Remembering Muhammad Ali and his “birth” in #Florida.
One of “The Greatest” to come out of Florida was Muhammad Ali. As writer Cote notes below what Ferdie Pacheco, “The Fight Doctor,” famously once said, “Cassius Clay was born in Louisville. Muhammad Ali was born in Miami.” Many fight fans and Florida history fans visit the site where the old 5th Street gym in Miami beach once stood to reflect at the creation of a boxing legend. Greg Cote’s story from 2014 below covers the rest….
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BY GREG COTE gcote@MiamiHerald.com
Ferdie Pacheco, “The Fight Doctor,” famously once said, “Cassius Clay was born in Louisville. Muhammad Ali was born in Miami.”
You could further say Ali was born on Feb. 25, 1964 — exactly 50 years ago — on a surreal night at the Miami Beach Convention Center. He fought Sonny Liston as Clay, but his metamorphosis into the preening, floating butterfly that stung like a bee had already occurred.
He would announce the next day that his new name was Cassius X as a convert to the Nation of Islam. Within a week he was forever more Muhammad Ali, set to become perhaps the most important American athlete of the 20th century.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/…/spt-columns-blogs/greg-cote/ar…
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