Mohammed Ali, what's wrong with him? Muhammad Ali: quotes, biography and personal life

If we look at the statistics, we can see that over four million people suffer from Parkinson’s disease. Among them can be either an ordinary elderly woman whom we meet on the way to the bakery, or a famous person whom the whole planet knows. The history of celebrities struggling with this disease is an example of how not to give up in such a situation and try to prolong an active life. Muhammad Ali's illness became a difficult test for him, but the world-famous boxer did not think of stopping the fight against the disease.

Childhood

The future great boxer was born on January 17, 1942 in the city of Louisville, his mother was housewife Odessa Clay. He was given his name in honor of his father, who was an artist by profession. So the boy became Cassius Jr. Two years later, his younger brother, Rudolf, was born. Growing up, both boys took on pseudonyms: the eldest - Muhammad Ali, the younger - Rahman Ali.

Their friendly family was never considered to be in need, although, of course, the white population lived much better. My father painted signs, my mother sometimes worked part-time cleaning the houses of wealthy people. The parents were even able to save up money for a decent cottage.

During Cassius's childhood, America existed in an atmosphere of inequality. The boy did not understand why blacks were considered second-class citizens. The father, for his part, often showed his sons photographs of a teenager who was brutally killed by whites. They were found, but not punished. And my mother was proud of her white-skinned Irish grandfather.

First steps in boxing

One day, 12-year-old Clay's bicycle, which he loved very much, was stolen. The boy decided to beat the guys who offended him. But the white policeman Joe Martin he met, who was also a boxing coach at the same time as this job, said that first you need to learn how to fight, and then beat someone. Thus began the training of Cassius, who also took his younger brother along.

It was hard to work with Cassius: he often bullied other boxers a lot, constantly shouting that he and only him were the best athlete. But so far no coach could see much potential in the guy. The first fight, which took place just a month and a half after Cassius joined the section, changed everything. The boy liked that this fight was broadcast on television. Despite the fact that Cassius was a novice, he won against a white opponent. After the fight ended, overjoyed, he shouted at the camera that he would soon become a great boxer. The boy’s serious work on himself began with his first victory.

Sports career of a great boxer

These were the years before Muhammad Ali's illness had yet taken over his body. He was only fourteen when he won the Golden Gloves tournament in 1956. This was a great start to his career. By the day he graduated from school, the young man had won 100 fights and received only 8 defeats.

Gradually, the boxer's signature style began to emerge. He seemed to be dancing around his opponent, dodging his blow. At the Olympics, Muhammad Ali defeated Zbigniew Pietrzykowski to win the gold medal. He entered professional boxing at the end of October 1960 after a fight with Tanny Hunsecker, which ended in Ali's victory.

In order to start working with a new coach, Cassius Clay moved to Miami. The coach managed to find an approach to the boxer with a difficult character: he did not try to control Clay, but respected and guided him. In 1962, in just six months, the young boxer scored five victories by knockout.

Muhammad Ali's illness has not yet manifested itself in the athlete's powerful body. He was strong and invincible. The fight with Liston was quite serious and difficult, but after the victory, Muhammad Ali achieved the title of world heavyweight champion. He later earned the title of boxer of the century. And in the early 90s, Ali was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame to remain a legend of the sport for many years.

Boxers and Parkinson's disease

To date, scientists have not been able to understand why changes develop in the brain, which subsequently lead to But it is known: there is a direct connection between traumatic brain injury and the gradual development of motor pathology. If a person has had a head injury, then the risk of developing this disease is approximately four times higher than in those people who have not had such injuries.

Boxers are the most likely to suffer chronic skull injuries. Doctors say that parkinsonism is dangerous for both professional athletes and amateurs, because during a fight there is not enough protection. Each blow to the head causes a microconcussion, which leads to structural damage to the brain.

According to statistics, over half of boxers suffer from brain disorders. But the first symptoms remain invisible to both the boxers themselves and their relatives. First, memory impairment, tremors, and coordination are impaired. This can last for several months or even several years.

Unfortunately, boxer Muhammad Ali was also among those who fell ill. The cause of his illness was connected precisely with such injuries received over many years in fights in the ring. All his battles were equally difficult and did not exclude blows to the head. And every touch of the enemy’s fist to Ali’s head brought him closer to the onset of his illness.

Parkinson's disease and Muhammad Ali

The most famous patient with Parkinson's disease was Muhammad Ali. Parkinson's disease overtook him three decades ago, but he courageously fought against it, being an example for other patients and their relatives who had given up. For the boxer, fighting the disease became the meaning of his life.

He began this battle many years before the end of his sports career. He was diagnosed back in 1984. He spent his last fights in the ring when he was no longer completely healthy. And 13 years later, in 1997, Muhammad Ali’s illness did not prevent him from opening the first center where movement disorders were treated.

His activities now include a thorough study of the mechanism of development of the disease, as well as all kinds of developments aimed at slowing the progression of this serious disease. The workers of this center tried to improve the social adaptation of patients with this diagnosis and change the attitude of healthy people towards the disease.

Charity

Today there are several foundations and centers that deal with this disease.

Muhammad Ali helped organize annual charity events. The illness of this strong man. Thanks to charity, he was able to collect impressive amounts of money. Donations help develop the scientific activities of the foundations, support and help patients with this disease. There are many different videos in which you can see how the famous boxer himself (Muhammad Ali’s disease, whose photo is often found on the pages of glossy publications, had already progressed by this point) fights the disease, trying to independently perform the simplest self-care actions.

Main battle

The boxer’s daughter also tried to make her contribution to making people perceive this disease differently. She wrote a special book for young readers, in which she talked about the reasons for the development of this disease, how to correctly understand such people, and about their daily life. And all this was done out of respect for his father, who always believed that the most important fight of his life was the battle with Parkinson's disease.

This was the greatest boxer of the twentieth century, Muhammad Ali. Now the disease will no longer affect the health of the famous boxer, because on June 3, 2016, his life was cut short.

