprised
when Ali and Roi divorced two
years later due to her reluctance
to convert to Islam. Acquaintances
also were not surprised when the
25-year-old Ali married 17-year-
old Belinda Boyd in 1967. She had
been raised a Black Muslim and
was schooled at the University of
Islam. Muhammad and Belinda
had four children together but
divorced in 1977, partly because
of Alis infidelity. He was known
to have had many affairs and
had two children out of wedlock.
In 1975, during an affair with
Veronica Porsche, Ali accidentally
introduced her as his wife. Belinda
divorced Ali after that, and he
married Porsche. They had two
children together, but ultimately
divorced in 1986. Later that year,
Ali married his fourth wife, Lonnie
Williams. They adopted one
child together. Unlike the other
marriages, Muhammad and Lonnie
remain together.
FamiIy Life
41
The army wanted Ali, but he did not want the
army. His religion did not allow him to join. Again
and again, he repeated to reporters or anyone who
would listen, I aint got no quarrel with them Viet
Cong.
4
The Viet Cong were the North Vietnamese
guerrilla forces that the US Army was fighting in the
war. Although few agreed with the Nation of Islams
message, Alis defiance endeared him to the civil rights
protesters who were opposed to the war. However, his
views only further alienated him from many Americans.
In 1966, Ali applied for conscientious objector (CO)
status. That meant he refused military service because
of his religion. But the draft board denied his claim and
the controversy continued.
Because of Alis views,
few states agreed to host his
fights that year. Four of his
five fights in 1966 took place
in other countries. But Ali kept
winning, defending his title five
timesfour of which were by
knockouts.
Anger raged deep in Alis
first fight in 1967 against Ernie
Terrell. Terrell had been in
Golden Gloves when Ali used
his given name of Cassius Clay
Objecting Like Ali
AII wns nof fho onIy CO
durIng fho VIofnnm Wnr.
Tho govornmonf rocog-
nIzod moro fhnn l?0,000
young mon ns COs. An
osfImnfod 250,000 ooIo
novor rogIsforod for fho
drnff. Somo burnod fhoIr
drnff cnrds In rofosf.
An osfImnfod l00,000
ooIo fIod fo Cnnndn nnd
Swodon.
42
and still thought of him by his
old name. When it came time
to promote the fight, Terrell
continued to address Ali as Clay
because it seemed to irk his
opponent.
During the fight at the
Astrodome in Houston, Texas,
Alis displeasure turned to hate.
He broke a bone on Terrells
left cheek and damaged his eye.
Ringside reporters could hear
Ali tauntingly ask before each
punch, Whats my name, Uncle
Tom?
5
Ali dragged the fight out
through the entire 15 rounds
although he could have easily
ended the fight much earlier.
Later, Terrell would claim Ali poked a thumb in his eye
and rubbed the ring rope in his injured face.
Ali continued to have success in the ring. He
defended his title for an amazing ninth time in just
more than three years by knocking out Zora Folley
in March 1967. But his other opponentthe US
governmentdid not let up. If Ali did not do what the
army said, he faced a maximum punishment of five
years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The Ali Shuffle Debuts
AII`s unbonfon sfronk
grow ovombor l4, l966.
Ho foughf CIovoInnd
IIg Cnf WIIIInms, who
bonsfod n rocord of 655l.
A crowd of 35,460 mnrkod
nn Indoor rocord for
n boxIng mnfch. Mosf
ImorfnnfIy, for fho fIrsf
fImo, AII dIsInyod fho
dnnco-IIko movomonf
ho nIcknnmod fho AII
shuffIo boforo knockIng
ouf WIIIInms In fho fhIrd
round.
On March 17, 1966, Ali visited the Louisville, Kentucky, Veterans
building to appeal his draft classification.
After refusing to be drafted, Ali left the Armed Forces induction
center with friends on April 28, 1967.
45
The US Army and AIi
O
n April 28, 1967, Ali faced his last
chance to join the army. He reported
to the US Armed Forces Examining
and Entrance Station in Houston, Texas. After a
morning of physical exams and filling out forms,
Ali was ushered into a ceremony room. Each
draftee was to step forward when his name was
called. This symbolic step indicated each young
mans official induction.
But when Alis name was called, he did not
move. The officer repeated his name. When Ali
remained motionless, the officer asked for a
written explanation of why Ali refused military
service.
His refusal to enter the draft raised many
issues. First, he felt he should be exempt from
military service as an active minister of the Nation
of Islam. As an African American, he felt he could
not kill other people of color. He also noted that
his induction seemed unfair, because no blacks
were on the Louisville, Kentucky, draft board.
46
Many Americans supported the Vietnam War at
the time. Reporters questioned how Ali could say no.
Some speculated that Ali could probably avoid combat
duty because of his celebrity status. During World
War II, heavyweight champion Joe Louis entertained
the troops with boxing exhibitions. Louis and Jackie
Robinson, the first African American to play in Major
League Baseball in 1947, agreed that anyone who had
earned millions of dollars through the support of the
US people should return the favor by serving in their
countrys military. However, Ali chose not to follow
their example.
While many were appalled by Alis loud, public
refusal to go to war and his affiliation with the Nation
of Islam, others looked at him as a hero. Ali confidently
stood up to the US establishment, quickly becoming
a leader in the civil rights movement. Although few
people agreed with the Nation of Islam, many other
African Americans fought for equal rights during the
1960s, and many were also against the Vietnam War. To
these African Americans and other civil rights activists,
Ali became a high-profile leader in their movement. But
he still had to deal with the federal government.
Immediately, a lawyer from the Louisville
Sponsoring Group visited Ali. He pointed out that
more than a million dollars were at stake. Contracts for
commercials and public appearances were in danger.
47
No one wanted an endorsement from a controversial
war protester. Ali shrugged. His religion would not
allow him to be in the military in any form.
Ali went to court on June 19, 1967. He was charged
with refusal to be inducted into the US Army. A jury
needed just 21 minutes to decide that he was guilty.
Ali told the judge he would appreciate an immediate
sentence. Even though the US attorney prosecuting Ali
asked for a lighter sentence, the judge responded with
the maximum: five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Boxer Joe The Brown
Bomber Louis had retired long
before Muhammad Ali fought his
first match, yet the two faced off
repeatedly. Louis, born on
May 13, 1914, was a famous
African-American heavyweight
champion from 1937 to 1949. He
had avoided making controversial
statements during his career
and enlisted in World War II as a
private. In a charity dinner speech
during World War II, Louis stated,
Well win, because were on Gods
side.
1
He boxed in 96 exhibitions
as entertainment for 2 million
troops. He also donated his pay
from two championship fights to
the US Army Emergency Relief
Fund, helping soldiers and their
families.
Louis asked why Ali could not
do the same. Louis hinted that
Ali was ungrateful to the country
after making so much money from
fights. Ali responded by labeling
Louis as an Uncle Tom. Years later,
he apologized to Louis.
When Louis died in 1981,
he was buried with full military
honors at Arlington National
Cemetery. Because Louis grew up
in Detroit, Michigan, the National
Hockey Leagues Detroit Red
Wings named their arena the Joe
Louis Arena in his honor.
Joe Louis versus AIi
48
Grounded
Ali was allowed to remain free on bail while his
case was appealed. But he found that he no longer
had a career as a professional athlete. The trouble
started when the New York State Athletic Commission
stripped Ali of his boxing license after he refused
to step forward at his draft induction. Other states
followed. They would not grant him approval to fight
for pay. Meanwhile, the judge had taken away Alis
passport, which was a common practice when someone
was convicted of a felony. But not being able to travel
stopped Ali from seeking work as a boxer outside
the United States. He had
earned several hefty paychecks
competing in Canada, Germany,
and England in 1966.
Ali lost more than his
boxing license when he refused
to step forward. The World
Boxing Association also stripped
Ali of his championship title.
Without boxing, Ali found
another job: public speaking.
He was paid to give lectures at
college campuses. Young people
disillusioned with the war
welcomed the high-profile voice
Pro Athletes
Avoiding Vietnam
In l96?, n Ionfngon sfudy
IndIcnfod fhnf 360 rofos-
sIonnI nfhIofos of drnff
ngo durIng fho VIofnnm
Wnr fuIfIIIod fhoIr mIII-
fnry dufIos by joInIng fho
nfIonnI Cunrd or fho !S
Army !osorvos. Ofhors,
such ns ow York Jofs
qunrforbnck Joo nmnfh,
rocoIvod doformonfs
nIIowIng fhom fo nvoId
fho drnff. nmnfh`s quos-
fIonnbIo knoos oxcusod
hIm from mIIIfnry sorvIco,
nIfhough ho Inyod l3
yonrs In fho nfIonnI
IoofbnII !onguo bogIn-
nIng In l965.
49
The History of
Objection
ConscIonfIous objocfors
dId nof bogIn wIfh fho
VIofnnm Wnr. urIng
fho !ovoIufIonnry Wnr,
objocfors rocoIvod n four-
monfh rIson sonfonco.
urIng fho !S CIvII Wnr,
fho Soufh nIIowod fho
fnmIIIos of sInvohoIdors fo
sond sInvos fo subsfIfufo
for fhom In fho mIIIfnry.
In WorId Wnr I, fho gov-
ornmonf rocognIzod onIy
mombors of frndIfIonnI
onco-mIndod churchos,
such ns Qunkors, ns con-
scIonfIous objocfors. An
osfImnfod 20,900 mon
woro forcod Info fho mIII-
fnry, buf gIvon noncombnf
roIos. urIng WorId Wnr
II, nn osfImnfod 50,000
COs sorvod In fho mIIIfnry
modIcnI cors. Anofhor
l2,000 choso fo sorvo In
CIvIIInn IubIIc SorvIco,
workIng wIfhouf ny In
?0 cnms doIng forosfry,
ngrIcuIfurnI, nnd ofhor
oufdoor jobs fo bonofIf fho
govornmonf.
of dissent. But Ali did not turn out to be the radical
that some students had expected.
Upon arriving at a college campus in New York, Ali
saw that the walls were adorned with antiwar protest
posters. He said he would not
give his speech until the walls
were cleared. Although the
students wanted to believe Ali
stood for all of the same radical
viewpoints they did, that was
not the case. He disagreed with
the war for different reasons.
