MUHAMMAD ALI, ?THE KING OF BOXING? CELEBRATES HIS 74TH BIRTHDAY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 18 Jan 2016
Muhammad Ali, hailed as ?The King of Boxing? by the World Boxing Council and millions of fans around the world, celebrates his 74th birthday today in the US.
With a record of 56 wins including 37 knockouts and 5 defeats, Ali won the heavyweight championship three times with the WBC stating Ali won ?via his more than brilliant, unique skills and great courage and became the icon of the ring.?
The premier boxing organization, the World Boxing Council under its presidebt Mauricio Sulaiman said ?the sheer charm, and force of his personality, his principled position in opposing US participation in Vietnam and his dignity in every single d ay combating Parkinson?s have made him more than a hero and an example for us.?
The WBC recalls that Ali was born with the name Cassius Marcellus Clay in 1942. As a kid in Louisville, Kentucky the theft of his bicycle would change his life forever as the policeman in charge of h is case, Joe Martin, was a boxing coach and introduced the young Cassius into the boxing world.
An Olympic gold medalist in the light heavyweight division he turned pro and teamed up with one of the greatest trainers and motivators of all-time, Angelo Dundee and in his early years not only won most of his fights by knockout but predicted the round in which his opponent would fall and fulfilled his promise.
Ali?s battles with Sonny Liston, George Foreman and his trilogy with Joe Frazier have emerged as legends of their time.
We had the honor and privilege of being appointed Liaison Office to Ali in the greatest heavyweight clash of all-time, the famous ?Thrilla in Manila? on October 1, 1975 at the Araneta Coliseum which, for the fight, was named ?The Philippine Coliseum? because President Marcos wanted to project the country to an international audience.
President Marcos was the architect of the ?Thrilla in Manila? and as he h imself told us he wanted to show the world that under martial rule ?the country was safe, there was peace and order and discipline along with economic progress and the people were contented.?
Ali himself admired President Marcos and spoke in glowing terms about him.
Besides the president the First Lady Mrs. Imelda Romualdez Marcos played a key role in sealing the deal in a meeting with promoters Don King and Bob Aru, in New York with the help of Games and Amusements Board chairman Louie Tabuena and Mr. Reverente.
We spent countless hours with Ali in his presidential suite at the Manila Hilton and listened to him talk eloquently about religion (he was a Muslim), life, the international situation and of course love.
Ali was a quintessential human being and as the WBC said ?there will never be another fighter remotely like Muhammad Ali ? the greatest sportsman of all-time.?
Happy birthday and peace be with you our champion.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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