Muhammad Ali: brief biography

Muhammad Ali is known today to every person who has some interest in sports. The future king of boxing was born in the state of Kentucky in the United States in 1942 in a poor, but not poor in the African-American family. His father was engaged in drawing signboards, and his mother worked as a governess in wealthy homes. Actually, the real name of the future athlete, given to him at birth, was Cassius Clay.

His contemporary biographers note that the talent for boxing with a young man has manifested itself since childhood. An important factor that prompted Cassius to come to the gym was the tense situation in his hometown, where an atmosphere of violence, racism, discrimination against the black population prevailed. In this regard, unpromising black youth often united in gangs - it was the way leading to nowhere. At twelve years with the boy there was an unpleasant incident. A local hooligan took his bicycle from him by force. Going to the site, the future champion met a policeman there, who was informed of his intention to beat his abuser. By a lucky coincidence, the policeman, whose name was Joe Martin, was himself a sports coach and invited the boy to his room, where other young boxers were training.

The training began forever changed the life of the young boxer. Despite significant problems with discipline in the hall (young Cassius constantly got into fights with training partners, painfully reacting to the slightest criticism or underestimation of his potential), the young man began to steadily improve his skills. Started daily jogging, exhausting training, fanatical commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Already two months after the start of the training, Cassius won his first victory, which was broadcast on local television. And two years later, in 1956, took his first tournament - Golden Gloves (the most famous in the US tournament for beginners boxers). The dizzying start of the career leads the young boxer to the US national team. And in 1960 he went to the Olympics, where he won his first gold.

At the same time, the young man falls under the influence of the Muslim sect "The Nation of Islam", meets with its leaders and visits the mosque, which greatly changes his life. And then the rising star of world sports dumbfounded everyone. Cassius Clay joins the "Nation of Islam", henceforth his name is Muhammad Ali. Now he is closely connected with the Islamic world. By the way, the same name is worn by one of the Arab sheikhs - Rashid Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. This step of the young boxer caused a tough reaction. Muhammad Ali, whose photo by that time flaunted on the front pages of all sports publications, was deprived of the World Boxing Association champion title, which won the same year a victory over Sonya Liston. In addition, the reaction of the American and world community, colleagues in the boxing workshop Ali was extremely harsh, and even the father said that the representatives of the "Nation of Islam" had brainwashed his son.

However, Muhammad Ali would not be himself if he succumbed to the pressure of the public. Despite the boycott and deprivation of the championship title, he still assertively asserted that he would beat all his rivals. And he kept his word. In 1966, the boxer won in the twelfth round of the idol of his childhood and the current critic for his connection with the Islamic sect of Floyd Patterson. Then there were even more epochal battles in the career of the boxer: three fights with Joe Frazer (in 1971, 1974 and 1975), a fight with George Foreman (1974) and, finally, the last champion title that Muhammad Ali defended in a duel with By Leon Spinks (1978).