Becoming Muhammad Ali

Round 1

Reading Check

1. Lucky (Round 1, Introduction)

2. The Golden Gloves tournament in Chicago (Round 1, Poems 1-9)

3. A big house (Round 1, Introduction)

4. Louisville, Kentucky (Round 1, Introduction)

Short Answer

1. He uses a variety of terms to describe his talents as a boxer, including “sweeter, / stronger, / and faster” than Joe Louis and Sugar Ray. (Round 1, Poem 1) He also says that he is both “courageous” and “tenacious.” (Round 1, Poem 9)

2. He’s disappointed to lose, but his pride is still intact. (Round 1, Poem 9)

Round 2

Reading Check

1. Odessa “Bird” Clay (Round 2, Poems 12-15)

2. Two years (Round 2, Poem 17)

3. Fontaine Ferry Park (Round 2, Poem 23)

Short Answer

1. It suggests that he will take any job, regardless of what it is, probably because the family needs the money. (Round 2, Poem 19)

2. They want to see Granddaddy Herman. (Round 2, Poem 20)

3. This phrase refers to the segregated nature of the city. The West End is a Black neighborhood, and it is safe for the boys to be there without having to worry about racism. However, in other parts of town dominated by white people, racism is very present. (Round 2, Poems 22, 23, and 25)

Round 3

Reading Check

1. Superman (Round 3, Introduction)

2. Rudolph (“Rudy”) Valentino, a movie star (Round 3, Poem 29)

3. King of hearts (Round 3, Poem 30)

4. Baseball (Round 3, Poem 30)

Short Answer

1. It demonstrates that Cassius always stands up for and is mindful of his friends and family. (Round 3, Poem 27)

2. They want to be like a boxer who is African American like them. (Round 3, Poem 29)

3. He wants to feel like he is smart in some area, feeling self-conscious that he does not perform well in school. (Round 3, Poem 33)

Round 4

Reading Check

1. Churchill Downs (Round 4, Introduction)

2. Tina “Teenie” Clark (Round 4, Poem 47)

3. A new red Schwinn bicycle (Round 4, Poem 56)

Short Answer

1. They are saving up for new bikes. (Round 4, Poem 49)

2. Cash didn’t finish high school, his father spent time in prison, and his grandfather was enslaved, so Cassius has the first real chance to get an education and move up in society. (Round 4, Poem 53)

3. He points out that there are no Black angels. (Round 4, Poem 54)

Round 5

Reading Check

1. Corky and Teenie (Round 5, Poem 63)

2. A boxing gym (Round 5, Poems 71-72)

3. His mother (Round 5, Poem 75)

Short Answer

1. Lucky thinks he saw a more serious part of Cassius than other people did. This is important since Cassius often projects a façade of confidence, often joking and being funny around others. (Round 5, Introduction)

2. It is stolen, and this leads Cassius to meet Joe Martin and begin his boxing career. (Round 5, Poem 68)

Round 6

Reading Check

1. Journalism (Round 6, Poem 77)

2. “The Louisville Lip” (Round 6, Poem 90)

Short Answer

1. Lucky points out that it is difficult for African Americans to vote, let alone become president, and so he is shocked when Cassius suggests that he could president. (Round 6, Introduction)

2. He says that Cassius needs to “put in the work.” (Round 6, Poem 86)

3. He loses and is nearly knocked out because he doesn’t keep his fists up. (Round 6, Poem 87)

4. It shows that he is supportive of his son’s boxing, even though he earlier said that boxing was not a means of achieving success. (Round 6, Poem 91)

Round 7

Reading Check

1. Riney (Round 7, Poem 96)

2.  Jimmy Ellis (Round 7, Poems 105-107)

Short Answer

1. He slacks off on his regimen, running less, sleeping in, and not hydrating. (Round 7, Poem 94)

2. Emmett Till is similar in age to Cassius, and he was murdered brutally and unjustly because he was Black. (Round 7, Poems 97-101)

3. He doesn’t want to join the army because he believes that boxing is his way to success. He also believes that the government should treat African Americans equally before asking them to fight. (Round 7, Poem 108)

Round 8

Reading Check

1. His mother (Round 8, Introduction)

2. One dollar (Round 8, Poem 114)

Short Answer

1. Cash wasn’t there to cheer him on. (Round 8, Poem 110)

2. He feels like it’s a workout. (Round 8, Poem 113)

3. Corky is also the one who stole the bike. (Round 8, Poem 116)

Round 9

Reading Check

1. Invisible Man (Round 9, Poems 118-119)

2.  Joe Louis, aka the “Brown Bomber” (Round 9, Poem 123)

Short Answer

1. Cassius had a job as night janitor there and once fell asleep in the library because he was so tired. (Round 9, Introduction)

2. His teacher agreed to accept an oral presentation rather than an essay. (Round 9, Introduction)

3. He watches the videos to study their movements. (Round 9, Poem 121)

Final Round

Reading Check

1. When he joins the Nation of Islam (Final Round)

2.  He is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. (Final Round)

Short Answer

1. He will “[f]loat like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” (Final Round)

2. His license to box is suspended, and he doesn’t box for three years. (Final Round)

3. It is a strategy in which Ali pushes his body against the ropes of the ring to lessen the impact of his opponent’s punches. (Final Round)