Muhammad

Ali
By: Brandon Bruno
Background
● Childhood
○ Born January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky.
○ Birthname was actually Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.
○ Named after an abolitionist.
○ Though he didn’t particularly care for this namesake, ironically,
Ali would go on to give many public stances on racial inequality
himself.
○ According to iml.jou.ufl.edu….
■ Was first introduced to boxing after finding his new $60
bike stolen upon exiting a convention.
■ Reported the theft to a local cop named Joe E. Martin.
■ Martin happened to be a boxing coach and, upon
hearing Ali’s plans to beat the thief to pulp, told Ali he
ought to learn how to box first.
Background
● Amateur Career
○ In 1954, with Martin as his trainer, Ali made his amateur boxing
debut against local amateur boxer Ronnie O'Keefe.
○ Won by split decision.
○ According to iml.jou.ufl.edu….
■ Would go on to win 6 Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, 2
national Golden Gloves titles, and an Amateur Athletic
Union national title.
■ At the age of 18, Ali travelled to the 1960 Summer
Olympics in Rome where he would win a gold medal for
Light Heavyweight Boxing.
■ Competed in a total of 108 amateur boxing matches.
■ Had an amateur boxing record of 100 wins - 1 loss.
Words.
Background
● Professional Career
○ According to iml.jou.ufl.edu….
■ After ending his amateur boxing career,
Ali set his sights on the heavyweight championship.
■ Less than 2 months after the Olympics, he signed a
professional contract with the Louisville Sponsoring
Group, made up of 10 local businessmen.
■ Was only 22 years old when he fought and defeated
Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship of the
world in February 1964.
○ Went on to compete in a total of 61 professional boxing
matches.
○ Had a professional boxing record of 56 wins - 5 losses.
○ Only fighter to be heavyweight champion 3 times consecutively.
The Name
● According to notablebiographies.com….
○ Still disgusted by no improvement over racial inequality following his Olympic victory, Ali soon lost respect for the
Christian faith.
○ Ali was inspired by Malcolm X and began to follow the Black Muslim faith.
○ Shortly after, he changed his name to Cassius X.
○ It was upon meeting the Muslim leader Elijah Muhammad, that the professional boxer would receive his third and final
name: Muhammad Ali.
○ Many media outlets and fans were unwilling to accept this new title though.
○ Ali saw this as another example of racism and famously commented: “Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn't choose it,
and I didn't want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name - it means beloved of God - and I insist people use it when
speaking to me and of me.”
Words..
Words.
The Draft
● According to history.com….
○ On April 28, 1967, Muhammad Ali refused to be drafted into the armed forces for the Vietnam War.
○ Responded by saying the Vietcong were innocent and whites were the real enemy, that it was against his religion to
fight a “Christian” war, and that he was a “conscientious objector” to it.
○ On June 20, 1967, he was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to 5 years in prison, fined $10,000, and banned from
boxing for 3 years.
○ However, Ali’s case was appealed before he was ever sent to jail and, thus, he returned to the ring on October 26, 1970.
○ On March 8, 1971, Ali fought Joe Frazier in the “Fight of the Century” and lost after 15 rounds, the first loss of his
professional boxing career.
○ On June 28 of that same year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction for evading the draft.
The Statesmanship
● As Ali's boxing career ended, he became involved in social causes and politics.
● In 1990, Ali traveled to Iraq against the government’s wishes and met with Saddam Hussein in an attempt to negotiate the
release of American hostages.
● Ali successfully secured the release of the hostages in exchange for promising Hussein that he'd bring America "an honest
account" of Iraq.
● At the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, the world and his country honored Ali by choosing him to light the
Olympic torch during the opening ceremonies.
● In 1998, Ali began working with actor Michael J. Fox, who has Parkinson's disease, to raise awareness and fund research for a
cure.
● In 2000, Ali worked with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Disease to raise awareness and encourage donations
for further research.
● Both the former actor and heavyweight champion made a joint appearance before Congress to push the case in 2002.
Conclusion
● Muhammad Ali’s rhetoric and choices didn’t always reflect the narrative he spun about racial inequality.
● He was a “conscientious” draft dodger and served no jail time for it when others, who probably were also “conscientious,” lost
their lives.
● After his boxing career was over, Muhammad Ali stepped into the public eye to aid in noble and charitable causes despite
having developed Parkinson’s syndrome himself as early as 1984.
● Was he a saint? Not really. Is that the question we’re really trying to answer though?
The End.