The famous boxer Mohammed Ali was born where. How Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali: what caused the "Great" to change his name? Joining the "Nation of Islam"

Black boxer Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, USA. At birth, he received the name Cassius Marcellus Clay. He was not afraid of fights either in childhood or later - wherever they took place, inside the ring or outside it.

During his childhood, Louisville (Kentucky) was not the most rosy place for black residents - Cassius Clay managed to feel racial discrimination and prejudice, which may well have influenced his passion for boxing.

An appeal to boxing

At the age of 12, the future champion began boxing - this happened thanks to the incident that brought him to his future coach Joe Martin. Cassius Clay's bike was stolen - telling Martin about this, who was also a police officer, he showed a clear desire to teach the thief a lesson with the help of fists.

Martin asked if the guy could fight. Cassius replied that no, but he would still fight. To this, the coach advised him to first come to the gym and learn. So he set foot on the road that led him to the role of one of the most famous and recognizable boxers in the history of the sport.

Clay began training under Martin's guidance and soon became involved in fights. He won his first amateur fight in 1954 by decision of the judges. In 1956 he won the Golden Glove Light Heavyweight Rookie Tournament.

Olympic gold

In 1960, Cassius Clay won the Athletic Amateur Union and was invited to qualify for the Olympic Games. With his height of about 1.9 m, he was a very impressive figure in the ring.

Ali has already begun to develop his own style - he seemed to "dance" around the opponent with his hands down, provoking him to powerful blows which the boxer himself has successfully evaded.

After winning the Olympic Games ah he came home with a gold medal. The boxer wore it everywhere without taking it off, but pride in his achievement soon wavered when he tried to visit a white-only restaurant.

The restaurant staff refused to serve him, even the gold one that hung around his neck, as usual. Olympic medal did not change the situation. This incident made a very strong impression on Clay - according to his brother Rahman, he was so upset that he went to the bridge over the Ohio River and threw the medal into the water. However, this was not the end of the story of the man who would soon take the name Muhammad Ali. The biography of "The Greatest" was just beginning.

Professional sports

Soon after winning the Games, he signed a contract with the managers, who were 11 partners, who also covered the costs of the athlete's flights and training.

The first debut of the young champion in professional sports took place on October 29, 1960, his rival was Tunny Hunsaker, whom he confidently defeated. After the fight, Clay took part in the training camp of Archie Moore for a while, but they could not find a common language, and the young boxer returned to Louisville.

In addition, Clay, except own style battle, another defining feature was formed - its language. Boasting, jokes, outright insults towards opponents served as part of the show and helped him to be a very bright and distinguished personality.

From this point of view, Clay was an excellent PR man to himself - he worked on this no less than Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum cares about the "economic miracle" of Dubai.

In the meantime, a coach was found for him - the choice of managers fell on Angelo Dundee. Dundee was not only a good specialist and one of the best at handling wounds during combat - he also managed to find the right approach to Clay, without trying to change his communication, control or prohibit anything.

The first fight under the leadership of Dundee took place at Clay with the Coat of arms of Siler. Then there was Tony Esperti, after him - the Swedish champion Ingemar Johansson. He often referred to himself as “The Great,” and his way of praising himself and bullying opponents was as unconventional as his fighting style.

Clay entered the ring against increasingly formidable rivals until he eventually faced Sonny Liston. The then world heavyweight champion, Liston received his title in September 1962.

The fight between him and Clay (as well as the previous interviews, which both gave in between the official announcement and entering the ring) was bright and spectacular. Cassius, in his usual manner, applied psychological pressure to Liston immediately after the fight was officially announced. As a result, at 22, after a tough fight, Clay became the world heavyweight champion.

"Nation of Islam"

It was after the fight with Liston that the boxer officially announced his entry into the "Nation of Islam" - a religious and nationalist organization in the United States, whose main goal is to improve the spiritual, social and economic situation of African Americans in the United States and around the world. Second and most famous name- Muhammad Ali - the leader of the organization Elijah Muhammad gave Clay two weeks after joining, in accordance with tradition.

