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Greatest Sports Person Of All Time: Muhammad Ali

His name is a Muslim name, he is the greatest sports man of all time, he is known from Asia to Middle East to Europe to America and to The jungles of Africa. He is the most famous personality in the world. “MUHAMMAD ALI” yes that’s the guy Not bad for a boy who was just looking for his bicycle.

Ali was born in  January 17, 1942, as Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. He was a black boy living in a whilte mans country .Racial segregation was every were, separate seats, hotels, bars, were the highlights of the Dark America. Ali  grew up observing the white mans racial injustice.

Cassius in young age was showing signs of his talent in strange ways. He use to stand a short distance from his brother and use to ask him to throw stones at him at a fast speed and Cassius would dodge all these stones with his rhythmatic  movement .Hard for us to imagine how to dodge stones from short distance, well that’s why we are not Muhammad Ali.

Ali career started when  In 1954 in Louisville, Kentucky, 12-year-old Cassius Marcellus Clay’s bike was stolen while he and a friend were at the Columbia Auditorium. Young Cassius found a cop in a gym, Joe Martin, and boiling with youthful rage, told Martin he was going to "whup" whoever stole his bike. Martin admonished, "You better learn to box first." Within weeks, 89-pound Cassius had his first bout---his first win. . In 1954 in Louisville, Kentucky, 12-year-old Cassius Marcellus Clay’s bike was stolen while he and a friend were at the Columbia Auditorium. Young Cassius found a cop in a gym, Joe Martin, and boiling with youthful rage, told Martin he was going to "whup" whoever stole his bike. Martin admonished, "You better learn to box first." Within weeks, 89-pound Cassius had his first bout---his first win. For the next 27 years, Cassius would be in that ring. Even in his youth, he had dreams of being heavyweight champion of the world. He use to shout all the time “I am the greatest” ”I am the Heavyweight champion of the world” Every one use to laugh then, and now everyone laughs if anyone else name is taken as “The Greatest”   But his life would take turns that no seer could’ve predicted.

Young Cassius dedicated himself to boxing with fervor unmatched by other young boxers. Indeed, it was his only activity. As a teenager, he never worked. He boxed and trained. He had 108 amateur bouts. According to Joe Martin, Clay set himself apart from the other boys by two things: He was "sassy," and he outworked all the other boys. The work paid off: 6 Kentucky Golden Gloves championships; two National Golden Gloves championships; two National AAU titles before he was 18 years old. And the son of Odessa, whom he lovingly referred to as "Bird," and Cassius senior, "Cash," to everyone, won the Olympic Gold Medal in 1960 in Rome months after his 18^th birthday. Cassius returned home to a parade, Louisville was still, in 1960 part of the segregated South. Even with a medal around his neck, Cassius was refused service at a local restaurant. With rage he threw his gold medal in the sea.

Young Cassius was put  with veteran trainer, Angelo Dundee, by a business man  after failed attempts, to with the Mongoose, Archie Moore, and a turn down by Ali’s boxing idol, Sugar Ray Robinson.With Dundee in his corner, from his Miami base, Cassius blazed a trail through the heavyweight division with his unorthodox style that defied boxing logic. He was a "headhunter .His style was to dance all around the ring and speaking continuously against the opponents calling him funny names asking him for punches and irritating the opponent so much that opponents were willing to kill him. Because of Clay’s powerful legs—maybe the strongest in the history of boxing—he literally floated in the ring. He invented the "Ali Shuffle;" a foot maneuver where he would elevate himself, shuffle his feet in a dazzling blur, and with a single blow knockout the opponent.

He never shut up. He became known as, "The Louisville Lip." It was more than banter; it was a constant harangue. In a time when boxers never talked to the media---their managers always spoke for them---Clay did all his own talking. He even went so far as to predict the round. "To prove I’m great he will fall in eight!". His predictions were working and the white man newspaper couldn’t resist his fame.

