Muhammad Ali: The Glory Years

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First edition (publ. Ebury Press) Muhammad Ali- The Glory Years.jpg
First edition (publ. Ebury Press)

Muhammad Ali: The Glory Years is a 2002 biography of Muhammad Ali co-authored by Felix Dennis and Don Atyeo. [1] The book is described as a photo-rich biography focussing on Ali's boxing fights starting from the age of 12 to his retirement. The book is based upon the authors's interviews with Ali, and also interviews with Ali's friends, family, opponents, and trainers. [2] The book's coverage of Ali's boxing matches has been praised while the chapter on Ali's fight with George Foreman has been described as "an absolute classic." [3] According to a review in Mint, the book features "[s]ports writing at its best." [3]

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Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper fought two boxing matches with each other in London. Their first match took place on 18 June 1963 and the second on 21 May 1966. Ali won both matches. The first fight was stopped by the referee in the fifth round, and the second in the sixth round. Both fights were stopped after Cooper started bleeding excessively from a cut to the left eye. The first Ali-Cooper bout is remembered for being one of the four fights in which Ali was officially knocked down in the ring by his boxing opponent, as well as leading to the mandate that ringside handlers always have an extra pair of boxing gloves available.

Muhammad Ali and Karl Mildenberger fought a boxing match on September 10, 1966. While Mildenberger's unorthodox southpaw style caused Ali some discomfort in the early rounds of the bout, Ali won the fight through a technical knockout after the referee stopped the bout in the 12th round. This was the first time a sports event was broadcast via satellite through color telecast.

Cassius Clay and Archie Moore fought a boxing match on November 15, 1962, in Los Angeles. The fight is notable for being Clay's first professional fight in the modern heavyweight division, and featured two iconic fighters at different ends of their careers.

Muhammad Ali and Joe Bugner fought two boxing matches with each other. Their first bout took place on 14 February 1973; and the second on 1 July 1975. Ali won both matches through unanimous decisions on points. The 1975 fight with Bugner was for the undisputed world Heavyweight title owned by Ali, it was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, making it the first and, as of 2021, only world Heavyweight title boxing fight held in that Asian country, and it was the last bout Ali fought before Ali's Thrilla in Manila, his third fight with arch-rival Joe Frazier.

Muhammad Ali and Richard Dunn fought a boxing match on May 24, 1976. Ali won the bout by knocking out Dunn in the fifth round. The fight is remembered for being the last time Ali would knock down any opponent in the ring in his boxing career.

Muhammad Ali and Jerry Quarry fought two boxing matches with each other. The first bout took place on October 26, 1970; and the second on June 27, 1972. Ali won both fights through technical knockouts.

Heavyweight boxers Muhammad Ali and Oscar Bonavena fought at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 7, 1970. Ali won the bout, his first at the current Madison Square Garden, through a technical knockout in the 15th round.

Muhammad Ali and Jimmy Ellis fought each other in a boxing match at the Astrodome in Houston on July 26, 1971. Ali won the bout through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the twelfth round. This was Ali's first boxing match after Fight of the Century, and had originally been scheduled as a bout between Wilt Chamberlain, who had challenged him, then trained for the bout with Cus D'Amato, but later withdrew from the fight.

Muhammad Ali and Buster Mathis fought each other in a twelve-round boxing match at the Astrodome in Houston on November 17, 1971. Ali dominated the fight throughout and won easily on points. Ali knocked Mathis down twice in the eleventh round and twice again in the final round but refused to move in for a knockout out of compassion for Mathis. Ali had joked before the fight that "I'm going to do to Buster what the Indians did to Custer". One of the fight posters promoting the match said "Be there when the Mountain comes to Muhammad".

Muhammad Ali and Mac Foster fought each other in a fifteen-round boxing match in Tokyo on April 1, 1972. Ali won the fight on points through a unanimous decision.

Cassius Clay fought a ten-round boxing match with Charlie Powell in Pittsburgh on January 24, 1963. Clay won the bout by knocking out Powell in the third round.

Cassius Clay fought Sonny Banks in a ten-round boxing match at Madison Square Garden in New York City on February 10, 1962. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the fourth round. The event is remembered for being the first professional boxing match in which Ali was officially knocked down in the ring by his boxing opponent.

Cassius Clay fought Billy Daniels in a ten-round boxing match at St. Nicholas Arena in New York City on May 19, 1962. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the seventh round. The fight featured a series of clinches and calls of "break" from the referee. Clay was ahead on points when the referee stopped the fight after a cut opened above Daniels' left eyebrow. At the time of the stoppage, referee Mark Conn had Clay ahead 5–1, and judges Artie Aidala and Leo Birnbaum had him in front 4–2. Both Daniels and Clay had been undefeated up till this bout.

Cassius Clay fought an eight-round boxing match with LaMar Clark in Louisville on April 19, 1961. Clark had entered the ring with a formidable reputation of knocking out 45 of his previous opponents. However, Clay broke Clark's nose in the fight and won the bout through a knockout in the second round following which Clark retired from boxing.

Cassius Clay fought a ten-round boxing match with Willi Besmanoff in Louisville on November 29, 1961. Clay won the bout through a technical knockout in the seventh round after the referee stopped the fight with Besmanoff sprawled on his back on the canvas.

Cassius Clay fought a ten-round boxing match with Don Warner in Miami on February 28, 1962. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout after the referee stopped the fight in the fourth round. Warner would later serve as a sparring partner for Joe Frazier.

Cassius Clay fought a ten-round boxing match with Tony Esperti in Miami on January 17, 1961. Clay won the bout through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the third round after Esparti's left eye had been cut by Clay's jabs. Esperti was later convicted of first degree murder for gunning down mafia boss Thomas Altamura, a member of the Gambino crime family.

Cassius Clay fought a boxing match with Herb Siler in Miami on December 27, 1960. Clay won the bout through a technical knockout after the referee stopped the fight in the fourth round. The fight had taken place soon after Clay had joined the 5th Street Gym.

Cassius Clay fought Jim Robinson in a boxing match at Miami Beach Convention Center on February 7, 1961. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the first round. Robinson was a last minute replacement for another fighter who was supposed to fight Clay on the night of the fight; this was Robinson's second professional boxing match.

Muhammad Ali was initially raised as a Baptist before entering Islam.

References

  1. Felix Dennis; Don Atyeo (2003). Muhammad Ali: The Glory Years. miramax books.
  2. "Muhammad Ali: The Glory Years" . Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Seven books on Muhammad Ali". Mint. 4 June 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.