This act of the boxer caused a violent and negative public reaction. WBA President Ed Lassman even tried to strip the champion of his title, although he failed. His fellow boxers Louis and Patterson also reacted to the act ambiguously, the latter generally considered the "Nation of Islam" an anti-American organization. Ali answered him in his own way, promising to “play” with him for 10 rounds and then beat him.

Dividing the "Nation" and choosing a champion

At that time, the leader of the association was Elijah Muhammad, the second person after him was Malcolm Ex, a former radical fighter for the rights of blacks, who at that time was a very influential member of the organization and a fairly close friend of Ali.

Such an abundance of the names of the Prophet is not an accident: they were very popular in the organization, just as they are popular among Muslims around the world both now and in the past. The name of the Prophet was borne by the Khedive of Egypt in the 19th century, an Irish scientist and public figure named Mokri, the current emir of Dubai, Mohammed al Maktoum.

After Ax's travels in Africa and the Middle East, his views began to diverge from that of Elijah, so in March 1964 he was forcibly excommunicated from The Nation. In this regard, Ali was forced to make a choice between him and Elijah - in the end, he chose the second.

Floyd Patterson

After the second fight with Liston, which took place in 1965 and also ended with Clay's victory, he simply did not have any serious rivals. So he went on vacation - a world tour.

After his return, a fight took place between Ali and his childhood idol, Floyd Patterson. In full accordance with the promise, Muhammad spent eleven rounds, not allowing his opponent to do anything serious, but he himself did not deliver decisive blows.

Only in the twelfth round did he start boxing at full strength, as a result of which the referee stopped the fight, and another victory appeared in the champion's record.

However, trouble was already looming on the man known as Muhammad Ali. The boxer's biography contains a three-year career break and the deprivation of all titles won.

Abandonment of the army

In August 1966, the Nation of Islam hired a lawyer to help the champion free himself from military duty. Several years earlier, he had already received a summons, but was declared "unfit" because he did not pass the IQ tests. On this occasion, Ali joked during the interview: "I am the greatest, not the smartest."

However, this situation could not remain - even if the commission did not recognize the boxer as fit for war, he could be used for auxiliary work, and this he also did not want.

In April 1967, the boxer officially renounced military service and a trial in June 1967 found him guilty. He was stripped of his title and the right to speak in the ring.

A break and a new beginning

The boxer himself explained his refusal by religious beliefs. The "Nation of Islam" did not welcome the war, naturally, Muhammad Ali could not go to serve either. Quotes from his interview with Esquire magazine during this period clearly indicate that he was contemplating retirement from boxing and a career change.

During the forced break, the champion managed to play in a Broadway musical, star in documentary, sell the rights to use his name in hamburger advertisements and try himself as a speaker - many universities invited him to lecture on a paid basis.

In June 1971, the US Supreme Court ruled favorably in Ali's case. He was acquitted and restored in all rights, could again enter the ring and travel the planet. The lawyers secured the restoration of his license, and the conquest of the championship title began in the second round.

Personal life

The famous boxer was married four times, resulting in seven daughters and four sons. Muhammad Ali's first wife, the waitress Sonji Roy, was not a Muslim, and under the influence of the Nation of Islam, their relationship ended in divorce (January 1966).

Already in August 1967, Ali married Belinda Boyle, who, unlike her first wife, converted to Islam and the name of Khalil Ali. In this marriage, 4 children were born - three daughters and one son. Their relationship, however, began to deteriorate. In 1977, Mohammed divorced Khalila, after which he married Veronica Porsh, with whom he had an affair during his marriage. From this relationship, two daughters were born, but in 1986 they divorced.

The boxer's attitude towards women was very conservative - Muhammad Ali himself spoke about this. Quotes from his many interviews create the image of his woman as a beautiful, elegant lady. Cassius himself believed that a woman should not work - she should take care of the children, the house, and be beautiful for her husband.

In 1986, Ali married his childhood friend Iolanta Williams, with whom he still lives. They have no children of their own, but the couple adopted a boy, five-year-old Asaad Amin. In addition to those already mentioned, the boxer has two more illegitimate daughters.

