Charismatic, outspoken and popularly known as ‘Muhammad Ali’, Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was a boxer, who literally slaughtered any competitor he met in the boxing ring and was the worst nightmare for almost everyone he had a boxing match with during the 1960s and the 1970s.
It is said that Ali had more than a hundred amateur boxing sessions when he was under training. His dedication was at such a high level that he never wished to go for any job other than training himself in boxing. His passion for boxing was enough to make him work hard and take him to a place, which was far different than for hundreds of other young amateur boxers.
In 1960, Ali claimed a gold medal in light-heavyweight boxing match at the summer Olympics in Rome. However, being a black, Ali himself experienced inhuman racism when a white waitress refused to serve him at a restaurant, which was meant only for white people. After similar incidents, Ali was so angry that he threw the gold medal into the Ohio River. From then onwards, he decided to jump into professional boxing matches full-fledged. He improved on some key areas to get into real action and registered first couple of wins of his professional life within a few months.
Muhammad Ali who became the first man to win the heavyweight title three times and revolutionized the sport had this to say, “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”
— Sajith Cyriac
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