The Cassius Clay Story

Before there was Muhammad Ali, there was Cassius Clay: young, brash, Black, beautiful. Cassius not only won each boxing match, he correctly predicted the round in which he would win! In this exciting new book, David W. Coleman captures Muhammad Ali as never before: focusing on Cassius Clay and on Clay's incredible career in the boxing ring. All of Clay's professional bouts are covered in detail, from fighting police chief Tunney Hunsaker to the heavyweight champion of the world, Sonny Liston! However, The Cassius Clay Story does not simply summarize the Champ's triumphs. It gives an in depth look at the men who shared the ring with The Greatest: who they were, where they came from, how they qualified for a match during Clay's meteoric rise, and what happened to them after they lost to the Louisville Lip. As such, The Cassius Clay Story is not simply a biography of a great prizefighter, it is also a pocket history of boxing in the heavyweight division during the first half of the turbulent decade of the 1960's. Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali turned out to be a perfect symbol of that decade of radical change. Once hated by many in his home country, Muhammad Ali today is deeply loved both at home and abroad. It has been written that Ali's image is the most recognizable in the world, today. The Cassius Clay Story tells how the legend of this universally loved champion began. With nearly a year's worth of research and preparation, the book offers over 50,000 words on the part of the legend that has been nearly lost in the 30 years since Muhammad Ali's last fight: What was so great about Cassius Clay in the ring? Readers of this book will surely be able to answer that question!