by Geoffrey M. Horn
Please visit our web site at: www.garethstevens.com For a free color catalog describing Gareth Stevens Publishing s list of high-quality books and multimedia programs, call 1-800-542-2595 (USA) or 1-800-387-3178 (Canada). Gareth Stevens Publishing s fax: (414) 332-3567. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Horn, Geoffrey M. Laila Ali / by Geoffrey M. Horn. p. cm. (Today s superstars: sports) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8368-6181-7 (lib. bdg.) 1. Ali, Laila Juvenile literature. 2. Boxers (Sports) United States Biography Juvenile literature. 3. Women boxers United States Biography Juvenile literature. I. Title. GV1132.A39H67 2006 796.83092 dc22 2005030342 This edition first published in 2006 by Gareth Stevens Publishing A Member of the WRC Media Family of Companies 330 West Olive Street, Suite 100 Milwaukee, WI 53212 USA This edition copyright 2006 by Gareth Stevens, Inc. Editor: Jim Mezzanotte Art direction and design: Tammy West Picture research: Diane Laska-Swanke Photo credits: Cover, Hector Mata/AFP/Getty Images; p. 5 Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images; p. 7 Jamie Squire/ Getty Images; pp. 9, 11, 13, 17, 18, 23, 25 AP/Wide World Photos; p. 27 Brad Barket/Getty Images All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 09 08 07 06
CONTENTS Chapter 1 It Runs in the Family............ 4 Chapter 2 The Ali Way...................... 10 Chapter 3 Bad Attitude..................... 15 Chapter 4 Life Lessons...................... 20 Chapter 5 Top of Her Game................. 24 Time Line............................... 29 Glossary................................ 30 To Find Out More........................ 31 Index................................... 32
IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. It s Saturday night, June 11, 2005. The arena is packed. More than fifteen thousand fight fans are ready to rumble. A chant begins: Ali! Ali! Ali! The fans catch a glimpse on the TV screens of Muhammad Ali, seated near ringside. He s a boxing legend. He still calls himself The Greatest and it might just be true. In his twenties, he moved with dazzling speed and grace. But he s sixty-three now, and he shows his age. FACT FILE Muhammad Ali has Parkinson s disease, which attacks the nervous system. The disease makes it hard for him to speak without slurring or to move without trembling. 4
Words Heard Round the World Laila s ring name ( She Bee Stingin ) reflects her father s famous boxing strategy: Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Here are some other well-known statements credited to Muhammad Ali: I m not the greatest. I m the double greatest. Not only do I knock em out. I pick the round. I m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark. It s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up. I say get an education. Become an electrician, a mechanic, a doctor, a lawyer anything but a fighter. In this trade, it s the managers that make the money and last the longest. Laila shares a tender moment with her father after winning her title fight against Erin Toughill. 5
Ali! Ali! Ali! The chant starts again. But this time, it s for Muhammad s daughter, super middleweight champion Laila Ali. She s the queen of women s boxing. Laila jumps into the ring. She pumps her right fist. The look in her eyes says she ll do whatever it takes to win. Another Mismatch The spotlight falls on the ring announcer. First, he introduces the challenger, Irish Erin Toughill (TOE-hill). She is a martial arts champion, but she hasn t boxed much. Her strategy is simple: crowd Ali. Go for the body. Rough her up. Wear her down. The announcer then introduces the champion, Laila She Bee Stingin Ali. She comes into the match with twenty wins and no losses. Seventeen of her wins have been knockouts. Most people in the arena know her strategy: go for the FACT FILE Laila (LAY-la) Ali is 5 feet, 10 inches (1.8 meters) tall. For her fight against Erin Toughill, she weighed 167 pounds (76 kilograms). 6