Muhammad Ali

Jemima Tengaripa

I read Muhammad Ali. It is the story of a great champion.

One young black boy went to a gym and talked to Joe Martin, the trainer there.

Joe said "Can you box?"

"No, but I could box and I want to fight some other boys."

Joe says "I can teach you. What's your name?"

"My name is Cassius Clay."

"Ok you are going to be a boxing champion."

Cassius went to the gym six days a week because he liked doing that, but he was not a good student at school

6 years later he had had 108 fights and he had won 100 fights.

In 1960 he went to Rome and boxed for the US when he was only 18 years old. He won an Olympic medal for the US. Cassius was a boxing champion in Louisville. He was famous, but he was black.

In 1964 Cassius was 22 years old. He was tall and strong and had won 19 fights as a professional. The world Champion was Sonny Liston. The newspaper said "Clay can beat the Champion"

Cassius went to fight in Miami. Young Cassius said, I'm beautiful, I'm good, I'm quick and I'm strong." The fight was on February 25. In round 1 Clay danced and in rounds 2, 3 and 4 Clay danced across the ring. Clay was always moving away, and in this way he exhausted and bet Liston.

Cassius had a new name "My name is not Cassius Clay now. It's "Muhammad Ali" Clay he said is a white man's name. In 1967 the US army was in Vietnam. The US government called Muhammad

Ali and said "Your country wants you in the army." "I'm not going to go into the army." The US government said "go into the army or go to jail" Ali said "I'm a boxer. I fight people because that's my job." In 1970 the US government said " you can box again" and he became world champion again. In 1980 Ali lost to Trevor Burbick. Ali was slow and tired but Ali was happy because he was the first famous black American.

Now Ali is working for peace in the world. He is our American Nelson Mandela. Ali is 50 years old and was he has nine beloved children. He moves very slowly now and he likes watching his old

fights on TV.

This book is very nice because Ali is happy because he is a famous boxer, an Olympic and world champion.