The sport of boxing is known worldwide; a sport where men and women duke it out with their opponents to prove who is the toughest. Though-out the decades there have been many fighters and many fights, but few known quite as well as Cassius Clay, also known as Muhammad Ali. The fighter that referred to himself as, “the greatest” (biography.com) and a man that could, “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” (about.com). From the beginning of his career, which was started after a police officer told him he might want to learn to fight, he was known as an underdog. He took on the Olympics in 1960 at the age of 18 and won the gold medal. Yet being a gold medalist wouldn’t help persuade the public view of him as a serious contender for the world heavy weight contender. Ali would fight as the challenger for the light-heavy weight world title against Sonny Liston on February, 25 1964. Clay would shock the world into no longer doubting him as serious opponent with a technical knock-out and continue to shock them with an announcement a day later.
Clay was a cock young boxer, who ran his mouth continuously before he fight to the point of being fined 2500 dollars (boxrec.com). The public underdog that majority had expected to lose, and lose quickly at that, to heavy hitter Liston. Liston had age with which experience comes with going for him, while Clay had youth and the speed that comes with it. Rumors spread like a wildfire through the convention hall that Clay would show up after the weigh-ins before the fight but Clay showed up early to watch his “brother make his professional debut” despite the public opinion (newyorktimes.com). Once the in the ring the battle for the title begins, with Ali and Liston giving their all.
Liston could ...
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...that just because popular belief isn’t in your favor, doesn’t mean you should stand down no matter what the case.
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Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Muhammad Ali (Page 2)." About.com 20th Century History. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014.
Ali proved to be a strong-willed individual that did leave a huge impact on America, but what impact had increased as time continued and his faults have been somewhat forgotten. Those believing that Muhammad was more of a hero than Jackie Robinson most likely feel that Ali’s action of standing up against the United States government, when he was drafted, was an act of courage and bravery. The main reason why Ali didn 't wish to go to war in Vietnam was because he believed he shouldn 't be fighting for a country that ultimately didn 't support his own people within its own borders. Ali has developed into a figure of courage after the time that his happened. In the 1960s when this originally happened, Ali had more enemies as a result of his religious and social views and ideas than fans. Today we see that what he did may be considered heroic, but back when it actually occurred, Ali was seen as a nuisance to America. He was spreading word and influencing people to act against their own country in a time of war. Since Muhammad Ali’s retirement from boxing the course of time has faded criticism of Ali and left mostly just the positive parts of his life and career. As a society we’ve buried the controversial side of Ali’s existence in our minds and history simply remembers his greatness as an athlete. Robinson had an impact on
Swift, E. M. "One Big Headache." Sports Illustrated 106.6 (2007): 22. TOPICsearch. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
“Float like a butterfly; sting like a bee ahhhh! Rumble, young man rumble ahhhh!” Those were the words echoed time and time again from Cassius Clay and his corner man David Brown. Better known as Muhammad Ali, he has a legacy of being the greatest fighter whoever lived.
This book is actually about all of these things but much, much more. Rather than write a biography, David Remnick has given us a moment in time. King of the World covers three years in the life of Clay/Ali, but more importantly it covers the political climate in the United States, including the belief system held by the majority of the public regarding African Americans during the mid 1960s.
Posnanki, Joe. “To Hall With These Guys?.” Sports Illustrated 115.4 (2011): 14. MAS Ultra – School Edition. Web.
James Braddock took his father’s lessons to heart when he practiced fighting in the old schoolyard before he reached his teenage years. He practiced for several years to be an amateur fighter. When Braddock first started boxing he avoided professional competitions for two years. Instead, they froze the title, which means Braddock earned money touring the country giving public appearances and boxing exhibitions. In 1926, he entered the professional boxing circuit in the light heavyweight division. Braddock started out well, knocking out opponent after opponent in the first few rounds.
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...ws. July 1, 1996: 38+. Sports. Eleanor Goldstein. Vol. 5. Boca Raton: SIRS, 1996. Art. 13.
[3] I agree with the reviewers: the central problem or issue in Ali is the portrayal of Cassius Clay/Cassius X/Muhammad Ali as a very soft, non-threatening, and almost perfect man. It is almost if Will Smith is wearing a halo throughout the movie and can do no wrong. But, by looking at film clips, newspaper articles, and other "real" historical sources, I found a very different man. There was an Ali that was feared by mainstream and white America; there was an Ali that said racially controversial -- and flat-out racist -- things. Mann steers away from these parts of Muhammad Ali and presents the viewer with a diplomatic figure. Mann also neglects Ali's flaws. Basically, Mann puts limits on what he will show of Ali, and by doing so, revises Ali's story into a fairytale-like drama and sells the viewer an action-figure version of a very complicated man.
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. later known as Muhammad Ali, was a black boxer, and was proud of it. Many African Americans were ashamed of their color, but Ali was different. He was the first boxer to win the Heavyweight Championship 3 different times. He had a great personality and was liked by the people. During his life, he made big decisions that changed the course of his life completely. Muhammad Ali's journey through life was a great inspiration for African American people, but Ali himself deserves the admiration of everyone.
Hauser, Thomas. "The Importance of Muhammad Ali." The Glider Lehrman Institute of American History, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
The life of a gladiator could be a grueling life unless you were the best and never lost. Gladiators fought in events known as gladiatorial games. The first gladiatorial games were recorded in 310 BCE. The first Gladiatorial games were not held in the huge coliseums we see today. Instead they were most likely held to entertain a powerful person or ruler. Gladiatorial combat originated as a religious event to honor the dead, victory of an important battle, a sacrifice to the gods, or to honor the death of someone in a high standing position. The first Roman Gladiatorial games were held in 246 BCE to honor Marcus and Decimus Brutus. ("Life of a Gladiator") These games started an era of gladiatorial events that would last for nearly a century to come.
Gildea, William. "Is Boxing's Reputation Down for the Count?" Everett Herald 13 Nov. 1999: 2c.
"Sports People: Horse Racing;drug Suspension for Jockey." New York Times October 12, 1995, Nytimes.com, May 25, 2012.
...conference, a brawl erupted among the boxers and their respective entourages. On June 8, 2002, in Memphis, Tennessee, Mike fought Lewis in a bout to unify the heavyweight titles of the International Boxing Organization (IBO), IBF, and WBC. He was knocked out in the eighth round.