On the Walk of Fame there is his star - the first and so far the only one, installed on a vertical surface, more precisely, on the wall of the Kodak Theater. Muhammad Ali himself asked so - the Prophet and his name should not be under the feet of passers-by. He himself did not in any way diminish the dignity of the Muslim spiritual leader:

Muhammad Ali suffered from a fear of flying. When he flew to the Olympics for the second time, he acquired a parachute and spent the entire flight in it.
After his debut fight with Ronnie O'Keefe, Clay took training very seriously. He preferred to run to school instead of taking the bus, did not drink, did not smoke, became a follower healthy eating.
After graduating from school, Ali received only a certificate of attendance, but not a diploma, which was issued in case of successful graduation from an educational institution. He had problems with reading for the rest of his life.
Throughout his career, the boxer finished 37 fights ahead of schedule - of which 12 were pure knockouts and 25 were technical.
In the second round in a duel against Ken Norton, the opponent broke his jaw, but he refused to stop the fight and boxed all 12 rounds with a broken one.
His fight with George Foreman was the first heavyweight title fight in history to take place on the African continent.
The third fight Muhammad Ali - Fraser went down in history as one of the hardest and greatest among the fights in heavyweight champion... It lasted 14 rounds and is known as Thriller in Manila.

This is what he is, the legendary boxer!

The legendary boxer Mohammed Ali passed away exactly two years ago. He died on June 3, 2016 after a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease. Read about the main fragments of the biography of the great athlete and man in our material.

How did you spend your early years?

How did you get worldwide fame?

In the same 1960, the young boxer won the "Athletic Amateur Union" tournament and received an invitation to take part in qualifying tournament to the Olympic Games. Performance at this competition has become in many ways a formality. Having received the coveted ticket to the Olympics, Cassius went to Rome and there he confidently secured the championship. gold medal The Olympic Games was the first major success in his career.

In 1964, Cassius Clay earned his first title in a fight with Sonny Liston, defeating him by TKO in the seventh round. In the same year, Clay converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

On May 25, 1965, a re-fight took place between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, in which Ali again defeated.

In 1966-1967, the boxer defended his title against Brian London, Karl Mildenberger, Cleveland Williams, Ernie Terrell and Zora Folly.

In 1967, during the Vietnam War, Mohammed Ali was drafted into the US Army, but refused to participate in the war. His title was canceled, and the boxer himself was sentenced to five years for evasion from service. At this time, Ali was forbidden to box. In 1970, the US Supreme Court overturned the sentence, and the boxer returned to the ring.

In March 1971, Mohammed Ali entered the ring for the first time against Joe Fraser. This fight was subsequently named "Fight of the Year" by Ring magazine. In the 15th round, Ali was knocked down, and after the end of the fight, the judges concluded that he had lost the fight. This was Ali's first career defeat.

Completion of a career

In 1974, the second duel took place between Mohammed Ali and Joe Fraser. Ali won this fight, winning him on points.

On October 30, 1974, a fight for the title of world champion took place between George Foreman, reigning champion, and Mohammed Ali. Experts consider this fight "the greatest and unforgettable". It was won by Ali, becoming the champion.

On October 1, 1975, Ali had another fight, which also forever remained in the history of world boxing. It was a duel in which Mohammed Ali met with Joe Fraser for the third time and defeated him again.

In 1978, Mohammed Ali decided to end his boxing career. For the final battle was chosen Olympic champion 1976 Leon Spinks, to whom Ali lost. The fight received the status of "Fight of the Year" according to the "Ring" magazine.

During his career, Mohammed Ali earned about $ 50 million, which was just an exorbitant amount in those days. However, the boxer disposed of his finances poorly. Due to the lack of money in 1980, Mohammed was forced to enter the ring again. At that time, his opponent was the reigning champion Larry Holmes, who confidently defeated the veteran. From that moment on, Mohammed no longer entered the ring.

