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Muhammad Ali was one of the most famous boxer alive, he brooke the record for longest winning streak. He was born on January 17,1942 he was born Cassius Clay named after his father and his grandfather. Muhammad Ali was born to fight, when he was only 6 montns old he stretched out his fist and socked his mom in the mouth  loosening her front tooth. when Cassius was 12 his bike was stolen a police man said why don't you take up boxing then  u can fight him for your bike. In 1960 he went to the Olympics in Rome, he was terrified to fly on the plane, but he got over it. When he was in the Rome, Olympics to win the gold medal he had to bet a Polish boxer, and he did it. He went to the championship in 1964 and fought Sonny Liston.           

Listenn to an interveiw with Muhammad Ali!!     

The Life of Muhammad Ali

          How would you feel if your favorite bike you got on your 12^th birthday was stolen?  Well that happened to Muhammad Ali. He took up boxing because he wanted to defend himself. Now he is known to be the best boxer alive because of his speed and hard punches.

Ali was born on January 17, 1942. Born Cassius Clay, he lived when there was still segregation. He lived in Louisville, Kentucky in a bungalow with his mom Odessa Clay, who cooked and cleaned for white people. His dad Cassius Clay Sr, was a sign painter. He also had a little brother Rudy who looked up to him. He and his brother went to an all black school. Cassius struggled in school because he was dyslexic.

          In 1954 on Clay’s 12^th birthday his parents saved up the money to get him a new bike. One day while he was in the store someone stole his bike. He wanted to beat the kid up, but someone told him you should learn how to box first. So he took up boxing. A few weeks later he realized he had to step up his game if he wanted to succeed. His dreams and hopes were to perfect his skills, and beat people at boxing even more. When Clay went to bed every night he wondered why black people had to suffer injustice, and wanted to help people suffering, including himself.

Cassius Clay graduated from Louisville Central High School when he was 18. By that time he had already won 6 Golden Glove tournaments, with his trainer Joe Martin there by his side. In 1960 Joe Martin suggested that he try out for the Olympics in Rome. And guess what? He made it. Cassius Clay was terrified of planes, so when he was flying to Rome he wore a parachute the whole time. While he was in Rome he met Wilma Rudolph, a famous track and field star. She was there for the Olympics too. Cassius Clay won a gold medal, and he never took it off. He even slept with it. A Russian news reporter told him, “Just because you won a gold medal doesn’t mean it will buy you a seat in a restaurant.” It still bothered him that there where inequalities between whites and blacks.

          Not long after he returned from the Olympics, Clay became a professional. He was given $10,000 for signing the contract. Cassius Clay was preparing for the fight of his life, against Sonny Liston. So Clay painted his bus, “World’s Most Colorful Fighter,” and “Sonny Liston will go in eight.” He also would walk around the streets yelling, “Come out Liston, I will fight you now.” On February 25, 1964 Clay beat Sonny Liston in the 6^th round, and got the title of Heavy Weight Champion. Exactly a year later Muhammad Ali fought Liston again, and knocked him out in the first minute in first round in the. Liston laid there for 17 seconds.      The day after he won the fight, Clay announced that he was joining a part of a Black Muslim group and changing his name to Muhammad Ali witch means, “One worthy of praise.” Since he joined the Muslim group the press called him racist for a long time.

          In 1965 Muhammad Ali went to the hospital for a hernia operation. One year later Ali refused interjection in the USA Army. In 1967 the court found him guilty and fined him $10,000 and 5 years in jail, and took away his Heavy Weight Championship title. But he only spent a few days in jail. In 1970 he retired from boxing for about a month, and then returned. Many people could see that he had lost a lot of his speed because of the hernia operation.

           In 1971 he showed early signs of Parkinson disease. He does campaigns with Michael J. Fox who also has Parkinson’s disease. Now Muhammad Ali has a boxing gym where he helps kids perfect their dreams in boxing.

          As you can see Muhammad Ali was an important boxer. He has changed the history of boxing because of his skill and hard hits.