Muhammad Ali: Champion forever

Muhammad Ali will always be remembered as 'People's Champ' in the heart of billions of followers across the world

'Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee',  At age 22, Muhammad Ali promised his supporters before stunning the reigning champion Sony Liston, a much bigger and experienced boxer. Ali went on beating the champ in seven rounds in Miami to win his first heavyweight title. In their next match in 1965, Ali floored Liston with a hard, quick blow minutes into the bout and retained his crown when the referee stopped the fight.
Muhammad Ali  (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016)  is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century. From early in his career, Ali was known as an inspiring, controversial and polarizing figure both inside and outside the ring. Ali is regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. He remains the only three time lineal heavyweight champion (1964, 1974 and 1978).
He is the only boxer to be named The Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year five times. He was named Sportsman of the Century by BBC.   Clay was first directed toward boxing by Louisville police officer and boxing coach Joe E Martin who encountered the 12-year-old fuming over a thief taking his bicycle. He told the officer he was going to "whup" the thief. The officer told him he had better learn how to box first. The Olympic Champion from his pre professional days till the feat of three times heavyweight champion, we celebrate the humane, the fun and glamour of the legend, Muhammad Ali.
At a time when most fighters let their managers do the talking, Ali thrived in—and indeed craved—the spotlight, where he was often provocative and outlandish.  He was known for his often freestyle talking with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry, both for his trash talking in boxing and as political poetry for his activism, anticipating elements of rap and hip hop music. He occasionally worked in music and acting. As a musician, he recorded two spoken word albums and a rhythm and blue  song, and received two Grammy Award nominations. As an actor, he performed in several films and a Broadway Musical. Ali wrote two autobiographies, during and after his boxing career.
Ali got conscription in the United States military on his 18th birthday and was listed as 1-A in 1962. In 1964, he was reclassified as Class 1-Y (fit for service only in times of national emergency) after he failed the US armed forces qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were sub-standard. (He was quoted as saying, "I said I was the greatest, not the smartest!"). By early 1966, the army lowered its standards to permit soldiers above the 15th percentile and Ali was again classified as 1-A. This classification meant he was now eligible for the draft and induction into the U.S. Army at a time when the U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War, a war which put him further at odds with the white establishment. When notified of this status, Ali declared that he would refuse to serve in the army and publicly considered himself a conscientious objector Ali stated: "War is against the teachings of the Qur'an.  I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers." He stated: "Man, I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong."Ali elaborated: "Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?" Civil rights figures came to believe that Ali had an energising effect on the freedom movement as a whole. Al Sharpton spoke of his bravery at a time when there was still widespread support for the Vietnam War. "For the heavyweight champion of the world, who had achieved the highest level of athletic celebrity, to put all of that on the line – the money, the ability to get endorsements – to sacrifice all of that for a cause, gave a whole sense of legitimacy to the movement and the causes with young people that nothing else could have done. Even those who were assassinated, certainly lost their lives, but they didn't voluntarily do that. He knew he was going to jail and did it anyway. That's another level of leadership and sacrifice." In speaking of the cost on Ali's career of his refusal to be drafted, his trainer Angelo Dundee said, "One thing must be taken into account when talking about Ali: He was robbed of his best years, his prime years." On June 28 1971, The Supreme Court of United States in Clay vs United States over turned Ali's conviction by a unanimous  8-0 decision.
The Supreme Court over turned the previous rule that the earlier court did not go through Ali's request of exemption as a conscientious objector. Therefore, the previous ruling was overturned.
Muhammad Ali called himself The Greatest and the King of the World. The three-time heavyweight champion of the world was one of the most famous men on the planet. But he always seemed most comfortable in the streets. The reality is that Ali’s positions and views unapologetically challenged deep-seated racism and social injustice in America and around the world.
Black empowerment and Black Pride in the 1960s and 1970s in the US demanded a champion such as Ali. He was like the rose that grew from the concrete.
"Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill", one of the favourite quote of Muhammad Ali. He not only gave the brutal game of boxing a
refined artistic form but through out his life he stood for the cause of humanity. He will always be remembered as 'People's Champ' in the heart of billions of followers across the world.