Personal life and the fight against illness

Mohammed had four wives in his life. The boxer got along with the first of them in his youth, but soon broke up because of her unwillingness to convert to Islam. The marriage with his second wife Belinda Boyd (later - Khalila Ali) lasted longer and led to the birth of four children. Despite this, being married, Cassius Clay began to have an affair with model Veronica Porsche, who, as noted in many sources, was not his only mistress. One way or another, it was Veronica who became the reason for Mohammed's separation from his ex-wife. They got married in 1977. They soon had two children.

This union lasted for nine years. After his divorce from Veronica Porsche, the legendary boxer married longtime girlfriend Iolanta Williams. They soon adopted a five-year-old boy together. In addition, Mohammed has two more illegitimate children from previous unions.

In 1990, Ali was elected to the National Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1996, he carried the torch at the Atlanta Summer Olympics. For the last 32 years, he has been fighting not in the ring, but in his life with Parkinson's disease. Mohammed Ali passed away on June 3, 2016.

The boxer was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, USA. It is difficult to meet a person all over the world, even if he is not interested in boxing, who does not know who Muhammad Ali is. At the mention of his name, anyone can see the image of a dark-skinned boxer hovering over the ring like a butterfly. Ali's manner of fighting is known and recognizable, his invulnerability and skill are admirable. The number of fights that this boxer fought with the strongest athletes at that time is worthy of the highest degree of respect.

Start of a professional career

Muhammad Ali's fight statistics on amateur ring: 105 fights, 100 of them won. After a bright and unconditional triumph at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Mohammed Ali, who at that time was named Cassius Marcellus Clay, moved to professional boxing. In the same year, in October, he plays his first fight against Tanya Hansaker and wins it by unanimous decision on points.

V next fight against Herb Siler, the judges fix Ali's victory. Further, his rival was Jimmy Robinson, whom Mohammed Ali knocked out. Over the course of 3 years, Ali won 19 fights, and each triumph was bright and confident. In boxing, the statistics of Muhammad Ali's fights at a young age is one of the best.

Statistics of professional fights and the most significant fights

In the professional ring, the statistics of Muhammad Ali's fights is as follows: he had 61 fights, of which he won 56 and finished 37 by knockout. The most important fights were against such famous boxers:

Doug Jones.
Sonny Liston.
Floyd Patterson.
Cleveland Williams.
Joe Fraser.
Jerry Quary.
George Foreman.
Trevor Berbick.

All statistics of Muhammad Ali's fights does not end with these greatest fights, he had enough other serious performances.

First fight and rematch for the championship title

After winning on points in March 1963 over Doug Johnson, Cassius Clay began preparations for his first world title fight against reigning title holder Sonny Liston. In 1964, Clay was fully prepared for the fight, both physically and technically, hungry for victory. But in fact, most experts did not believe in the triumph of the young boxer. Sonny Liston before this fight managed to beat the idol Cassius -

The beginning of the battle was equal in strength, Cassius Clay moved very well and handled the opponent quick blows... By the end of the fourth round, Clay began to dominate the fight. was able to resist 2 more rounds, and in 6 refused to continue the fight. This fight was the final one for Cassius Clay. In all further battles, the champion will perform under the name of Mohammed Ali. Experts from the world of boxing recognized the fight between Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston as the fight of the year, later he was awarded the title of fight of the decade. Ali became the heavyweight champion. But soon Liston tried to take revenge.

The battle, which took place in May 1965, was the first for Muhammad Ali under a new name. Oddly enough, but the fans and experts again preferred Liston. Once again, they were wrong. This became clear two minutes after the start of the fight, when Mohammed knocked out Sonny with an accurate blow. He left no chances to his opponent and again defeated Liston, retaining the world champion belt.

Fights with Joe Fraser

In 1971, Ali, stripped of all ranks due to his refusal to serve in the army, met with the reigning champion Mohammed in this fight, Joe could not do anything and lost by technical knockout. In January 1974, a rematch took place, and Ali was at his best, he built the correct tactics of fighting and knocked down Fraser in the 2nd round. The fight could have been stopped, but it lasted 12 rounds and Ali deservedly won. A year later, they will have their third, final fight, but before Mohammed faced the most difficult fight in his career.

