Muhammad Ali Thrilled The Ring Audiences of The 60s and 70s Boxing ledgend Muhammad Ali was the first fighter ever to win the world heavyweight championship title three times. Muhammad Ali thrilled the audiences of the 1960s and 70s with his boxing skills, wits and cleverness, all of his fights were magical and sensational to watch such as the 1974 "The Rumble in the Jungle" with with the then World Heavyweight Boxing Champion George Foreman. The fantastic battle in the 1975 "The Thriller in Manila" with Joe Frazier. Muhammad Ali won by a knocking out in round 14 The 2 epic battles in the 60's against the once thought of as invincible Sonny Liston. Muhammad Ali activities outside the ring then have made him the most popular worldwide public figure. Muhammad Ali was prepared to risk jail when he refused to join the US army to fight in Vietnam. The whole world revered to the Muhammad Ali stance against the might of the United States Authorities, a man who stood up for his beliefs and rights. He Was A Man Who Stood Up For His Beliefs And RightsThe world and its people credited Ali with helping to change people's attitudes towards race issues especially in the United States of America. It was his conversion to the Muslim faith that gave him the conviction of his beliefs, and led him to change his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali. Defeated by the sport he loved and despite his suffering from Parkinson's Disease, Muhammad Ali is an active campaigner for the Jubilee 2000. The organisation that campaigns for the cancellation of all Third World debt. In a trip to Brixton, South London, to campaign on the issue, Muhammad Ali brought the streets of London to a standstill. During the Gulf war in 1991 Muhammad Ali was able to create an impression upon the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussain, in negotiating the release of several of American hostages. Muhammad Ali moved a nation to tears when he lit torch for the opening of 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He Moved A Nation To Tears In The 1996 Atlanta OlympicsMuhammad the boxer won the BBC News Online vote with a colossal lead, with many individuals choosing Ali for his activities both inside and outside the boxing ring. Joe Worthy said: "Muhammad Ali was a great sportsman and did not bow to the pressure of the established institutionalized oppressors of the United States of America to go to Vietnam." Noor Jivraj said: "Muhammad Ali had the grace of a ballet dancer, and when at his best, made boxing look like an art form." "But was also a man of principles." Muhammad Ali was the front runner throughout the July's vote, pushing footballer Pele into second place and cricketer Sunil Gavaskar into third place. Cricket stars dominate the top 10 winners, taking five places. The vote was the sixth in BBC News Online' monthly Your Millennium Series. Taking part in the Your Millennium Contest for greatest sportsperson were England's ex-footballer Trevor Brooking and and former test cricket captain of India, Imran Khan, who was chosen as number eight in the poll. Muhammad The Boxer Refused Induction Into The Armed Services In 1967.Imran Khan and Trevor Brooking rated Muhammad Ali as the number one greatest sportsperson. Muhammad Ali's flamboyant boxing style and outspoken stances on social issues made him a controversial figure during the turbulent 1960s and early 1970s. After beating Liston, Muhammad Ali defended his title nine times, brashly proclaiming himself the “greatest of all time.” In 1967 he refused induction into the armed services and became a symbol of resistance to the Vietnam War. The boxing establishment stripped the boxer of his title and prevented him from fighting until the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971 upheld his draft appeal on religious grounds. Before Muhammad Ali retired in 1981, he had compiled a total of 56 wins and 5 loses boxing record Muhammad Ali became the only man to ever win the world heavyweight boxing crown three times. Ali's fights against Joe Frazier and George Foreman were among boxing's biggest events. |
He Faced and Battled Issues of Race and ClassIn retirement, the great man has remained one of the most recognised of all world figures. The 1984 revelation that he suffered from Parkinson's disease renewed debate over the negative effects of boxing. His appearance at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, to light the Olympic flame, moved an international audience. However, perhaps Ali's greatest moments came in the life he led outside the ring. Ali was as confident in the public circle as he was in the boxing ring, and he continued to meet every challenge with a mind that was as powerful as his fists. As a black man living in an era that continued to question his rights as a person, he faced and battled issues of race and class, and to this day ranks as one of the great champions of Civil Rights movement. The man himself is truly a Ledgend. | |
