However, he was not always thought of as the hero we know him as today. In fact, many people rooted against him early in his career. Despite the criticism he received, he defeated the police chief of Fayetteville, Tunney Hunsaker, in his first ever professional match (Velen). Eighteen victories later, Clay battled Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship, in a real David and Goliath situation. Despite being the underdog, Clay still attempted to provoke Liston, by calling him a “big, ugly bear”. He also said one of the most memorable quotes of all time: “float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee” (“Muhammad Ali's Impact on Sports”). It was one of the most awaited bouts in boxing history. After six rounds of two titans venturing to knock each other out in any way that was humanly possible, Liston surrendered the fight due to a shoulder injury, leaving the entire world astonished and in disbelief (Velen). After that historic victory, Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad …show more content…
Then, he met Ken Norton, a widely unknown boxer. During the second-round Ali’s jaw was broken as a result of a devastating right hook by Norton. Ali battled until the very end, before being beaten by a split decision. It would not be long be Ali got his rematch. Six months later in “The Revenge: Battle of the Broken Jaw” Ali conquered Norton’s unique techniques, winning the final decision after twelve rounds (Velen). Following an effortless bout against Dutchman Rudi Lubbers, Ali was more than ready to face off against his rival, Joe Frazier, again. In a pre-game interview, Ali called Frazier “ignorant”, resulting in his nemesis attacking him. This altercation would result in a five thousand dollar fine to be issued to both of them. Using the incident as motivation, Ali vanquished his opponent, winning yet another decision