thomas s. owens muhammad ali boxing champ & role model 2011

8/14/2019 Thomas S. Owens Muhammad Ali Boxing Champ & Role Model 2011

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Content Consultant:

Erik Arnold, boxing historian

by Thomas S. Owens


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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


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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


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Before his 1962 fight with Archie Moore, Clay bragged that he

would knock Moore out in four rounds. He went on to do so.


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efore he was known as Muhammad Ali

or called himself the Greatest, Cassius

Clay might have been The Loudest. Hebragged, 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 hisname borrowed from the working-class cockney


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dialect of London.1Clay decided to show England how

he wished to be known. He entered the ring dressedin a red robe adorned with the words, Cassius the

Greatest.

Before the fight, Clays image appeared on the

cover of Sports Illustratedwith the daring headline

Cassius Invades Britain.2This 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 15knockoutsClay finally got the

title fight he had been seeking.

Sizing Up SonnyEight months after

beating Cooper, Clay faced

Charles Sonny Liston for

the heavyweight title. Listons

A Helpful Left Hook


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boxing education occurred behind bars. Armed robbery

and assaulting police officers headlined Listons 19career 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 notthinking 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 aprofessional boxer in 1953, men

who had ties to organized crime

bought his contract.


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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 BearsClay 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


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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!6Clays babbling threats stunned the boxing

commission doctor. Clays pulse soared to 120 beats

per minuteup from 54. Unless he calmed down, he


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would not be allowed in the

ring. Following Clays frenzy, thedoctor 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 waswearing 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


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pleaded.8He 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.9A

doctor confirmed Listons torn tendon. However, some

reporters questioned if Liston could have continued.

Wounded pride was another explanation for Listons

surrender.


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At the rings other corner, Clay shouted to the

crowd, I am the king! King of the world!10

To thereporters who once felt Clay had no chance, he yelled,

Eat your words!11Clay had become the heavyweight

champion.

Changing NamesOne 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 mostcontroversial, unforgettable personalities in sports

history.


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After his win against Sonny Liston was announced, Clay had to be

held back as he reacted in excitement.


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At age 12 and at only 89 pounds (40.4 kg), Cassius made his

amateur boxing debut in Louisville, Kentucky.


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orn January 17, 1942, in Louisville,

Kentucky, Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.

spent lots of time with his brotherRudy, 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 Odessacredited his later speed and grace in the ring with


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the way he learned to move in his early days. However,

it was not until age 12 that the boy who would becomeMuhammad Ali accidentally stumbled upon boxing.

From Biking to BoxingIn 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.1The 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 basementgymnasium 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 ofNicknames


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first day sparring in the gym. After just six weeks of

training, Cassius boxed his first match. He foughtthree 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 DarkAfter 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 schooldiploma. 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 boxingtournaments, his attendance was

spotty.

Some teachers wanted to keep

Cassius from graduating. However,

Principal Atwood Wilson made a

speech to the faculty, begging thatCassius 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 graduationceremony. While other boys wore

shirts and ties under their robes,

Cassius wore a T-shirt and his

steel-toed work boots.


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Cassiuss endless appetite for boxing led him to

Fred Stoner, who coached young boxing students in agym 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 AfricanAmericans, 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.


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Cassius met his future trainer, Angelo Dundee, in 1957.

Room ServiceCassiuss 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


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nation. He went on to share outlandish promises of all

the boxing titles he would win in the future. Finally, heasked 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. Cassiusdominated 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


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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 theonly 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 f ly.

Fighting Brothers


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But then he went to an army surplus store and bought

a parachute and actually wore it on the plane, Martinsson 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


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Cassius Clay and the US boxing team returned from the 1960

Olympics in Rome wearing their gold medals.


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On October 29, 1960, Clay made his professional boxing debut

against Tunney Hunsacker. He won after six rounds.


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ighteen-year-old Cassius Clay had won a

gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games

in Rome. But he still had a lot to proveon 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 willfall in two. Sure enough, a second-round knockout


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occurred. But Clays outrageous

trash talk grew to a new levelafter he appeared on a June

1961 radio program to promote

his seventh professional fight.