Biography, life story of Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali (born Muhammad Ali; born Cassius Marcellus Clay; born January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA) was an American professional boxer who competed in the heavy weight category.

Childhood. Parents

At the first weigh-in of his life, Cassius came in at an impressive 3.03 kg (6.7 lb). Two years later, his only sibling, Rudolf, was born. Cassius was born under the sign of Capricorn, in the year of the horse according to the Chinese calendar. His mother Odessa Grady Clay traced her ancestry to her Irish grandfather Abe Grady, who was a white man. The fact that white blood flows in the veins of her children was a source of special pride for Odessa, which became an unpleasant legacy for Cassius; in the future he said: "My white blood came from slave keepers, from rape. When we were blacker, we were stronger."

In fact, Abe Grady was not a slave owner; he emigrated to the United States from Ireland and married a black woman. Cassius's father, Cassius Sr., claimed to be a descendant of the famous liberal politician Henry Clay, who represented Kentucky in the US Senate and House of Representatives. Odessa convinced her husband to take the surname Clay.

Cassius's parents were members of the South American black middle class, the family lived much poorer than white middle class families, but they were not beggars. Cassius Sr. painted street signs and tried to become a full-fledged artist, his mother sometimes cooked and cleaned the houses of wealthy white families. The Clays were able to purchase a small cottage in a comfortable “black” neighborhood for $4,500.

As a child, Cassius did not need to work to support his family, but he worked part-time at Louisville College (cleaning desks and chalkboards) to provide pocket money. With these funds, Cassius was able to buy himself a red Schwinn bicycle worth $60 (about $500 in 2010).

CONTINUED BELOW

The climate of racial inequality in postwar Louisville shaped 10-year-old Cassius. Clay Sr. had a major influence on his son's racial views. So much so that in the future, Cassius recalled that before he fell asleep, he cried because he did not understand why black people were so belittled in society. His mother remembers that one hot day she and Cassius were waiting at the bus stop. She knocked on a nearby cafe to ask for a glass of water for her son, but they refused and closed the door on her. Perhaps the defining moment in Cassius's racial education was his father's account of the murder of Emmett Till. Till was a 14-year-old African-American teenager who was brutally murdered due to racial hatred while visiting relatives in Mississippi; the boy's killers were acquitted. Cassius Sr. showed a photograph of Till's mutilated body to his sons to explain to them what "white justice" was. All this strengthened Cassius's desire to avoid discrimination in the future. After he became a professional boxer, Cassius stated that he did it for the sake of economic and social mobility.

Cassius was the owner of a red bicycle, bought with the money he earned. He was so proud of his purchase that he rode his bike around his neighborhood all day showing it to everyone he knew. The next day, Cassius and a friend went to the fair, where children were treated to free ice cream. While getting ready to go home, he discovered that his bicycle had been stolen. Cassius was very upset and at that moment he met the first person who seriously influenced his boxing career - it was a white policeman, Joe E. Martin. Cassius told him that he would beat up the person who stole his bicycle, to which Martin told him that before you beat someone, you must first learn how to do it. He invited young Clay to the gym, where he trained young boxers - participants in the Golden Gloves amateur tournaments. Initially, Cassius did not come to train, but two weeks later he saw Martin and his boxers on TV in the program “Future Champions”. Cassius was intrigued that if he started training, his friends would see him on TV and the next day he and his brother came to the boxing gym. Thus, Clay began boxing at the age of 12.

Boxing. Start

Cassius was difficult to train, he constantly got into fights with other boxers, announcing to the whole room that he was the best boxer and would become the world champion. Because of this, Martin had to take him away from the gym for short periods of time. The trainers working in the gym did not see much potential in Cassius, but he trained hard.

6 weeks after his first visit to the gym, his first fight took place. As Clay had hoped, the fight was televised on the Future Champions program. Cassius's first opponent was white teenager Ronnie O'Keefe, both boxers made the weight limit, which was 40.389 kg (89 lb). O'Keefe was older and more experienced than his opponent. Over the course of three two-minute rounds, both boxers mostly missed, but Cassius was still more accurate and the judges gave him the victory by split decision. After the result was announced, Clay began shouting into the camera that he would become the greatest boxer.

After the fight, Cassius challenged local bully Corky Baker to a fight, which was to take place in the boxing gym where Clay trained. Cassius gave him a complete defeat; after the second round, Baker ran out of the ring with the words “it’s not fair.” After this episode, Clay began to quickly improve as a boxer. Every day he worked on his technique and endurance in the gym. Most often, he preferred jogging to school over a bus ride. Cassius didn't drink, smoke or do drugs, and he became a healthy eating fanatic.

Over the next two years, Clay fought approximately one fight every three weeks, winning victory after victory.

In 1956, Cassius won the first amateur Golden Gloves tournament.

In 1957, Clay had to give up training for 4 months due to doctors discovering a heart murmur (later it turned out that his heart was completely normal).

That same year, heavyweight champion Willie Pastrano came to Louisville. Cassius found out about this and arranged a meeting with him at his hotel. Clay bombarded the champion with questions about his training and strategies, everyone in the room was surprised by the determination of the 15-year-old. Two years later, Pastrano came to Louisville again, this time Cassius asked him to conduct friendly sparring, in which he surpassed the world champion. Pastrano was unhappy that an unknown amateur was able to defeat him, but admitted that Clay had a great future ahead of him.

At the age of 15, Clay transferred to Louisville Central High School, the largest school for African Americans in the city. Cassius's performance was so poor that he once had to repeat a year. But this did not stop him from graduating from school; Clay impressed the then school director Atwood Wilson. He told all the teachers that Cassius would become world champion and make more money in one evening than you and I make in a year. Wilson wanted Clay to graduate successfully, thereby promoting the school in the future. He was able to defend Cassius, and in June 1960 he received a certificate, but not a diploma, which was issued upon successful completion of school. In the future, Clay had problems with reading, so people around him often had to read newspaper articles written about him.