In fact, Alis conservative views
were much different than
their free-spirited ways. He let
everyone know that, because of
his affiliation with the Nation of
Islam, he did not believe in drug
and alcohol use or interracial
dating.
For nearly four years, Alis
boxing career remained at a
standstill. But he was giving up
more than millions of dollars in
income. He was at the peak of
his career, giving up his prime
physical years as a boxer.
50
A Pacifist Boxer?
To some, Alis willingness to continue in the bloody
sport of boxing seemed contrary to being a Muslim. In
December 1969, Illinois US House of Representatives
member Robert Michel stood before Congress to
protest Alis proposed return to pro boxing. He stated:
It should be recalled that Mr. Clay gave as one of
his excuses for not wanting to be drafted [to the
Vietnam War] that he is in reality a minister and
that even boxing is antagonistic to his religion. But
apparently, he is willing to fight anyone but the
Viet Cong.
2
Conflict with the Nation
In 1969, Alis plight hit a new low. Television
reporters could not resist his talkative ways. Someone
asked if he would ever consider a return to boxing. He
admitted he would if the money was right.
Elijah Muhammad was enraged. He did not want
Ali or any Nation of Islam member to look to white
America for support or approval. The Nation of Islam
newspaper announced Alis one-year suspension: We
will call him Cassius Clay. We take away the name of
Allah from him until he proves himself worthy of that
name.
3
Only through the intervention of Elijahs son
Herbert Muhammad was the suspension lifted. Elijah
had appointed Herbert as Alis manager years earlier.
Addressing a crowd at a Black Muslim convention in 1968,
Ali later was at odds with the Nation of Islam in 1969.
Joe Frazier hits Ali during the fifteenth round of their heavyweight
title fight at New Yorks Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971.
53
The Fight of the Century
I
y 1970, Alis supporters had
unsuccessfully spent nearly three years
working to get some state to allow him
to fight. At last, Georgia seemed like a good
possibility. There was no state boxing commission
to interfere when Atlantas mayor gave permission.
On October 26, 1970, Ali fought Jerry Quarry,
the number one contender. After 43 months away
from the professional ring, Ali was declared the
winner when the fight ended in the third round
with a technical knockout. The referee decided
that serious facial cuts made it impossible for
Quarry to continue.
Six weeks later, Ali gained a state license to
fight in New York again. The state commission,
however, did not change its mind, and the
National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP) filed suit. According to
the lawsuit, the state had sanctioned bouts for 90
boxers convicted of crimes ranging from military
desertion and armed robbery to murder.
54
Why were they allowed to fight and not Ali? A
judge ruled that Alis constitutional rights had been
violated. A fight was scheduled for December 7, 1970.
Ali went on to beat Oscar Bonavena by technical
knockout in the fifteenth round.
AliFrazier
During the time Ali had been banned from
boxing, Joe Frazier, a new heavyweight, had emerged
as Alis successor. Known as Smokin Joe, he was
much different than Ali. Frazier was a quieter, less
flamboyant man who pounded opponents with his
strong punches. It was easy for those who disliked Ali
to get behind Frazier.
Ali and Frazier met for the first time on March 8,
1971, with Fraziers heavyweight title on the line. It
was the first time that an undefeated champion met
an undefeated former champion. The bout at New York
Citys Madison Square Garden
was one of the most highly
anticipated boxing matches of
all time. Approximately 300
million people around the world
watched the fight.
Heading into the fight,
Frazier was slightly favored.
However, Ali was confident he
Fierce for Frazier
Ono of AII`s fIorcosf oo-
nonfs durIng hIs cnroor
wns Joo IrnzIor. Ioforo
fhoIr fIrsf fIghf In l9?l,
AII Iod u fo fho mnfch by
fryIng for n oofIc knock-
ouf, soufIng: ThIs mIghf
shock nnd nmnzo yn, Iuf
I`m gonnn dosfroy Joo
|Irnz-ynh]!
l
55
could win his title back and predicted a sixth-round
knockout. But the sixth round came and went without
a knockout. Frazier showed tremendous quickness
with his brute strength. Ali looked slightly slower
than he had before his ban from boxing. Still, it was
a close fight through the fourteenth round. Then Ali
got a burst of energy. However, Frazier countered,
even knocking Ali down. Ali jumped up, but he could
not mount enough of a comeback. In what some called
the Fight of the Century, Frazier won in a unanimous
decision, handing Ali his first loss as a professional.
Part of Alis reputation as
a speaker came from his many
television appearances with
Howard Cosell on Wide World of
Sports. As the interviewer, Cosell
became an unintentional comedic
sidekick to the fast-talking boxer.
Cosell often seemed older and
sometimes wiser than Ali in their
interviews. Ali always teased
Cosell about using too many big
words. Ali would also tease the
host on the air about his toupee.
Together, the odd couple intrigued
the sports world.
During one program in 1967,
Cosell wanted Ali to confess that
he had stretched the fight with
Ernie Terrell to the full 15 rounds
just to punish him. You are not a
stupid boy, Cosell began.
Thank you, Howard, Ali
interrupted. Youre not as dumb
as you look.
2
Cosell scolded Ali frequently.
Before a 1967 fight against Zora
Folley, the journalist seemed
shocked at the boxers accelerated
bragging. Youre being extremely
truculent, Cosell said.
Whatever truculent means,
Ali replied, if thats good, Im
that.
3
AIi's Sidekick
56
GGGGGGG LLLLLLLLLEEEEEGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY LLLLLLEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGGEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHH TTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL SSSSSSS EEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS EEEEEEEEETTTTTTTEEEEEEESSSSSSS
Fighting to Get Back
Ali might not have defeated Frazier, but on
June 28, 1971, he was free at last. The US Supreme
Court ruled 80 that Ali should not be forced to serve
in the military because of his religious beliefs.
Ali followed the Fight of the Century with ten wins
over the next two years. But on March 31, 1973, Ali
suffered the second loss of his career. A second-round,
right-hand punch from Ken Norton broke his jaw. Ali
did not give up, though. He fought ten more rounds
before losing in a split decision. After six months
of recuperation, the healed Ali got his rematch with
Norton. It resulted in a twelfth-round decision for Ali.
Ali and Frazier fought for the second time in 1974.
By then, Frazier had surprisingly lost his heavyweight
title to George Foreman. This AliFrazier fight was
not as highly anticipated as their first fight, but it was
heated between the boxers. The two men wrestled to
a standstill during a joint, prefight, TV interview with
Howard Cosell. When Ali called
Frazier ignorant, Frazier
lunged at him. Boxing officials
fined each man $5,000. Still, Ali
redeemed himself with a win.
Following the second Frazier
bout, Ali finally got another
shot at the title.
Religious in the Ring
In fho rIng, AII wouId
furn fo n cornor for n ro-
fIghf rnyor. Ho wouId
bow hIs hond nnd oxfond
hIs gIovos, nIms u.
Affor n fIghf, ho wouId
foII fho InforvIowors fhnf
ho wIshod fo fhnnk AIInh
for hIs succoss.
In Alis 1973 fight with Ken Norton, Alis jaw was broken.
On September 11, 1974, Ali arrived in Zaire for his fight against
heavyweight champion George Foreman.
59
RumbIe in the JungIe
!
ater in life, George Foreman became
known as the smiling, hairless spokesman
for kitchen grilling machines. But in 1974,
he was the fierce roadblock stopping Muhammad
Alis return to heavyweight glory. At 6 feet,
31/2 inches tall, Foreman held the heavyweight
championship that Ali yearned to take back.
Alis manager Herbert Muhammad insisted
on finding a $5 million payday for his contender.
Finding that much financial backing for a non-
champion in the United States could be tough.
Flashy show promoter Don King dreamed up a
scheme to pay the bills. He would take the whole
affair to Africa. This black promoter spoke of an
all-black extravaganza. He even devised a crazy
title for the fight: The Rumble in the Jungle.
King had gained financing from Zaire for a
$10 million purse that the fighters would split.
The controversial government had been accused
of human rights abuses and was willing to pay
for positive publicity. But Kings enthusiasm
60
frustrated the Zaire government
more than once. Kings first
misstep was a plan to sell the
fight with a poster that read,
From the slave ship to the
championship.
1
Alis bluster did not help.
Even before reaching Africa, he
ranted:
All you boys who dont take
me seriously, who think
George Foreman is gonna
whup me; when you get to
Africa, [President] Mobutus
people are gonna put you in a
pot, cook you and eat you.
2
Zaires foreign minister
called the Ali camp, objecting.
The people of Zaire are not
cannibals, he reminded them.
The country was hosting the
fight to improve its image and
increase trade.
Savages in America
Foreman came into the
fight with a dazzling record. He
was 400, winning 37 times by
The Rumble Sponsor
ZnIro rosIdonf Mobufu
Soso Soko bnnkroIIod fho
fIghf bofwoon AII nnd
Ioromnn. Iorn Josoh-
osIro Mobufu, fho formor
nrmy offIcor nnd journnI-
Isf fook confroI of fho
counfry In l960. !nfor, ho
gnvo hImsoIf n nnmo fhnf
monnf nII-oworfuI wnr-
rIor. Mobufu romnInod
In owor for 3l yonrs nnd
Is romomborod ns n dIc-
fnfor. Ho ordorod rIvnIs
nnd crIfIcs oxocufod whIIo
sfonIIng from fho coun-
fry`s coor nnd cobnIf
rosorvos fo mnko hIm-
soIf n mIIIIonnIro. Whon
Mobufu cnmo u wIfh n
$l0 mIIIIon urso for fho
AII nnd Ioromnn bouf,
roorfors dId nof nsk
mnny quosfIons nbouf
whoro fho monoy cnmo
from.
61
knockout. Only three fighters had lasted an entire
match against him. Reporters compared the boxers
recent common foes. Ali battled to win twelfth-round
decisions against Ken Norton and Joe Frazier. Foreman,
meanwhile, pounded both men with second-round
knockouts. He had skyrocketed to the championship in
the Sunshine Showdown. Held in Kingston, Jamaica, on
January 22, 1973, Foreman won the title by knocking
down Frazier six times in the first two rounds.
Growing up in Houston,
Texas, George Foreman endured
life with an alcoholic stepfather.
