Before the world came to know Muhammad Ali, his full name was originally Cassius …show more content…
In November of 1962 Clay had to use the skills he had acquired on his former and aging teacher Archie Moore. Neither men wanted to face each other in a match but Moore was in a financially binding position and could not back down. Clay knew he would win the match considering the fact his opponent was forty-eight at the time. After Moore was knocked out and unable to continue, people began to wonder how good of a boxer Cassius Marcellus Clay really was (Myers 26). All the effort and work he put forth throughout the years of his youth had proven to pay off later when he won the title of Heavy Weight Champion of the World in 1964 (Morrison). In addition to the honorable title, Clay has also won many gold medals, adding to his impressive 56-5 ratio of wins to losses through the whole of his career. During 1964 after winning the heavyweight championship, Clay announced that he changed his name to Muhammad Ali and converted to the religion of Islam.
Muhammad Ali has also changed Black history by fighting to end racism. Not only was Clay a boxing professional, but he was also into politics. Few people recognize this side of him, but if one pays close attention to his interviews, he makes his standpoints clear. After returning home from the Olympics in Rome Ali found he had fans all across America (Myers 13). Blacks and whites, young and old, men and women alike were cheering him on. His fame brought a diverse group of people together which was rare to find during the segregated time