By the time of his high school graduation, Cassius had won 100 victories in the amateur ring with only 8 defeats. His main successes are victories in the Golden Gloves and two Amateur Athletic Union tournaments in 1959 and 1960.

In April 1960, he volunteered to serve in the US Army. Cassius began to invent his own unique fighting style. He danced around his opponent on tiptoe with his arms down, provoking his opponent to make a sweeping strike, after which he confidently dodged. This manner caused a lot of negative assessments from coaches and veteran boxers. For example, Serge Johnson (coach of the 1976 US Olympic team) told his boxers: “ I don't want you to look at Ali [Clay]. He makes too many mistakes" Cassius wanted to turn pro straight out of school, but his coach persuaded him to wait and compete in the 1960 Olympics.

Thanks to his victory in the 1960 Amateur Athletic Union competition, Clay received an invitation to the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rome, which was held in San Francisco. Cassius suffered from a fear of flying and the journey to the competition venue was a real test for him. At the age of 18, he was the oldest competitor in the cruiserweight division, and possibly the entire tournament.

Before the tournament, the local press wrote several scathing articles about Clay, largely due to his boastful manner. Despite the fact that Cassius promised Martin not to get involved in disputes with the press, the audience booed him during the second fight of the tournament. Observers noted that if nothing unexpected happens, Clay should get a ticket to the Olympics. Cassius's last rival was the unyielding Alan Hudson, representing the US Army. During the first round, he delivered a precise blow to Clay's jaw, sending him to the floor of the ring. After an equal second round, Cassius began to improve and in the third he managed to land an accurate blow to the jaw, and then carried out an attack, after which the referee stopped the fight. After the competition ended, Clay threw away his plane ticket, borrowed money for a train ticket from the judge and left for Louisville.

Olympic Games

To take part in the Olympics, Cassius again needed to travel by air. When it turned out that it was impossible to sail the ship, he told his coach that he was refusing to participate in the Olympics. For two hours, Clay's mentor convinced him that if he didn't fly, he would ruin his career. As a result, Cassius agreed to fly, but took precautions - he bought a parachute at a military store and flew right in it. After arriving in Rome, Clay moved into the Olympic village and immediately became the main character among the athletes. He met foreign athletes, told everyone that he would win a gold medal, and exchanged badges with other Olympians. Many joked that if they had to choose the mayor of the Olympic village, it would certainly be Clay.

Cassius easily defeated his first opponent, Belgian Yvon Beko, winning by technical knockout in the second round.

In the quarterfinals, Clay met with Soviet boxer Gennady Shatkov. The fight took place under the dictation of Cassius, and the judges unanimously gave him the victory.

At the semi-final stage, Clay faced a familiar opponent - Australian Tony Madigan (Clay defeated him in 1959). After the end of the intense fight, Madigan considered himself the winner, but all the judges gave the victory to Cassius.

In the final, the experienced Zbigniew Pietrzykowski from Poland was waiting for him; he was 9 years older than Clay and had 230 fights in his record. Zbigniew was also left-handed - Clay always had problems with left-handed opponents. Pietrzykowski started the fight in an aggressive manner, trying to knock Clay out right away. In the second round, Cassius had to abandon his usual manner and deliver several strong, accurate blows to the Pole. Clay did not slow down in the last round, carrying out a quick series of blows; by the end of the fight, Zbigniew was pressed against the ropes and was close to an early defeat, but managed to survive until the final bell. Cassius Clay was declared the winner of the fight by unanimous decision of the judges, and he won the gold medal.

Before flying to the USA, wherever he went, Clay appeared everywhere with a medal around his neck, he did not take it off even while sleeping. City Mayor Bruce Hoblitzell, cheerleaders and hundreds of fans greeted Clay at the Louisville airport. Cassius rode in a festive convoy to his school, where even more fans and a huge banner with the inscription “ Welcome home champion" The mayor gave a speech in which he cited Clay as an example for the city's youth. When Cassius arrived home, he saw that his father had painted the steps on the porch red, white and blue. Cassius Sr. hugged his son and said, “ God bless America».

Professional career

To start a professional career, Cassius needed to find a manager. He wanted one of his idols or, but they refused. it was simply not interesting, and, by nature, a modest and quiet person, I did not want to work with Clay. As a result, 11 partners became Cassius’ managers, each investing $2,800. Clay received $10,000 immediately after signing the contract, managers had to pay all expenses for flights and training.

Clay's debut in professional boxing took place on October 29, 1960, against Tanny Hunsecker. Cassius called him " slacker" and said that " lick it off easily" The fight promoter Ben King managed to gather a hall for 6,000 spectators. Clay prepared for this fight by running 2 miles every morning and sparring with his brother Rudolph. Clay was unable to finish the six-round fight early, but won a landslide victory, beating Hunsecker. Tunney said after the fight that Cassius would become a world champion and that it was an honor to fight him in the ring.

After his first fight, Cassius attended a training camp. The renowned champion was preparing for fights in a place called the “Bucket of Blood.” On the lawn near this hall there were several boulders, on each of which were written the names of the great champions of the past -,. This is how the champions of the past looked to the stars of tomorrow. Unfortunately, two people with big egos rarely get along, Cassius did not listen to advice. And he often bullied him, challenging him to sparring with the current world champion in the first heavyweight division, to which he replied that he did not box with amateurs. As a result, Clay went back to Louisville without waiting for the end of the camp. Meanwhile, Cassius's managers were looking for an experienced coach for him; their choice fell on Angelo Dundee. He had a reputation as a good trainer and one of the best specialists in handling boxer cuts during a fight. Dundee agreed to become Clay's mentor, his salary was $125 a week plus various bonuses. Cassius flew to Miami to train with a new coach and was placed in a motel with another young boxer. Every day Clay got up at 5 am and ran to the gym. A black man running at five in the morning aroused suspicion among local police, at that time, if an African-American man ran, it meant he was involved in something. Dundee talked to the police officers he knew and now they knew Clay by sight and, when he was jogging, they drove next to him for some time to make sure that it was Cassius. Angelo understood perfectly how to behave with Clay, he respected him and did not try to control him, Dundee " guided him" He also did not try to shut him up, realizing that part of the show would bring spectators to the stands.

