Why Mohammed Ali is the Greatest Athlete of All Time

As every boxing fan knows the greatest athlete who ever lived would have to be Mohamed Ali. Fifty years after he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, he still remains a legend. Just the mention of his name brings to mind the honesty and integrity that he exhibited throughout his life. Nicknamed 'the greatest' he was quick to live up to the title bestowed on him by his family and friends. He finished up his career with an astounding 56 wins, 37 of those by knock out. One of his most memorable fights was the match's with Joe Frazier and George Foreman, whom he beat by knock out to win the heavyweight title for the second time. Ali was known for his rather unorthodox fighting style. Which was self described as ' float like a butterfly, sting like a bee'. He was also known for trash talking his opponents on national television right before the matches took place, oftentimes using rhymes to entice his opponents into violence during fight time. Mohamed Ali's personality as well as his fighting techniques made him a cultural icon that is well remembered today, nearly 60 years later.

Mohamed Ali was born to a middle class working family and grew up on the streets of Louisville, Kentucky. That is until he met white Louisville police officer and boxing coach Joe E. Martin who begin to train and coach the young Ali. Under the watchful eye and rigorous training of Martin, Ali went on to win six Kentucky Golden Glove titles, two National Golden Glove Titles and the Light Heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. Mohamed Ali began his professional career after winning the Olympic medal and went on to defeat many top fighters to claim his place at the top as the Heavyweight Champion of the world. However the road to the top wasn't traveled easy by Ali. There were many top fighters aching to take on this man who was rampaging the boxing world and fighting his way to the top. In the one of the biggest matches in the career of Ali he defeated George Foreman in what was known as the 'rumble in the jungle' match. This very publicized fight was promoted by another legend, Don King. Almost none, even those in Mohammed's corner thought he had a chance of winning this match. But he proved them all wrong and knocked out Foreman in the 7th round of the fight. What makes Mohamed Ali a legend is that he defeated every top heavyweight fighter of his era, which is known as the golden age of boxing. He was also named fighter of the year by Ring magazine more times than any other fighter in history. He is known as an inductee into the International Hall of Fame and he holds over seven other Hall Of Fame inductees. He was so great he was named Sportsman Of The Year by Sports Illustrated magazine. He has had streets and high schools named after him in his hometown of Louisville Kentucky. In 1993 the Associated Press reported him as being right up there with Babe Ruth as one of the most recognized and remembered sports figures in American History. A study done by the Associated Press showed that 97% of Americans know who Babe Ruth and Mohamed Ali is and what they stood for.

Mohamed Ali also won the 1997 Author Ashe Courage Award for overcoming Parkinson's disease which he was diagnosed with in 1984. Despite the debilitating symptoms of the disease he remains a beloved and very active public figure by serving as spokesman for several different events. He also writes and publishes several different versions of his autobiography. He has overseen several movies which have been made about his life. In November, 2002 Mohamed went to Afghanistan as U.N. Messenger Of Peace and 3 years later was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President George W. Bush. Ali is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. He has founded an organization which serves as a cultural center as well as an international education center that is inspired by the ideals of Mohamed Ali. The center carries on the ideals and legacy of Ali. In the center you will find many exhibits and presentations which introduce Ali's epic life and the six core values by which he lives, respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving and spirituality. The Ali center inspires us to live our dreams and explore the greatness that each of us have lying within ourselves. For more information on the life and works of the great Mohamed Ali visit www.alicenter.org and www.mohammedali.com.