While training for his title bout against the fearsome heavyweight champion, Sonny Liston, Clay met Cap’n Sam, a Nation of Islam minister of the local Miami mosque. Cap’n Sam introduced Cassius to NOI spokesman, Malcolm X. Malcolm and young Cassius bonded on a deep level. Malcolm brought Cassius into the Nation of Islam.

Despite the 7-1 odds, Clay upset Sonny Liston in Miami and became heavyweight champion of the world in 1964. The next day, Clay announced to the world that he was a member of the Nation of Islam and that his name was Cassius X. The X reflecting the unknown name that was taken from him by the slave owners centuries before. Nation of Islam was a organization who’s members called themselves Muslims but who’s ideology was completely against Muslims religion Islam specially its teaching of “White is Devil” and most importantly Declaring its Leader Elijah Muhammad as “Messenger of God”, which breaks the fundamental principle of Islam that Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) was the Last Prophet and no Prophet would come after him, Any one not believing in that is not a Muslim and Nation of Islam is till now  is not considered as an Muslim organization. Malcolm and Ali both later dropped out of NOI and became Muslims by joining Sunni Teachings.

The national response was immediate, negative and intense. Cassius X, soon to be given the name Muhammad Ali, by NOI founder, "The Messenger," Elijah Muhammad, chose to disassociate himself from his friend and mentor Malcolm X after the Messenger suspended Malcolm. Herbert Muhammad, eldest son of Elijah, was installed as Ali’s new manager as Ali continued to defend his crown against all comers .In 1967, as the Vietnam War was escalating, Ali was called up for induction into the Armed Services. Ali refused induction on the grounds of religious beliefs. He was, in fact, a practicing Muslim minister. This refusal led to the now-famous Ali quote, "I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong…    "The national furor over that comment combined with Ali’s refusal to be inducted into the Armed Services, caused virtually every state and local entity in America to cancel Ali’s boxing licenses. Ali final fight of 1967 was against Ernie Terrell, who incensed Ali at the weigh-in by calling him "Clay." Ali pounded him in the ring with taunts of, "What’s my name?!!" That fight was reported by many newspapers as the bloodies fight ever as Ali was Not Knocking out his  weak opponent but was punching him and taunting him ,the opponent’s face was full with blood and Ali was called By some News Paper as “Dracula”.

Ali did not fight again for 2 ½ years.  At the peak of his career when no opponent was able to knock this dancer He was stripped of his championship title, his passport taken; all his boxing licenses were cancelled. He lost an initial court battle and was facing a 5-year prison term. Ali made money during his exile by speaking to colleges. He was the first national figure to speak out against the war in Vietnam. These times were the most difficult times of his life. Ali was obsessed with fighting. Boxing was frankly his centre of life even more then religion.

 In 1970, after a 2 ½ year layoff, and with the mood of the country changing, Ali staged his comeback, first against Jerry Quarry in Atlanta then for what was billed as, "The Fight," his first match against undefeated champ, Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971.Ali fought valiantly, but lost. The 2 ½ year exile had cost Ali his legs. He could no longer dance. His legs with whom he danced at such speed that no one could even follow him through out the rounds were now not there. It seemed that the person who’s fighting spirit was the most powerful of then any man had collapsed. But he succeeded in another stage, months later, the Supreme Court, reversed his conviction and upheld his conscientious objector claim. Ali was free of the specter of jail, and free to travel to box anywhere in the world Several matches followed, including an unexpected loss to ex-Marine, Ken Norton; a win in their next bout; an uninspired win against Joe Frazier.                                                                             But these matches were but window dressing for the biggest match of Ali’s career: The Rumble In the Jungle.

George Foreman was a fearsome young champ. He had thunder and destruction in both hands. He was dubbed as the punching machine , his style was opposite to Ali. He only punched and knocked. He had not lost a single match before.  He had easily knocked out Ken Norton (who defeated Ali) . Frazier who took the championship belt from Ali, was knocked out by a single blow by Foreman. Foreman became a champ against whom as newspaper reported no man stood a chance specially the weakened Ali..   Promoter Don King got the government of the African nation of Zaire to guarantee the unheard of sum of 10 million dollars for the fighters. In Kinshasa.