Becoming a ShowmanProfessional 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


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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.


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Years later, Clay claimed that his first written

poetryas opposed to off-the-cuff rhymeswaspenned 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 expressedamazement at his accuracy:

Gorgeous George Wagnermade 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 seemedto 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 wasalways 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 in1963 of a heart attack. He was 48.

Clay was inf luenced by Wagners

showmanship.


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And over the years, 17 out of 21 of my predictions

came true. Thats a miracle. I dont know how I didit. 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, Claytried 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


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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 theheavyweight 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.7He 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.


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Outside Sonny Listons practice gym, Clay shows the crowd how

he plans on hitting Liston in the upcoming fight.


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Muhammad Ali signs autographs while with Malcolm X, left, a

leader in the Black Muslim Movement.


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assius Clay had been intrigued by the

Nation of Islam long before his first

championship fight. He once asked a highschool 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 BelieverThe 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 Islamwanted a state or territory of their own to live


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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 woulddestroy 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


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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:


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This Clay name has no divine

meaning. I hope he will acceptbeing 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 aminister 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 havegranted him a championship if

they knew his religious leanings.

Freedom of Religion


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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 eithercase, 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


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injured Patterson. He pounded him for 12 rounds but

never to the point of a knockout. Finally, Ali won with atechnical knockout after the twelfth round. Afterward,

reporters insisted that the winning Ali doled out extra

punishment to the older boxer.

The Army Calls AgainAlis 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 AlisIslamic 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 hadbeen 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 withVeronica 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 onechild together. Unlike the other

marriages, Muhammad and Lonnie

remain together.


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41

The army wanted Ali, but he did not want the

army. His religion did not allow him to join. Againand again, he repeated to reporters or anyone who

would listen, I aint got no quarrel with them Viet

Cong.4The 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 keptwinning, 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


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42

and still thought of him by his

old name. When it came timeto 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?5Ali 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 eyeand 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


44/113

On March 17, 1966, Ali visited the Louisville, Kentucky, Veterans

building to appeal his draft classification.


45/113

After refusing to be drafted, Ali left the Armed Forces induction

center with friends on April 28, 1967.


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45

n April 28, 1967, Ali faced his last

chance to join the army. He reported

to the US Armed Forces Examiningand 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 blackswere on the Louisville, Kentucky, draft board.


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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 the1960s, 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.


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47

No one wanted an endorsement from a controversial

war protester. Ali shrugged. His religion would notallow 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 famousAfrican-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 Godsside.1He 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 countryafter 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 upin Detroit, Michigan, the National

Hockey Leagues Detroit Red

Wings named their arena the Joe

Louis Arena in his honor.


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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 hadearned 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 AthletesAvoiding Vietnam


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49

The History ofObjection

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 interracialdating.

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.


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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 ofhis 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 NationIn 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.3Only through the intervention of Elijahs son

Herbert Muhammad was the suspension lifted. Elijah

had appointed Herbert as Alis manager years earlier.


52/113

Addressing a crowd at a Black Muslim convention in 1968,

Ali later was at odds with the Nation of Islam in 1969.


53/113

Joe Frazier hits Ali during the fifteenth round of their heavyweight

title fight at New Yorks Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971.


54/113

53

y 1970, Alis supporters had

unsuccessfully spent nearly three years

working to get some state to allow himto 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 militarydesertion and armed robbery to murder.


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54

Why were they allowed to fight and not Ali? A

judge ruled that Alis constitutional rights had beenviolated. A fight was scheduled for December 7, 1970.

Ali went on to beat Oscar Bonavena by technical

knockout in the fifteenth round.

AliFrazierDuring 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 Gardenwas 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


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55

could win his title back and predicted a sixth-round

knockout. But the sixth round came and went withouta 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, Cosellbecame 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, Aliinterrupted. 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


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56

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


58/113

In Alis 1973 fight with Ken Norton, Alis jaw was broken.


59/113

On September 11, 1974, Ali arrived in Zaire for his fight against

heavyweight champion George Foreman.