Just 8 days after the arrival of Miami, Clay’s first fight took place under the leadership of Dundee. Cassius defeated Herb Siler, the fight ended by technical knockout in the fourth round. After the fight, he stated that Floyd Patterson would soon feel his power. And after defeating his next opponent, Tony Esperti, he is going to knock out Ingemar Johansson. The Swedish champion was at that time in Miami, where he was supposed to have a fight with Patterson.

Clay's managers organized a sparring session with Johansson, where Cassius completely defeated the current world champion. Ingemar could not hit the 19-year-old American and after the second round the Swede's coach stopped the fight. The next day, Clay knocked out his fourth opponent, Jimmy Robinson, in the first round.

Cassius' next fight took place four weeks after the previous one. His opponent was Donnie Fleeman, who had 22 knockouts to his name, including against the absolute world champion Ezzard Charles. Despite the fact that Fleeman had cuts under both eyes, the judge allowed the fight to continue until stopped in the seventh round. Cassius then returned to his native Louisville to fight Lamar Clark. Despite his opponent's good record (he had knocked out 45 opponents), Claley predicted he would win in the second round. That's what happened, the fight was stopped due to Clark's broken nose. Thus, under the leadership of Dundee, Clay won six victories in a row and humiliated the current world champion in sparring.

Clay's next opponent was the tall Hawaiian Duke Sabedong (height 2.01 m). The fight took place in Las Vegas, Cassius was better for 10 rounds, but could not knock out his opponent and won the fight on points. Clay returned to Louisville, where he fought another 10-round fight on July 22, 1961. His opponent Alonzo Johnson tried to keep his distance from Clay and managed to survive until the end of the fight, after which the judges declared Cassius the winner. Before the next fight, which took place on October 7, there was confusion and it turned out that Clay did not have gloves to get into the ring. Old, tattered gloves were urgently found, with which Cassius knocked out Alex Miteff in the 6th round. A month later, Clay knocked out Willie Besmanoff, another famous heavyweight.

Between February and July 1962, Clay scored 5 victories, all fights ending in knockout no later than the sixth round. In September, he took a short break from training to attend the world heavyweight championship fight between and. Fighting for the championship was Cassius' dream since childhood, however, he knocked out his opponent in the first round. After the fight, he noticed Clay and shouted to him: “ You're next, screamer" But Clay's next opponent was his former mentor. The press and experts did not give him a chance; he himself admitted that he agreed to the fight due to a lack of funds. However, tickets for the fight did not sell well and they decided to postpone it for three weeks. Cassius predicted his victory in the fourth round. His prediction came true; he fell in the fourth round, after a large number of blows to the forehead. After the fight he said that: “ Clay would win four out of five fights».

Clay easily defeated Charlie Powell, knocking him out in the third round with home support from Louisville. However, the next fight against Doug Jones, which took place in New York, unexpectedly became a serious test for Cassius. Spectators bought all the tickets 2 days before the boxing evening, which happened for the first time in the history of Madison Square Garden. Jones put up a great fight, evading Clay's attacks and counter-attacking in return. The fight lasted all the allotted 10 rounds, Cassius won by unanimous decision. After the results were announced, the public began chanting: “ Fix it, fix it!" (English " Fix, fix!"). At the press conference, Clay noted that he is not Superman. Ring magazine named this fight the fight of the year in 1963. During his time in New York, Cassius met Drew Brown, who had a natural gift for making people laugh, and the two would become inseparable friends throughout much of Clay's career.

His next fight against Britain's Henry Cooper attracted an impressive 55,000 people at Wembley Stadium. In the fourth round, a few seconds before the bell, Cooper sent Clay to a heavy knockdown. To get more time to recover, Clay's seconds resorted to a trick. During the break between rounds, they tore Clay's glove and told the referee that he needed to change it. Since they did not have a spare glove, the second went to the locker room to get it. Thus, Cassius received extra time to recover. In the fifth round, Cooper suffered a severe cut and the referee stopped the fight. After the end of the fight, Jack Nealon, the manager, came into Clay’s locker room and said: “ I flew 3000 miles to say we're ready».

In November, Ali met with another former champion. inferior to Ali in all respects, but held out until the twelfth round. Ali won in the last round by technical knockout.

In March 1966, Ali traveled to Canada to fight the famous iron-headed fighter George Chuvalo. Ali successfully dominated the fight and won on points.

In May, Ali returned to England for a second fight against Henry Cooper. This time Ali prepared more seriously. In the sixth round, the fight was again stopped by a cut, however, Ali’s victory did not raise any questions.

Between 1966 and 1967, Ali successfully defended his title against Brian London, Karl Mildenberger, Cleveland Williams, Ernie Terrell and Zora Folley.

In 1967, Ali was drafted into the US Army, which was fighting in Vietnam at the time. However, he refused to serve because of his belief that the war was unfair. For this he was stripped of his title and excommunicated from boxing for 3 years.

After Ali was excommunicated from boxing, a tournament of eight boxers was organized for the right to become a champion. The top eight were determined by Ring magazine. During the tournament, it became clear that some boxers do not correspond to the level of the strongest. There was a scandal. After this, 2 organizations were formed - the WBC and the WBA, which sanction championship fights. By 1971, Joe Frazier held both titles.

In October 1970, Ali returned to the ring and his first opponent was Jerry Quarry. After the third round, numerous cuts prevented Quarry from continuing the fight. Ali looked great in this fight, contrary to all forecasts.

The next fight took place a month and a half later. Argentinean Oscar Bonavena called the ex-champion a chicken (coward) because he refused to go to war. In the fifteenth round, Ali knocked Bonavena down three times, after which the referee recorded a technical knockout.