"Rumble in the Jungle"

This fight is considered one of the most significant in world boxing history. In 1974, in Zaire, the legendary battle tracked in which there were 40 fights and 40 victories, 37 knockouts, and Mohammed Ali. Foreman from the first minutes began to attack rapidly and powerfully, and his advantage was undeniable. But, having withstood the onslaught, Mohammed made a quick combination in the eighth round, after which George found himself on the floor of the ring, and the fight ended with the victory of Muhammad Ali. He accomplished the impossible, was able to defeat the indestructible Foreman and regain the title of world champion. In the statistics of Muhammad Ali's fights in the entire history, this fight is the most difficult.

"Thriller in Manila"

This was the name of the third and decisive battle between Mohammed and Fraser, which took place in October 1975 in the capital of the Philippines, Manila. The two great boxers were no longer so fast, but the fight became very entertaining. They practically did not leave their place and showered each other with a hail of strong blows. The fight lasted until round 14, and Fraser developed a severe bruise in his eye, after which the fight was stopped. Mohammed Ali won again. It is noteworthy that this fight in 1996 was recognized the best fight in the entire history of boxing. The statistics of the fights of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier are 3: 1 in favor of the former.

Completion of a career

After the greatest fights, the "king of the ring" still held fights, but there were no more such fights. In 1981, Ali had his final fight with Mohammed Ali, 38 years old, and he lost on points, after which he announced the end of his sports career... At that time, he was already seriously ill, Parkinson's disease was progressing.

Ali also fought on mixed martial arts against Kanji Inoki. The statistics of Muhammad Ali in a fight without rules is not very good, he could not approach his opponent, and he hit him on the legs while in a prone position. In general, no one liked the fight, and he did not participate anywhere else.

In 2016, on the third of June, greatest boxer for all he died at the age of 74 years. He changed boxing and went down in history forever as the most legendary boxer on earth. His contribution to both sports and life in general cannot be overestimated, he is a legend! The statistics of Muhammad Ali's battles confirms this.

In Rome (Italy), Cassius Clay became the Olympic champion in light heavyweight under his own name. After that he became a professional.

In 1963, Cassius Clay defeated Doug Jones. The fight received the status of "fight of the year" according to the magazine "Ring"

In 1964, Cassius Clay earned his first title in a fight with Sonny Liston, defeating him by TKO in the seventh round. In the same year, Clay converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

On May 25, 1965, a re-fight took place between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, in which Ali again defeated.

In 1966-1967, the boxer defended his title against Brian London, Karl Mildenberger, Cleveland Williams, Ernie Terrell and Zora Folly.

In 1974, the second duel took place between Mohammed Ali and Joe Fraser. Ali won this fight, winning him on points.

On October 30, 1974, a fight for the title of world champion took place between George Foreman, the reigning champion, and challenger Muhammad Ali. Experts consider this fight as "the greatest and unforgettable". It was won by Ali, becoming the champion.

In 1976, Mohammed Ali successfully defended his titles against Jean-Pierre Koopman, Jimmy Young and Richard Dunn. In 1977 he defeated Alfredo Evangelista and Ernie Shavers.

In 1978, Mohammed Ali decided to end his boxing career. For the final fight, the 1976 Olympic champion Leon Spinks was chosen, to whom Ali lost. The fight received the status of "Fight of the Year" according to the "Ring" magazine.

Ali challenged Leon Spinks to a rematch on September 15, 1978. This time Ali won by unanimous decision. Then he left boxing. Due to financial difficulties, he soon had to enter the ring again. But only to lose two fights - one in October 1980 against Larry Holmes and the second against Trevor Berbick in December 1981. After which Ali finally retired from boxing.

Soon the athlete was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

In 1990, Ali was elected to the National Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1996, he carried the torch at the Atlanta Summer Olympics.

Mohammed Ali - champion of the 1960 Olympic Games, absolute world heavyweight champion (1964-1966, 1974-1978), world champion in heavyweight according to the WBC (1974-1978), WBA (1967, 1974-1978, 1978). Ring magazine named him the Boxer of the Year five times (1963, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978) and, in addition, the Boxer of the Decade (1970s). In 1999, Sports Illustrated and the BBC named Ali

Muhammad Ali became a real boxing legend, and he achieved victories not only in the ring, but also on his personal front - Ali was always surrounded female attention and even being married, he could not deny himself short-term romances that did not influence his personal life in the best way.

