the way he did. And just as he did in developing a unique but effective boxing style, he came across his style of self-promotion by observing. The subject in this case was Gorgeous George, the first of the over-the-top, blond- bombshell pro wrestlers, whose braggadocio helped pack arenas in the 1950s. But Ali's antics had another purpose: to mess with his opponents' minds. His craziness before the first Liston fight was calculated to psych out the fearsome champ. More importantly Ali's braggadocio showed, like successful people in other fields, Ali dared to shatter stereotypes.
He began his march to the mountaintop in Louisville, Ky., where he was born on January 17, 1942, and christened Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. He started to box at age 12, and from the beginning had a bold, insouciant spirit. He was a great fighter, yes, but there was something in his manner, something in his nature that lifted the heart (Edgerton 54).
What few people seem to realize, after all this time, is that it was in Miami that Muhammad Ali soared into the nation's imagination. It was the place he became a man, the place he became a Muslim, the place he became a champion, the place he won his fame. It was the place that Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali.
After a brief period in California, he boarded a train for Miami to study with Angelo Dundee, then as now considered perhaps the finest boxing teacher, or trainer, in the land. On December 19, 1960, Cassius Clay entered the Fifth Street Gym in Miami Beach, and entered into legend. He was 18 years old.
On Feburary. 25, 1964, the young, relatively untested Ali challenged Liston for the championship at the Miami Beach Convention Center. No one gave him a chance. He seemed to struggle in training, and his whole fight plan appeared to be his braggadocio. He called Liston "a big ugly bear" and said he would send him to a zoo or have him made into a bearskin rug. He recited elaborate poems, one of which ha...