Street fights and gang brawls were
common. His life as a ninth-grade
dropout took a hopeful turn when
he joined the Job Corps program.
Sent to the Oregon forests, he
learned how to lay bricks and build
houses. Later, Foreman studied
electronics at a California urban
center and earned the equivalent
of a high school diploma.
However, he still picked fights
with fellow trainees. A supervisor
saw Foremans aggressiveness
and felt boxing could help him
contain his rage. The plan worked.
Foreman won a 1968 Olympic gold
medal in Mexico City, Mexico.
He wore a robe that read: George
Foreman, the Fighting Corpsman.
His first job was helping
others as a Job Corps instructor.
Boxing is a real challenge, but I
have bigger goals, like going to
college, he said. If no one had
taken notice of me Id have gone
down the drain. I want to be
qualified to catch others before
they go down.
3
Following his retirement in
1977, Foreman became a minister.
After being out of the sport for
ten years, he tried boxing again.
In 1994, Foreman recaptured
the heavyweight title at age 45,
becoming the oldest champion in
history.
Foreman's Boxing ChiIdhood
62
Fans cheered for Ali as he drove through downtown Kinshasa,
Zaire, on a sightseeing trip before his 1974 fight against George
Foreman.
In Zaire in October 1974, Foreman kept to his air-
conditioned villa. As heavyweight champion, he had
everything to lose and little to gain.
Ali kept a high profile. He was everywhere, meeting
with everyone. Close friend and personal photographer
Howard Bingham tape-recorded Alis amazement. Ali
said:
I used to think Africans were savages. But now
that Im here, Ive learned that many Africans
63
are wiser than we are. They
speak English and two or three
more languages. Aint that
something? We in America are
the savages.
4
Ali even became an
unofficial census taker by
proclaiming that 28 million
black people run this country,
and not one white man is
involved.
5
The people of Zaire
made their feelings known.
Ali bomaye! they shouted.
Translated, the chant meant,
Ali, kill him!
Winning Zaires support
started weeks before the fight.
Ali jogged everywhere and
visited remote neighborhoods.
Foreman heard the chants
that greeted Ali and retreated
more. If the sneering recluse
resembled Sonny Liston in
behavior, it was no accident. One of Foremans earliest
breaks as a pro came working as Listons sparring
partner.
The Wrong Message
Whon frnInIng In ZnIro,
Coorgo Ioromnn broughf
fwo Inrgo dogs for com-
nny. Tho huIkIng, Ionshod
dogs sonf fho wrong
mossngo fo fho IocnI
ouInfIon. Ioforo ZnIro
onrnod Ifs Indoondonco,
fho forrIfory wns known
ns fho IoIgInn Congo. Tho
foroIgn forco confroIIIng
fho counfry usod oIIco
dogs ngnInsf cIfIzons.
Whon Ioromnn nonrod
wIfh hIs dogs, fho IocnIs
boIIovod fho boxor wns
sondIng n sforn mossngo.
64
Just a week before the fight, Foreman suffered
a cut below his eye in an accident with a sparring
partner. The September 25 date for the fight was reset
to October 30 to allow him to recover.
The fight was scheduled to begin at 4:00 a.m. With
the different time zones, US fans wanted to attend
closed-circuit showings of the fight at a convenient
prime-time hour. Reporters marveled at classic Ali, who
even invented a name for the punch he had prepared to
beat his rival:
I got a punch for George. Its called the
ghetto-whopper, and the reason its called the
ghetto-whopper is because its thrown in the
ghetto at three oclock in the morning, when me
and George are gonna fight.
6

Rope-a-Dope
Foremans disadvantage with Ali began before the
first bell rang. Ali, a fan of horror movies, nicknamed
Foreman the Mummy. Ali claimed the nickname was
due to Foremans slow predictability. There aint no
mummy gonna catch me, Ali said.
7
Other times, Ali
described Foreman as a gang boy and a big old bully
from Texas.
8
Intense but quiet, Foreman had few
verbal counterpunches for Ali. Listeners would never
know from the one-sided exchanges that Foreman was
favored with 3-to-1 betting odds before the fight.
65
The fight began with a packed stadium of 60,000
fans. Most did not care about the oddsthey favored
Ali, loudly. Ali rewarded their faith by starting the first
round with a quick right-hand tag to Foremans head.
But early in the second round, Ali retreated to the
ropes, almost inviting Foreman to punch away.
Shocked members of the Ali camp screamed for
him to keep moving. Reporters gasped that the fights
outcome must be fixed. Only Ali knew that everything
was part of an impromptu plan. He saw Foremans
eagerness to go for a knockout, especially after Ali
got in the earliest first-round punch. So Ali covered
himself, deflecting Foremans countless body blows.
He suspected that Foreman
would follow a traditional way
of boxing. That meant trying to
wear out his foe with repeated
body punches before aiming for
a knockout to the head.
By no means did Ali sleep
through the middle rounds.
Counterpunching off the ropes,
he gauged Foremans growing
exhaustion. In the eighth round,
Foreman missed with a right
hand. Ali responded with a five-
punch combination of his own.
Reliving the Fight
on Film
Wlen We Were Kinge wns
nn 89-mInufo documon-
fnry fhnf Iookod bnck nf
fho !umbIo In fho JungIo.
Tho covorngo confnInod
foofngo of fho fIghf. A
l00-mnn crow roducod
fho fIIm. Tho fIIm wns nof
roIonsod unfII l99? nnd
won n Iosf ocumonfnry
Acndomy Awnrd. Iofh
AII nnd Ioromnn nccom-
nnIod fho dIrocfor fo fho
coromony, showIng fhnf n
frIondshI ovoIvod whon
fhoIr cnroors ondod.
66
Each punch was thrown with
astounding speed for someone
who had spent the earlier
rounds absorbing a pounding on
the ropes. Ali toppled Foreman,
winning back his championship
with an eighth-round knockout.
In later fights, Ali christened his
strategy rope-a-dope.
Alis staff left the Zaire
stadium after 5:00 a.m.,
driving through a heavy rain.
Alis personal doctor, Ferdie
Pacheco, remembered seeing
surges of movement near the
road. As we got into the deep
jungle, we started to see natives
coming out to the road, carrying
their children and covering them with palm fronds or
corrugated tin sheets, he recalled. All they wanted to
do was see Muhammad Ali pass by. Just see him. All the
way to NZele the quiet natives lined the way, in order
to someday tell their children that once, on a rain-
swept morning, they had seen pass by: The Greatest!
9
Blame Game
Whon Coorgo Ioromnn
Iosf, sufforIng hIs fIrsf
cnroor dofonf, ho roducod
mnny oxcusos for roorf-
ors. Ho fhoughf fho rIng
roos hnd boon Ioosonod
fo nIIow AII fo rofronf fnr-
fhor from honvy unchos.
Ho cInImod fho roforoo
counfod foo quIckIy nffor
ho hnd boon knockod
down. Thon, ho cInImod
hIs own frnInor hnd
druggod hIs wnfor boforo
fho fIghf. !nfor, Ioromnn
roIonfod. I wns druggod
nII rIghf. Muhnmmnd
gnvo mo n doso of fhnf bIg
rIghf hnnd.
l0
In their fight, Ali knocked out George Foreman, red shorts,
in the eighth round.
The Thrilla in Manila fight between Ali and Joe Frazier was
set up by Don King.
69
ThriIIa in ManiIa
A
fter Elijah Muhammads death in
February 1975, Ali became a Sunni
Muslim. He abandoned the harsh tone of
the original Nation of Islam tenets. Looking back,
he once said:
When I was young, I followed a teaching
that disrespected other people and said that
white people were devils. I was wrong. Color
doesnt make a man a devil. Its the heart and
soul and mind that count.
1
But Ali still had no love for Frazier. Ali had
defended his title three times in 1975 before
meeting Frazier for the third and final time. The
October 1975 fight was not expected to live up
to their first one. Both boxers were past their
prime, and the 1974 fight left little doubt that
Ali would win. As Don King had done for the
Rumble in the Jungle, the promoter looked for the
highest payday outside the United States to stage
the fight. He found it just outside Manila in the
Philippines.
70
Frazier had supported Ali when he was banned
from boxing. But since returning, Ali began a vicious
feud with Frazier. Ali had called Frazier an Uncle Tom,
among other things, before their first fight in 1971.
Prior to their 1975 bout, Ali squeezed a small, rubber
gorilla during a press conference and said, It will be a
killer, and a chiller, and a thriller, when I get the gorilla
in Manila.
2
Although both men were black, some
deemed Ali as a bigot for his taunts referring to Frazier
as a gorilla. Tension mounted when they met that
October.
The October 1, 1975, bout
began at 10:45 a.m. local time
to account for US television
viewers. What followed was
an epic but exhausting battle.
With temperatures reaching
107 degrees Fahrenheit (42C),
Ali dominated the first three
rounds. Beginning with the
fourth round, Frazier controlled
the bout for the next seven
rounds. After the tenth round,
Ali looked defeated, but he
found something more and
began to dominate once again,
despite his exhaustion.
Compassion
AII foughf hIs IongfImo
snrrIng nrfnor JImmy
IIIIs for ronI on JuIy 26,
l9?l. IIIIs, n formor
honvywoIghf fIfIo cInIm-
nnf whIIo AII wns
susondod, wns nIso from
!ouIsvIIIo nnd wns nIso
mnnngod nnd frnInod
by AngoIo undoo. AII
nIIowod undoo fo work
for IIIIs In fho fIghf
bocnuso IIIIs`s confrncf
gnvo undoo n Inrgor
shnro of ny. AII nnd
undoo hnd boon fogofhor
for 3l fIghfs. Iuf ovon
wIfh fho chnngo, AII rog-
Isforod n fwoIffh-round
fochnIcnI knockouf.
71
An image from Ali and Joe Fraziers dramatic fight was on the
cover of Sports Illustrated.
72
Ali won when Fraziers manager refused to let his
fighter start the fifteenth round. Later, Ali told his
doctor that the fight was the closest thing to death
that he had ever experienced. It was also a sign of what
was to come. During the fight, fans began to see Alis
slowed reflexes being hidden with his rope-a-dope
technique.
