Muhammad Ali “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” was known to be the life motto for Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was not only known for being a professional American boxer, but also an athlete, a social activist, and a philanthropist. In his lifetime, he was named the World’s Heavyweight Champion three time. Ali was debatably the greatest boxer who ever lived. Being the only black boxer at the time made him have a tough life. Ali today is not only recognized for the skills he demonstrated in the ring but for what he represented outside of the ring such as having religious freedom, equality and justices. Muhammad Ali was not always acknowledged by that name, but as Cassius Marcellus Clay born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. He grew up in household that did not have much. His youth was influenced by discrimination and a segregated society. When Clay was twelve years old, he got his bike stolen. Which led him to boxing, under the coaching of a policeman at the local gym. Ali was not like other boxers, he had an extremely unconventional way of boxing for a heavyweight, represented by his slogan “Float like a butterfly,
Due to his religious beliefs, Ali took what many people believed to be a controversial stand in refusing to enter into the United States Army for the Vietnam War. His refusal caused him to be sentenced in prison for five years. That cost him the title of the world heavyweight champion, the chance to partake in any boxing match anywhere, and the loss of his passport. I think that was the most vital moment in Ali’s career. It was a way of him breaking the idea that African Americans were expected to be submissive in American culture. It was his way of saying I can do whatever I want. That in my opinion is where people started to love and admire him he stood up for what he believed
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
“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.
The first reason Muhammad Ali isn't a hero is because he is violent. For almost all of his life he fought in boxing matches that all started when he was a boy because he wanted to beat up the kid who stole his bike. For 14 years, on-and-off, he was heavyweight champion and before that a lightweight champion. To do this, you had to have the rage to hurt your opponent. Muhammad Ali even said, “I believe in the eye-for- an-eye business, I got no respect for a man who won’t hit back. You kill my dog, you better hide your cat” (Myers 36). Now, in his 60’s,...
Muhammad Ali, arguably one of the greatest boxer of all time, not only fought in the ring but fought outside it as well. He inspired many African Americans to step up and fight for equality, but not only did he encourage African Americans, but he also encouraged white, whole Nations and the whole world. He went against mainstream America and was hated or loved for it. His contributions to the civil rights movement and defiance to unfair laws increase awareness in the United States. And still today he continues to promote peace and contribute to the
Muhammad Ali, one of the most talented African American people in the world once said “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” ("30 of Muhammad"). Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Wilma Rudolph were some of the most talented African Americans who ever took steps on planet Earth. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play professional baseball in 1947 (Swaine). Muhammad Ali was one of the most talented, smart and hard working human beings.Wilma Rudolph was the first African American to win three gold medals in one Olympic event (Roberts). African American athletes have impacted U.S. history as demonstrated by Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Wilma Rudolph.
Muhammad Ali was a man made to box. He had a great career before him since he made his first professional fight under President Eisenhower presidency. His Professional Career was really impressive. His had a great balance and was able to move his hands and feet in great speed and coordination. Ali was said to dance in the ring while destroying his opponents. Ali started fighting at a very short age, and his first teacher was Joe Martin (Hauser 18). Through hard work and discipline, he became a professional fighter and eventually the Heavyweight champion of the world. Although he lost the title twice, he regained it three times, putting him in the history books. His boxing career was put to an end when he started suffering from Parkinson's disease. This was the end of his boxing, but his greatness will never die.