In March 1971, Ali entered the ring against Joe Frazier. For the first time in the history of heavyweight, two unbeaten champions fought in a championship fight - one former, the other current. Frazier had good speed and was able to hold his own against Ali. In the fifteenth round, he knocked down the former champion (the third in Ali's career). Ali lost for the first time. The fight received the status " Fight of the Year"according to Ring magazine.

In July, Ali defeated former WBA champion Jimmy Ellis. Then Ali had several fights against middle-level boxers. In May 1972, in Canada, he met again with George Chuvalo. Chuvalo lost the fight on points. In June, Ali met with the aggressive and popular Jerry Kwari. Ali won by knockout in the seventh round.

In September, Ali met for the second time. As in the first battle, there was practically no chance. In the seventh round, the fight was stopped due to a cut on Ali's opponent. This was the last battle. In November, Ali knocked out outstanding light heavyweight Bob Foster.

In February 1973, he defeated famous fighter Joe Bugner. In March 1973, the first fight took place between Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton. Ken Norton was tactically similar to Ali and due to this he was able to resist his opponent. Ali's jaw was broken in the battle. Following 12 rounds, Norton won by split decision. Ali lost for the second time in his career.

A rematch took place in September. The battle followed a similar scenario. Once again the judges' votes were divided. However, this time Ali was awarded the victory. The decision was controversial, it was Ali's third inconclusive victory in his career.

In January 1974, Ali's second fight took place against Joe Frazier. Frazier had by that time lost to George Foreman and lost the title. Ali won this fight on points.

In October, Ali entered the championship fight against the very strong George Foreman. Foreman had power and youth on his side. Ali gave the initiative. During the first rounds, Foreman landed a large number of punches, most of which were on defense. By the middle of the fight, Foreman was exhausted. In the eighth round, Ali suddenly launched a counterattack and knocked out Foreman. So Ali became a two-time champion. The fight was called “Rumble in the jungle” and the status of “Fight of the Year” according to Ring magazine.

In March 1975, Ali met the unremarkable Chuck Wepner. Wepner held his own against Ali. In the ninth round, Wepner knocked him down in a flash (the fourth of his career). Nevertheless, the success was local in nature. In the fifteenth round, Ali began to hammer Wepner and knocked him out. This fight became the prototype for the creators of the film Rocky.

In 1975, Ali defeated Ron Lyle in succession and, for the second time, Joe Bugner.

On October 1, the third fight between Ali and Frazier took place. The battle took place in heat above 30 degrees. It was a stubborn and aggressive fight with intrigue until the very end: Ali and Frazier staged a real fight. After the fourteenth round, the judge stopped the fight - Frazier practically could not see (the judge showed three fingers and asked to count them, Frazier answered “one”). At the same time, in his corner, Ali asked to take off his gloves (“ I'm very tired, take off my gloves") and, according to his doctor, he would not have been able to make it to the fifteenth round. After this fight, Ali called Frazier the best boxer after him. The fight was called “Thrilla in Manila” and the status of “Fight of the Year” according to Ring magazine.

In 1976, Ali successfully defended his titles against Jean-Pierre Koopman, Jimmy Young and Richard Dunne. In September, Ali's third fight took place against Ken Norton. The judges unanimously awarded the victory to Ali.

In 1977, Ali defeated Alfredo Evangelista and heavy puncher Earnie Shavers.

In 1978, Muhammad Ali planned to retire from boxing. 1976 Olympic champion Leon Spinks was chosen for the final fight. Spinks had only 7 fights on his record, but nevertheless received the right to a championship fight. The fight took place in February 1978. Ali disdainfully treated his opponent, for which he paid. After 15 rounds, the judges awarded Spinks the victory by split decision. The split decision was controversial and Spinks won. This was Ali's third defeat. The fight received the status of “Fight of the Year” according to Ring magazine. Ali did not accept defeat and challenged the offender to a rematch. Spinks was scheduled to defend the belt against Ken Norton. Spinks chose revenge, for which the WBC stripped him of his title.

On November 15, 1978, in a 15-round fight, Ali defeated Spinks, winning the title of absolute world champion for the third time, repeating Joe Louis' record with this victory and announced his retirement from the ring.

However, Ali soon returned to the ring for financial reasons.

On October 2, 1980, Ali entered the fight against his former sparring partner, 30-year-old. Before the fight, Ali, as always, humiliated his opponent, but in the fight Ali showed that the years were taking their toll, 38-year-old Muhammad Ali was beaten, and, in turn, by a fast and fairly strong partner. In the tenth round, Angelo Dundee did not allow his man into the ring, saying “ I'm the main second! I demand the fight stop!»

In December 1981, almost 40-year-old Ali went against the middle peasant, 26-year-old Trevor Berbick. In a ten-round equal fight, the judges gave Berbick the victory. After this fight, Ali left boxing.

A severe form of Parkinson's disease completely undermined the health of the legendary boxer. Having slightly recovered from his illness, Mohammed Ali completely switched to social and religious activities.

Throughout his entire career, he lost only three fights (and this was in twenty years!), but even in these episodes, “black lightning” did not hang helplessly on the shoulders of others, no, Ali always gave pathetic fights, flaunting an ideal ring education.

His footwork - it alone caused enthusiastic smacking of the lips of the aesthetic part of the public. Once, he said about his footwork - " I flutter like a butterfly, I sting like a bee"If you remember his style, it was something elegant, light and incomprehensibly beautiful, because, in his heyday, weighing 97 kg with a height of 192 cm, Ali had the mobility of a lightweight boxer.

Connection with the Nation of Islam

In 1959, in Chicago, Clay first heard Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad speak. And in 1961, shortly after arriving in Miami for training, Clay met with Abdul Rahaman, Muhammad's envoy. Together they went to the local mosque. Everything that happened next greatly influenced the young fighter, he said: " The first time I felt spirituality in my life was when I entered this Muslim temple in Miami."