A Tough Nut to Crack
Ali was nearly 34 years old when he beat Frazier for
the last time. He would continue boxing for six more
One of Alis least memorable
wins made boxing history. Ali
beat Chuck Wepner on March 24,
1975, to defend the heavyweight
title he had won from George
Foreman in 1974 in Africa.
Wepner, who worked full-time as
a liquor salesman, only trained
at night. From Bayonne, New
Jersey, Wepner was nicknamed
the Bayonne Bleeder for the many
deep cuts he had suffered during
his matches.
No reporters asked about
Wepner winning. The only
question was whether the
challenger could survive in the
ring against Ali. The former
Marine did. Ali did not get his
knockout punch delivered until
only 19 seconds remained in the
fifteenth round.
Sylvester Stallone, a little-
known actor, watched the fight.
Inspired by how Wepner ignored
impossible odds to endure the
entire fight, Stallone wrote a
screenplay and starred in the
movie, Rocky, based on the battle.
The 1976 movie was a major
success and won three Academy
Awards. Five sequels followed
throughout the years.
Beating the Bayonne BIeeder
73
years, but Alis last blaze of glory may have come in one
decisive round. He faced off against Earnie Shavers,
owner of 54 victories, on September 29, 1977. The
boxer with a shaved, somewhat pointy head was an
easy target for the champion to give him a nickname.
Ali branded Shavers the Acorn for their match at New
Yorks Madison Square Garden.
Although Ali seemed to have been ahead for eight
of the first 12 rounds, Shavers rallied. The onslaught
wore Ali down. Despite glazed eyes and wobbly legs,
Ali summoned a last burst of energy for the fifteenth
round and belted Shavers against the ropes. Shavers
had been fooled by Alis acting abilities. Thinking Ali
was suffering far more than he was, Shavers did not
feel the need to move in for the killuntil it was too
late.
After the fight, Shavers may have gotten the last
laugh. The Acorn told Ali that he was one tough nut to
crack.
On the Ropes
Many people thought Ali should retire after
defeating Shavers. By then, the boxers quickness and
reflexes had clearly faded. After the fight, even the
Madison Square Garden promoter encouraged Ali to
retire. When Ali balked, the promoter said he would not
book any more Ali fights.
74
The bad news grew. This
was the last fight Doctor Ferdie
Pacheco would work in Alis
camp, too. He had received
test results showing that Alis
kidneys had suffered major
damage. Ali needed to retire.
Pacheco sent letters to Ali, his
wife Veronica Porsche, trainer
Dundee, and manager Herbert
Muhammad. All the warnings
were ignored. Pacheco chose
to quit, knowing the physical
problems Ali would face from
continued fighting.
Fresh off a win, Ali believed
that an upcoming bout with
Leon Spinks would be an easy
assignment. Spinks, a US
Marine, had fought in just six
pro bouts following his 1976
Olympic gold medal in boxing.
Despite the lack of front teeth,
Spinks charmed fans with a
wide grin and the urge to wear
his dress blue military uniform
while not in the ring.
An Apology
Ioforo fho fhIrd AII
IrnzIor fIghf, fho l9?5
ThrIIIn In MnnIIn, AII`s
fnunfs woro oxcossIvoIy
orsonnI, whIch somo
roorfors doomod rncIsf.
Affor hIs boxIng cnroor
ondod, AII found now usos
for oofry. In hIs book,
Tle Soul of o Bu//erfl,,
AII IncIudod n oom fIfIod
Tho SIIonf WnrrIor. Tho
oom noIogIzod fo Irn-
zIor nnd hIs fnmIIy for fho
fnunfs boforo fhnf fIghf.
75
Ali went light on training, planning on recycling
his rope-a-dope game plan. Instead, the 24-year-old
boxer took away Alis title with a fifteenth-round
decision on February 15, 1978. It was only Alis third
professional loss.
Ali earned a new slice of boxing history exactly
seven months later in a rematch with Spinks.
Approximately 65,000 fans packed the Superdome
in New Orleans, Louisiana, and witnessed the
transformation. Millions more hovered by televisions
for the live broadcast.
Ali stayed off the ropes this time. He needed to
score points by getting in some punches. To do that,
Ali needed to go on the offensive. He survived the full
fight, squeaking out a fifteenth-round win. He was the
first man to win the heavyweight championship three
times. Ali announced his retirement after that bout.
An Ambassador
In 1980, US President Jimmy Carter sought Alis
help. The United States was boycotting the Moscow
Olympic Games due to the Soviet Unions invasion
of Afghanistan. Carter asked Ali to visit five African
countries in hopes of getting other governments to
join the US protest. The visit was not a success. Some
African diplomats felt insulted because the United
States did not bother to send a government official.
76
Other African countries
were still angry that the United
States had not boycotted the
1976 Olympics in Montreal,
Canada. New Zealand had been
allowed to participate despite
sending its rugby team to play
in South Africa. The South
African government practiced
systematic discrimination at the
time, called apartheid, and was
shunned by most of the world.
Ali learned from his diplomatic
failure. He told the media that
he might not have volunteered
if he knew the whole history of
the US relationship with South
Africa. However, it would not
be the last time that he used his
celebrity in search of the greater
good.
Who Is the Real Ali?
AIfhough boxIng fnns
crnvo knockoufs, roorf-
ors snw AII In fwo wnys.
Somo foIf AII cnrrIod
fIghfors, hoIng nof fo
bonf fhom unfII fho round
ho`d rodIcfod. Af ofhor
fImos, AII soomod fo onso
u on n fIghfor who wns
cIonrIy IosIng. Moro fhnn
onco, AII nskod n roforoo
fo sfo n fIghf. How nm
I goIn` fo sIoo If I kIIIod
n mnn In fronf of hIs wIfo
nnd son jusf fo snfIsfy you
wrIfors ho nskod.
3
Ali attended a White House dinner and was greeted by President
Jimmy Carter on September 7, 1977.
Ali fought Trevor Berbick on December 11, 1981, in what was to
be his last professional boxing match.
79
A Different Kind
of Fight
A
li retired from boxing in 1978 as a three-
time world heavyweight champion. But to
the dismay of many, he decided to mount
a comeback two years later. In 1980, Ali lost a
humiliating fight to Larry Holmes. Ali lost by a
technical knockout when the fight was stopped in
the eleventh round. One year later, Ali came back
again. This time he fought 26-year-old Trevor
Berbick.
Before that bout, a doctor from England made
headlines by sharing his analysis of Alis taped
interviews over the last 15 years. The doctor
highlighted instances of slurred speech, claiming
this was evidence of Ali suffering brain damage.
Promoters released Alis recent medical results
from the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA). They hoped to convince the ticket-buying
public that Ali was not damaged goods at the age
of 39. Using humor and bravado, Ali fought public
attitudes before he fought Berbick. He admitted:
80
Im tired. This is hard work for somebody my age.
Naturally, I talk slower when Im tired. But I still
make sense, dont I? Im not one of them punch-
drunk fighters. My face is still pretty, no marks on
it. Besides, I went to some white doctors, so white
people would believe me. Went to the Mayo Clinic.
Went to Columbia, S.C. Went to New York. Went
to UCLA. You cant get better than that, can you?
1
Competing in the Bahamas, Ali lost to Berbick by
decision after ten rounds. It was only the fifth loss in
Alis career as a professional boxer. It would also be his
last bout. Ali retired. Although he finished his career
on a low note, fans realized Ali had been on top for
longer than anyone could have imagined.
A New Opponent
In 1984, nearly three years after his final fight, Ali
checked into a New York hospital. With slurred speech
and trembling hands, he told
reporters that he was tired.
After a week of tests, a
doctor told the public that
Ali had slight symptoms of
Parkinsons syndrome, the
precursor to Parkinsons disease.
The disease occurs when the
brain cannot produce proper
amounts of dopamine. This
Parkinsons Facts
IsfImnfos sfnfo fhnf
nroxImnfoIy l mIIIIon
ooIo In fho !nIfod
Sfnfos woro IIvIng wIfh
InrkInson`s dIsonso In
20l0. Mon soomod fo bo
nf n sIIghfIy hIghor rIsk
fhnn womon fo confrncf
InrkInson`s. OnIy l In 20
dIngnosod woro undor fho
ngo of 40.
81
substance helps the nervous system control the motor
skills functions that Ali performed gracefully for so
many years.
Immediately after the announcement, former
Ali associates and boxing commentators stated their
feelings that Ali faced an inherited genetic condition.
Boxing could not cause such problems, they insisted.
Ali was one of the first to assert this theory. He said:
I would have had Parkinsons if I had been a baker.
There arent many boxers that have Parkinsons,
and there are lots of people who have Parkinsons
whove never even seen a boxing match, let alone
been in one.
2

However, they would soon find that might not to
be true.
James Parkinson received
little recognition in his lifetime
for his medical discoveries. Born
April 11, 1755, he was the son of
John Parkinson, a surgeon and
pharmacist. Married to Mary Dale
and the father of six children,
James Parkinson tried to help and
represent the underprivileged. The
disease he recognized was named
after him some 60 years later. The
well-studied mans discoveries
ranged beyond medical science.
Parkinson studied geology and
paleontology, taking family and
friends on research expeditions
and fossil searches. He published
several books about the study of
fossils. He died in 1824.
April 11 has become known
as World Parkinsons Disease Day.
Organizations use Parkinsons
birthday as the day to raise
awareness of the disease.
The Man behind the Disease
82
Punch Drunk
Punch-drunk is a common boxing expression.
The phrase was first used to describe the dizziness
a fighter who had taken too many blows to the head
experienced. It later described boxers who had suffered
noticeable brain damage.
Alis fight doctor, Ferdie Pacheco, wrote with
passion as he outlined his beliefs about the long-
term physical damage Ali faced after too many fights.
Pacheco believed that Alis Parkinsons syndrome
symptoms were a result of a punch-drunk syndrome
rather than a genetic condition. His beliefs were
supported by a 1957 study by Dr. M. Critchley in the
British Journal of Medicine titled The Medical Aspects
of Boxing.
Pacheco and Critchley agreed that prolonged
boxing could cause midbrain damage. A loss of balance,
a flat expression (often described as a masked face
by longtime Parkinsons patients), slow speech, and
tremors were some of the symptoms shown by former
boxers.
