Laila Ali

Laila Ali: biography

The boxer and TV host had one of the most successful careers and stayed undefeated until the end of her career. Possessing her father’s talent, the fighter displayed incredible skills and gained numerous fans. She managed continuing life after leaving the professional boxing career and could build a family. At the same time, she remains to be demanded TV personality.

Childhood and youth

Her father, the heavyweight champion, was unhappy to hear that Laila was going to become a professional boxer. But before eighteen years, Laila hadn’t thought about this dangerous profession. At the age of sixteen, she worked as a manicurist and later became the owner of the nail salon. As to education, Laila graduated from University with a bachelor’s degree in business. As a teenager, she felt isolated due to her father’s fame. She was arrested several times and came across physical abuse in jail. The girl raised as a Muslim.

Television

The champion became a guest star in various TV series, "The Jersey" among them. Besides, she took participation in the popular dancing contest and took third place in the final. She worked as a correspondent on CBS and hosted the reality shows. In 2019 she appeared singing on "The Masked Singer."

Boxing career

She decided to pursue a career in boxing when Ali watched the fight with Christy Martin. Since the beginning of her career, Ali had special attention as a daughter of the legendary fighter. Her first fight attracted attention by the majority of journalists and fans. The battle was successful for Laila. She knocked out her opponent in the first round. Her second match ended after three seconds when she won it. Fans looked forward to her fight with the daughter of Joe Frazier as their fathers met three times, and these meetings were spectacular. Judges gave a victory to Laila after eight rounds.

Then she took one-year hiatus, after which she received the IBA title in 2002. In 2003 she met Mahfood twice, and these matches were difficult for both boxers. Mahfood was blooded and lost twice. In 2004 she retained the IWBF Light Heavyweight title after stopping O'Neil. In 2005 she still had remained undefeated and got the World Boxing Council title. Laila was the second woman who won it. After her victory in Berlin, Muhammad Ali kissed his daughter. Her last professional fight happened in 2007 when the boxer won O'Neil in the first round by technical knockout.

The boxer was criticized by the other women boxing champions, who stated that Laila avoided the fight with them. But the fighter explained that the boxers demanded an unrealistic sum of money because, after the battle with Laila, their names would have lost value in the boxing world. Her net worth is $10 million.

Personal life

In 2002 the boxer released an inspiring and motivating book, but according to critics, the book proved to be more autobiographical and didn’t give the reader instructions and pieces of advice. In 2000 she was married, her husband worked as her manager. Laila divorced in 2005. Two years later, she married again with the footballer Curtis Conway. The couple has got two kids. Besides, Laila became a stepmother of three Conway’s children.

She doesn’t follow the Islamic faith. She is the eighth kid of the late legendary boxer Muhammad Ali.She prefers to grow up her children without nannies and spend with them all her time. Laila proved to be a conscious mom who is always cooking for her family.

When she decided to try herself in boxing, she went to the gym and worked with a trainer to see natural talent. Laila found out that she is a talented athlete and regretted that she hadn’t started to train earlier. Surprisingly, her favorite kind of sport is tennis.

Being a perfects example of an active and healthy lifestyle, Laila created her blog, where she shares workout regimes, diet, ideas, and family tips. She contributes many efforts to the equal rights of people in the world of professional sport as a member of the Woman Sports Foundation. She also supports charitable organizations. Laila is a demanded speaker in the most prestigious colleges. In 2018 she hit the older man driving through the parking lot. The medics treated the man in the scene. Laila wasn’t arrested, and the event was called an accident by the sheriff.

Championships and accomplishments

• Her fight career record is full of prestigious victories. She took part in professional competitions for eight years from 1999 to 2007. She had twenty-four wins; among them, she ended the matches with knockouts twenty-one times.

• 2007: 02-03 - Gwendolyn O'Neil, Kempton Park, South Africa, TKO 1
• 2006: 11-11 - Shelley Burton, New York, TKO 4
• 2005: Ali won the vacant World Boxing Council female middleweight title in a June bout against Erin Toughill.
• 2004 09-24 - Gwendolyn O'Neil, Atlanta, KO 3
• 2003: 08-23 - Christy Martin, Biloxi, Mississippi, KO 4
• 2001: 06-08 - Jacqueline "Jacqui" Frazier-Lyde, Verona, New York, W 8
• 2000: 10-20 - Kendra Lenhart, Auburn Hills, Michigan, W 6
• 1999: 12-10 - Nicolyn Armstrong, Detroit, MI, W TKO 2.