Muhammad Ali Essay Example

grew, so did his arrogance. Even before going to the 1960 summer Olympics, Cassius bragged about winning the gold medal. Despite bringing home the gold medal around his neck, he experienced disappointment when denied a simple cheeseburger at a fast food restaurant. This frustration led him to symbolically discard his medal into a nearby river. As a result, Cassius made the decision to transition into professional boxing where he gained attention through constant boasting about his skills and even predicting which round he would defeat opponents. Arrogant poems became part of his image.With an unbeaten record, Muhammad Ali believed he could challenge Sonny Liston, the reigning Heavyweight Champion at that time. Liston endured consecutive beatings for six rounds until continuing to fight became impossible. Ali defeated him before the seventh round began in 1963, becoming the new Heavyweight Champion. Shortly after this victory, Ali announced his conversion to Islam and changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, which translates to "the one who is worthy of praise." Many individuals were unsettled and held prejudiced beliefs that Muslims were violent racists. Contrarily, Ali emphasized the peaceful and loving principles of Islam and his yearning for peace.

In 1967, due to religious objections against violence and weapons, he refused military service when drafted. Consequently, he was found guilty of draft evasion and stripped of his championship title and boxing license by the World Boxing Association (WBA). However, following an appeal where his convictions' sincerity was recognized by the court, both his license and title were reinstated.

Soon after this turn of events in 1971, Ali lost his title in a match against Joe Frazier. Despite suggestions for

retirement as champion at this point, Ali rejected them and instead intensified his training efforts. In 1974's eighth round showdown with George Foreman, he regained his title through a knockout victory. Once again, many believed it would be fitting for Ali to retire as a champion; nevertheless, he persisted in fighting matches and securing victories.Writers ranked Muhammad Ali as the third greatest athlete from 1900-1977, alongside Jim Thorpe and Babe Ruth. In 1978, Ali lost a 15-round fight against Leon Spinks for the heavyweight title but managed to reclaim it through a rematch after seven months of extensive training. However, in 1979, Ali retired and sent a letter expressing this decision to WBA. Despite his love for boxing, he decided to come out of retirement and compete against Larry Holmes in 1980. Unfortunately, at age 38 and despite rigorous preparation, the three-time heavyweight champion proved no match for Holmes.

In 1984, Ali sought medical attention in a New York medical center due to slurred speech and poor hand-eye coordination. Doctors diagnosed him with Parkinson's syndrome – a condition that impairs speech, movement, and can cause sudden fatigue. This syndrome is believed to be caused by numerous blows to Ali's head during fights with Frazier, Norton, and Holmes.

Currently, Ali spends his time with his wife and children while actively supporting various charitable events. The information is from "Muhammad Ali" by John Stravinsky (Copyright 1997), published by Random House Value Publishing Inc., located at 201 East 50th Street in New York City. The book "Muhammad Ali: The Greatest," written by Jim Spence and copyrighted in 1995 is from The Rourke Press Inc., located in Vero Beach Florida.The "Encyclopedia

of American Biography," edited by John A. Garraty and Jerome L. Sternstein, includes a section on Muhammad Ali (pages 29-30) written by Harvard Sitkoff. Thomas Conklin's book "Muhammad Ali: The Fight for Respect" was copyrighted in 1992 and published by Millbrook Press in Brookfield, Connecticut. Additionally, the film "Champions Forever," produced by American Home Entertainment, was released in 1996 and has a duration of 115 minutes.