DE Cerutti Books Special Online Tribute & Life Lessons Of “THE GREATEST” Muhammad Ali Out
"Wise
men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say
something". -Plato
PART 1: BRIEF INTRODUCTION
In his world pragmatic
book, HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE THINK, veteran author, John
Maxwell The #1 New York Times Bestselling Author argued under the
chapter, * Utilize Strategic Thinking*that" When
Failure Is Not An option, nothing serves a person better than strategic
thinking, for some people don't plan, for while some plan their lives one day
at a time, others just live life as it comes”
But such was my thinking when the inspiration
first got to me to do a mini success book on the greatest Muhammad Ali, many
have often asked me , why book on Ali? Here is a man who have indeed inspired
millions globally
In words of Malcolm Brown, Americas
boxing writer, we can learn few important things from Ali and these lessons
forms the summary of this epic quote book
·
Believe in Yourself.
I AM THE GREATEST! Billions of people heard
these words rise from the spirit of Muhammad Ali. He devoured Sonny Liston,
went to war with Joe Frazier, and made a mockery of the man who hit so hard, he
made larger than life heavyweights fly across the ring. Yes, George
foreman himself had to take account of Ali’s genius.
The
truth is we live in a world of timid people who are fighting and trying their
best to be “normal.” So your confidence offends them. But Mr. Ali teaches us
different. He teaches us to exalt and proclaim your greatness. Win or
lose, understand and fall in love with your greatness. Never dull yourself
down to make weak people feel
comfortable. It’s a warriors’ mentality at its purest form.
·
Stand For Something.
Its 1967, Muhammad Ali is in his prime.
Nobody in sight could touch him. He sustained victories over Cooper, Patterson,
Chuvalo, Terrell just to name a few. All of a sudden the war in Vietnam has a
huge flare. M
Muhammad Ali had been inducted to the U.S.
draft. He then does something so against the grain it did two things.
It first infuriated people. In the eyes of some
Americans, denying the draft meant that you were “unpatriotic.” The
Ali camp received huge backlash from his denial, position against the war, and
his comments.
The second thing it did was inspired
people. Most people understood that his position was strong and rooted in good
morals. Being able to stand against the ridicule and hate to maintain
your position was a huge sign of bravery.
My mom always said to stand for something
or fall for anything. This is a call to again, find your identity and who
you are. Knowing this is the only way to know what is acceptable in your life.
Knowing who you are is knowing who you are not.
Ali
knew this, and he taught us this in an infallible fashion. By sacrificing his
time, money,
passion, title, and potentially his freedom.
·
Have Faith.
According to biblical text, “Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.”-Hebrews
11:1 Let’s hone in on the, “evidence of things not seen” part. We live in a day
in time where skepticism is a way of life. People wouldn’t believe their own
hand if it weren’t attached to them.
There’s more to life and its inner workings
than our eyes can see. And far past our level of understanding. That’s why
science is always playing ketchup ( Haha…get it? I meant catch up, but I said
ketchup…oh never mind!). But fear of the unknown is what keeps the minds
of people trapped in a box.
This
box is called logic. But faith on the other hand is the absence of fear. It is
pure and highly concentrated belief. Having this will propel you farther than
the well thought out facts and statistics.
Ali definitely had this. As a child he
would tell the neighborhood children how great he was going to be. “I’m going
to be the heavyweight champion of the world.” Of course they all would laugh.
Especially because no one in his family was
anywhere close to heavyweight size. But he did what few people
are persistent enough to do. And that’s make good on your promises. Faith
allows you to borrow strength from the vision of your future and conquer the
challenges facing you today.
The
life lessons to learn from Ali are so numerous to name in one day, it s our hope
and aspirations @ CERUTTI MEDIA & BOOKS INC that this token tribute book on
best of Ali’s quote will inspire all and sundry to live their dreams and never
think of the option of quitting the big picture
PART 2: ALI’S 50 GREATEST QUOTES
1.
"My principles are more
important than the money or my title."
2.
"I know where I'm going, and I
know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be
what I want."
3.
"I hated every minute of
training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as
a champion."
4.
"He who is not courageous
enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."
5.
"Friendship... is not something
you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you
really haven't learned anything."
6.
"I've made my share of mistakes
along the way, but if I have changed even one life for the better, I haven't
lived in vain."
7.
"If they can make penicillin
out of mouldy bread, they can sure make something out of you."
8.
"Only a man who knows what it
is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up
with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even."
