How Did Muhammad Ali Change Boxing

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. (then subsequently converting to Muslim, thus changing his name), Muhammad Ali is considered by many to be the greatest boxer of all time. His legend began, www.ali.com as a 12 year old, when he proclamed to a police officer that he would “whup” whoever stole his bike. The cop in turn told him he “had better learn how to box”.
While possessing adequate power and phenomenal speed, Ali’s greatest attribute could very well have been his ability to psychologically dismantle his opponent even before they stepped into the ring. In an era when brashness and trash talking weren’t the norm, Ali stepped forward.
According to “www.espn.com”, Ali’s pulse rate at the weigh in before his first title fight against Sonny Liston was “nearly 120 – over double his norm of 54″. Liston understood this to be nerves, but soon found out that wasn’t the case – Ali was just worked up over readying himself for a chance at the heavyweight championship. After his TKO of Liston in the seventh round, Ali became the youngest champion at 22 (that record has since been bested – Tyson won his title at age 20).
In spite of his accomplishments inside the ring, Ali’s influence was felt far outside of it as well. In a time when blacks were facing heavy oppression, Ali stood by his belief’s in not registering for the military. For this, the boxing commission stripped him of his title and decertified him as a professional boxer. In addition to the boxing penalties, he was arrested for draft evasion. After four years and a supreme court hearing, Ali was recertified and allowed to professionally box again.
Throughout his career, Ali faced every top notch opponent there was – in the golden era of the sport. Today, marquee matchups are practically non-existant – partly due to the inability to agree on money and/or logistics, but mostly due to the diluted state of the sport. Ali was surely one of a kind, the type we’re not likely to see again for a long, long time.