Muhammad Ali once said “I am the greatest” and he has the evidence to prove it. Muhammad Ali was determined to fight and beat up whoever stole his bike. When Muhammad Ali was little somebody stole his bike so he wanted to become a boxer to beat up whoever took the bike. Then he trained every day and eventually he got so good at it, he joined in his first competition and won. Then went on to face some of the best at the time like Sonny Liston, Malcolm X and Joe Frazier.
He was so fast and strong Muhammad Ali said that he “floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee”. Muhammad Ali won his first championship match against Sonny Liston, which was his rival at the time in and upset when he was only 22 years old. Muhammad Ali wasn't his real name, his real name was Cassius Marcellus clay Jr but then he and his friend Elijah Muhammad were talking and Elijah started calling Cassius Muhammad Ali which was a holy name and meant loved by god. Muhammad Ali was suspended from boxing for 3 years had to give up his championship belt because he joined the Islam nation over that time his Parkinson's disease got worse and he retired in 1981.
Over time Muhammad Ali's Parkinson's disease got worse he was unable to speak, he had problems breathing. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984. After he retired he was only 42 and he had to live with Parkinson's for 32 years. He had to go to the hospital all the time and eventually he died at the age of 74 on June 3rd 2016.
Work cited👇
FACTS
- He had 9 kids
- His birthday is January 17 1942
- He won 56 matches he only lost 5 and he had 37 knockouts
- He was suspended from boxing for 3 years because of his name
- His dads name is Cassius clay
- His moms name is Odessa clay