Clay began reading Muhammad Speaks every week, meeting with members of the Nation of Islam, and increasingly thinking about his spiritual life. Cassius attracted the attention of Jeremiah Shabazz - the head of the Muslim south of the United States - who came to Atlanta to meet with the future convert.

At the end of 1961, Rahaman began working for Clay's team, and Shabazz provided the boxer with traditional Muslim food.

In early 1962, Cassius traveled to Detroit, where he met Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X. Leaders of the Nation of Islam became Clay's mentors and greatly influenced his life.

Interesting Facts

Muhammad Ali was a fighter for peace and the rights of blacks; therefore, he converted to Islam and changed his name at birth to a Muslim one; he openly protested against the war in Vietnam. In 1978, at the invitation of the Soviet government, he visited the USSR, where he personally met with Leonid Brezhnev, and in the CSKA hall he held demonstration rounds with Soviet boxers Gorstkov, Zaev and Vysotsky, and visited the centers of Islam in the USSR - Tashkent and Samarkand.

In 1975, Muhammad Ali held an experimental match in Tokyo with the famous Japanese wrestler Inoki to answer the eternally controversial question: who is stronger - a boxer or a karateka? The fight went all 12 rounds and was eventually declared a draw, although the damage to Ali's legs nearly jeopardized his boxing career.

On June 12, 1983, Muhammad Ali fought an exhibition fight with the famous tough guy of Ukrainian origin Dave Semenko, the ice bodyguard of such hockey stars as Jari Kurri, Mark Messier, and Paul Coffey, winner of the Stanley Cup in 1984 and 1985 with the Edmonton Oilers.

Muhammad Ali received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the theater.

Muhammad Ali suffered from Parkinson's disease.

Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali and his third wife Veronica Porch Ali, is a former undisputed middleweight champion of the world. She won all 24 of her fights. Boxed Jackie Fraser-Lyde (daughter of Joe Fraser) in June 2001, the fight lasted 8 rounds; Leila won it by majority decision.

Muhammad Ali lit the flame for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

A sports drama called “Ali” was made about Muhammad Ali. Starring

Biography and episodes of life Mohammed Ali. When born and died Muhammad Ali, memorable places and dates of important events in his life. Boxer Quotes, Photo and video.

Years of life of Muhammad Ali:

born January 17, 1942, died June 3, 2016

Epitaph

"We don't have much life,
And it will all soon pass,
But do something for God
And it will never die."

Biography of Muhammad Ali

During his lifetime, Muhammad Ali became a legend not only in boxing- he was a cult athlete, an icon of his time. His active life position, religious beliefs and public appearances in defense of equal rights contributed to his popularity no less than his undoubted talent and famous corporate identity in boxing.

Young Cassius Clay grew up in a fairly wealthy and loving family and did not suffer, like many of his peers, from lack of money and poor conditions. But since childhood, he was faced with the problem of racial inequality, which was especially acute in the part of the United States where his family lived. Ali later said that black children in his time lacked an idol to look up to; a person who would show them by example how high they can rise without using drugs or living a “street” life.

Muhammad Ali became just such an idol for his generation. From his early youth he led a healthy lifestyle, subsequently turned to Islam and became a deeply religious person. His public behavior was often defiant, sometimes rude; he insulted his opponents in the ring and often got involved in scandals. But there was no malice behind this rampage, and the audience saw Ali as a simple guy with a warm heart, capable of causing a stir, but at the same time able to stand up for what he believes in and go through with it to the end. That's what he was.

25 years of boxing were not in vain: Ali was forced against his will to end his career when his health began to noticeably deteriorate. The boxer was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and Ali called the fight with her the hardest in his life. After completing his professional career, he devoted a lot of time to charity and generously donated his own financial resources to help children.

Deservedly nicknamed The "greatest" boxer died at the age of 74 from lung disease.

Muhammad Ali during a visit to the Soviet Union in 1978

Life line

January 17, 1942 Date of birth of Cassius Marcellus Clay (Muhammad Ali).
1960 Muhammad Ali's first professional fight and victory at the XVII Summer Olympic Games in the light heavyweight category.
1961 Meet the spiritual teachers of Islam, Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X, who had a strong influence on Ali's worldview.
1964 Muhammad Ali becomes the absolute world heavyweight champion and holds the title for two years. In the same year, he officially announced his entry into the Nation of Islam organization.
1967 Official refusal to perform military service, deprivation of a boxing license and trial.
1970 Acquittal in the US Supreme Court and restoration of Ali's license. First defeat in my professional career.
1974 Muhammad Ali again wins the title of absolute world champion and holds the title for four years.
1981 The last fight with which Muhammad Ali ended his professional career.
1984 Ali's hospitalization and discovery of Parkinson's disease.
1987 Muhammad Ali's induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame.
1990 Muhammad Ali has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
1998 Muhammad Ali becomes UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
June 3, 2016 Date of death of Muhammad Ali.

Memorable places

1. Louisville (Jefferson, Kentucky, USA), where Muhammad Ali was born.
2. Rome (Italy), where Muhammad Ali won the Olympic Games in 1960.
3. Miami, where Muhammad Ali began professional training.
4. Madison Square Garden in New York, where on December 30, 1970, the unique “Fight of the Century” took place between Muhammad Ali as an undefeated former world champion and Joe Frazier as an undefeated current champion, which ended with Ali’s first defeat.
5. Kinshasa, the capital of Congo (formerly Zaire), where in 1974 the fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman for the world title took place.
6. Manila (Philippines), where the third fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier took place, which ended in Ali’s victory and was called one of the best in boxing history.
7. Scottsdale, Arizona, where Muhammad Ali died.

Episodes from the life of Muhammad Ali

Cassius decided to learn boxing after his newly purchased bicycle was stolen. He was 12 years old. 6 weeks later he had his first amateur fight.

In 1962, Muhammad Ali underwent intelligence testing as part of a draft medical examination and was found unfit for service even after repeated testing: his IQ was 78.

