Muhammad Ali Essay

Born of the name Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1942,Muhammad Ali is among one of the greatest athletes in the world Muhammad Ali is an American former boxing heavyweight champion and one of the greatest and well known sporting figures of the 20th century. An Olympic gold medalist and the first fighter to push the limits and achieve the heavyweight title three times. In his 21 year professional career, Ali won an amazing 56 matches with a mind blowing 37 knockouts.. All of Muhammad Ali 's success can be contributed to the person who inspired Ali to join the boxing sport “His boxing career was sparked at the age of 12, after someone stole his bicycle. Cassius reported it to a local policeman, Joe Martin, and told the officer he

I do so with the full realisation of its implications. I have searched my conscience. I had the world heavyweight title not because it was given to me, not because of my race or religion, but because I won it in the ring”. Ali spoke openly on how he was disgusted with the segregation in the United States and how the black man was treated “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong… No Viet Cong ever called me nigger”. ("Muhammad Ali’s Religion ). Ali’s dedication to the Nation of Islam and his oppression as a black man makes him sympathize with the horrors that the black people were suffering in America during the time. His refusal to serve in the war due to religious beliefs, he gained support from conservatives all across America. After returning from his three year forced leave of absence of boxing Ali fought Joe Frazier in the fight of the century at the Madison Square Garden and was defeated in in seven rounds but many believe that the only reason he lost was because he was away from the sport for more than two years and Ali proved this to be true by beating Frazier in a rematch in 1974. “Former heavyweight champion George Foreman, who once famously tried to shatter those bounds, later came to recognize what impelled Ali. He found something to fight for, said Foreman, other than money and championship belts. And when that person finds something like that, you can 't hardly beat them” (How Muhammad Ali Conquered Fear and Changed the World). Ali was a fighter who was taught not to give up after being locked up and criticized by many people for his choice not to be drafted he still did not give up and worked his way back up to the top proving how much of a strong influential individual he