“I am the beloved of God, and Cassius Clay is the name of slavery, which I do not want.” But what did the boxing legend’s DNA reveal?

Muhammad Ali was not only a unique world heavyweight boxing champion, but also a big bold and bright personality. He announced his conversion to Islam on February 7, 1965, and remained faithful to his faith until his death.

Clay, born on January 17, 1947 in Louisville, Kentucky, defined, according to the logic of my faith, his position on his birth name, saying: “Cassius Clay is a slave name. Don’t want”.

He also stated in 1964, proud of his Islamic name, saying “I am Muhammad Ali, a loose name that means beloved of God, and I insist that people use it when they speak to me.”

Muhammad Ali, the first and only three-time world heavyweight boxing champion, was known for his strong stand and commitment to his principles, as well as faith and sacrifice for them.

Cassius Clay won his first world heavyweight title at the age of 22. Then he knocked out his rival Sonny Liston. After converting to Islam, Muhammad Ali proudly defended the title in a rematch against Liston on May 25, 1965.

Muhammad Ali defeated his opponent in the first round by knockout. Surprising at the time was that the match lasted no more than two minutes.

Over the next three years, Muhammad Ali defeated many heavyweight boxing stars such as Floyd Patterson, Brian London and Cleveland Williams.

On April 28, 1967, Muhammad Ali refused to join the US Army, which was in the midst of its operations in the Vietnam War.

In addition, Muslim legend vehemently opposed the war and declared that it was not obligated to serve under any circumstances. His statements to the press as an opponent of the war attracted widespread media attention.

And Muhammad Ali paid the price for his position in this unfair war, as the boxing authorities stripped him of all titles and went so far as to suspend his boxing license. Ali was even sentenced to five years in prison, but, fortunately, he was released on appeals.

Muhammad Ali resumed his boxing career in the early seventies with more wins, stumbled and suffered his first loss as a professional boxer in 1971 against Joe Frazier, who was then the world heavyweight boxing champion and Clay was out of competition.

Muhammad Ali did not give up, his determination did not weaken, and subsequently he was able to defeat many boxers, and even defeated his rival Frazier in a return fight on January 28, 1974.

Muhammad Ali retired from boxing at the age of thirty-nine, and during his long career, he scored 56 victories, 37 of them by knockout, and lost the fight in 5 head-to-head matches, the last of which was against Trevor Berbick on December 11, 1981.

In later years, Muhammad Ali’s health deteriorated after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984, but he remained in the spotlight for many more years.

Muhammad Ali Clay, the legend of sports and life, passed away on June 3, 2016 at the age of 74, leaving behind a championship and high positions.

It is noteworthy that the family of Muhammad Ali, after his death, discovered through DNA tests his relationship with Archer Alexander, a slave hero who fought bravely during the civil war for his freedom and against slavery.

Source: RT