In 1991, Thomas Hauser wrote Muhammad Ali:
His Life and Times with Alis cooperation. Ali even
asked his doctors to answer Hausers questions, giving
permission for his personal medical data to be released.
Hauser chronicled Alis health. He also quoted
Dr. Dennis Cope of the UCLA Medical Center, who had
83
been examining Ali four times a
year. Cope disagreed with Alis
theory that he would have had
Parkinsons no matter what.
Cope blamed boxing for Alis
physical state, saying, So far
as I know, if Muhammad hadnt
been a professional fighter,
none of these problems would
have occurred.
3

There was no way to tally
the toll of blows to Alis brain.
But he absorbed an estimated
440 punches from Joe Frazier
in their 1975 fight alone.
Even sparring during practice
sessions, boxing always had
a potential risk. By his own
estimation, Ali told reporters
that he believed he had taken
more than 1 million punches in
his boxing career.
Living with
Parkinsons
People with little knowledge
of Parkinsons did not always
Fellow Fighter Fox
!Iko Muhnmmnd AII,
ncfor MIchnoI J. Iox hns
foughf n Iongfhy bnffIo
wIfh InrkInson`s dIsonso.
Ingnosod In l99l, Iox
foId fho ubIIc In l998.
!Iko AII, Iox hns rnIsod
mIIIIons of doIInrs fo
hoI fund rosonrch for n
curo. Thoy hnvo nonrod
fogofhor In sovornI ub-
IIc sorvIco nnnouncomonf
commorcInIs. In 2002,
AII nnd Iox nonrod nf
n honrIng In WnshIngfon
C, urgIng Congross fo
dovofo moro govornmonf
funds for InrkInson`s
rosonrch.
84
know what to think of Alis actions. Because the disease
has lessened Alis physical movement, those he meets
sometimes mistakenly believe he has mental problems
or even deafness, due to his limited facial movement
and slowed response times.
Although Ali had to adjust to his new condition, he
did have some help. Lonnie Williams had grown up
across the street from Ali in Louisville, Kentucky. Their
mothers were best friends. Lonnie was 15 years younger
than Ali, but she was a well-educated woman who also
shared Alis Muslim beliefs. When Ali divorced his third
wife, Veronica Porsche, he and
Lonnie became close again. They
married in 1986. She was his
fourth and final wife.
As Alis health deteriorated,
Lonnie became his caretaker.
Because he has trouble speaking,
he often chooses to have his wife
comment for him, sometimes
only whispering in her ear.
She also joined him in leading
efforts to support research,
treatment, and awareness for
Parkinsons disease.
Fight Night Fun
SInco l994, Muhnmmnd
nnd wIfo !onnIo AII hnvo
rnIsod moro fhnn $60 mII-
IIon durIng CoIobrIfy
IIghf Ighf In Ihoo-
nIx, ArIzonn. Tho monoy
bonofIfs fho Muhnmmnd
AII InrkInson Confor
nf Inrrow ouroIogIcnI
InsfIfufo In IhoonIx. AII
hoIod osfnbIIsh fho con-
for In l99?. If Is n Iondor
In rosonrchIng n curo for
fho dIsonso. Concorfs,
nucfIons, nnd nonr-
nncos from HoIIywood
sfnrs mnrk fho nnnunI
ovonf.
Alis wife, Lonnie, helps her husband deal with the difficulties of
Parkinsons disease.
In 1996, Ali lit the torch that signaled the beginning of that years
Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.
87
Life after Boxing
W
ithout boxing and with declining
health, Muhammad Alis future
seemed uncertain. However, those
obstacles were not enough to keep the quotable
celebrity from making news.
Ali tried his hand at diplomacy again in 1985.
He accompanied attorney Richard Hirschfield
to Beirut, Lebanon. A Muslim protest group had
taken four US citizens hostage. But two days
produced no results.
Defeat never discouraged Ali for long. In 1990,
the United States was days away from entering the
first Gulf War. However, Iraq had taken more than
300 US citizens hostage. They planned to use them
as human shields in defense against a US attack.
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invited Ali to the
country. Ali met Hussein with a kiss to the cheek.
They met for 50 minutes and even posed for
photos. While Alis hope to help avert a full-scale
war did not occur, he flew home with 15 freed
Americans.
88
Carrying a Torch
Ali made a spectacular return to the world of
sports in 1996. The Olympic Games were held that
summer in Atlanta, Georgia. To the surprise of
many, Ali was selected as the torchbearer who lit the
cauldron that would stay aflame throughout all of the
competition. The man who had been hated by many
during the 1960s had become a national hero.
Another chapter of Alis legend was completed at
those Olympics. He was presented with a replacement
medal for the 1960 gold medal. Although it has not
been confirmed, Ali said he tossed his original gold
medal into the Ohio River after he was denied service
at a restaurant because he was black. The truth did not
The Olympic flame that
Ali lit in 1996 is one of sports
greatest symbols. According to
legend, Prometheus stole fire
from the Greek god Zeus. A flame
was kept burning at the first
Olympics in Greece. The practice
was reintroduced in 1928. Since
1936, a torch relay from Greece
to the site of the Olympic Games
leads up to the competition. The
first time a famous athlete was the
final torchbearer who lit the fire
in the Olympic stadium occurred
in 1952. The Olympics that year
were in Helsinki, Finland. Paavo
Nurmi, a runner who won nine
gold medals for Finland, lit
the cauldron at the start of the
Olympics. Reporters saw irony in
Alis second triumphant return in
Atlanta as an Olympic torchbearer.
Atlanta was the site of his 1970
comeback fight after being out of
the ring for 43 months.
The Torchbearer
89
matter. Ali was at home in the
US spotlight again. His head
and hands trembled from his
Parkinsons disease. Ali seemed
to pause more than once, taking
time to admire both the torch
and the sea of people following
his every move.
After experiencing and
enduring the dangers of boxing,
Ali lent his fame to improving
his sports safety. He has
appeared in Washington DC
during government hearings on boxing reform.
Congress passed the first boxing law in 1996. The
Boxing Safety Act created a computerized file that
tracked boxers who had suffered a knockout. In the
past, those boxers may have returned to the ring
immediately in another state by fighting under a false
name to avoid any safety regulations.
He has also lent his name to humanitarian causes.
In 1998, Ali and actor Edward Asner brought more than
$1 million in medical supplies to Cuba. The United
States bans travel to and trade with Cuba because of
the countrys communist ties. But Ali was helping a
humanitarian group deliver medicine needed to treat
children suffering from cancer.
Autographs for Allah
AII novor forgof fho vnIuo
of hIs coIobrIfy. AIwnys
mobbod by fnns wnnfIng
nufogrnhs, AII wouId
groof fnns wIfh nmhIofs
oxInInIng hIs roIIgIon.
KnowIng fhnf sfrnngors
mIghf fhrow ouf n moro
roIIgIous frncf, ho nufo-
grnhod ovory ono, ovon
nddIng n honrf or smIIoy
fnco. Todny, fhoso sIgnod
brochuros soII for $l00
nnd u on onIIno nucfIon
sIfos.
90
During a 1996 humanitarian trip to Cuba, Ali visited with children in
a hospital.
Within weeks of his return, the United Nations (UN)
honored Ali. He received the honorary title of UN Peace
Messenger. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan bestowed
the award.
The Alis have also lent their famous name and
financial support to the University of Louisville,
resulting in the Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and
Justice. Ali never attended the university. However, he
has partnered with the school to empower a program
91
that offers teaching, research,
and other assistance to those
who further the cause of peace.
From inner-city students in
Louisville, Kentucky, to human
rights workers in Africa, the Ali
Institute is involved.
In 1999, Wheaties, the
Breakfast of Champions,
honored Ali on the front of
its cereal boxes. General Mills
had not recognized Ali during
his career. But because he
continued to capture Americas
imagination, even so many years
after retiring, Ali was finally
seen as a powerful force for
corporate America. Despite his
slower steps and quieter voice,
Ali was asked to ring the bell at
the New York Stock Exchange
on December 31, 1999, to open
that days stock market trading. Coca-Cola signed him
as a spokesman in 2001. However, one of his best
paying jobs after his retirement from boxing came from
autograph signing. He received as much as $200,000
for one public appearance.
Farmer Ali
AII`s Iogond dId nof ond
wIfh boxIng mnfchos.
In l9?5, ho movod fo nn
80-ncro (32 hn) fnrm In
IorrIon SrIngs, MIch-
Ignn. Ior yonrs, n buzzor
nnd Inforcom wnIfod nf
fho oIocfronIc gnfo. Inns
who couId fInd fho fnrm
couId fnko fhoIr chnncos.
Thoso who nskod somo-
fImos gof n surrIso
nonrnnco from AII.
Ho wouId como oufsIdo,
shnko hnnds, sIgn nufo-
grnhs, nnd ovon oso
for Icfuros. Ho Iovod fo
orform mngIc frIcks for
vIsIfors, Infor rovonIIng
fho socrofs, oxInInIng
fhnf hIs roIIgIon fonchos
fhnf If Is wrong fo docoIvo
ooIo.
92
Where Ali Walked
In 2005, the 96,750-square foot (8,988 sq m)
Muhammad Ali Center opened in Alis hometown of
Louisville. The centers opening took place on the
nineteenth wedding anniversary of Muhammad and
Lonnie. The center serves as an interactive museum,
allowing visitors to learn about Alis career and take
part in hands-on exhibits. Like Ali, the center is about
much more than boxing. Art is showcased at the center.
Some of Alis poetry and sketches are on display. Going
beyond sports, a 55-foot (16.76 m) wall entitled Hope
and Dream exhibits artwork by children from 141
countries. Each piece answers the question, What do
you want to do when you grow up? After all, at age 12,
Cassius Clay knew he wanted to be a champion boxer.
Other exhibits and galleries
depict the historical backdrop
of Alis life, detailing the
Vietnam War and the civil rights
movement.
