One of the greatest boxing stars of all time is Muhammad Ali. Born on January 17, 1942, his true name was Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. Muhammad Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His father was Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., and Odessa O’Grady Clay was his mother. He had an older brother named Rudolph Clay, whose name was changed later to Rahman Ali. The Clays had a simple life at Kentucky, where his father had a job of making and painting signs and billboards. Moreover, his mother was a plain housewife. The clay brothers were brought up as Baptists by their mother, even though their father was a Methodist. They are majorly descendants of African-American.
It was Joe E. Martin who motivated Muhammad Ali into his boxing career. Martin was a boxing coach and a police officer. Later, when Muhammad Ali started his way as a boxing star competing through amateur boxing competitions, his trainer was Chuck Bodak, the famous American boxing cutman. With amateur boxing, Ali achieved several titles, including the Amateur Athletic Union National Title, Kentucky and national Golden Gloves titles as well as a gold medal for the Light Heavyweight title. He won the Light Heavyweight title in the Summer Olympics held in Rome in the year 1960. During his amateur boxing career, Muhammad Ali won 100 times and lost 5 times.
Ali started his professional boxing career after winning golden medals in the Olympic Games. The boxing star achieved his first win in professional boxing competition on the 29th of October in the year 1960 against Tunney Hunsaker. Ali was known for his unusual boxing style. He was quick and fast on the boxing ring. Ali was able to attain 15 knockouts and 19 wins without losses within three consecutive years, since he started his professional boxing career. He was able to defeat great boxers like Donnie Fleeman, Doug Jones, Alonzo Johnson and Lamar Clark.
Muhammad Ali would tend to predict how many rounds will the match end, and “trash-talk” before the actual competition. He was inspired by George Wagner, a wrestling champion, who had the same reputation.
In the year 1963, Ali did a match against Doug Jones and won with a 10-round decision. The match was known as the “Fight of the Year“. Ali was also the top challenger for the title that Sonny Liston held. The fight against Sonny Liston was spectacular and controversial.
He had succeeding matches against many great boxers until his retirement in 1981. Muhammad Ali was a true boxing star during the golden age of the heavyweight boxing. His legacy will definitely remain for the years to come, and he will still be remembered as a Heavyweight champion.
