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1. Introduction 2. Body - biography - how Ali became hero - popularity - Muslim conversion - draft refusal - greatest fights - influence in society - depiction in popular culture 3. Conclusion Muhammad Ali: A Hero in Popular Culture I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given, I believed in myself and I believe in the goodness of others. (Muhammad Ali) Muhammad Ali is one of the greatest boxers of all time. Ali remains popular for over almost 50 years since his first great win a the Olympics in 1960.
His influence extended far beyond boxing to politics and civil rights. Ali was an icon and true hero in popular culture to millions worldwide. According to BBC and the Sports Illustrated Ali is the Sportsman of the Century. Muhammad Ali was born in 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. His birth name was Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr... He has won the World Heavyweight Championship three times and also a gold metal at the Olympics in Rome.
At 6 feet 3 inches tall, Ali was an imposing figure in the ring. He was famous for his fast footwork, and for a powerful jab. Ali used his unique strategy to avoid punches instead of shielding the face with hands. At the beginning of his career Alis boxing skills and tactic were not appreciated by experts, but he quickly proved they all were wrong. After his victory at the Olympics, Ali became an American hero. He soon turned professional.
During the 1960 s Ali was unstoppable, winning all of his bouts with majority by knockouts. After win over Sonny Liston in 1964 Muhammad Ali became the heavyweight champion of the world. Ali referred to himself as the greatest. He was famous for his colorful descriptions and phrases when it came to boasting about his skills before fights. This always caught attention from the media and added to the popularity of Muhammad Ali, especially after he beautifully defeated his opponents. Ali decided to join the black Muslim group, the Nation of Islam, in 1964.
At first he called himself Cassius X, but later decided to change the name to Muhammad Ali. After the conversion, he refused to respond to his surname, since the name given by white men to his slave ancestors. Then he refused to acknowledge his military service after being drafted to fight in Vietnam. Ali claimed he was a practicing Muslim minister, and that his religious beliefs prevented him from fighting in the war. His sudden willingness to speak out against racial inequities, and his eventual refusal to join the military resulted in a myriad of reactions from the American public. He became a hero in the black community and was admired by many liberal-minded Americans. (Wiggins) In 1967, the U.
S. Department of Justice pursued a legal case against Ali, denying his claim for conscientious objector status. The boxing association took away his title and suspended him for three and a half years. At first, Ali was found guilty of refusing to join the army, but in 1970 he cleared his name after a court battle.
Muhammad Ali is often quoted as saying No Viet Cong ever called me nigger and I ain't got no quarrel with no Viet Cong's, and both reflect his status as a hero defying the forces of mainstream America. This asserts his individual right to choose his enemies and to define them as those who oppose his race, not his country. In 1971 he fought Joe Frazier for the world title, but lost in 15 rounds. The most legendary Ali fight took place in 1974, called Rumble in the Jungle against heavyweight champion George Foreman.
Ali was seen as the underdog to his younger, more powerful opponent. Ali silenced his critics by brightly defeating Foreman and once again becoming the champion. In 1975 he finally defeated longtime rival Joe Frazier in the match lasted for more than 14 rounds. In the six years after his return Muhammad Ali earned an estimated $ 26 million, which was an unbelievable sum those days. In 1981, Ali lost his and suddenly announced his retirement boxing the next day after the bout. Thanks to bright and exciting interviews and press conferences along with great performance in the right Ali caught close attention of the public.
He was a role model for young blacks, whose only change oftentimes was to make a career in sports. Ali successfully confronted racial stereotypes. His courage in promoting his own ability, his continuous successful challenges for the world heavyweight championship, his firm stand against the Vietnam War and of course his talent brought him into the center of world sport. When Ali refused induction into the Army on the grounds of his Muslim religious convictions, he simultaneously expressed the African-American desire to assert individual pride and power. By doing so he captured the spirit of youthful rebellion in an age of war protests and draft card burnings as well.
Ali is considered the most elegant of all heavyweights, in the history. Muhammad Ali can be labeled the greatest because of his charismatic personality, skill, and his enduring fame. Ali was fast, smart and pretty, breaking with both the deferential and the monosyllabic traditions of black boxers confronting the white world. Like Best, he rapidly became a familiar face even to non-sport fans. (Whannel) In 1970, a movie was released based on a boxing match between Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali. The fight between Muhammad Ali and Jon Frazier in 1971 was named The Fight of the Century. Both boxers were undefeated.
Frazier won by defeating Ali with a hard left hook in the fifteenth round. The Rumble in the Jungle bout was regarded as a political symbol and Muhammad Ali was made representative of blacks who were fighting against the white power. This fight was also the main theme of the documentary movie When We Were Kings, which won the Academy Award in 1996. Alis fight with Chuck Winner, in 1975, was the inspiration for the movie Rocky that also won the Academy Award. After the retirement Muhammad Ali has devoted his time to philanthropy. He announced that he has Parkinson's disease in 1984, and founded Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
In 2005, Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush. Bibliography: Garry Whannel. Media Sports Stars: Masculinities and Moralities. Routledge, 2002 David K. Wiggins.
Glory Bound: Black Athletes in a White America. Syracuse University Press, 1997 Muhammad Ali, web Heroes and Icons: Muhammad Ali, web
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