Mohammad Ali: “I Am The Greatest!” (And He Was)

,

There will never be another boxer like Mohammad Ali.


Boxing has produced many superstars. George Forman and Joe Frazier are two names that come to mind. But one man stood out from the rest, Muhammad”The Greatest” Ali. He was an inspiration to many boxers, celebrities, and the public at large.

Cassius Clay (later Muhammed Ali) started boxing at the age of 12. The story goes that after a kid took his bike, Clay threatened to “whup whoever did it.” A police officer told him that he’d have to learn how to box first. So that’s what Ali did. It paid off when Clay made his amateur boxing debut and went on to win six Kentucky Golden Gloves tournaments and, later, won Olympic Gold.

In 1960, Clay made his professional boxing debut, winning a bout against Tunney Hunsaker. Cassius Clay became Muhammed Ali for religious reasons and went on to win many fights and titles. He was dubbed “The Greatest Boxer of All Time.”

His life changed in 1966 when he was drafted but refused to fight in The Vietnam War. His titles were stripped, and he was also sentenced to prison, a ruling that conviction was later rescinded.

He went on to fight again and did so in the most famous fights of the day against fierce rivals, like Sonny Liston. But after doing all he could in the ring, Ali wasn’t able to live a full life in retirement. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, a debilitating disease that affected his speech and motor skills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3l6diJ2oZ4

In retirement, he returned to the limelight in 1996 when he lite the Olympic Torch at the Atlanta Olympics. But his condition worsened over the years. With family by his side, he died in 2016 at the age of 74.

Actor Justin Timberlake summed it up by saying that “Ali was a champion in the ring. He was a champion out of the ring.” Timberlake had it right. Muhammed Ali’s will live forever.

About Kadin McElwain

I was born in Kingston, New York, the second child of Monika Keiper and Matthew McElwain. At age two, I was diagnosed with autism, and I’m currently undergoing therapy to help me have a good life. I have multiple interests, including music and writing. I started writing seriously at the age of 13 by writing poems on Allpoetry.com, earning a nomination for Best Teen Poet. In high school, I went on to write scripts, articles, and stories. Now in college, my ultimate goal is to make the world a better place.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CAPTCHA


Comments (Mohammad Ali: “I Am The Greatest!” (And He Was))

    Maclean Makon wrote (12/20/20 - 1:39:03PM)

    My wife was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at age 59. She had severe calf pain, muscle pain, tremors, slurred speech, frequent falls, loss of balance, difficulty in getting up from sitting position. She was put on Sinemet for 6 months and then Sifrol was introduced and replaced the Senemet. During this time span she was also diagnosed with dementia. She started having hallucinations, lost touch with reality.This year, our family doctor started her on Tree of life Health  Clinic Parkinson’s Disease Herbal mixture, 1 month into treatment she improved dramatically. At the end of the full treatment course, the disease is totally under control. No case of dementia, hallucination, weakness, muscle pain or tremors. all thanks to Tree of Life Clinic, Visit  Tree of life Health  Clinic website http://www.treeoflifehealthclinics.com  She is strong again and able to go about daily activities.