The author of this article has written more than a half-dozen articles about three-time world heavyweight champion, 1960 Olympic gold medalist, and Cassius Clay, who became Muhammad Ali. Clay made the announcement after winning the title by defeating Sonny Liston in February 1964.
Cassius Clay lost in the 1960 Olympic qualifying to Sergeant Percy Price in the heavyweight division. He was allowed to fight in the airy heavyweight division and won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Rome.
In Clay’s eighteenth fight with Doug Jones, who had lost a airy heavyweight title fight to Philadelphia’s Harold Johnson 3-1 in rounds when he was knocked down three times in the fifth round. Jones evened the score at 3-3 in the sixth. With Clay 5-4 on my card before the tenth and final round, Clay finished strongly, winning the round. The final scores were 5-4-1 twice and 8-1-1, amid boos from the fans. Clay had predicted a fourth-round stoppage.
In Clay’s next fight, he was knocked down by Henry Cooper, 27-8-1, in London, with a left hook to the chin in the fourth round. Between rounds, his trainer Angelo Dundee cut his glove, which gave Clay much more time to recover, because Ali had to put on a fresh glove. In the next round, he stopped Cooper on cuts. In his eleventh fight, he was knocked down by Sonny Banks, 10-2, in the first round, only to come back and score a knockdown in the second round and a knockout in the fourth.
In February 1964, Clay defeated Sonny Liston 35-1 to win the world title in six rounds. In November 1966, he never looked better, defeating the substantial, muscular Cleveland “Gigantic Cat” Williams 69-5-2 in three rounds.
In March 1967, in his last fight before being suspended for failing to comply with the Up-to-date York Commission draft, he stopped Zora Folley, 74-7-4. After returning to the ring on appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, he regained his license and in October 1970 he defeated Jerry Quarry, 37-4-4, and it was obvious that his defensive skills had diminished and his hand and foot speed were much slower.
In March 1971, Ali, 31-0, trying to regain his title, met 1964 Olympic gold medalist and then WBA and WBC world champion “Smokin” Joe Frazier, 26-0, losing 7-6, 8-6, and 10-4 before the fifteenth and final round. Ali was knocked down and lost, knocked down and lost for the first time at Madison Square Garden.
Four months later, Ali met former champion Jimmy Ellis, 30-6, with whom he had parted ways in the amateurs. Ellis’s trainer, Angelo Dundee, also trained Ellis and was in his corner for that fight. Ali won the vacant NABF title in that fight.
Ali won the next ten fights before losing a split decision for the second time in the first of three fights to Ken Norton in San Diego in March 1973, breaking his jaw early in the fight. I met him in downtown Philadelphia shortly afterward, when he was in the crowd. An older gentleman told him, “Next time you fight Norton, be a man, not a boy!” Ali replied, “Did you call me Roy?”
Two weeks later I saw an article in the Philadelphia Daily News showing his home in Cherry Hill. Although I was not writing at the time, I went to the house. His wife Belinda opened the door when I asked, “Can I speak to the master?” She said she would defend herself and asked me to come in when she did.
Shortly after, Ali came into the living room where there was a Muslim banner. I said, “Why didn’t you give Doug Jones a rematch?” He led me into a vast room where there were other people. It was either Bobby or his dad, Murray Goodman, both of the Madison Square Garden matchmakers I wrote a story about.
Four years later, at Ali’s training camp in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania (now Fighters Heaven), sitting next to him in the group having my picture taken with him, I asked, “Why are you fighting all these bums?” The look on his face was, “What are you talking about, Willis?”
Six months after losing to Norton Ali in a rematch, the loss was reversed by a split decision. This would be the second of three fights, and many readers believe Norton won them all, not this author.
Two fights later, in January 1974, Ali defeated former champion Frazier in a rematch at Madison Square Garden 6-5, 7-4 and 8-4 in rounds, regaining the NABF title.
This victory gave him a third shot at a world title as he defeated champion “Gigantic” George Foreman (40-0), a former 1968 Olympic gold medalist, by knocking him out in eight rounds.
Two fights later, trailing 49-43, 46-45 and 46-46, in the 11th round Lyle, fighting against the ropes, hit Ali with a rope-a-dope when referee Ferd Hernandez abruptly stopped the fight.
Two fights later, a third meeting with Frazier took place, dubbed “The Thrilla in Manila,” in which Frazier was cornered by his trainer Eddie Futch after 14 rounds of wins of 66-60, 66-62, and 67-62.
Two fights later, he faced Philadelphia’s Jimmy Teenage (17-4-2), in a fight that seemed like a good idea. He sat on the ropes too long, preventing Ali from getting enough points to score a knockout. He lost on points 72-65, 70-68, 71-64. Another controversial decision?
In September 1976, Norton’s third fight took place, the first not by a split decision. Ali won 8-6 and 8-7 twice at Yankee Stadium. He couldn’t have been closer, winning the final round. Two fights later, he found himself on the canvas with the division’s most powerful boxer, Earnie “Black Destroyer” Shavers, 54-5-1, at Madison Square Garden, 9-5 and 9-6 twice.
In his next fight, Ali was defeated by former 1976 Olympic gold medalist Leon Spinks, 6-0-1, by split decision in Las Vegas, Nevada. Spinks showed no fear or respect, winning the title. Seven months later, Ali reversed the decision, coming in much better shape before 63,350 spectators at the Up-to-date Orleans Superdome. It was his last victory.
A year later, Ali was stopped for the first and only time by WBC champion Larry “The Easton Assassin” Holmes, 38-0, in the tenth round, without winning a single round. Again, a little over a year later, he had his last fight, losing to former champion Trevor Berbick, 19-2-1, in Nassau, Bahamas, in December 1981, finishing with a record of 56-5 with 37 stoppages at the age of 39.
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