An excerpt from the life of Muhammed Ali

An excerpt from the life of Muhammed Ali

In October 1975 Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier for the third time. The bout was promoted as the gorilla in Manila. There
was a huge anticipation for this final clash between the two great heavy weight champions, Muhammad Ali felt that he had a
winning edge over his opponent because by that time Frazier was "Over the hill” and Ali felt that his over-confidence may have
caused him to train less than he could have. On the other hand, Joe Frazier was enraged and determined to win since he was spurred by Muhammad Ali's frequent insults, slurs and demeaning! poems. This increased the anticipation and excitement for the
right. Regarding the fight Ali famously remarked, "It'll be a chilla, and a killa, and a thrilla, when I get the gorilla in Manila" The fight lasted 14 gruelling rounds in temperatures approaching 100 F. Ali won many of the early rounds, but Frazier staged a comeback in the middle rounds. By the late rounds, however, Ali

had reasserted control and the fight was stopped when Frazier, whose eyes had closed due to swelling, was unable to answer the
bell for the 15th and final round. Frazier's trainer refused to allow Frazier to continue. Ali was quoted after the fight as saying, “This must be what death feels like". He congratulated
Joe Frazier on his gutsy effort. In 1982 Muhammad Ali learned he had Parkinson's disease, a neurological syndrome characterized by tremors, rigidity of muscles and slowness of speech and movement following which his functions began a slow decline. Although Ali's doctors disagreed about whether his symptoms were caused by boxing
and whether or not his condition was degenerative, he was ultimately diagnosed with Pugilistic Parkinson's Syndrome.

Despite the disability, Muhammad Ali remains a beloved and active public figure. He overcame his disease by his sheer inner
strength and will power. Ali was a fighter and this time he fought with his disease. As always, he won. He realized that good health is not merely flexing of muscles. He learnt to fight
against poverty, illiteracy, hunger and unhappiness. He has been voted into Forbes Celebrity 100, coming in at number 13, Ali received a Spirit of America Award calling him
the most recognized American in the world. In 1996, he had the honour of lighting the flame at the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Every year, it is he who greets runners at the start line of the Los Angeles Marathon. In 1999 he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Century .Award in which he received more votes than the other four
contenders combined ! He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White
House Ceremony in 2005 and the Otto Hakn Peace Medal in Gold" of the United Nations Association of Germany (DGVN) in Berlin for his work with the Civil rights movement.
The $60 million non-profit Muhammad Ali center opened in downtown Louisville in 2005. The centre focuses on core themes of peace, social responsibility, respect and personal
growth. According to the Ali Center website, "Since he retired from boxing, Ali has devoted himself to humanitarian endeavors around the globe. He is a devout Sunni Muslim and travels
the world over, lending his name and presence to hunger and poverty relief, supporting education efforts of all kinds, promoting adoption and encouraging people to respect and better understand one another. It is estimated that he has helped to provide more than 22 million meals to feed the Hungry. Ali travels, on average, more than 200 days per
year". There is no consensus among boxing experts and historians as to who is the greatest heavy weight boxer of all time.

Thank you

---

Ads