The Rise of Muhammad Ali | Tunde Folawiyo

Within the world of sports, there are certain athletes whose talents have far surpassed their time in the spotlight. As one of the most famed boxers in history, Muhammad Ali continues to inspire sports fans with his passion, perseverance and outstanding athletic abilities, evident in the three heavyweight championship titles he’s won. Admirers throughout the world, including Tunde Folawiyo, are undoubtedly inspired by the long-standing dominance and boxing success Muhammad Ali.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Muhammad Ali first showed interest in boxing at the age of 12, when he began training at the gym of Joe Martin, a police officer and boxing coach. Demonstrating his commitment toward greatness, Ali trained six days per week, waking up early on school mornings and hitting the gym in the evenings. He developed a strict eating regimen and refrained from junk food, alcohol and cigarettes in order to ensure optimal health while on his quest at boxing dominance.

The 1960 Olympic Games, held in Rome, were among Muhammad Ali’s first times in an international spotlight. At 18 years old, Ali – still known as Cassius Clay - had already won national tournaments like the Golden Gloves and on September 5, 1960, Muhammad Ali triumphed over Poland’s Zbigniew Pietrzyskowski in the light-heavyweight championship. Ali won the Olympic gold medal in a unanimous decision, propelling him to the worldwide fame that followed him for the remainder of his career. With a gold medal, Ali proved his dominance of amateur boxing and in turn, was thrust into the world of professional boxing.

As Muhammad Ali embarked on his professional boxing career, he began a few attention-grabbing antics in order to make a splash. With quips to intimidate opponents, Muhammad Ali often wrote poetry, with "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" among his most famous lines. With his grandiose attitude ever evident, many people paid to see Ali fight, simply in hopes of watching him lose. On February 25 of 1964, Muhammad Ali battled Charles “Sonny” Liston for the heavyweight boxing championship, defeating him after a hurt shoulder and facial cut rendered Liston unable to fight further. With this, a 22-year-old Ali became the youngest fighter to ever defeat a champion. This victory paved the way for an extraordinary career in which Muhammad Ali left a lasting impact on the sport of boxing. Whilst Ali conquered the world of boxing, he was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and continues to face the challenges of the disease today. As one of the most celebrated athletes of all time, Muhammad Ali’s story continues to move fans such as Tunde Folawiyo and millions of others with a love for the world of sports.

Muhammad Ali - the world's most talented boxer | Tunde Folawiyo

Muhammad Ali is a former boxer whom virtually all sports fans, including Tunde Folawiyo, are probably familiar with. Born in Kentucky in 1942, he was originally named Cassius Marcellus Clay. He became interested in boxing at the age of 12; by the time he turned 18, he had participated in 108 amateur bouts, and won two National AAU titles, two National Golden Gloves championships and six Kentucky Golden Glove championships.

He then entered the 1960 Olympics in Rome and fought the polish boxer Zbigniew Pietrzyjowski in the light-heavyweight division. He emerged victorious, and won the gold medal. As he had achieved all that there was to achieve in amateur boxing, he decided to turn pro.

He performed exceptionally well, winning one match after another; however, it was his fight against Sonny Liston in 1964 which led to his rise to fame. Prior to this match, Liston was the world heavyweight champion, and most people were sceptical regarding Clay's chances of beating him. However, his extraordinarily fast footwork and speedy fists allowed him to inflict a number of cuts and bruises on Liston's face, and deliver a powerful punch to the shoulder, which led to Liston retiring after the sixth round. Following this match, Clay converted to Islam and announced that his new name was Muhammad Ali.

Three years later, he received a draft notice, which required him to fight in the Vietnam War. Ali refused, on the grounds that his religion expressly forbade the killing of others. After a long court battle, he was fined, sentenced, stripped of his heavyweight title and banned from boxing for the next three years. As a fan of sports, Tunde Folawiyo might recall that Ali's comeback match took place in 1971 in Madison Square Garden, against Jerry Quarry. After his prolonged break from training, Ali was not at his best, and he ended up losing the match.

Over the course of the next 14 years, he fought many more times, but it was his 1974 fight against George Foreman, and his battle against Joe Fraizer the following year, which cemented Ali's reputation as the greatest boxer of his time. The former was entitled 'Rumble in the Jungle', and took place in Zaire. Ali unleashed a new technique known as 'rope-a-dope', which enabled him to absorb the punches delivered by his opponent, and perform quick, jabbing counterattacks that eventually knocked Foreman out during the eighth round.

His match against Fraizer - entitled 'Thrilla in Manila' was held in 1975. It was a vicious fight, during which both parties were badly injured. However, after 15 rounds, Fraizer's eyes had swollen shut and his manager refused to let him back in the ring, leading to Ali being crowned the victor. Nine years after this famous match, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's, and retired from boxing.