Muhammad Ali. On January 17, 1942 - at about six thirty p.m. - the biggest sporting legend of the twentieth century was born in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Muhammad Ali

On January 17, 1942 - at about six thirty p.m. - the biggest sporting legend of the twentieth century was born in Louisville, Kentucky.

When Odessa Clay and her husband Cassius Marcellus looked proudly at their tiny son on this winter day in Louisville they didn't dare to dream that the six and one half pound human being they held in their arms would one day be the heavyweight champion and one of the most popular men of the world.

At a closer look, one can date the first boxing activity of Cassius Marcellus junior to the same year. His mother used to tell people that his first K.o.-punch was aimed at her face when the six-month-old infant hit her so hard that she had to have two teeth pulled out.

Cassius grew up in West End Louisville, a black area, together with his younger brother Rudolph who later changed his name into Rahaman. Their father painted religious and commercial plates while Odessa Clay worked as a cleaning woman and cook in white upper-class families. Although the Clays were not wealthy, young Cassius and Rudolph always had something to eat and to wear. Contrary to most of his later foes, Ali had a carefree childhood.

At the age of twelve, Cassius got into boxing rather by chance. His new Schwinn bike had been stolen and this way he met police officer Joe Martin who besides ran a boxing gym. The furious lad told Martin that he would whip the thief if he found him. Martin suggested to Cassius that he teach him firsthow to box properly. Cassius agreed and attended Martin's gym regularly from then on.

In his first years as a boxer, Cassius Clay held some features that he would keep during his whole career: He bragged all the time how strong he was and that no one could beat him. Because of this he wasn't liked by the audience who could watch him live or via TV on Tomorrow's Champions, a show produced by Martin and broadcasted on a local station. His style was very unusual. Back then Cassius was already faster than most of his opponents. So he used his hands not as guard but held them at waist height while avoiding the punches of his opponent just with his reflexes and footwork.

Young Cassius was successful with his unorthodox style. In 1960, eighteen-year-old Cassius had won all amateur titles available (amongst others the National Golden Gloves in Chicago) and qualified for the Olympic trials. After he had been knocked down in the first round of the final by a black army champion named Allen Hudson, Clay countered and won by technical knockout in the third round.

He had earned the right to travel to Rome with the US Olympic team in 1960.

Hardly arrived at the Olympic village he started to boast about the glorious future which was destined to him. With his behavior he attracted many athletes and journalists and soon was considered "Mayor of the Olympic village". But Clay also annoyed some of his fellow athletes because they felt neglected by the media.

He was also successful as athlete. After victories over the Belgian, Russian and Australian participant Clay finally faced the Pole Zbiginiew Piertrzkowski, a veteran with a fight record of over two hundred fights. The beginning of the final saw Clay in trouble. As the bout went on, he became stronger and after the last round Piertrzkowski's and Clay's trunks were covered with the Pole's blood.

When returning to the USA, the gold medal winner - it hung around his neck - was welcomed enthusiastically. Some well-known trainers offered to train Clay who wanted to turn Heavyweight pro. Ex-fighters Archie Moore and Sugar Ray Robinson and also Cus D'Amato were prospects.

Before looking for a coach, Clay signed a contract with eleven millionaires from Louisville, the so called Louisville Sponsoring Group, that guaranteed the young boxer $ 10,000 instantly and fifty percent of his future ring income. This group also arranged Clay's first professional bout against Tunney Huntsinger. Clay won a split decision.

After his non-convincing first victory, Clay and his managers looked for a new coach. Joe Martin had not been accepted by Clay senior. Clay jr. refuged from Archie Moore's camp after a short stay because Moore tried to change Clay's style and made him also participate in the housework, evoking vehement resistance from the youngster. Clay went back to Louisville for christmas and then to Miami Beach to meet Angelo Dundee who he had known for two years. Dundee didn't try to change Clay's style like Moore but helped him to improve it. In Miami, Clay fought his next four bouts which he won by knockout.

The first interesting opponent in Clay's professional career was his ex-trainer, former light heavyweight champion Archie Moore whom he faced in his 16th bout on November 16, 1962 in Louisville. Moore was 48 years old and wanted to succeed over the youth. He had no chance and stood four rounds just as Clay had predicted. It was one of Clay's features to predict the round in which his opponent would fall. He usually wrote a short humorous poem. Moore was the eleventh prediction the "loudmouth" (as many journalists called Clay) had fulfilled.

In March of 1963, Clay's prediction record broke when he failed to knock Doug Jones out. The audience at Madison Square Garden booed Clay down when the result was announced: A close decision in Clay's favor.

In 1963 Clay also met Drew "Bundini" Brown who became his motivator and court jester.

Together they invented the slogan "Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee!" that perfectly described Clay's style.
At the end of 1963 Clay had an impressive record: He had won all of his nineteen professional bouts and only three not by knockout. The "Louisville Lip" was ready to achieve the goal for that he had lived almost all of his life:

In 1964, Sonny Liston, a former prisoner, reigned in the Heavyweight division. He had dethroned Floyd Patterson two years before in only two minutes and six seconds. Liston, who at that time had only lost once as a professional, seemed invincible.

Clay tried hard to attract attention of as many people as possible, and when the fight contract for Liston vs. Clay was finally signed, he behaved as if he could not wait to fight Liston.

On February 25, 1964, the night of he fight Liston entered the ring a seven-to-one favorite. But all "experts" who predicted an easy title defense for the champion were taught better. Clay didn’t give his opponent the oportunity to land one of his feared blows. He danced around the flat-footed champion the whole time, landing lightning fast jabs and combinations again and again. At the beginning of the seventh round, Liston refused to resume the fight.

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The victor ran around the ring, yelling at the incredulous journalists: "Who is the greatest? Eat your words! I shook up the world!"

But the happiness didn’t last long. There had been rumors before the bout that Cassius Clay had joined the Nation Of Islam, a popular black organization whose leader Elijah Muhammad preached that integration be the wrong way for blacks. The blacks should claim their own territory in the US instead. Clay had been seen a lot in public with Malcolm X and other leading personalities of the Black Muslims as the members of the Nation were ...

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