At the centers opening,
Alis health kept him from
speaking to the crowd. Instead,
he offered a written statement:
I wanted a place that would
inspire people to be the best
that they could be at whatever
An Undefeated
Daughter
AII Ioff boxIng bohInd
nffor hIs fInnI Ioss In
l98l. Iuf ho wouId rofurn
fo fho rIng ns n socfn-
for yonrs Infor. nughfor
!nIIn AII, wIfhouf nny
oncourngomonf from hor
fnfhor, bocnmo n rofos-
sIonnI boxor. Sho rofIrod
undofonfod, 240. Affor n
sfInf modoIIng, !nIIn wns
n confosfnnf on AIC`s
Doncing ui/l /le S/ore.
93
they chose to do, and to encourage them to be
respectful of one another.
1
More Recognition
Many years after the brash, young boxer alienated
fans with his arrogance and upset a nation with his
reluctance to go to the Vietnam War, Ali became a
revered member of US society. In 2005, President
George W. Bush awarded Ali the Presidential Medal of
Freedom. That is the highest honor granted to a US
citizen not serving in the military. The text of Alis
citation reads, in part:
As the first three-time heavyweight boxing
champion of the world, he thrilled, entertained,
and inspired us. His deep commitment to equal
justice and peace has touched people around the
world. The United States honors Muhammad
Ali for his lifetime of achievement and for his
principled service to mankind.
2

During the late 1960s, the federal government
was ready to send Ali to prison over the military draft.
In 2007, Representative Julia Carson, along with 54
cosponsors, introduced a resolution on the floor of the
US House of Representatives to honor Muhammad
Ali, global humanitarian, on the occasion of his sixty-
fifth birthday and to extend best wishes to him and his
family.
3
The resolution passed unanimously.
94
During the 1960s, the NAACP pushed for a
peaceful integration between African Americans and
whites. Ali, on the other hand, reflected the beliefs of
fellow Nation of Islam members, hoping for a separate,
all-black society. However, as years passed, the NAACP
grew in its appreciation of Alis courage, while Ali
embraced new views of equality. In 2009, the NAACP
honored Ali with their Presidents Award.
Muhammad Ali inspired a generation, NAACP
president Ben Jealous said in 2009:
We are honored to recognize the accomplishments
of one of the most respected and admired men of
all time, who earned a special place in our hearts
and minds not only for his success inside the boxing
ring but for his role as an outspoken, charming,
and witty leader, activist, humanitarian, and
artist. He is truly The Greatest of All Time and
incredibly worthy of this award.
4
Many years after Ali proclaimed himself to be
the Greatest with his flashy boxing and many
years after Ali riled up a nation with his outspoken,
controversial views, the former boxer has embraced
his new, quieter life. He once told a Los Angeles Times
reporter, Im more human now. Spreading the fingers
of his shaking left hand, Ali continued, People arent
scared of me no more. They believe Im like them and
thats good.
5
In 2005, Ali was presented with the Presidential
Medal of Freedom.
96
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNDDDDDAAAAAAAARRRRRRRYYYYYYY LLLLLLEEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGGEEEEEEENNNNNNNNDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTHHHH TTTTTTHHHHHH TTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS EEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTEEEEEEEESSSSSSS
1962 1963 1964
A military draft
board classifies Clay
as 1-A, ranking him
as fit and making
him available to
be summoned into
the US Army at any
time.
In his first fight
outside the United
States, Clay wins
a fifth-round
knockout against
Henry Cooper in
London, England.
Clay is classified 1-Y,
unfit for military
duty.
1942 1954 1956
Cassius Marcellus
Clay Jr. is born
on January 17 in
Louisville, Kentucky.
After Cassiuss
bicycle is stolen,
he meets Louisville
policeman Joe
Martin, who
coaches an amateur
youth boxing
program. Clay joins.
Clay wins his first
Golden Gloves
Championship.
97
MMMMMMMMUUUHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA MMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAA MMMMMMMMMUUUUUUHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDD AAAAAAADDDDDDD AAAAAAAAAADDDDDDD AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLIIIII LLLLIIIIII LLLLLLLIIIIII
1964 1966 1967
Clay wins the
heavyweight title
against Sonny Liston
on February 25.
Afterward Clay says
he is a member
of the Nation of
Islam. He accepts
the name of
Muhammad Ali.
Ali files for
conscientious
objector status. The
draft board denies
his claim.
Ali refuses to be
inducted into
the army and
is arrested. The
New York State
Athletic Commission
removes Alis title,
banning him from
boxing.
1959 1960 1961
Clay wins the
Golden Gloves
Tournament of
Champions title
and the National
Amateur Athletic
Union light-
heavyweight title.
In Rome, Italy, Clay
wins an Olympic
gold medal in
boxing as a light-
heavyweight. He
wins his first pro
fight in October.
Professional
wrestler Gorgeous
George Wagner
encourages Clay to
keep bragging to
the media, because
it sells more tickets.
98
1981 1984 1990
The 39-year-old Ali
loses a tenth-round
decision to Trevor
Berbick. The next
day, Ali retires.
Ali tells the
world that he has
Parkinsons disease.
Ali gains release
of 15 US hostages
from Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein.
1970 1971 1973
After legal troubles
kept him out of the
ring for 43 months,
Ali returns in
October, knocking
out Jerry Quarry.
Ali suffers his
first pro loss, to
Joe Frazier. The
Supreme Court
agrees that he has a
legitimate religious
objection to his
draft notice.
Alis second loss
comes from Ken
Norton. Norton
breaks Alis jaw,
but Ali fights for
ten more rounds.
99
1996 1998 2005
Ali lights the flame
at the Olympic
Games in Atlanta,
Georgia.
Ali is named a UN
Messenger of Peace
by UN Secretary-
General Kofi
Annan.
Ali is awarded the
Presidential Medal
of Freedom. The
Muhammad Ali
Center opens in
Louisville.
1974 1975 1978
In an eighth-round
knockout against
George Foreman,
Ali regains the
heavyweight title at
the Rumble in the
Jungle.
Ali defends his title
in the Philippines.
He wins a 14-round
battle against Joe
Frazier in the fight
known as the Thrilla
in Manila.
In February, Ali loses
his title to Leon
Spinks. In a rematch
seven months later,
he wins it back.
100
DATE OF BIRTH
Jnnunry l?, l942
PLACE OF BIRTH
!ouIsvIIIo, Konfucky
PARENTS
CnssIus CIny nnd Odossn CIny
EDUCATION
!ouIsvIIIo ConfrnI HIgh SchooI
MARRIAGES
SonjI !oI, l964 (dIvorcod, l966); IoIIndn Ioyd, l96? (dIvorcod,
l9?6); VoronIcn Iorcho, l9?? (dIvorcod, l986); YoInndn
!onnIo WIIIInms, l986
CHILDREN
Muhnmmnd AII Jr.; Asnnd; MIyn; Mnryum; !nshodn; KhnIInh;
Hnnn; !nIIn; JnmIIInh
101
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Muhnmmnd AII won n goId modnI nf fho l960 OIymIc Cnmos.
Affor furnIng ro, ho won fho honvywoIghf chnmIonshI
In l964, rognInod fho honvywoIghf chnmIonshI In l9?4,
nnd Iosf nnd rognInod (for n fhIrd fImo) fho honvywoIghf
chnmIonshI In l9?8. Ho wns oIocfod fo InfornnfIonnI IoxIng
HnII of Inmo In l990. In l996, AII IIf fho OIymIc fInmo fo fho
oonIng of fho OIymIc Cnmos In AfInnfn. Ho wns nwnrdod fho
IrosIdonfInI ModnI of Iroodom In 2005.
SOCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Muhnmmnd AII cronfod fho AII Confor In 2005 nnd hns rnIsod
mIIIIons of doIInrs for InrkInson`s dIsonso fronfmonf nnd
rosonrch.
CONFLICTS
Muhnmmnd AII rofusod InducfIon Info fho !S Army In l96?
bnsod on hIs roIIgIous boIIofs. Ho formonfod boxor Joo IrnzIor,
nffnckIng hIm wIfh rncIsf Inngungo In rofIghf InforvIows.
QUOTE
Wo nII hnvo fho snmo Cod, wo jusf sorvo hIm dIfforonfIy.
!Ivors, Inkos, onds, sfronms, oconns nII hnvo dIfforonf nnmos,
buf fhoy nII confnIn wnfor. So do roIIgIons hnvo dIfforonf
nnmos, nnd fhoy nII confnIn frufh, oxrossod In dIfforonf wnys,
forms, nnd fImos. If doosn`f mnffor whofhor you`ro n MusIIm,
n ChrIsfInn, or n Jow. Whon you boIIovo In Cod, you shouId
boIIovo fhnf nII ooIo nro nrf of ono fnmIIy. If you Iovo Cod,
you cnn`f Iovo onIy somo of hIs chIIdron. MulonnoJ Ali
102
A!!uL
Tho ArnbIc word for Cod.
umuteuv
An nfhIofo who Is nof nId fo comofo.
upuvtLeId
A govornmonf-nrovod oIIcy of rncInI dIscrImInnfIon
ngnInsf nonwhIfo cIfIzons In fho !oubIIc of Soufh AfrIcn,
InvoIvIng IognI, oIIfIcnI, nnd oconomIc unfnIrnoss. AnrfhoId
ondod In fho onrIy l990s.
cLup!uIn
A mombor of fho cIorgy who gIvos roIIgIous guIdnnco.
conscIentIous obJectov (CO)
Somoono who rofusos fo sorvo In fho mIIIfnry nnd fIghf In
wnrs duo fo mornI, hIIosohIcnI, or roIIgIous boIIofs.
covnevmun
Tho orson who suorfs n boxor durIng n fIghf, gIvIng fho
boxor conchIng nnd fronfmonf In fho cornor bofwoon rounds.
IntegvutIon
Whon n nrf of socIofy, such ns n noIghborhood or schooI,
fhnf hnd boon sogrognfod bogIns fo fronf nII rncos oqunIIy.
Is!um
Tho fnIfh nnd boIIof of MusIIms fhnf AIInh Is fho Iono god
nnd fhnf Muhnmmnd wns AIInh`s rohof.
knockout
Whon n boxor Is knockod fo fho cnnvns nnd Is unnbIo fo rIso
for fho roforoo`s counf of fon.
mosque
An IsInmIc Inco of worshI.