The writer, a banker by profession, has worked both in local and overseas market with various foreign and local banks in different positions

Muhammad Ali: Champion forever

Muhammad Ali will always be remembered as Peoples Champ in the heart of billions of followers across the world

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee, At age 22, Muhammad Ali promised his supporters before stunning the reigning champion Sony Liston, a much bigger and experienced boxer. Ali went on beating the champ in seven rounds in Miami to win his first heavyweight title. In their next match in 1965, Ali floored Liston with a hard, quick blow minutes into the bout and retained his crown when the referee stopped the fight. Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; January 17, 1942 June 3, 2016) is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century. From early in his career, Ali was known as an inspiring, controversial and polarizing figure both inside and outside the ring. Ali is regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. He remains the only three time lineal heavyweight champion (1964, 1974 and 1978). He is the only boxer to be named The Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year five times. He was named Sportsman of the Century by BBC. Clay was first directed toward boxing by Louisville police officer and boxing coach Joe E Martin who encountered the 12-year-old fuming over a thief taking his bicycle. He told the officer he was going to whup the thief. The officer told him he had better learn how to box first. The Olympic Champion from his pre professional days till the feat of three times heavyweight champion, we celebrate the humane, the fun and glamour of the legend, Muhammad Ali. At a time when most fighters let their managers do the talking, Ali thrived inand indeed cravedthe spotlight, where he was often provocative and outlandish. He was known for his often freestyle talking with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry, both for his trash talking in boxing and as political poetry for his activism, anticipating elements of rap and hip hop music. He occasionally worked in music and acting. As a musician, he recorded two spoken word albums and a rhythm and blue song, and received two Grammy Award nominations. As an actor, he performed in several films and a Broadway Musical. Ali wrote two autobiographies, during and after his boxing career. Ali got conscription in the United States military on his 18th birthday and was listed as 1-A in 1962. In 1964, he was reclassified as Class 1-Y (fit for service only in times of national emergency) after he failed the US armed forces qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were sub-standard. (He was quoted as saying, I said I was the greatest, not the smartest!). By early 1966, the army lowered its standards to permit soldiers above the 15th percentile and Ali was again classified as 1-A. This classification meant he was now eligible for the draft and induction into the U.S. Army at a time when the U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War, a war which put him further at odds with the white establishment. When notified of this status, Ali declared that he would refuse to serve in the army and publicly considered himself a conscientious objector Ali stated: War is against the teachings of the Quran. Im not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We dont take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers. He stated: Man, I aint got no quarrel with them Viet Cong.Ali elaborated: Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights? Civil rights figures came to believe that Ali had an energising effect on the freedom movement as a whole. Al Sharpton spoke of his bravery at a time when there was still widespread support for the Vietnam War. For the heavyweight champion of the world, who had achieved the highest level of athletic celebrity, to put all of that on the line the money, the ability to get endorsements to sacrifice all of that for a cause, gave a whole sense of legitimacy to the movement and the causes with young people that nothing else could have done. Even those who were assassinated, certainly lost their lives, but they didnt voluntarily do that. He knew he was going to jail and did it anyway. Thats another level of leadership and sacrifice. In speaking of the cost on Alis career of his refusal to be drafted, his trainer Angelo Dundee said, One thing must be taken into account when talking about Ali: He was robbed of his best years, his prime years. On June 28 1971, The Supreme Court of United States in Clay vs United States over turned Alis conviction by a unanimous 8-0 decision. The Supreme Court over turned the previous rule that the earlier court did not go through Alis request of exemption as a conscientious objector. Therefore, the previous ruling was overturned. Muhammad Ali called himself The Greatest and the King of the World. The three-time heavyweight champion of the world was one of the most famous men on the planet. But he always seemed most comfortable in the streets. The reality is that Alis positions and views unapologetically challenged deep-seated racism and social injustice in America and around the world. Black empowerment and Black Pride in the 1960s and 1970s in the US demanded a champion such as Ali. He was like the rose that grew from the concrete. Champions arent made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside thema desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill, one of the favourite quote of Muhammad Ali. He not only gave the brutal game of boxing a refined artistic form but through out his life he stood for the cause of humanity. He will always be remembered as Peoples Champ in the heart of billions of followers across the world. The writer, a banker by profession, has worked both in local and overseas market with various foreign and local banks in different positions