Laila Ali
Laila Ali
Laila Amaria Aliis an American former professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2007. She is the daughter of the late heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali with his third wife, Veronica Porsche Ali, and is the eighth of her father's nine children. During her career, from which she retired undefeated, she held the WBC, WIBA, IWBF and IBA female super middleweight titles, and the IWBF light heavyweight title...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBoxer
Date of Birth30 December 1977
CityMiami Beach, FL
CountryUnited States of America
I'm a professional world champion. Of course if you're a world champion, you're working harder than everybody else. You're making the commitment, and you're making the sacrifices. If it were easy, everybody would be able to do it. Everybody would be able to be world champion, but everybody can't be. Everybody doesn't have it in them.
I think that if you do want to be a fighter, then you need to work harder than everybody else and make sure that you surround yourself with good people, especially if you're a woman. You've got to find a team that takes you seriously as a female fighter and is not going to rush you into the ring before you're ready.
My kids know the importance of being active - and that's why teaming up with the USTA was such an organic fit for me. They are making strives to get families outside - and using tennis as a way to get kids to stay active.
She will be much better if she fights out of the country to get the feel of away matches and even jeering from other fans,
Since I was a child, my father was sick. I've always known him to be that way. That's why I'm proud of him - he has a disease he's obviously struggling with, but he's not letting it stop him from doing what he wants to do.
My father loves people. No matter what their race, no matter what their position in life, he treated everyone with kindness and love and respect. And that was instilled in me just by watching him.
My dad is a comedian, entertainer, you know. He always likes to make people laugh. With me, it just depends on what mood I'm in. You get what you get.
By being an athlete, I have uncovered so many other ways to express my beauty. Being a strong, fearless woman makes me feel beautiful. I love the way I look and feel when I am two hours into my training and my skin is glistening with sweat and my clothes are drenched because I have given it all I've got.
All fighters run. The constant motion prepares you for being in the ring. And running strengthens your legs. Punching power comes from your lower body.
Running is my time for myself. I'm like, 'I'm going for a run!' and my husband knows I'm out of there.
My dad is an excellent grandfather. He loves kids. He loves to kiss them to death.
I wasn't in shape at all before I decided to do boxing. I wasn't an athlete. Before boxing, I would go to the gym for a month and stop.
I think that the greatest lesson I learned from my father is just having compassion towards people.
I never intended to box forever, and always planned to move on to do other things.