Muhammad Ali's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is the only one that is located not on the ground, but on the wall of a building. This was done at the request of Ali himself, who did not want the name of the prophet to be stepped on.

Mohammed Ali's daughter from his third marriage, Leila, became the world middleweight boxing champion and finished her career without a single defeat.

Muhammad Ali's Top 10 Knockouts

Boxer's Testament

“The most difficult fight is when you have to fight laziness for happiness.”

“Those who are not brave enough to take risks will achieve nothing in life.”

“Champions are not made in gyms. A champion is born from what is inside a person - desires, dreams, goals.”

“God will not put a burden on a person’s shoulders that that person cannot bear.”

Condolences

“Mohammed Ali was a great artist. I learned a lot from him. Thank you".
Sergey Shnurov, rock musician

“Rest in peace to the greatest of all time. He was a man of strong character, faith, dignity and professionalism. You will continue to inspire us to make this world a better place.”
Vladimir Klitschko, world boxing champion

“Mohammed Ali is a legend and one of the most celebrated athletes in the history of the sport who ushered in the golden era of boxing. He paved the way for many boxers, including myself, taking boxing to a level where it is watched in millions of homes around the world. Ali had undeniable talent, but he also made boxing more interesting. In the ring he was fearless and fought against the most formidable opponents. This is an example of courage: he never looked for easy ways.”
Oscar de la Hoya, world boxing champion

74 years ago he was born to a black woman, Odessa Clay. The boy was named Cassius in honor of his artist father. The father painted advertising signs, and the family lived quite well compared to other blacks. But racism flourished in America in the 50s: blacks were considered second-class citizens. Cassius's great-grandfather was Irish, but this did not play any role.

One day, a boy’s bicycle was stolen and he wanted to beat up the offender. And then, fortunately, he happened to make friends with a white policeman Joe Martin, who also worked as a boxing trainer. And within six weeks he wins his first fight. And in 1956, Cassius won the Golden Gloves tournament.

He always had problems with his studies. No one could force him to sit down to read his books. As a result, until the end of his life he couldn’t even really read.

In 1960 he was invited to the Olympics in Rome. Despite terrible aerophobia, Cassius flew to Europe (having bought a personal parachute for himself!), confidently reached the finals and won gold. Even then, he had a signature style: he seemed to dance around his opponents on his toes, lowering his hands and skillfully dodging their blows.

In October 1960, he won his first fight in the professional ring. Money appeared, and the family moved to Miami. At the same time, he became interested in Muslim values, took the name Mohammed Ali and became a member of the Nation of Islam.

Our hero really wanted to serve in the army. But they didn’t take him. Ali failed the “mental ability” test and was unable to answer the question of how many hours a person works from six in the morning to three in the afternoon, taking into account the hour for lunch.

Muhammad Ali several times became “Boxer of the Year,” “Boxer of the Decade,” and even “Boxer of the Century.” In the early 90s, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame to forever remain a legend of the sport.

In 1984, Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He began to hear and speak poorly, all motor functions failed. The incurable disease was a consequence of professional sports activity: the champion, often winning, suffered heavy knockdowns more than once.

Mohammed was married four times. He separated from his first wife in his early youth because of her reluctance to become a Muslim. Second companion Belinda Boyd(after marriage - Khalila Ali) bore him four children. But Ali was not an exemplary husband, and his infidelities became the reason for another divorce.

His mistress Veronica Porsche She married him, becoming his third wife, in 1977. The marriage lasted nine years. After this, Muhammad married one of his many girlfriends Iolanthe Williams. They even adopted a child. By the way, in addition to the legitimate children listed above, Muhammad still had two more illegitimate daughters.

In recent years, he often suffered from severe pneumonia. In early June, he was hospitalized again due to serious respiratory problems. The doctors, alas, were powerless.

A Capricorn who plans to climb a mountain cliff can only be stopped by an avalanche. One of these purposeful and resilient “steeplemen” is Cassius Marcellus Clay, or Muhammad Ali, an American professional boxer who handed out knockdowns and knockouts right and left.

Success Story, Biography of Muhammad Ali

Cassius Clay was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. At the age of 12 he began training with police coach Joe Martin, at the age of 17 he joined the US national team and became an Olympic champion in the light heavyweight division in 1960. Repeated world champion among heavyweights. He fought 61 fights in the professional ring, losing only five of them and knocking out his opponent 37 times. In 1981, he ended his professional career and at the age of 40 began a battle with Parkinson’s disease, which continues to this day.

Cassius Clay was not afraid of work and as a child scrubbed desks with blackboards at the University of Louisville, earning pocket money. But the parents dreamed of a different future for their son. Однако, как ни пыталась интеллигентнейшая пара Клеев усадить своего гиперактивного ребёнка за сборники поэзии и всучить ему карандаши с красками, тот как самый простонародный ниггер рвался на улицу из уютного и ухоженного коттеджа погонять на велосипеде и побегать с друзьями. Until a local hooligan took this bike away from him, slapping the young owner.

Cassius started to cry at first, but then, like a true American, he went to the police, where, in addition to the complaint, he also left a verbal oath to get even with the offenders. The policeman realized that such feints would get the daring but loose black kid pinned to the asphalt, advised him to first learn how to knock the offenders down properly, promised to show him a few techniques and invited him to training. And he trained the guy so famously that a few years later he called one of the famous trainers, Angelo Dundee, and said that if the mass of Dundee wants to help, then he, that is, Cassius, will smear everyone in the ring who dares to stick his nose into this ring. The coach was stunned by the pressure, but he took the boy and never regretted it. In addition to his drive, he had “extraordinary muscular talent,” natural mobility, devilish intuition, elephantine endurance and reaction like a mongoose.

« I hated every minute of training, but I told myself: "Don't quit, suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."».

With his height of two meters and weight of a hundred pounds, Cassius moved so easily around the ring, sensed the distance so accurately and so deftly carried out hooks, uppercuts and jabs, that he led his opponents first into extreme amazement, and then into severe knockouts. " I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee“, he said, putting on gloves.

