Who Is Muhammad Ali The Greatest

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“This is the legend of Cassius Clay, The most beautiful fighter in the world today. He talks a great deal, and brags indeed-y, Of a muscular punch that's incredibly speed-y.”(Clay) In the wake of his death this paper analyzes why Muhammad Ali was and still is the greatest. For his incredible talent in the ring and his tireless work outside of it, Ali can truly be considered one of the greatest, not only as a boxer but as a human. “This brash young boxer is something to see and the heavyweight championship is his destiny.This kid's got a left, this kid's got a right, if he hit you once, you're asleep for the night.”(Clay) Muhammad Ali was born January 17th in the year 1942 under the birth name Cassius Clay. Cassius
Clay grew up in louisville Kentucky While Cassius may not have been the best in school he developed a love for rhyming and limerick speaking which carried on into his adult life and was a major contributor to his success as a boxer. Cassius training as a boxer by the age of twelve. When Cassius was eighteen he won the light heavyweight gold medal at the olympics starting “To make America the greatest is my goal, so I beat the Russian and I beat the Pole. And for the USA won the medal of gold. The Greeks said you're better than the Cassius of old” “The fistic world was dull and weary, but with a champ like Liston, things had to be dreary.
Then someone with color and someone with dash, brought fight fans are running' with Cash.”(Clay) Cassius’ professional boxing career began October twenty ninth 1960 with a six round fight against Tunney Hunsaker, after Ali's victory the two fighters remained life long friends. In the next three year Ali would achieve 19 wins and had earned himself the right to challenge the three seats leading up to the heavyweight champion. Before each fight Clay verbally berated each of the fighters with his now iconic rhymes. Having become the next seat to the champion Clay had earned his right to challenge Sonny
Liston. “Clay comes out to meet Liston and Liston starts to retreat, if Liston goes back an inch farther he'll end up in a ringside seat. Clay swings with his left, Clay swings with his right, Look at young Cassius carry the fight” (Clay) Cassius Clay won the heavyweight championship against Sonny Liston by technical knockout. After winning the title of heavyweight champion of the world Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam. Muhammad Ali then stayed the heavyweight champion until he was drafted by the United States Army . “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?”(Muhammad Ali) When served his draft papers Muhammad Ali denied the draft on religious grounds stating “I will not disgrace my religion, ...
I’d join tomorrow. But I either have to obey the laws of the land or the laws of Allah”. After refusing the draft Muhammad Ali was stripped of his boxing license and his title as heavyweight champion of the world. Furthermore he was arrested and awaited trial with the supreme court. The supreme court ruled that Ali's denial of the draft was justified on religious reasons and the prosecutor had misfiled to paperwork to omit this fact. After the supreme court ruling Cassius was given back his Boxing license but had to re-earn his title of heavyweight
champion. “This is the legend of Muhammad Ali, The greatest fighter that ever will be. He talks a great deal and brags, indeed. Of a powerful punch and blinding speed.” (Muhammad Ali) Having lost his title Muhammad was determined to get it back. The reigning champion at the time was Joe Frazier, a man who would come to be known as Muhammad's rival. Losing their first fight Muhammad redoubled his efforts and took the championship bout from Frazier. Later Muhammad lost his title to Ken Norton, who was then beaten by George Foreman (yes the one with the grills). Muhammad Beat Foreman in an upset using the Rope a dope. Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, this man is still the only one to ever win three lineal championships. “I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was” (Muhammad Ali) “My face is so pretty; you don't see a scar, Which proves I'm the king of the ring by far”(Muhammad Ali) Once Muhammad had retired from boxing he was left with a rather sizable personal fortune and parkinson's disease. While a large portion of his wealth went into researching for a cure to parkinson's he did fund other foundations with his wealth and even established a fitness center. Through his battle with parkinson’s disease Ali still made many appearances around the world. Few are able to live such an incredible life as he did, for his impressive boxing career and his humanitarian work outside of the ring its easy to see how Muhammad Ali is considered one of the greatest.