Hauser, Thomas. "The Importance of Muhammad Ali." The Glider Lehrman Institute of American History, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
He traveled to Rome, Italy to compete. He was the center of attention standing 6 foot 3 inches. Clay was well known for his beautiful footwork and stinging powerful jabs, which go with one of his famous quotes ‘Float like a butterfly, Sting like a bee.” He won all of his fights including defeating Zbigniew Pietrzkowski from Poland for the gold medal. Clay was an American hero after his Olympic victory. He turned professional with the Louisville Sponsor Group. In the 1960s, Clay was an unstoppable force that nobody could stop. He won majority of his fights by the ruling of knockout. He knocked out the British Heavyweight Champion Henry Cooper in 1963 and in the next year he knocked out Sonny Liston to become heavyweight champion of the world. Clay always referred to himself as "the greatest," He was not afraid to praise himself. He talked about his skills before a fight and he had colorful descriptions and phrases. Especially, his famous quote “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee
In the beginning of his career, he stood at 6' 3" and he had a highly irregular style for a heavyweight boxer btu that didn't mean he wasn't good. Rather than the normal boxing style of carrying the hands high to defend the face, he instead relied on his ability to avoid a punch. The person who first introduced him to boxing was the police officer who started it all. Joe E. Martin. Martin lead Clay to his first trainer, Fred Stoner, who trained with Cassius during his entire amateur career. With the aid of Stoner, Clay went on to win 6 Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, 2 national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union National Title, and the Light Heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
That is the rules that he followed. He always challenged former or current champions so that he could defeat them and earn their titles even though he himself knew it would be a difficult task to accomplish. Yet Ali trained six times a week all the way since he was twelve years old. That is pure determination for one individual. All these examples of how Ali was definitely proved to be the greatest.
Martin started Ali working out in Louisville’s Columbia Gym, and Ali became passionately devoted to the sport. With the help of a black trainer named Fred Stoner, who taught Ali the techniques of boxing and to move with the grace of a dancer, Ali became a very skilled and deadly competitor. Between 1955 and 1960, Ali had participated in 108 bouts, in which he won six Kentucky Golden Glove titles, two National Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championships, two National Golden Glove crowns, and received the Gold Medal in the light heavyweight division in the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy. Ali was only 18 years old when he won the Olympic Gold Medal by defeating Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, a tough fighter from Poland.
Often stating that he was the best, the public perceived his confidence as arrogance and had negative feelings about him. Still, crowds would roar as he continued to win matches with his unorthodox style. With his great production, Ali attracted big names in boxing, such as Liston, Frazier, and Foreman, and the sport continued to grow in its popularity in the United States (Pettinger). Frazier may have been Ali’s biggest rival; after splitting the first two fights, they met in Manila, Philippines, commonly referred to as “The Thrilla in Manila.” Ali would win the last bout against Frazier in 1975, immortalizing himself in the boxing industry (Kiellar). Some may wonder how this relates to American culture; the popular form of recreation in America, that was often used to describe the culture in the United States, thrived due to the appearance of Muhammad Ali in the ring, with his exceptional skills while donning boxing gloves and his eccentric personality, displayed through his famous statement “I am the Greatest,” that continued to draw attention to the sport (“Muhammad Ali
His confidence filled a room and that certainly played a role in his boxing career as it did his leadership skills. He was alway positive of his actions even dodging the draft which was done not only upfront but also mindfully. How can someone with the confidence and drive that this man had ever be unsuccessful or unheard. Ali made a scene wherever and whenever he could this made him great but what caused that is his firmness and being far from a pushover made him amongst the most effective of
Muhammad Ali is an example of an athlete who voiced his political ideologies in sports to advocate for the Civil Rights Movement and protest the War. As an Olympic gold medalist, heavy weight titlist, and many other victories, he used the fame to project his humanitarian efforts. Ali refused to serve in Vietnam due to his religion and as a result, he was stripped of his 1967 title . He retired in 1981 with an incredible 59 wins and five losses, but he will always known as symbol of courage, will power and strength, not for his career milestones, but for breaking racia...
Muhammad Ali is an example of an athlete who used politics in sports to advocate for the Civil Rights movement and protest the war. As an Olympic gold medalist, heavy weight titlist, and many other victories, he used the fame for humanitarian efforts. Ali refused to serve in Vietnam due to his religion and as a result, he was stripped of his 1967 title. He retired in 1981 with an incredible 59 wins and five losses, but he will always known as symbol of courage, will power and strength, not for his career milestones, but for breaking racial barriers.