This “butterfly”, with its dancing on its toes and crushing blows to the head, confused recognized boxers, remembering the instructions of that same policeman that in a fight, speed decides a lot. " I'm very fast. In the bedroom, before going to bed, I hit the light switch and manage to get into bed before the light goes out.».

Seventeen-year-old “ring dancer” Cassius passed the Golden Glove tournament without a hitch and soon. However, the desire to conquer the whole world did not leave him alone, and at twenty-two he fought a duel with Sonny Liston, the then champion. After a difficult fight, Liston could barely stand on his feet, and Cassius’s vision lost its sharpness, but the world title warmed his soul. His matches attracted crowds of amateurs and experts, and at them Cassius Clay, who had already changed his name to Muhammad Ali, gave the most iron-headed rivals a beating, repeatedly confirming his championship title. " Champions are not made in the gym. A champion is born from what is inside a person - desires, dreams, goals».

The first guy to slightly crush the wings of a twenty-nine-year-old “butterfly” was Joe Frazier, nicknamed “Smoking.” As they said, he beat his opponents with such force that smoke curled from his gloves. He also beat up Muhammad Ali pretty well, knocking him down in the fifteenth round, but three years later Ali was able to take revenge, and a year later he had such a fight with “Smoking” that it was not only called the “massacre in Manila”, but also the “battle of centuries." " Joe lasted fourteen rounds and I couldn't knock him out. Since then, I have constantly seen this very fight in my dreams, and my wife says that I, sleeping, am waving my arms, trying to strike the right blow to Fraser, calling his name" After this battle, one thought flashed through Joe’s exhausted head - about ending his career; the thoroughly battered “butterfly” was still fluttering, but no longer showed matches of this class. " Boxing is when a bunch of white people bet money on two black guys punching each other in the face. However, if boxing is banned, people will still watch it, that’s their nature. But these will be underground battles, carried out with much greater cruelty and blood." A few years later, already heavier and having lost his former speed, Ali again tried to shake up the old days and demonstrate boxing of the highest quality, but was beaten and ended his career as a professional boxer.

Character

Muhammad Ali set goals for himself and moved towards them with the inexorability of a tsunami. Deciding to learn to fight back against the offenders at all costs, Ali asked his brother to throw stones at him, trying to dodge. Over time, the bruises became smaller, and Cassius dodged stones like a cat dodging a slipper. The high blood pressure tearing at his head did not frighten the future world boxing star. The doctors strictly ordered him to quit sports and take care of his health, but seventeen-year-old Cassius once again became angry, advising the doctors not to throw hysterics.

In addition to the fact that the guy was physically gifted, his mental abilities were also fine. And there’s more than enough cunning. Having noticed one day that the recognized boxers didn’t give a damn about the Louisville “upstart” and were not eager to engage in a fight with him, he began to challenge them to a fight, provoking them and making a fire at all costs. Cassius pranced in front of the cameras, demonstrating exactly how he was going to destroy his opponents, announced the entire list by name, invented the title “The Greatest” for himself and shouted in the faces of his opponents that “freaks are not champions.” " I am the smartest, bravest and funniest. I have no flaws. Everyone should imitate me - I’m great!” The professionals were amazed, looking at the boor with a tinned throat, grinding their teeth, rushing into the ring with a great desire to knock the spirit out of the impudent man... and there they passed out from his fast and powerful blows.

In addition to his cunning and flexible mind, Clay could boast of a keen view of the world and a good sense of humor. Cassius told everyone about his vision of racism, when everything white around personifies good and bright, and everything black is creepy and dangerous. " All white angels go to heaven, and black ones prepare milk and honey in the kitchen. And why does an angel bake a white cake, while the devil makes a chocolate one??»

And when Cassius, an Olympic champion and an exemplary Christian, was not allowed to dine in a restaurant in his hometown, refusing service, this was the straw that prompted “The Greatest” to convert to Islam. Religion, which, in his opinion, is more truthful than others and does not wash the heads of believers: “ Love the whites, hate the blacks!»

When Cassius Clay decided to convert to Islam and change his name, even though he was incredibly proud of his old name and thought that it sounded “gladiator-like,” those around him opened their mouths. The newly minted believer approached the change of religion with all responsibility: he began to pray five times a day, and then generally apologized to those opponents whom he supported by his mother, and wrote a brochure “Healing.” The World Boxing Association did not stand aside and took the championship title from him, but Ali again quickly defeated everyone, and the title was returned to him. A similar story with the title repeated itself when Ali pretended to be weak-minded in order to avoid military service.

« I won't be what they want me to be, and I'm not afraid to be myself and think the way I want.».

Personal

Although Cassius Clay was stubborn, the likes of which the world has never seen, the opposite sex clung to him. But Ali’s personal life was not going well. Not only did he come across all sorts of mercantile wives and tried to snatch more from him, but some of them also disgraced their husband during foreign visits by hiding silverware in their purses. " She was enterprising - she cleaned out not only Mr. Brezhnev, but subsequently me too. All my ex-wives were entrepreneurial", Ali said in an interview. From three wives eight offspring grew up. One of the daughters from fashion model Veronica Porsch, Leila, made a career in women's boxing and won a fight with the daughter of that same “Smoking” Joe Frazier, without disgracing her father’s fame.

In the end, Mohammed, having thoroughly spent his time in family battles, took a fourth risk and married his Louisville neighbor Lonnie, who also had a lot of determination. Even as a child, the girl buzzed everyone’s ears that she would marry Cassius, and she finally achieved her goal years later. The family settled on a ranch in Michigan and became involved in charity work. They say that Mohammed still reads the Koran to the best of his ability, promotes Islam, helps the poor and fights disease. And when he was asked what, in his opinion, is missing in modern boxing, he answered without a shadow of a doubt: “ Me!" “Being a world champion is very nice, just being a champion is already a wonderful feeling, but being a champion in several categories is like being a god, being Muhammad Ali, when the whole world knows you».

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