I’m sure that everyone here has heard the phrase “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” This was the slogan used by the man considered by many to be the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was born in 1942 with the name Cassius Clay, but later changed it to Muhammad Ali after he became a Muslim. Cassius grew up in Louisville Kentucky and threw one of his first punches when he was only six months old, hitting his mother so hard that she had to have two teeth pulled out. Clay got into boxing at the age of 12. After having his bike stolen, Cassius ran into police officer Joe Martin and told him that he was gonna whoop whoever stole his bike.
The police officer happened to run a boxing gym, and suggested that Cassius should learn proper boxing technique first. Clay soon began to excel in boxing and furthermore began his journey down the path of greatness. Cassius Clay soon had a reputation in the boxing world as a loud mouth with a very unusual boxing style. Clay was constantly bragging about his speed and strength, as well as making rhymes about his opponents. Here’s an example of one of Clay’s rhymes taken from a Muhammad Ali fan page: This is the legend of Muhammad Ali, The greatest fighter that ever will be. He talks a great deal and brags, indeed, Of a powerful punch and blinding speed.
Ali fights great, he’s got speed and endurance; If you sign to fight him, increase your insurance. Ali’s got a left, Ali’s got a right; If he hits you once, you ” re asleep for the night. Comments like these made Clay’s opponents eager to get into the ring with him, but they soon realized that he could back up all of his taunts. His fighting style was unique, because unlike most boxers, he held his arms at his sides and swayed backward to dodge punches rather than blocking them with his fists. He was able to get away with this because of his blinding speed.
The Term Paper on Muhammad Ali Clay War Time
Cassius Clay was just a boxer. A boxer who captured the hearts of Americans while winning the 1960's Olympic gold. Here was a young man at the age of 18, representing the greatest nation on the planet and making his people proud. He would again gain the fascination of America with his defeat of the anti-hero of the time Sonny Liston. However, this hero famed across mainstream America would not ...
Not only did he have very fast punches, but he had so much endurance that he could dance around the ring for the entirety of a fight and completely wear down his opponent. In the movie Ali, Will Smith plays the part of Cassius and gives an accurate depiction of this interesting boxing style. During his career, Cassius fought some of boxing’s toughest contenders, including the likes of George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Sonny Liston. At the end of his career, Cassius had a record of 56 wins, with 37 being by knockout, and 5 losses. Not only did people respect Ali for his boxing ability, but also for his ability to stand up for his own political and religious beliefs.
After hearing the Muslim minister Malcolm X speak, Cassius became friends with him and soon joined the Muslim religion. It was Malcom’s influence that led Cassius to change his name to Cassius X and then later to Muhammad Ali. His reasoning in this was that Clay was the name given to his grandfather by slave masters, and Ali was not a slave. When Ali was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, he simply refused to go, saying, quote “I ain’t got no quarrel with the Vietcong,” a quote taken from the Ali book GOAT.
Ali was greatly ridiculed for for this and was considered unpatriotic and cowardly. He had his title of Champion taken away and was banned from boxing for 2 and a half years. Ali was prosecuted for his refusal to go to Vietnam and ended up going broke from attorney’s fees. He eventually won his case in the Supreme Court on the basis of religious beliefs. Muhammad Ali always called himself the people’s champ, because besides from being a boxing icon, he was very approachable and friendly towards all of his fans. Muhammad was once denied an autograph by his idol Sugar Ray Robinson and afterwards vowed that he would never turn down a fan for an autograph.
The Term Paper on Why Did The United States Get Involved In The Vietnam War?
Why did the United States get involved in the Vietnam War? Explain what factors led American policymakers down the path towards war, and cite specific examples of critical events that reflected these factors. There was no specific factor that led the united states into getting involved in the Vietnam war, but rather a gradual series of events and decisions which would lead them down such a path. ...
The amount of fan mail that he receives is enormous. Ali’s fans not only respect him for his kindness, but also for the freedom that he represents. Ali was bold enough to stand up to the United States government and reject their orders, because he didn’t believe in the Vietnam War. They evened offered to keep him out of battle if he went, but he still refused on the principle of it. He did not believe in the war and nobody could make him go.
In one of his rhymes, Ali said: “better to be in jail fed than in Vietnam dead.” Ali was never afraid to speak his mind, and was actually the first national celebrity to speak out against the war. This is a quality to be respected in any individual. As you can see, Muhammad Ali was not only an amazing boxer, but was, and is to this day a symbol of freedom and greatness. The story of Muhammad Ali is one that can encourage you to follow you ” re dreams and do what you think is right despite the opposition.
Although he’s no longer the cocky, rhyming, wild man that he once was, Ali is still a Muslim and is alive and well at his current age of 62. Years of fighting did take their tole on Ali he eventually developed Parkinsons disease, which is common in boxers and happens after continuous blows to the head. Muhammad is married to his wife Lonnie, whom he has known since childhood and is the father of nine children. Muhammad Ali is not only one of the greatest boxers of all time, but also a good man and a role model to anyone with ambitions..
