When he was 12 years old, he received a new bicycle for Christmas, but through his carelessness, the bicycle was stolen. Ali went to a gym to report the theft of his bicycle to a police officer and was overwhelmed by the sight of boxing and the odors of the gym. The police officer, Joe Martin happened to be the boxing trainer at the Columbia Gym (Muhammad 1). Ali enrolled in the boxing program, and Martin became his first trainer (Muhammad 1). The bicycle could be looked upon as a symbol of the start of Ali’s career. Ali could have been trying to learn how to defend and stand up for himself. Ali found the talents of Fred Stoner, a man that taught Ali the fundamentals of boxing, including style and how to increase stamina. Stoner taught young boxers at the Grace Community Center (Muhammad 1). Stoner and Martin could be looked upon as one Ali’s biggest influences, because they helped Ali better his craft. Some might say without Stoner or Martin, Ali would not be the legend he is today. Ali was …show more content…
Ali reveals he is very passionate about what he believes is what is right. He views everybody as equal and treats them that way. Ali has been married four different times with nine children (Muhammad 4). He is a loving father and husband because he shows great care and support for them (Muhammad 4). These are a few of Ali’s attributes that make the public embrace him. Throughout all the excitement of Ali’s career, many critics criticized