103
MMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAA MMMMMMMMMUUUUUUHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM AAAAAAADDDDDDD AAAAAAAAAADDDDDDD AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA LLLLIIIIII LLLLLLLIIIIII
motov skI!!s
Tho nbIIIfy fo mnko urosofuI movomonfs.
pvomotev
Tho orson In chnrgo of schoduIIng, InnnIng, nnd soIIIng
fIckofs fo nn ovonf (such ns n boxIng mnfch) fo fho ubIIc.
Quv'un
Tho IsInmIc hoIy foxf, sImIInr fo fho Tornh of JudnIsm or fho
IIbIo In ChrIsfInnIfy.
veIuge
A snfo Inco.
vound
A orIod of fhroo mInufos In boxIng. IrofossIonnI mnfchos
nro schoduIod for l0 fo l5 rounds.
segvegutIon
Whon ono nrf of socIofy oxcIudos n corfnIn rnco of ooIo,
such ns AfrIcnn AmorIcnns.
spuvvIng
IoxIng fhnf Is dono In rncfIco.
sp!It decIsIon
OnIy fwo of fhroo boxIng judgos ruIo In n boxor`s fnvor.
tecLnIcu! knockout
Whon fho roforoo ruIos fhnf n boxor Is hysIcnIIy unnbIo fo
confInuo n mnfch.
tvucu!ent
AggrossIvoIy nrgumonfnfIvo.
104
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
AII, Muhnmmnd, wIfh Hnnn Ynsmoon AII. Tle Soul of o
Bu//erfl,. Ieflec/ione on Lifeè Journe,. ow York: SImon
nnd Schusfor, 2004. IrInf.
Hnusor, Thomns. MulonnoJ Ali. Hie Life onJ Tinee. ow
York: SImon nnd Schusfor, l99l. IrInf.
Hnusor, Thomns. Tle Loe/ Legoc, of MulonnoJ Ali. Toronfo,
O: SorfCInssIc Iooks, 2005. IrInf.
KIndrod, nvo. SounJ onJ Iur,. Tle Tuo Pouerful Litee, One
Io/eful IrienJelip. ow York: Iroo Iross, 2006. IrInf.
!omnIck, nvId. King of /le WorlJ. ow York: !nndom Houso,
l998. IrInf.
FURTHER READINGS
AII: CoIobrnfIng 50 Yonrs on fho WorId Sfngo. ISA ToJo,
SocInI IdIfIon. 23 ov. 2009. Wob.
AII, Muhnmmnd, nnd Thomns Hnusor. Heoling. Snn IrnncIsco:
CoIIIns IubIIshors, l996. IrInf.
undoo, AngoIo, wIfh Iorf !nndoIh Sugnr. M, Vieu fron
/le Corner. A Life in Boxing. ow York: McCrnw-HIII, 2009.
IrInf.
105
MMMMMMMMUUUHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA MMMMMMMMMMM AAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDD AAAAAAAAAALLLLLLIIIII
WEB LINKS
To Ionrn moro nbouf Muhnmmnd AII, vIsIf AIO IubIIshIng
Comnny onIIno nf www.ubdopub!IsLIng.com. Wob sIfos
nbouf AII nro fonfurod on our Iook !Inks ngo. Thoso IInks nro
roufInoIy monIforod nnd udnfod fo rovIdo fho mosf curronf
InformnfIon nvnIInbIo.
PLACES TO VISIT
Centvu! HIgL ScLoo!
ll30 Wosf Chosfnuf Sfroof, !ouIsvIIIo, KY 40203-209l
502-485-8226
www.jofforson.kl2.ky.us/SchooIs/HIgh/ConfrnI/Indox.hfmI
InsIdo fho mnIn onfrnnco Is n oom frIbufo fo CnssIus CIny,
cInss of l960, nnd n hofo of fho fnmous sfudonf. CIny onforod
ConfrnI In l956, whIch wns fho fIrsf yonr of fho cIfy-wIdo
dosogrognfIon of fho schooIs.
IntevnutIonu! BoxIng Hu!! oI Iume
l HnII of Inmo rIvo, Cnnnsfofn, Y l3032
3l5-69?-?095
www.Ibhof.com
ThIs hnII of fnmo hns mnny oxhIbIfs fhnf chronIcIo fho hIsfory
of boxIng. Muhnmmnd AII bocnmo n HnII of Inmo Inducfoo In
l990, fho fIrsf yonr fhnf fho musoum Inducfod now mombors.
MuLummud A!I Centev
Ono Muhnmmnd AII IInzn, l44 . SIxfh Sfroof
!ouIsvIIIo, KY 40202
502-584-9254
www.nIIconfor.org
Tho AII Confor Iooks nf Muhnmmnd AII ns moro fhnn n
boxor. InforncfIvo oxhIbIfs, dIsInys, nnd fIIms show hIs IIfo
sof ngnInsf fho Issuos of fho cIvII rIghfs movomonf nnd fho
VIofnnm Wnr.
106
CHAPTER 1. CateriIIar Cassius, ButterfIy AIi
l. MoIrn Ioffy. Honry Cooor`s honrIng hnd survIvod
Muhnmmnd AIIbuf If wns ngoIng norvos fhnf Inndod fho
knock-ouf bIow. Moil Online. AssocInfod owsnors !fd., 20
JuIy 20l0. Wob. l8 Ocf. 20l0.
2. C. MnrcoIIus CIny Isq. Spor/e 1llue/ro/eJ. l0 Juno l963.
IrInf. 22.
3. IbId.
4. Tho Cronfosf Is Cono. Tine Mogocine. 2? Iob. l9?8.
IrInf. n.ng.
5. nvId !omnIck. King of /le WorlJ. ow York: !nndom
Houso, l998. IrInf. ??.
6. IbId. l?8.
?. IbId.
8. IbId. l95.
9. nvo KIndrod. SounJ onJ Iur,. Tle Tuo Pouerful Litee,
One Io/eful IrienJelip. ow York: Iroo Iross, 2006. IrInf. 60.
l0. nvId !omnIck. King of /le WorlJ. ow York: !nndom
Houso, l998. IrInf. 200.
ll. IbId.
CHAPTER 2. "The 0reatest" 0roving U
l. Thomns Hnusor. MulonnoJ Ali. Hie Life onJ Tinee.
ow York: SImon nnd Schusfor, l99l. IrInf. l8.
2. WIIIInm nck. M, Turf. Horeee, Boxere, BlooJ Mone,,
onJ /le Spor/ing Life. CnmbrIdgo, MA: n Cno Iross, 2004.
IrInf. l86.
3. Hunf HoIm. Tho !ogond Thnf Iocnmo Muhnmmnd AII.
Louietille Courier-Journol. l4 Sof. l99?. IrInf. n.ng.
4. Thomns Hnusor. MulonnoJ Ali. Hie Life onJ Tinee.
ow York: SImon nnd Schusfor, l99l. IrInf. 29.
107
MMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAA MMMMMMMMMUUUUUUHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM AAAAAAADDDDDDD AAAAAAAAAADDDDDDD AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA LLLLIIIIII LLLLLLLIIIIII
CHAPTER 3. Turning Pro
l. nvId !omnIck. King of /le WorlJ. ow York: !nndom
Houso, l998. IrInf. l20.
Houso, l998. IrInf. l22.
4. Muhnmmnd AII nnd Hnnn Ynsmoon AII. Tle Soul of o
Bu//erfl,. Ieflec/ione on Lifeè Journe,. ow York: SImon &
Schusfor, 2004. IrInf. ?3.
6. John CoffroII. MulonnoJ Ali, Wlo Woe Once Coeeiue
Clo,. ow York: Iunk & WngnnIIs. IrInf. l0l.
?. InuI SImson. A Iougl GuiJe /o MulonnoJ Ali. !ondon:
!ough CuIdos, 2004. IrInf. 44.
CHAPTER 4. Fighting for a Cause
l. nvo KIndrod. SounJ onJ Iur,. Tle Tuo Pouerful Litee,
One Io/eful IrienJelip. ow York: Iroo Iross, 2006. IrInf. ?2.
Houso, l998. IrInf. 2l3.
3. IbId. 2l4.
5. IbId. l63.
CHAPTER 5. The US Army and AIi
l. !Ichnrd Ink. Joe Louie. Tle Greo/ Bloc/ Hope. nIIns: n
Cno Iross, l998. IrInf. 20?.
2. Thomns Hnusor. Tle Loe/ Legoc, of MulonnoJ Ali.
Toronfo, O: SorfCInssIc Iooks, 2005. IrInf. 40.
108
SSSSSSSSSSSSSS0000000000UUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRCCCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEE IIIIIIIIIII0000000000TTTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEE SSSSSS000000UUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRCCCCCCEEEEEEEE IIIIIIII0000000TTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC0000000000000000000000000000000000000IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIIIIIIII TTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDD UUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDD
CHAPTER 6. The Fight of the Century
2. nvo KIndrod. SounJ onJ Iur,. Tle Tuo Pouerful Litee,
One Io/eful IrienJelip. ow York: Iroo Iross, 2006. IrInf.
l04.
3. IbId. l05.
CHAPTER 7. RumbIe in the JungIe
2. IbId.
3. CIIborf !ogIn. Coorgo Hns fho !hymo, Iny Hns fho
!onson. Spor/e 1llue/ro/eJ. ? Ocf. l968. IrInf. ??.
4. IIIIoff Corn. MulonnoJ Ali. Tle Peopleè Clonp.
!rbnnn, I!: !nIvorsIfy of IIIInoIs Iross, l998. IrInf. l33.
5. IbId.
?. IbId.
8. ArIono SchuImnn. MulonnoJ Ali. ChnmIon.
MInnonoIIs, M: !ornor IubIIshIng, l996. IrInf. ?.
9. IordIo Inchoco. MulonnoJ Ali. A Vieu fron /le Corner.
ow York: IIrch !nno Iross, l992. IrInf. l33.
l0. Thomns Hnusor. MulonnoJ Ali. Hie Life onJ Tinee.
ow York: SImon nnd Schusfor, l99l. IrInf. 2?8.
CHAPTER 8. ThriIIa in ManiIa
l. Thomns Hnusor nnd Muhnmmnd AII. Heoling. Snn
IrnncIsco: CoIIInsIubIIshors, l996. IrInf. l6.
2. !Ichnrd Ivnns. To Ton: Muhnmmnd AII Quofos. Spor/.
co.u/. ModIn CorornfIon Ic, l0 Iob. 20l0. Wob. 29 Sof.
