Muhammad Ali is now known to every person in any way interested in sports.The future king of boxing was born in the US state of Kentucky in 1942 in a poor, but by no means a poor African-American standards on the family.His father studied drawing signs, and his mother worked as a governess in affluent homes.Actually, the real name of the future athlete, given to him at birth, was Cassius Clay.Modern
his biographers say that a talent for boxing lessons at the young man emerged from childhood.An important factor that pushed Cassius to come to the gym was tense in his home town, where there was an atmosphere of violence, racism, discrimination against the black population.In connection with this hopeless black youth often united in gangs - that was the path that leads to nowhere.At twelve years old boy with an unpleasant incident.The local bully power away from him just bought a bike.Leaving the station, the future champion met a policeman, who announced his intention to beat her abuser.By a happy coincidence, the officer, whose name was Joe Martin, he was a sports coach and invited the boy to his room, where he trained other young boxers.
start training forever changed the life of a young boxer.Despite the significant problems with discipline in the hall (the young Cassius constantly got into fights with partners in training, painfully reacting to the slightest criticism or underestimation of its potential), the young man became hard to improve their skills.Began daily runs, grueling workout fanatic commitment to a healthy lifestyle.Within two months after the start of classes Cassius won his first victory, which was broadcast on local television.Two years later, in 1956, he took his first tournament - Golden Gloves (known in the US tournament for novice boxers).A dizzying career start leading a young boxer in the United States national team.And in 1960, he goes to the Olympics, where winning his first gold.
At the same time, the young man falls under the influence of the Muslim sect, "Nation of Islam", he met with its leaders and visited a mosque that greatly transforms his life.And then the rising star of world sports stunned everyone.Cassius Clay takes "Nation of Islam", now his name is Muhammad Ali.Now, he is closely associated with the Islamic world.By the way, the same name is one of the Arab sheikhs - Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.Such a move young fighters caused severe reaction.Muhammad Ali, whose photo at the time adorned the front pages of all sports publications, was stripped of the World Boxing Association champion title, which won in the same year, a victory over Sonny Liston.In addition, it is hard was the reaction of the American and world public, the boxing colleagues in the shop, Ali, and even my father said that representatives of the "Nation of Islam" zapudrili his son brains.
However, Muhammad Ali would not be a, if yielded to public pressure.Despite the boycott and deprivation championship title, he still confidently asserted that beat all his rivals.And he kept his word.In 1966, the boxer has won the twelfth round of his childhood idol and the present connection with the criticism of the Islamic sect Floyd Patterson.Then there were more epochal fights in a boxer's career: three fights with Joe Frazier (in 1971, 1974 and 1975 years.), Fight with Giorgio Foreman (1974) and, finally, the last league title, which he defended Muhammad Ali in a fight withLeon Spinks (1978).