60/113

59

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,

3 1/2 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 payfor positive publicity. But Kings enthusiasm


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60

frustrated the Zaire government

more than once. Kings firstmisstep 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] Mobutuspeople 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 AmericaForeman came into thefight with a dazzling record. He

was 400, winning 37 times by

The Rumble Sponsor


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61

knockout. Only three fighters had lasted an entire

match against him. Reporters compared the boxersrecent 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, helearned 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 aggressivenessand 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 gonedown 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 recapturedthe heavyweight title at age 45,

becoming the oldest champion in

history.


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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


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63

are wiser than we are. They

speak English and two or threemore 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 andvisited 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


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64

Just a week before the fight, Foreman suffered

a cut below his eye in an accident with a sparringpartner. 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-DopeForemans disadvantage with Ali began before the

first bell rang. Ali, a fan of horror movies, nicknamedForeman the Mummy. Ali claimed the nickname was

due to Foremans slow predictability. There aint no

mummy gonna catch me, Ali said.7Other times, Ali

described Foreman as a gang boy and a big old bully

from Texas.8Intense 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.


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65

The fight began with a packed stadium of 60,000

fans. Most did not care about the oddsthey favoredAli, 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 Fighton Film


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66

Each punch was thrown with

astounding speed for someonewho 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 orcorrugated 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


68/113

In their fight, Ali knocked out George Foreman, red shorts,

in the eighth round.


69/113

The Thrilla in Manila fight between Ali and Joe Frazier was

set up by Don King.


70/113

69

fter Elijah Muhammads death in

February 1975, Ali became a Sunni

Muslim. He abandoned the harsh tone ofthe 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 andsoul 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 upto 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.


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70

Frazier had supported Ali when he was banned

from boxing. But since returning, Ali began a viciousfeud 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.2Although 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 threerounds. 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


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71

An image from Ali and Joe Fraziers dramatic fight was on the

cover of Sports Illustrated.


73/113

72

Ali won when Fraziers manager refused to let his

fighter start the fifteenth round. Later, Ali told hisdoctor 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 CrackAli 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 majorsuccess and won three Academy

Awards. Five sequels followed

throughout the years.


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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 RopesMany 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.


75/113

74

The bad news grew. This

was the last fight Doctor FerdiePacheco 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 USMarine, 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


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Ali went light on training, planning on recycling

his rope-a-dope game plan. Instead, the 24-year-oldboxer 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 AmbassadorIn 1980, US President Jimmy Carter sought Alishelp. 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.


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Other African countries

were still angry that the UnitedStates 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 hiscelebrity in search of the greater

good.

Who Is the Real Ali?


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Ali attended a White House dinner and was greeted by President

Jimmy Carter on September 7, 1977.


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Ali fought Trevor Berbick on December 11, 1981, in what was to

be his last professional boxing match.


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li retired from boxing in 1978 as a three-

time world heavyweight champion. But to

the dismay of many, he decided to mounta 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:


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Im tired. This is hard work for somebody my age.

Naturally, I talk slower when Im tired. But I stillmake 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 OpponentIn 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


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substance helps the nervous system control the motor

skills functions that Ali performed gracefully for somany 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 andrepresent 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 knownas World Parkinsons Disease Day.

Organizations use Parkinsons

birthday as the day to raise

awareness of the disease.


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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 theBritish Journal of Medicinetitled 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 Timeswith 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


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been examining Ali four times a

year. Cope disagreed with Alistheory 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 reportersthat he believed he had taken

more than 1 million punches in

his boxing career.

Living with

ParkinsonsPeople with little knowledge

of Parkinsons did not always

Fellow Fighter Fox


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know what to think of Alis actions. Because the disease

has lessened Alis physical movement, those he meetssometimes 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 wifecomment 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


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Alis wife, Lonnie, helps her husband deal with the difficulties of

Parkinsons disease.


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ithout boxing and with declining

health, Muhammad Alis future

seemed uncertain. However, thoseobstacles 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 freedAmericans.


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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 serviceat a restaurant because he was black. The truth did not

The Olympic flame thatAli 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 Greeceto 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 occurredin 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.


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matter. Ali was at home in the

US spotlight again. His headand 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 falsename 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


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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. How

thomas s. owens muhammad ali boxing champ & role model 2011

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