Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali v.s. Leon Spinks (http://www.webgalleria.com/img/3807-8L.jpg)

Muhammad Ali once said, “I don’t have to be what you want me to be; I’m free to be what I want.” Muhammad Ali is “The Man.” He is intelligent, humorous, and strong. Ali has won awards by being himself and has overcome obstacles to achieve his goals in life. Most people only know him for his boxing career but he has other notable accomplishments. Mohammed has contributed to his country in a number of ways and will hopefully continue to do so for years to come.

Muhammad Ali was a great boxer. He was boxing as an amateur at the age of 12. When he was 18 years old he won the Gold Medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. Four years later, Ali defeated the heavyweight champion Sony Liston, claiming the title. Leon Spinks defeated him on February 15, 1978; Ali then won the title back on September 15, 1978. His record stands at 56 wins including 37 knockouts with only five defeats.

Muhammad Ali overcame a bump in the road when he was at the top of his game. He refused to join the army during the Vietnam War. Ali said “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Congs.” He lost his license to box for three and a half years, which stripped him of his boxing title. In 1971, the Supreme Court ruled the government inappropriately administered punishment. He reclaimed the title by knocking out George Forman. The fight was named the “Rumble in the Jungle.”

Since Muhammad has retired from boxing he still continues to answer a lot of mail sent to him. He’s been known to have signed more autographs than any sports figure ever known. Ali was once denied an autograph by his idol Sugar Ray Robinson. Robinson said “Hello kid how ya doin? I ain't got time.” Muhammad remembered this and has never denied anyone an autograph. He also has been in many motion pictures, such as – “The Greatest” and “When we were Kings.” Ali also recorded an album titled “I am the Greatest.” In 1996 he lit the Olympic Flame at the beginning of the games in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2005 he opened the Muhammad Ali Center. This center has pieces of his memorabilia; it focuses on peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal growth. Ali now suffers from Parkinson’s disease, but it doesn’t seem to stop him from living his life.

Muhammad Ali has a lot of different strengths but these show the most. The first one is talent. Muhammad was a very good boxer; he was one of the first ones to bend at the hips to evade a punch. Respect is the second—even though he wasn’t allowed to box for three and a half years he didn’t sue the courts for nearly destroying his career. Third, I think that he is definitely inspiring. Not very many sports players have retired and have helped the community more than he has. Perseverance is the last even though he has the most of it. Even though Ali suffers from Parkinson’s, he still strives to make the world a better place. Muhammad Ali has been showing all of these characteristics since the very beginning and these are all superb characteristics to have and that is why Muhammad Ali is my hero.