Unknown to the public, the title of “undefeated boxer” was held by Muhammad Ali. Ali was known as Sonny Ali before he became a professional boxer. His amateur opponents expected to see an Asian-American fighter, but they were surprised to see a thin, white boxer. Ali won four national titles in amateur boxing and signed with Frank Warren’s Queensbury Promotions. On Saturday, Ali will take on Chris Adaway at the Copper Box Arena.
While Muhammad Ali was undefeated for almost four decades, he began to decline in his later years. Damage to his brain caused him to develop slurred speech and difficulty moving. His condition differed from chronic encephalopathy, dementia pugilistica, and injury-induced intellectual deficits. Ali married Lonnie Williams in 1986 and the couple had nine children. His daughter Laila continued the boxing career of her father, winning numerous titles and going undefeated in 24 fights.
The first defeat of Ali’s career came against the great Ken Norton. Ali, a heavyweight, fought 15 rounds as if he were a welterweight. Ali suffered a broken jaw in round two, but he continued fighting regardless. Ali also fought Frazier twice and won the first fight by technical knockout. During this stretch, he was the only heavyweight to go undefeated and remained unbeaten.
In addition to fighting for the title, Ali earned a ban from all competition for three and a half years. He was criminally indicted in 1967, and convicted of refusing to be inducted into the U.S. military. Ali was sentenced for five years, but was released on bail four more years later. In 2005, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. However, his fight career was not without controversy.
Muhammad Ali fought nine times in his prime. Although his popularity declined, Ali was still a courageous and fearless fighter. In his third fight with Joe Frazier, Ali was an underdog and won in 14 rounds. However, it was not his best match. Spinks won the WBA/WBC heavyweight titles. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1983 and retired from boxing.
In 1964, Muhammad Ali converted to Islam and became a Muslim. Ali fought under many coaches and won 100 fights, while losing five. After winning the gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics, Ali turned professional. After converting to Islam, Ali began training for the fight. Unlike most of his contemporaries, he did not use arm guards. Instead, he relied on his speed to avoid punches. Ali’s famous catchphrase was “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
0