Some of those points include Cassius Clay’s rebelliousness that nearly cost him his chance at the title, his conversion to the Islamic religion, his defiance to be drafted in the Vietnam War, and the way in which blacks were treated during the 1960’s. These all were interesting parts of the book, but for me the fourth round in the Sonny Liston fight was by far the most intriguing.

At the end of the third round Liston had realized that Muhammad Ali was not only faster and stronger, but also smarter then him. When Liston soon realizes that he is tiring fast and under prepared, he decides to perform the most desperate act in the sport of boxing. Liston in a cowardly atte

mpt to gain the advantage, instructs his corner man Joe Pollino to rub a substance on his gloves. At the beginning of the fourth round Liston tries to rub the unknown substance into Ali’s eyes to cause temporary blinding and severe stinging. The chemical could either be liniment oil of wintergreen, or ferric chloride, which is used to seal cuts

At that time the black Muslims in the crowd behind him became extremely rambunctious thinking Angelo himself was blinding Clay on behalf of the Italian gangsters backing Liston. Dundee and his assistant trainer Norman Mailer could hear the Muslims shouting, “that white man is trying to blind Clay! It’s a conspiracy!” In light of those words Dundee took the chemical filled sponge and wiped it in his own eyes to prove it wasn’t him that committed this sore act.

Liston succeeds in administering the liquid into Ali’s eyes, but fails in everything else. Though Ali suffers from the pain it still isn’t enough to stop the swift Kentucky kid. When the round ends, Ali heads back to his corner in excruciating pain screaming to his corner man Angelo Dundee to take off his gloves. Ali cry’s “cut ‘em off! Cut ‘em off! I can’t see! At this time Dundee makes the most important decision of the two decades of working with Clay. He wasn’t going to let Clay quit.

Jimmy cannon was one of the few columnists that stayed neutral and didn’t make fun of the black athletes. “He gave them their due. As much as he adored DiMaggio, a fighter like Archie Moore captured his schmaltz-clogged heart just as easily,” as Remnick puts it. Cannon did the right thing which back then wasn’t often done.

Ali was rebellious against everyone and everything that would keep him and his people down. His rebelliousness along with his cockiness and inventive rhymes gave the sports wr

Some topics in this essay:
Muhammad Ali, Angelo Dundee, Joe Pollino, King World, Hell Ali, Clay It’s, African-Americans Ali, Cassius Clay’s, David Remnick, Jim Crow, muhammad ali, king world, ali’s eyes, weight champion world, islamic religion, angelo dundee, round liston, champion world, fourth round, heavy weight, military duty, heavy weight champion,