Muhammad Ali Research Paper

Have you ever imagined how your life would be different if a key person were not in it, like a parent, brother or champion? Some people are so integral to making us who we are that without them, our identity would be changed. Muhammad Ali is a key figure in my life who left an indelible impression on me. He is a man of great influence because of his independent spirit and peaceful nature. Muhammad Ali was one of my earliest childhood heroes. More than a boxer, he was a Superman who, I dreamed, was the one person alive who could have helped me battle my own childhood demons. He was one of the greatest sporting figures of the 20th century. He has accomplished a multiple hard goals, standing up for his own rights since he started to box

An Olympic gold medalist and the first fighter to capture the heavyweight title three times, Ali won 56 times in his 21-year professional career. Ali’s outspokenness on issues of race, religion and politics made him a controversial figure during his career, and the heavyweight’s quips and taunts were as quick as his fists. Born Cassius Clay Jr., Ali changed his name in 1964 after joining the Nation of Islam. Citing his religious beliefs, he refused military induction and was stripped of his heavyweight championship and banned from boxing for three years during the prime of his career. Parkinson’s syndrome severely impaired Ali’s motor skills and speech, but he remained active as a humanitarian and goodwill

He was a three-time heavyweight champion and of his 61 total fights he was victorious in 56 of them. Furthermore, 37 of those wins came in knockout fashion…I guess he liked putting his opponents out of their misery. Even more impressive were his five career defeats. In addition, he won Olympic gold at the 1960 summer games. He was no doubt “the greatest. Outside of the ring he was carried himself with the same stubborn, confident charisma by standing up for what he believed in. He was arrested for draft evasion because he refused to kill anyone. Exceptionally noble, he sacrificed his freedom and career for integrity; something that was hard to come by during that time period as black and white equality clashed at every turn. Ali spent five years in prison and forfeited three years of his boxing career. This shows you what you believe in does matter, just put your foot down and someone will eventually listen. Ali was unfortunately diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984, but he didn’t let that impede his fight. He continued to be a great humanitarian. In 2002 when he went to Afghanistan, Ali was the U.N messenger of peace. One of the many contributions he made to the world, despite his illness. For those selfless acts he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Presidential Citizens