20l0.
3. Tox MnuIo. Cof fo !ook Cood fo AIInh. S1 Voul/. Sorfs
IIIusfrnfod, 29 ov. l9?l. Wob. 29 Sof. 20l0.
109
CHAPTER 9. A Different Kind of Fight
l. Coorgo Vocsoy. Af 39, AII Hns Moro IoInfs fo Irovo. Aeu
Yor/ Tinee. ow York TImos, 29 ov. l98l. Wob. 28 Sof.
20l0.
2. Muhnmmnd AII nnd Hnnn Ynsmoon AII. Tle Soul of o
Bu//erfl,. Ieflec/ione On Lifeè Journe,. ow York: SImon nnd
Schusfor, 2004. IrInf. l48.
ow York: SImon nnd Schusfor, l99l. IrInf. 48?.
CHAPTER 10. Life after Boxing
l. Muhnmmnd AII !ofurns fo !ouIsvIIIo fo Oon ow
Muhnmmnd AII Confor. MulonnoJ Ali Cen/er. Muhnmmnd
AII Confor, 22 ov. 2005. Wob. 28 Sof. 20l0.
2. OffIco of fho Iross Socrofnry. CIfnfIons for !ocIIonfs of
fho 2005 IrosIdonfInI ModnI of Iroodom. Tle Wli/e Houee
PreeiJen/ George W. Buel. Tho WhIfo Houso, 9 ov. 2005.
Wob. 28 Sof. 20l0.
3. H. !os. 58: To honor Muhnmmnd AII, gIobnI
humnnIfnrInn, on fho occnsIon of hIs 65fh bIrfhdny nnd fo
oxfond... got/roc/.ue. CIvIc ImuIso, !!C, l2 Jnn. 200?. Wob.
28 Sof. 20l0.
4. Muhnmmnd AII fo !ocoIvo IrosIdonf`s Awnrd nf
'40fh AACI Imngo Awnrds.` Ao/ionol Aeeocio/ion for /le
AJtoncenen/ of ColoreJ People. nfIonnI AssocInfIon for fho
Advnncomonf of CoIorod IooIo, 3 Iob. 2009. Wob. ll ov.
20l0.
5. nvIs MIIIor. AII: SfIII Iffy nf 50. Loe Angelee Tinee.
!os AngoIos TImos, l? Jnn. 200?. Wob. 28 Sof. 20l0.
110
AII, !nIIn, 92
See oleo AII, Muhnmmnd,
chIIdron
AII, Muhnmmnd,
AII shuffIo, 42
nwnrds, 90, 93, 94
boxIng IIconso, 48, 53
CnssIus X, l4, 36
chIIdhood, l622
chIIdron, 40, 92
CIny, CnssIus, Jr., ?l4,
l?2?, 36
comobnck, ?980
dIIomnfIc roIo, ?5?6, 8?
oducnfIon, l9
fIrsf mnfch, l9
fIrsf rofossIonnI mnfch, 2?
honvywoIghf fIfIo, 3032, 66,
?5, ?9, 93
humnnIfnrInn cnusos, 899l
mnrrIngos, 40, 84
mIIIfnry drnff, 32, 4042,
4548,
nnmo chnngo, l4, 3638
nIcknnmos, l8
InrkInson`s dIsonso, 8284
roIIgIon, l4, 32, 3538, 50,
69, 84
rofIromonf, ?3?5
sogrognfIon, 20, 23
forchbonror, 8889
AII, !nhnmnn. See CIny, !udy
(brofhor)
Amnfour AfhIofIc !nIon
nnfIonnI fIfIos, 23
Armod Iorcos IxnmInIng nnd
Infrnnco SfnfIon, !S, 45
Army, !S, 4l, 4?, 48
Innks, Sonny, 8
IorbIck, Trovor, ?980
IInghnm, Hownrd, 62
Ionnvonn, Oscnr, 54
IoxIng Snfofy Acf, 89
Ioyd, IoIIndn (wIfo), 40
Bri/iel Journol of MeJicine, 82
Irown, row IundInI, l2, 39
Irown, Indrn, 22
Iush, Coorgo W., 93
Cnrfor, JImmy, ?5
CoIobrIfy IIghf Ighf, 84
cIvII rIghfs movomonf, 35, 4l,
46, 92
CInrk, !nmnr, 2?28
CIny, CnssIus (fnfhor), l?, l8,
20, 38
CIny, Odossn (mofhor), l?, l8,
38, 84
CIny, !udy (brofhor), l?, 22,
23, 35
conscIonfIous objocfors, 4l, 49
Cooor, Honry, ?, 8, 3l, 32
CosoII, Hownrd, l0, 55, 56
undoo, AngoIo, 8, l3, 2l22,
39, ?0, ?4
IIIIs, JImmy, ?0
IIghf of fho Confury, 5455
IIoomnn, onnIo, 28
IoIIoy, Zorn, 42, 55
Ioromnn, Coorgo, 56, 5966, ?2
Iox, MIchnoI J., 83
IrnzIor, Joo SmokIn` Joo,
5456, 6l, 69?2, ?4, 83
CoIdon CIovos, l8, 2l, 23, 4l
CuoInf, WIIIIo, 28
111
Hnusor, Thomns, 82
HIrschfIoId, !Ichnrd, 8?
HoImos, !nrry, ?9
Hunsnckor, Tunnoy, 2?
HussoIn, Snddnm, 8?
Jonos, oug, 3l
KIIroy, Cono, 39
KIng, on, 59, 69
!Isfon, ChnrIos Sonny, 8l4,
3l32, 3639, 63
!ouIs, Joo Tho Irown
Iombor, 464?
!ouIsvIIIo, Konfucky, l?, 20,
22, 24, 2?, 45, ?0, 84, 9l, 92
!ouIsvIIIo SonsorshI Crou,
2?, 46
MndIson Squnro Cnrdon, 54, ?3
MnrfIn, Joo, l8l9, 23, 24, 3l
MnsjId AI-Ansnr Mosquo, 36
MIchoI, !oborf, 50
Mooro, ArchIo, 30
Muhnmmnd, IIIjnh, 35, 3638,
50, 69
Muhnmmnd, Horborf, 50, 59, ?4
Muhnmmnd AII Confor, 92
Muhnmmnd AII InsfIfufo for
Ionco nnd JusfIco, 90
nfIon of IsInm, l4, 32, 3539,
4l, 4546, 49, 50, 69, 94
nfIonnI AssocInfIon for fho
Advnncomonf of CoIorod
IooIo, 53, 94
ow York Sfnfo AfhIofIc
CommIssIon, 48
ow York Sfock Ixchnngo, 9l
orfon, Kon, 56, 6l
O`Koofo, !onnIo, l9
OIymIc Cnmos, ?, 2324, 2?,
6l, ?4, ?5, ?6, 8889
Inchoco, IordIo, 39, 66, ?4, 82
Insfrnno, WIIIIo, 2l22
Infforson, IIoyd, l0, 3940
IIofrzykowskI, ZbIgnIow, 24
Iorscho, VoronIcn (wIfo), 40,
?4, 84
IrosIdonfInI ModnI of
Iroodom, 93
Qunrry, Jorry, 53
!obInson, JnckIo, 46
!obInson, JImmy, 28
Ioc/,, ?2
!oI, SonjI (wIfo), 40
!umbIo In fho JungIo, 5966, 69
Soko, Mobufu Soso, 60
Shnvors, InrnIo, ?3
SInks, !oon, ?4?5
Sfonor, Irod, 20
Suromo Courf, !S, 56
TorroII, IrnIo, 4l42, 55
ThrIIIn In MnnIIn, 69?2, ?4
Tonorrouè Clonpione, l8
!nIfod nfIons, 90
VIofnnm Wnr, 404l, 46,
4850, 9293
Wngnor, Corgoous Coorgo,
2830
Wonor, Chuck, ?2
Wlen We Were Kinge, 65
WiJe WorlJ of Spor/e, 55
WIIIInms, CIovoInnd, 42
WIIIInms, !onnIo (wIfo), 40, 84
WIIson, Afwood, l9
WorId IoxIng AssocInfIon, 48
112
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNDDDDDAAAAAAAARRRRRRRYYYYYYY LLLLLLEEEEEEEEEGGGGGGGGEEEEEEENNNNNNNNDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTHHHH TTTTTTHHHHHH TTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS EEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTEEEEEEEESSSSSSS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thomns S. Owons Is fho nufhor of moro fhnn 50 books for
sfudonfs, mnny nbouf sorfs. Ho IIvos In Iown wIfh hIs wIfo.
PHOTO CREDITS
nvId Iooksfnvor/AI Imngos, covor, 3; HnroId I. MnfosInn/AI
Imngos, 6; sff/AI Imngos, ll, 43, 5l, 96 (boffom); AI Imngos,
l5, l6, 25, 26, 34, 3?, 44, 52, 5?, 62, 6?, ?8, 96 (fo), 9?, 98
(fo, Ioff nnd rIghf), 99 (fo); nn CrossI/AI Imngos, 2l; IS/
AI Imngos, 29; Hnrry HnrrIs/AI Imngos, 33; Horsf Inns/AI
Imngos, 58; Jnmos McCrnfh/Y nIIy ows ArchIvo vIn Coffy
Imngos, 68; SI Covor /Sorfs IIIusfrnfod/Coffy Imngos, ?l;
MnrIon S. TrIkosko/!OC, ??; Id !oInko/AI Imngos, 85; oug
MIIIs/AI Imngos, 86, 99 (boffom, Ioff); Jorgo !oy/!InIson/Coffy
Imngos, 90; Mnrk WIIson/Coffy Imngos, 95, 99 (boffom, rIghf)

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by by by by by by by by by by by by by byy by by by by by by by byyy TTTTT TTTTT TTT TTTTTTho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho hho ho hho hho ho homa ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma a ma ma ma ma ma ma ma mma ma mm s s s s s s ss ss s sssssssss S. S. S. SSS. SS. S. SS.

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Thomas S. Owens Muhammad Ali Boxing Champ & Role Model 2011

Thomas S. Owens Muhammad Ali Boxing Champ & Role Model 2011