By Heiko Oldoerp Jan 17, 2007, 12:48 GMT
Boston - When Muhammad Ali was still known as Cassius Clay and only 12 years old, it was neither boredom nor coincidence that drove him into the boxing ring.
The young black child had a firm goal in mind in 1954 when he appeared for a boxing lesson from Fred Stoner in his home city of Louisville, Kentucky. He wanted to punish the thieves who stole his bicycle. It was a defining moment for the man, who would became world famous and one of the best professional boxers of all time.
Ali will be 65 years old on Wednesday. No great celebration is planned for 'the Greatest,' a moniker he selected himself and used as the title of his book and a 1977 movie.
He will spend his birthday with his wife, Lonnie, and close friends at home in Phoenix, Arizona. There will be no reception, televised gala or boxing poses for the cameras.
Millions of fans worldwide would be happy to celebrate, but more than 25 years in the sport and countless punches have taken a toll.
Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1982, and the diagnosis was revised to pugilists Parkinson's syndrome, a condition that occurs in people who have suffered multiple concussions.
His movements, once graceful and calculated, are shaky, and his voice, once an inspiration for millions of black Americans, is soft and unclear. Throughout his professional boxing career in the 1960s and 1970s, Ali was known for his cockiness and often loud and controversial voice.
'I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was,' the boxer bragged after winning his first title fight against Sonny Liston in 1964.
Though he had an impressive record going into the fight, including an Olympic gold medal, the 1.92-metre challenger was not expected to beat the heavyweight champion.
In the lead-up to the match, his bravado caused a sensation. He taunted Liston, calling him 'the big ugly bear,' but Clay's verbal slings first failed to win him admirers.
New York Times sportswriter Arthur Daley described Clay as 'the loud mouth from Louisville' and predicted he would have his boasts 'jammed down his throat by a ham-like fist belonging to Sonny Liston.'
After six rounds, Clay was declared the victor when Liston could not continue because of a shoulder injury.
Soon after taking the title, Clay converted to Islam and gave up his 'slave name' to become Muhammad Ali and a member of the Nation of Islam, a black Muslim group viewed suspiciously by many whites.
He revolutionized boxing with a style that included letting his arms hang loose at his side, a provocative stance that ran contrary to the traditional high-glove, protective position.
His legs were as fast as his fists. His prancing and seemingly odd combination of movements - called the Ali Shuffle - made everything he did look easy.
Describing himself as a boxer who could 'float like a butterfly and sting like a bee,' Ali was famously poetic. He once called himself 'the astronaut of boxing' and said his opponents were 'just jet pilots.'
In September 1966 Ali boxed European champion Karl Mildenberger in a bout to defend his championship title. He later said it was the most difficult fight since his defeat of Liston, and said he would never again fight Mildenberger.
The following year Ali lost his title and boxing license because of his refusal to serve in the US Army because of his denunciation of the Vietnam War. He proclaimed himself a conscientious objector and said war was against the teachings of the Koran.
'I ain't got no quarrel with those Vietcong,' Ali said, expressing the sentiments of the country's large antiwar movement.
The professional boxing commission stripped Ali of his title and denied him a chance to fight professionally. He was convicted for refusing to be drafted into the army and sentenced to five years in prison. The US Supreme Court ultimately overturned the conviction.
Having lost three years in his prime, Ali was allowed to fight again in 1970. He then embarked on a career-defining 10-year span that included three legendary fights.
The first, in 1971 against Joe Frazier, was Ali's first professional loss. It was billed as the Fight of the Century. Frazier won on points, but Ali performed impressively after his long break.
In the 'Rumble in the Jungle' held in Kinshasa, Zaire, in October 1974, Ali surprised world champion George Foreman, who had won 37 of his previous 40 bouts by knockout.
Ali used a technique later called 'rope-a-dope,' retreating to the ropes, inviting Foreman to punch him, and calling him names. Ali countered Foreman's wild punches with direct blows to the head. He regained his title with an eighth-round knockout, reportedly asking, 'Is that all you got?'
He defended the title one year later in the 'Thrilla in Manila' against Frazier, a duel still considered one of the most brutal in the history of boxing. The opponents were bitter enemies in the ring, and engaged in an ugly verbal war.
'Frazier is too ugly to be world champion,' Ali said. Frazier countered by calling him Cassius Clay and announcing he would not only knock out his opponent, but also tear out his heart.
When Frazier's eyes swelled shut after 14 rounds, his trainer refused to allow him to continue and the fight was stopped. Ali couldn't celebrate because of a circulatory collapse.
Ali continued boxing, struggling against many opponents and claiming several controversial victories. He retired in 1979 and vacated his title, but returned to the ring for two more fights, which he lost.
Ali retired permanently in 1981, with a career record of 56 wins (37 by knockout) and five losses, and as a three-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. In 1999 he was named sportsman of the century by US magazine Sports Illustrated.
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