9.
"It isn't the mountains
ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe."
10. 
"Service to others is the
rent you pay for your room here on earth. "
11.
"It's the repetition of
affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep
conviction, things begin to happen."
12.
"The man who has no imagination
has no wings."
13.
"Age is whatever you think it
is. You are as old as you think you are."
14.
"A man who views the world the
same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life."
15.
"I wish people would love everybody
else the way they love me. It would be a better world."
16.
"My only fault is that I don't
realize how great I really am."
17.
"It's lack of faith that makes
people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself."
18.
"The fight is won or lost far
away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road,
long before I dance under those lights."
19.
"I never thought of losing, but
now that it' s happened, the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation
to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life."
20. 
"Silence is golden when you
can't think of a good answer."
21.
"It's not bragging if you can
back it up."
22.
"What keeps me going is
goals."
23.
"When you can whip any man in
the world, you never know peace."
24.
"I wanted to use my fame and
this face that everyone knows so well to help uplift and inspire people around
the world."
25.
"I'm no leader; I'm a little
humble follower."
26.
"Old age is just a record of
one's whole life."
27.
"Don't count the days; make the
days count."
28.
"Impossible is just a big word
thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been
given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a
fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible
is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing."
29.
"Hating people because of their
color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just
plain wrong."
30.
"Live everyday as if it were
your last because someday you're going to be right."
31.
"I don't count the sit-ups. I
only start counting when it starts hurting because they're the only ones that
count. That's what makes you a champion."
32.
"The will must be stronger than
the skill."
33.
"Inside of a ring or out, ain't
nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong."
34.
"At home I am a nice guy: but I
don't want the world to know. Humble people, I've found, don't get very
far."
35.
"Now the things that once were
so effortless - my strong voice and the quickness of my movements - are more
difficult. But I get up every day and try to live life to the fullest because
each day is a gift from God."
36.
"Life is short; we get old so
fast. It doesn't make sense to waste time on hating."
37.
"I try to learn as much as I
can because I know nothing compared to what I need to know."
38.
"Wars of nations are fought to
change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change."
39.
"You lose nothing when fighting
for a cause ... In my mind the losers are those who don't have a cause they
care about."
40.
"You don't lose if you get
knocked down; you lose if you stay down."
41.
"When a man says I cannot, he
has made a suggestion to himself. He has weakened his power of accomplishing
that which otherwise would have been accomplished."
42.
"Just remember that you don't
have to be what they want you to be."
43.
"The only limitations one has,
are the ones they place on themselves"
44.
"I don't smoke but I keep a
match box in my pocket, when my heart slips towards sin, I burn the matchstick
and heat my palm with it, then say to myself, "Ali you can't even bear
this heat, how would you bear the unbearable heat of hellfire?"
45.
"My soul has grown over the
years, and some of my views have changed. As long as I am alive, I will
continue to try to understand more because the work of the heart is never
done."
46.
"What you are thinking is what
you are becoming."
47.
"Whatever the challenge was,
however unattainable the goal may have seemed, I never let anyone talk me out
of believing in myself."
48. "I'd like for them to say he
took a few cups of love, he took one tablespoon of patience, teaspoon of
generosity, one pint of kindness. He took one quart of laughter, one pinch of
concern, and then, he mix willingness with happiness, he added lots of faith,
and he stirred it up well, then he spreads it over his span of a lifetime, and
he served it to each and every deserving person he met."
49.
"Impossible is just a big word
thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been
given than to explore the power they have to change it."
50.
"I am grateful for all my
victories, but I am especially grateful for my losses, because they only made
me work harder."
PART 3: Ali's profile
Ali was born in
Louisville, Kentucky in 1942. He was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus
Clay, Sr., (who was named after the 19th-century abolitionist and politician
Cassius Clay). Ali would later change his name after joining the Nation of
Islam. He subsequently converted to Sunni Islam in 1975.
Early
boxing career
Standing at 6’3″ (1.91 m), Ali had a highly
unorthodox style for a heavyweight boxer. Rather than the normal boxing style
of carrying the hands high to defend the face, he instead relied on his quick
feet and ability to avoid a punch. In Louisville, October 29, 1960, Cassius
Clay won his first professional fight. He won a six-round decision over Tunney
Hunsaker, who was the police chief of Fayetteville, West Virginia. From 1960 to
1963, the young fighter amassed a record of 19-0, with 15 knockouts. He defeated
such boxers as Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson,
George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, Lamar Clark (who had won his previous 40 bouts
by knockout), Doug Jones, and Henry Cooper. Among Clay’s victories were versus
Sonny Banks (who knocked him down during the bout), Alejandro Lavorante, and
the aged Archie Moore (a boxing legend who had fought over 200 previous fights,
and who had been Clay’s trainer prior to Angelo Dundee).