In Zaire or called as African jungle, mood was different. After Ali landed people gathered in thousands and yelled, Ali Bomaye! (Ali kill him), Ali Bomaye!, Ali Bomaye!. The people of jungle who knew nothing about outside world but knew only Ali  were adoring there black brother Ali.

 Going into the fight, Ali was 3-1 underdog. His fight doctor, Ferdie Pacheco, had a jet ready to spirit Ali away to a neurological hospital in Spain after the fight. But Ali had other ideas.

Because of the heat and his lost strength of legs, Ali realized he couldn’t dance from Foreman for the whole fight. He invented, "The Rope-A-Dope," a strategy that allowed Foreman to pound on him until Foreman tired. The punching machine pounded hundred of punches at Ali in the corner  His corner men yelled at him to get off the ropes, but Ali persisted with his strategy. Foreman knew only one thing punch and knock was looking shocked and surprised, his strong punches who had success rate of 100% were doing nothing to Ali, Ali was harder then The wall Of China. In the eight round Foreman was looking exhausted he had landed hundreds of punches constantly for seven rounds but in vane were the efforts. Suddenly Ali came off the ropes and scored a shocking knockout!

Ali had gained the fighting strength from the African people. He had knocked out the man dubbed as unstoppable. Foreman later said “If I had landed that much punches to a wall ,the wall would have collapsed”. Ali was the king again.

In September of 1975, for the third time, Ali fought the unrelenting Joe Frazier. The fight was billed as the Thrilla in Manila and Ali won when Frazier was unable to answer the bell for the final round. Although Ali lost a title defense early in 1978 to Leon Spinks, he later defeated Spinks in a rematch to win his title for the third time. On June 26, 1979, at the age of 37, Ali retired as champion with a professional record of 59 victories and three defeats.

 Because of his lavish lifestyle, Ali found himself in need of money. In 1980 he returned to the ring to fight Larry Holmes for the World Boxing Council (WBC) title and a guaranteed purse of $8 million. But Ali was now as any human being Old and Ali's health appeared to be on a rapid decline: he seemed sluggish and weak in motor skills. Initially he was misdiagnosed as having a thyroid condition but actually he was suffering from a fatal disease Parkinson.

 When Ali was unable to answer the bell for the eleventh round, Holmes won with a technical knockout. One year later Ali boxed professionally for the last time, when he fought Trevor Berbick. One month before his fortieth birthday, Ali was defeated for the fifth time in his professional career. Ali ended his career 56 wins (37 by knockout) and 5 defeats.

  Near the end of Ali's boxing career, he steered toward political activism and philanthropic work. In 1980, he supported Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party, even working at the Democratic National Convention in New York. In February of 1985, he functioned as a lay diplomat, attempting to secure the release of four kidnapped Americans in Lebanon which did not work as Ali knew nothing about Politics and was lame at it. Ali also met with leaders in the Soviet Union and Africa and founded the World Organization for Right, Liberty, and Dignity (WORLD).

 At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, the world and his country honored Ali by choosing him to light the Olympic torch during the opening ceremonies.

Ali was recognized as the Worlds Greatest Sports Person ever when he was Granted  award of “Sports Personality of the Millennium”  by BBC peoples choice award at the end of the millennium.

Ali is the father of nine children and has been married four times. One of the negative aspects of his life was his interest in Girls. He left his Muslim wife as he was having an affair and then married another Christian girl but also left her as she refused to observe Islamic Life Style and then married again. Now He lives with his fourth wife, Yolanda, who also acts as his manager, in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

He nowadays spends much of his time by touring around the world for Charity Organizations and  reading and spreading the teachings of Islam, he left NOI(Nation of Islam) and Became Muslim adapting Sunni Teachings and has opened the door of his home for millions of people who visit him. He also distributes autographs on paper containing verses of Quran .

Ali has inspired millions worldwide. He gave people hope and proved that anyone could overcome insurmountable odds. He gave people courage. He made fighters of us all. He will simply be remembered as “THE GREATEST”.

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