Ali's Crowning Achievements; Hit It Big: He proved his mettle with Olympic gold and the heavyweight title.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)

Publication: Investor's Business Daily

Bookmark this article Print this article Link to this article Email this article Digg It! Add to del.icio.us RSS

COPYRIGHT 2003 Investor's Business Daily, Inc.

Byline: CURT SCHLEIER

As a teen-ager, Muhammad Ali studied the best fighters of his time -- and learned what not to do.

As he explains in his autobiography, "The Greatest: My Own Story" (written with Richard Durham): once he decided to become a fighter, "I started watching fights on TV with more interest. What caught my eye was the way fighters trade punches with each other. I see Ralph "Tiger' Jones, Hurricane Jackson, Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer, and watch as they stand and get hit with the same punch. Or jab each other over and over."

Getting hit was not high on Ali's wish list. It was out of these sessions in front of the TV that the young fighter began developing his unique style.

He'd punch or jab an opponent and then lean back from the waist up to avoid any counterpunches. "Every day in the gym I practice pulling back from the punches. I jab and then lean back," he wrote.

His technique worked. In 1960, he won...

Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.