Clay won a disputed 10 round decision over Doug Jones,
who, despite being lighter than Clay, staggered Clay as soon as the fight
started with a right hand, and beat Clay to the punch continually during the
fight. The fight was named “Fight of the Year” for 1963. Clay’s next fight was
against Henry Cooper, who knocked Clay down with a left hook near the end of
the fourth round. The fight was stopped in the 5th round due to a deep cut on
Cooper’s face.
Despite these close calls against Doug
Jones and Henry Cooper, he became the top contender for Sonny Liston’s title.
In spite of Clay’s impressive record, he was not expected to beat the champion.
The fight was to be held on February 25, 1964, in Miami, Florida. During the
weigh-in before the fight, Ali frequently taunted Liston. Ali dubbed him “the
big ugly bear”, and declared that he would “float like a butterfly and sting
like a bee,” Ali was ready to dance around the ring, as he said, “Your hands
can’t hit what your eyes can’t see.”
This was a typical buildup for Ali, who
increasingly enjoyed playing to the crowd and creating a buzz before a fight.
It was good news for fight promoters, who saw increased interest in any fight
involving the bashful Ali.
Vietnam
War
In 1964, Ali failed the Armed Forces
qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were inadequate.
However, in early 1966, the tests were revised and Ali was reclassified 1A. He
refused to serve in the United States Army during the Vietnam War as a
conscientious objector, because “War is against the teachings of the Holy
Koran. I’m not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in
no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don’t take part in
Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers.” Ali also famously said,
Ali also famously said,
“I ain’t got no quarrel
with those Vietcong” and “no Vietcong ever called me nigger.”
Ali refused to respond to his name being
read out as Cassius Clay, stating, as instructed by his mentors from the Nation
of Islam, that Clay was the name given to his slave ancestors by the white man.
“Cassius Clay is a slave
name. I didn’t choose it and I don’t want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name –
it means beloved of God – and I insist people use it when people speak to me
and of me.”
By refusing to respond to this name, Ali’s
personal life was filled with controversy. Ali was essentially banned from fighting
in the United States and forced to accept bouts abroad for most of 1966.
From his rematch with Liston in May 1965,
to his final defence against Zora Folley in March 1967, he defended his title
nine times. Few other heavyweight champions in history have fought so much in
such a short period.
Ali was scheduled to fight WBA champion
Ernie Terrell in a unification bout in Toronto on March 29, 1966, but Terrell
backed out and Ali won a 15-round decision against substitute opponent George
Chuvalo. He then went to England and defeated Henry Cooper and Brian London by
stoppage on cuts. Ali’s next defence was against German southpaw Karl
Mildenberger, the first German to fight for the title since Max Schmeling. In
one of the tougher fights of his life, Ali stopped his opponent in round 12.
Ali returned to the United States in
November 1966 to fight Cleveland “Big Cat” Williams in the Houston Astrodome. A
year and a half before the fight, Williams had been shot in the stomach at
point-blank range by a Texas policeman. As a result, Williams went into the
fight missing one kidney, 10 feet of his small intestine, and with a shrivelled
left leg from nerve damage from the bullet. Ali beat Williams in three rounds.
On February 6, 1967, Ali returned to a
Houston boxing ring to fight Terrell in what became one of the uglier fights in
boxing. Terrell had angered Ali by calling him Clay, and the champion vowed to
punish him for this insult. During the fight, Ali kept shouting at his
opponent, “What’s my name, Uncle Tom … What’s
my name.” Terrell suffered 15 rounds of brutal punishment, losing 13 of 15
rounds on two judges’ scorecards, but Ali did not knock him out. Analysts,
including several who spoke to ESPN on the sports channel’s “Ali Rap” special,
speculated that the fight only continued because Ali chose not to end it,
choosing instead to further punish Terrell. After the fight, Tex Maule wrote,
“It was a wonderful demonstration of boxing skill and a barbarous display of
cruelty.”