The first wife of Muhammad Ali, the waitress Sonji Roy, did not live with him for long - the boxer's mentors from the Nation of Islam were against this marriage, forcing him to break off relations with a woman who professed a different religion (Ali was a Muslim), and, moreover, worked as a simple waitress.

Their divorce proceedings lasted about a year, and among the main reasons for the divorce, Muhammad Ali called his wife's unwillingness to dress like a real Muslim woman and her love for revealing outfits.

In the photo - Ali with his first wife

The second wife of Muhammad Ali Belinda Boyd tried not to make the mistakes of the first wife of the boxer - almost immediately after the wedding, she converted to Islam and even changed her name, becoming Khalila Ali. She gave birth to four children - three daughters Mariyum, Jamila and Rashid, and a son of Muhammad Ali Jr.

However, the family idyll began to crumble after three years of marriage - Ali's numerous fans, who pursued him everywhere, haunted not only him, but also his wife, who was tired of enduring her husband's endless betrayals.

In the photo - Muhammad Ali, his second wife Khalila and their children

One of the girls who was not opposed to having an affair with the famous boxer was fashion model Veronica Porsche, who starred for a poster of one of Muhammad's fights.

Their romance began in front of the boxer's wife, who at that moment was with him in a training camp, where Muhammad was preparing for a fight with George Foreman. He divorced Khalila Ali after ten years of marriage, then he already had a one-year-old daughter from Veronica Khan, and after Porch became the official wife of Muhammad Ali, she gave birth to another child for him - daughter Leila, in the future, like her father, who dedicated her life to boxing and even became the absolute world champion in this sport.

In the photo - Ali with his third wife Victoria Porsche

The marriage with Veronica Porsche lasted almost nine years, and immediately after the divorce, Ali married for the fourth time - to Iolanta "Lonnie" Williams, whom he had known in his youth. Mohammed did not have joint children with Iolanta, but they adopted the boy Asaad Amin.

The number of children of the famous boxer is not limited only to those born in marriage - Ali also had two illegitimate daughters - Mia and Kalia. Thus, Muhammad had seven children, two of whom also devoted their lives to sports.

Pictured with Iolantha Williams

Ali himself was not born into a large family - he had an only brother, Rudolph, two years younger than him. Their family belonged to the middle class, their father was a member of the US House of Representatives and the Senate from Kentucky, and their mother was a housewife.

Parents raised their sons, trying to instill in them best qualities- taught drawing, my father tried to instill a love of poetry. Muhammad came to boxing quite by accident, trying to achieve justice after a bicycle, bought by him with his own money, was stolen from him. The policeman, whom Ali turned to in search of a fair punishment for the offenders, advised the boy to take up boxing in order to always be ready to defend himself. So, at the age of twelve, began sports biography the future great boxer.

In the photo - Muhammad Ali with his daughter Leila

At the very beginning, no one could even imagine that in front of them future star boxing - the coaches did not observe any potential in Ali, moreover, he was very cocky and constantly disrupted training. Only Fred Stoner, who taught Muhammad the first techniques, became interested in the boy and was not mistaken. In his first fight, broadcast on television as part of the Future Champions program, Ali won an unconditional victory over his peer and immediately shouted into the camera that he would become the greatest boxer, and devoted his whole life to this - Ali never drank or smoked , did not use drugs, became a fan of healthy eating, trained endlessly, and his dream eventually became a reality.

In youth fights, he won victory after victory, from the age of fifteen Ali studied at the Central High School of Louisville, but due to poor academic performance he was able to graduate only thanks to the personal support of the director, who hoped that the aspiring aspiring boxer would someday become famous and make the school known all over the world. Muhammad Ali, who received only a certificate of graduation from school, did not even learn to read well, but he became what he dreamed of becoming from childhood.