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Whenever we talk about professional boxing today, some names will keep showing up.
One of these names is Muhammad Ali, “The Greatest.” Muhammad Ali was always eager to boast to everyone who would care to give him a listening ear that no heavyweight boxer is as skilled, elegant, and powerful as he is. Over time, those words became more than a boast, and he has proven himself over and over that they became a consensus.
Ali was one of the few heavyweight boxers in history whose charisma, flair, and fighting style captivated the audience and served as a prototype for other boxers to emulate. His performances were just what they were – incredible!
No wonder people who bet on boxing tend to place bets on fighters who have some of Ali’s style in their arsenal. Maybe, they are looking forward to experiencing some of Ali’s old moments again, or they just want to win their bets. Well, if you are looking for tips that will help you win more sports bets, you can always visit mightytips. On MightyTips, several fast withdrawal betting sites analysts and pro tipsters like Kate Richardson provide well-researched and accurate tips and analyses to help you win your bets.
If you don’t know why Muhammad Ali commands a lot of love and respect from the fans, media, and other boxers, then read this article to the very end. By the time you finish this article, you will know all about Muhammad Ali and why he is the master of professional boxing.
A Quick Look into the Life of Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was not always Muhammad Ali. On the 17th of January 1942, he was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and named Cassius, Marcellus Clay, Jr. He was goal-driven and had begun training as an amateur boxer at a very young age.
By the time Cassius Clay was 18, he had won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome. About a year later, he became a Muslim. A few years later, at 22, he took a step further and renounced his birth name, claiming it was a slave name. Then, he adopted the famous name we know today – Muhammad Ali.
When Did Muhammad Ali Start Boxing?
Many people ask, “how old is Muhammad Ali, and when did he start boxing?” Ali started training as an amateur boxer at the age of 12 under the tutelage of Joe Martin, a Louisville policeman. However, he started his professional career at 19, a year after the summer Olympics, under the guidance of a syndicate of 11 wealthy white men, the Louisville Sponsoring Group.
Muhammad Ali’s Records
Muhammad Ali fought in several historical matches during his boxing days and held many records. However, one of these records is more laudable than others. He was the first boxer to win the world heavyweight championship on three occasions. He also successfully defended this title on 19 occasions.
Muhammad Ali’s Children and Wives: How Many Are They?
Muhammad Ali married four times and had nine children; two sons and seven daughters. Ali’s first marriage was to Sonjoi Roi in August 1964 – a childless marriage that lasted for about two years.
About a year after his divorce, Ali remarried again. He married Belinda Boyd (later known as Khalilah Ali) in august 1967. This marriage had four children: Maryum, born in 1968 (author and rapper popularly known as “May May”), twins Jamillah and Rasheda (born 1970), and Muhammad Ali Jnr. (born 1972).
While still married to Belinda in 1974, Ali started an affair with the then 16-years-old Wanda Bolton (later known as Aaisha Ali). The affair resulted in another daughter for Ali, named Khaliah, in 1974. Eventually, he married Aaisha in an Islamic ceremony, in addition to his previous wife, Belinda. Ali also had another daughter from an extramarital relationship with Patricia Harvell in 1972. She was named Miya.
Ali’s second marriage ended in 1977 because of his continuous infidelity. He then married Veronica Porche, an actress, and model. He had two daughters with her; Hana and Laita. Porche would later divorce Ali because of his infidelity. He then married Yolanda Lonnie Williams in November 1986. Together, they adopted a son Asaad Amin (born 1986). It is also worthy of note that there have been cases of people coming forth to claim that they are Ali’s children, but none has been proven to be true.
Reasons Why Muhammad Ali Is the Master of Professional Boxing
There are a lot of reasons why Muhammad Ali is considered the master of professional boxing. Some of them include:
- Speed And Footwork
Ali could surely move better and faster than most lightweight fighters for a guy that big. How tall was Muhammad Ali, you may ask? Ali, in his prime, was 1.91m tall and weighed about 214 pounds.
One of the reasons he is the master of professional boxing is his amazing speed and footwork. With little doubt, Ali is one of the fastest, if not the quickest heavyweight boxer to have ever stepped into the ring.
A combination of his incredible speed, reflexes, and footwork allowed him to move with ease in a manner that proved too much to handle for his opponents.
- Mental Strength And Superior Intelligence
Ali showed his opponents and the whole world another perspective of boxing – a revolution. He pioneered the fighting style we see now. Ali did not have his hands up like other boxers of his time did to protect themselves. Instead, he displayed superior intelligence by baiting his opponents with calculated steps.
Ali was also known for his mental strength; he practically defeats his rivals mentally before they step into the ring with him. This attribute was one of the key ingredients to his success.
- Mind Games
Mention a boxer who can play mind games, and one of the first names will probably be Muhammad Ali. During his time, Ali was the king of trash talk. And he didn’t do it to sell tickets – he did it to defeat his rivals. Ali would always try to get his opponents to invest in fights emotionally. When they do this, they make errors which Ali capitalizes on.
Conclusion
Muhammad Ali was a great boxer in his prime, one of the greatest to have ever graced the rings. Without a doubt, he is a master at what he does, and all the statistics point to the fact that he is the immortal king of boxing.
Allison is the Publisher of Eclipse Magazine. She loves going to the Races and is learning to bet (despite being officially the worst bettor in the History of the Universe), there’s a lot more to learn…
