Jonah Winter - Muhammad Ali. Champion of the World

Text copyright 2007 by Jonah Winter
Illustrations copyright 2007 by Franois Roca
All rights reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Winter, Jonah. Muhammad Ali: champion of the world / Jonah Winter; illustrated by Franois Roca. 1st ed. p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-375-83622-0 (trade)
ISBN 978-0-375-93787-3 (lib. bdg.)
ISBN 978-0-307-98354-1 (eBook)
1.

Ali, Muhammad, 1942 Juvenile literature. 2. Boxers (Sports)United StatesBiographyJuvenile literature.
I. Roca, Franois, ill. II. Title.

GV1132.A44W56 2008
796.83092dc22
[B] 2006101855
The illustrations are rendered in oil paint. v3.1

IN THE BEGINNING was Jack Johnson, and Jack Johnson was THE MAN the first black king in the Kingdom of Boxing. But after defeating the Great White Hope Jack Johnson was hated and booed all over America just for the color of his skin and for acting proud and so he wandered off to a distant land. And some many years later, in a different age, God said, LET THERE BE
JOE LOUIS, for the world was now ready for another black champion. And Joe Louis appeared and was called THE BROWN BOMBER, but he was more like a TANK. With fists of steel, he slugged his way to the throne of power. And some many years later, there came another mighty king, named Sonny Liston, who existed for only one purpose: to knock people out in the very first round.
And God said, IS THAT ALL THERE IS
TO A BOXER? And the heavens opened up, and there appeared a great man descending on a cloud, jump-roping into the Kingdom of Boxing.

And he was called CASSIUS CLAY. And Cassius Clay said, I WILL BE THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME.
Then he
and
and
and his way to victory, until he had won the Olympic gold medal. And Clay said, IM GOING TO TALK AND TALK AND TALK, AND THE WORLDS GOING TO KNOW MY NAME. For he believed in himself and believed he would be triumphant. And the World said, WHO IS THIS MANWHO BRAGS ABOUT HIMSELF?SURELY HE IS FULL OF HOT AIR!SURELY HE SHOULD KEEP HIS BIG MOUTH SHUT! But Cassius Clay did NOT keep his big mouth shut. He said he could beat the great Sonny Liston, Heavyweight Champion of the World. He said, SONNY LISTONS JUST A BIG UGLY BEAR, and he brought him a big bear collar.
He said, THEY SAY SONNY LISTON IS GREAT, BUT HE MUST FALL TO ME IN EIGHT (eight rounds, that is). When the bell rang at the end of round six, Liston just sat in his corner, and he would not get up. And Cassius Clay said,
And there before the masses stood a great shining man, clad in white silk. And Cassius Clay said,