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Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is one of only three boxers to be named “Sportsman of the Year” by Sports Illustrated. He has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine on 37 different occasions, second only to Michael Jordan. He is regarded as one of the best pound for pound boxers in history.

“Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision.”

Being Beneath the Dirt

Poor grades were probably the reason for his withdrawal from high school, and even though he re-enrolled, he graduated at the lowest 4% of his graduating class. He later failed the U.S. Armed Forces qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were sub par. His battles continued when he refused his draft induction into the U.S. Army, while America was at war with Vietnam. When an all-white jury found him guilty of draft evasion, Ali was imprisoned, his boxing license was revoked, and he was stripped of his world championship.

Branching Out Roots for Balance

Ali had a highly unorthodox style for a heavyweight boxer. Rather than the normal style of carrying the hands high to defend the face, he instead relied on foot speed and quickness to avoid punches and carried his hands low. Ali made a name for himself with great hand peed, as well as fast feet and taunting tactics. He was a masterful self-promoter, and his psychological tactics before, during, and after fights became legendary. As an amateur boxer, Cassius Clay (Ali’s given name) won two national Golden Gloves titles and the Light Heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. Ali’s record was 100 wins with 5 losses when he ended his amateur career.

Rising like a Surfacing Stem

When he achieved his first championship, defeating the “invincible” Sonny Liston, in 1964, Ali revealed that he was the member of the Nation of Islam. He discarded his surname, Cassius Clay, as other Nation members did, as a symbol of his ancestors’ enslavement. Malcom X announced that clay would be granted his “X,” and on the same night, Elijah Muhammad issued a statement that Clay would be renamed Muhammad (one who is worthy of praise) Ali (forth rightly guided caliph). Joining the Nation of Islam made him one of that era’s most recognizable and controversial figures.

Muhammad Ali’s fight against induction into the U.S. Army inspired hatred among many, but also admiration among some. Support for Ali grew during the 5-year court battle. During his years without a boxing license, Ali supported himself by opening a restaurant chain called Champburger. He also visited colleges, giving speeches across the country. Joe Frazier, who had become champion during Ali’s absence from the ring, often gave financial assistance to Ali during this time. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction by a unanimous decision, deciding that under the tenets of Islam Ali was a conscientious objector, not a criminal.

Reaching Fruition

As a professional boxer, Ali was 18-0 before meeting beating Liston to become the heavyweight champ, and he successfully defended his title nine times over the course of less than 2 years. He lost his boxing license during what was likely the peak of his career, and after regaining his eligibility, he lost his first bout to Joe Frazier. In a 1974 rematch, Ali knocked out Frazier. He went on to KO George Foreman to win his second heavyweight championship. In 1978, he lost the title to Leon Spinks, and at 36, it was widely believed that Ali’s fighting career was over. However, seven months later, Ali regained the title from Spinks by knockout.

While Ali was renowned for his fast, sharp out-fighting style, he also had a great chin, and displayed a great heart and ability to take a punch, as evidenced in his 1974 fight against George Forman in Zaire, called Rumble in the Jungle. Ali outlasted Forman by retreating to the ropes, inviting Foreman to hit him. Ali’s tactic of leaning on the ropes, covering up, and absorbing ineffective body shots was later termed “The Rope-A-Dope.” By the end of the seventh round, Foreman was exhausted. In the eighth round, Ali dropped Foreman by KO.

Leaving a Legacy

In 1984, Ali discovered he had Parkinson’s disease, a neurological syndrome characterized by tremors, rigidity of muscles and slowness of speech and movement. Despite the disability, he remains a beloved and active public figure. Since his retirement from boxing, Ali has devoted himself to humanitarian endeavors around the globe. He is a devout 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.

Disclaimer: Mud Puds bios are derived from widely-accepted “truths,” as shared in the Public Domain. In the absence of first-hand accounts, information is presented as: “Factual, as far as we know.”

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Home >> Legendary Mud Puds >> Athletic Underdogs >> Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona is a former Argentine soccer player. In 2000, Maradona shared the FIFA Player of the Century award with Pelé after finishing first in a FIFA internet poll on the best player of the 20th century. Despite being considered one of the sport’s most controversial figures, he is also recognized as one of history’s greatest soccer players.

Being Beneath the Dirt

Diego Maradona was born to a poor family and lived in a shantytown on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. At age 11, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighborhood club. He made his professional debut in 1976, ten days before his sixteenth birthday. In the later part of his 20-year career as a professional footballer, Maradona suffered ill health and weight gain, intensified by ongoing cocaine abuse.

He dealt with obesity from the end of his playing career until undergoing gastric bypass surgery, and in 2004, he had a major heart attack following a cocaine overdose. Three years later, Maradona was readmitted to the hospital in order to be treated for hepatitis and effects of alcohol abuse. He was released and re-admitted two days later, and then he was later transfered to a psychiatric clinic specializing in alcohol-related problems.

Branching Out Roots for Balance

Maradona was a strategist and a team player, as well as highly technical with the ball. He could manage himself effectively in limited spaces, and would attract defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee, or give an assist to a free teammate. Being short, but strong, he could hold the ball long enough with a defender on his back to wait for a teammate making a run or to find a gap for a quick shot. One of Maradona’s trademark moves was dribbling full-speed as a left wing, and on reaching the opponent’s goal line, delivering lethally accurate passes to his teammates.

Rising like a Surfacing Stem

Maradona played his first World Cup tournament in 1982. His team advanced to the second round with Maradona playing in the first five matches without being substituted, scoring twice. Next, Maradona was transferred to FC Barcelona in Spain for a then world record contract of £5m. There, Maradona experienced a difficult bout of hepatitis, followed by an injury on the playing field, but Maradona’s physical strength and willpower made it possible for him to be back on the pitch after only 14 weeks.

Reaching Fruition

Maradona captained the Argentine national team to victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, winning the final in Mexico against West Germany. Throughout the 1986 World Cup, Maradona asserted his dominance and was the most dynamic player of the tournament. He played every minute of every Argentina game, scored 5 goals and made 5 assists. During this competition, Maradona cemented his legendary status with two unforgettable goals in a 2-1 quarter-final win against England.

His first goal, as replays showed, was scored illegally by striking the ball with his hand. The goal stood, much to the wrath of the England players, and the play became known as the “Hand of God,” or “la mano de Dios.” Maradona’s second goal was to be later voted by FIFA as the greatest goal in the history of the World Cup. He picked up the ball in his own half and with 11 touches swiveled around and ran more than half the length of the field, dribbling past five English players. This goal was voted the Goal of the Century in a 2002 online poll conducted by FIFA.

Maradona followed the England game with two more goals in the semifinal against Belgium, including another virtuoso dribbling display for the second goal. In the final, the opposing West German side attempted to contain him by double-marking, but he nevertheless found the space to give the final service to his teammate for the winning goal. Argentina beat West Germany 3-2 in front of 115,000 spectators at the Azteca stadium and Maradona lifted the World Cup trophy as the greatest player in the world after dominating the tournament in a way no other player had ever done before in the history of the World Cup.

Leaving a Legacy

During an international career that included 91 caps and 34 goals, Maradona played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments, leading the Argentina national team to its victory over West Germany in 1986 World Cup, in which he collected the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player. He started in 21 consecutive matches for Argentina in four World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994), and appeared a World Cup-record 16 times as captain of the national team.

Disclaimer: Mud Puds bios are derived from widely-accepted “truths,” as shared in the Public Domain. In the absence of first-hand accounts, information is presented as: “Factual, as far as we know.”

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