Ali’s actions in refusing military service
and aligning himself with the Nation of Islam made him a lightning rod for
controversy, turning the outspoken but popular former champion into one of that
era’s most recognisable and controversial figures. Appearing at rallies with
Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad and declaring his allegiance to him at a
time when mainstream America viewed them with suspicion — if not outright
hostility — made Ali a target of outrage, and suspicion as well. Ali seemed at
times to even provoke such reactions, with viewpoints that wavered from support
for civil rights to outright support of separatism.
Near the end of 1967, Ali was stripped of
his title by the professional boxing commission and would not be allowed to
fight professionally for more than three years. He was also convicted for
refusing induction into the army and sentenced to five years in prison. Over
the course of those years in exile, Ali fought to appeal his conviction. He
stayed in the public spotlight and supported himself by giving speeches primarily
at rallies on college campuses that opposed the Vietnam War.
“Why should they ask me to
put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on
brown people while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?”
– Muhammad Ali – explaining why he refused
to fight in Vietnam
In 1970, Ali was allowed to fight again,
and in late 1971 the Supreme Court reversed his conviction.
Muhammad
Ali’s comeback
In 1970, Ali was finally able to get a
boxing license. With the help of a State Senator, he was granted a license to
box in Georgia because it was the only state in America without a boxing
commission. In October 1970, he returned to stop Jerry Quarry on a cut after
three rounds. Shortly after the Quarry fight, the New York State Supreme Court
ruled that Ali was unjustly denied a boxing license. Once again able to fight
in New York, he fought Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden in December
1970. After a tough 14 rounds, Ali stopped Bonavena in the 15th, paving the way
for a title fight against Joe Frazier.
The
Fight of the Century
Ali and Frazier fought each other on March
8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden. The fight, known as ‘”The Fight of the
Century”, was one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts of all time and remains
one of the most famous. It featured two skilled, undefeated fighters, both of
whom had reasonable claims to the heavyweight crown. The fight lived up to the
hype, and Frazier punctuated his victory by flooring Ali with a hard left hook
in the 15th and final round and won on points. Frank Sinatra — unable to
acquire a ringside seat — took photos of the match for Life Magazine. Legendary
boxing announcer Don Dunphy and actor and boxing aficionado Burt Lancaster
called the action for the broadcast, which reached millions of people.
Frazier eventually won the fight and
retained the title with a unanimous decision, dealing Ali his first
professional loss. Despite an impressive performance, Ali may have still been
suffering from the effects of “ring rust” due to his long layoff.
In 1973, after a string of victories over
the top Heavyweight opposition in a campaign to force a rematch with Frazier,
Ali split two bouts with Ken Norton (in the bout that Ali lost to Norton, Ali
suffered a broken jaw).
Rumble
in the Jungle
In 1974, Ali gained a match with champion
George Foreman. The fight took place in Zaire (the Congo) – Ali wanted the
fight to be there to help give an economic boost to this part of Africa. The
pre-match hype was as great as ever.
“Floats like a butterfly,
sting like a bee, his hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see.”
– Muhammad Ali – before the 1974 fight
against George Foreman
Against the odds, Ali won the rematch in
the eighth round. Ali had adopted a strategy of wearing Foreman down though
absorbing punches on the ropes – a strategy later termed – rope a dope.
This gave Ali another chance at the world
title against Frazer
“It will be a killer, and a
chiller, and a thriller, when I get the gorilla in Manila.”
– Ali before Frazer fight.
The fight lasted 14 rounds, with Ali
finally proving victorious in the testing African heat.
Muhammad
Ali in retirement
Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
in the early 1980s, following which his motor functions began a slow decline.
Although Ali’s doctors disagreed during the 1980s and 1990s about whether his
symptoms were caused by boxing and whether or not his condition was
degenerative, he was ultimately diagnosed with Pugilistic Parkinson’s syndrome.
By late 2005 it was reported that Ali’s condition was notably worsening.
According to the documentary ‘When We Were Kings’ when Ali was asked about
whether he has any regrets about boxing due to his disability, he responded
that if he didn’t box he would still be a painter in Louisville, Kentucky.
Speaking of his own Parkinson’s disease,
Ali remarks how it has helped him to look at life in a different perspective.
“Maybe my Parkinson’s is God’s way of reminding me
what is important. It slowed me down and caused me to listen rather than talk.
Actually, people pay more attention to me now because I don’t talk as much.”
“I always liked to chase the girls.
Parkinson’s stops all that. Now I might have a chance to go to heaven.”
