For some, he was a fighter inside the boxing ring and for some, he was a fighter outside of the ring. All to be said Muhammed Ali has been fighting his whole life whether it be in or out of the boxing ring. Growing up in American at a time when racism and racial segregation was a still real thing. Born on 17, 1942 in Lewisville, Kentucky, named Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. shearing name with his father and one of his ancestries, who was a Kentucky abolished also a military commander in the 1800s. At the age of 12, his bike was stolen. He reported it to the police, and told one of the police officers name Joe Martin, who was a local boxing trainer and also a leader in the Louisville civil rights movement, that he would beat up the guy who stole his bike. Officer Martin answered with, “You better learn how to fight first.” after their interaction. Officer Martin started teaching him how to fight. He won his first fight after 6 weeks of training. He was troubled in school and was bad at leading which leads him to repeat 10th great, and boxing was his way out. After the gruesome murder of Emmett Till in 1955 at the age of 13, only one year older than him. It hit Him with the fact that it easily could have been his and he needs it to get out of the south, considering his screen color and time.
He was quick with his hand and strong on his feet, but it was his mouth which graves then the attention of the media and top of the headline which he many times used to spice abut the social injustice and discrimination rotten than his fame. By the age of 18, he has won 100 boxing matches including 2 golden globe titles and 2 national amateur athletic, with losing only 8.
In 1962 He was introduced to Malcolm X at a Black Muslim rally in Detroit in 1962, after their introduction, they became close friends. spending time together learning about the nation of Islam. In 1964, after his winning boxing match against sunny Liston, he publicly announced that he had joined the Nation of Islam and he has changed his name from Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr to Muhammad Ali, it was a very bold move which has done by no one at that time, and he was highly criticized his action. By 1995 Muhammad Ali was at the pick of his boxing career, and he has become one of the most famous and successful boxers in the world, how every at the end of 1965 Ali’s success had come to hold. with the Vietnam war and he was required to join the united states to join and fight in the war, But he refused to go join the war because of his religious belief. In a live tv interview, Ali said “My conscience won’t let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America, And shoot them for what”. Even though Ali could have gotten away easily by claiming Foules injury or fleeing to Canada, he decided to fight his way out despite having to pay 10 thousand dollars in fine, 5 years in person which he did not have to serve, and being banned from boxing for 3 years for draft aviation. During his 3 years band of boxing, Ali heald many public spiking in colleges and university around the country where he discussed and expressed his opposition to the interracial manager, his experience with racism in America, non-violent civil rights movement meant and defending his religious belief and defending the nation of Islam. Many people criticized Ali for not joining the military for the Vietnam war, but as the death toll of the grows to tens of thousands, people realized Ali was not trying to be unpatriotic, but he was opposing the injustices, and soon may people started to support his action including Which Martin Luther King jr praised Ali for what he did.
After his 3 years band from boxing, Ali went back to boxing but it would take him 3 more years to become a heavyweight champion again, against Georgia Foreman willing with a knockout in the 8th round. At the age of 39, Ali had retired from professional boxing with 5 losses and 56 wins with 37 knockouts. In 1985 Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, likely due to years of boxing and head traumas. Despite being back down, his success and fighting for equality did not stop. In 1990 Ali has introduced the international boxing hall of raming. As time wants by Ali’s disease took a stronghold on him, despite that after the 911 attack in 2001, Ali expressed his condolences to the lives were lost on that day and defending the Muslim community with a statement saying, “I’m a Muslim when I was 20 years ago against killing balance in all Muslim I guess I think people should know the real truth about Islam, you know me I am bout to be called greatest of all time, people recognize me for being a boxer and a man of truth, and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Islam, and it is not what terrorist made it look, I think all the people should know the truth and come to the recognition it. Because Islam is pice against killing, murder, and the terrorist people say they are doing it for Islam is wrong. And if I had any chance I would do something about it”.
Over the lifetime of Muhammed Ail, he has inspired many peoples and athletics around the world to use their platform no only for entertainment, but also to use their platform and popularity to highlight social injustice and equality.