Muhammad Ali, BBC
Despite the disability, he remained a
beloved and active public figure. Recently he was voted into Forbes Celebrity
100 coming in at number 13 behind Donald Trump. In 1985, he served as a guest
referee at the inaugural WrestleMania event. In 1987 he was selected by the
California Bicentennial Foundation for the U.S. Constitution to personify the
vitality of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights in various high profile
activities. Ali rode on a float at the 1988 Tournament of Roses Parade,
launching the U.S. Constitution’s 200th birthday commemoration. He also
published an oral history, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times with Thomas Hauser,
in 1991. Ali received a Spirit of America Award calling him the most recognised
American in the world. In 1996, he had the honour of lighting the flame at the
1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 1999, Ali received a special one-off
award from the BBC at its annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
ceremony, which was the BBC Sports Personality of the Century Award. His
daughter Laila Ali also became a boxer in 1999, despite her father’s earlier
comments against female boxing in 1978: “Women are not made to be hit in the
breast, and face like that… the body’s not made to be punched right here
[patting his chest]. Get hit in the breast… hard… and all that.”
On September 13, 1999, Ali was named
“Kentucky Athlete of the Century” by the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in
ceremonies at the Galt House East.
In 2001, a biographical film, entitled Ali,
was made, with Will Smith starring as Ali. The film received mixed reviews,
with the positives generally attributed to the acting, as Smith and supporting
actor Jon Voight earned Academy Award nominations. Prior to making the Ali
movie, Will Smith had continually rejected the role of Ali until Muhammad Ali
personally requested that he accept the role. According to Smith, the first
thing Ali said about the subject to Smith was: “You ain’t pretty enough to play
me”.
He received the Presidential Medal of
Freedom at a White House ceremony on November 9, 2005, and the prestigious
“Otto Hahn peace medal in Gold” of the United Nations Association of Germany
(DGVN) in Berlin for his work with the US civil rights movement and the United
Nations (December 17, 2005).
On November 19, 2005 (Ali’s 19th wedding
anniversary), the $60 million non-profit Muhammad Ali Center opened in downtown
Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to displaying his boxing memorabilia, the
centre focuses on core themes of peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal
growth.
According to the Muhammad Ali Center
website in 2012,
“Since he retired from
boxing, Ali has devoted himself to humanitarian endeavours around the globe. He
is a devout Sunni Muslim, and travels the world over, lending his name and
presence to hunger and poverty relief, supporting education efforts of all
kinds, promoting adoption and encouraging people to respect and better
understand one another. It is estimated that he has helped to provide more than
22 million meals to feed the hungry. Ali travels, on average, more than 200
days per year.”
Muhammad Ali died on 3 June 2016, from a
respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson’s disease.
“Will they ever have
another fighter who writes poems, predicts rounds, beats everybody, makes
people laugh, makes people cry and is as tall and extra pretty as me?”
– Muhammad Ali
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. “Biography of Muhammad Ali”, Oxford, UK
Published by CERUTTI MEDIA & BOOKS Inc.
DISCLAIMER
All the material contained in this
book is provided for educational and Informational purposes only. No
responsibility can be taken for any Results or outcomes resulting from the use
of this material. While every Attempt has been made to provide information that
is both accurate and Effective, the author does not assume any responsibility
for the accuracy or use/misuse of this information.
About the Author
MIKE CERUTTI OSAGIE
Also known as the’ THE Czar of Letters ” is the very definition of a "grass to grace" brand of
success stories writer. Originally a sports' Writer, he was dramatically
converted by Africa’s foremost publisher, Chief Nduka obaigbena, Chairman and
Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY newspapers to a people and life style writer. Mike
Cerutti Osagie has since expanded his talent to deeper areas of writing from
style, to branding, to business, to inspirational, to politics and is today
carving out a niche as a premier luxury /Secret of Rich and famous people
writer
A well-travelled
showman, Mike has been on the wings from the word go and is the current
award winning best style writer, best celebrity prolific writer and only
recently voted as teens favorite young charity personality of the year. This is
on account of his tireless efforts of bringing the world's attention to the
plight of the blind and orphans in society.
An avid reader and prolific writer,
Ceruti Osagie remains one of the few pen pushers who regularly writes about the
rich and famous globally, and what they passed on way to top. He has written on
a large number of famous people over the last few years on his online
blogs: www.worldindustryleaders.blogspot.com &
,
and today has over 9 books to his credit, including the highly controversial
and globally accepted Donald Trump Book:
GOOD, BAD AND GODLY
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