Biography of Laila Ali

Normally, a bout that pitted a novice with no amateur experience (Ali) against another (Fowler) who had been KO'd in the first round of her only previous pro fight wouldn't rate mention beyond the local newspaper.

But the ring debut of 21-year old Laila, the second-youngest of Muhammad Ali's nine children, attracted major media attention and journalists from around the world joined 3000 fans in upstate New York to cover it.

Muhammad Ali may be the most recognized and best known sports figure on Earth ... instantly recognized on every continent and in every culture. His life story transcends boxing ... and his ongoing struggle with faltering steps and shaking hands raises troubling questions about boxing's safety. If any of his children had become a boxer, their career would be a "human interest" story of a high order. When one of his daughters chose to box, she became a new reason for the media spotlight to focus on women's boxing.

By coincidence, Laila Ali's ring debut occurred just one day before what was supposed to be the first male-female professional bout ever to be sanctioned by a US state boxing commission ... later ruled, and better named, an exhibition. The near-alignment of the two events focused more attention on female professional boxing than there had been  since Christy Martin's 1996 pay-per-view fight with Dierdre Gogarty.

The power of the Ali name, which evokes memories of a remarkable fighter whose skills and personality captivated millions of boxing fans, is undeniable. And more than just these memories were evoked when Muhammad Ali himself went to Verona to watch his daughter fight. There was an electric moment as the announcer introduced "a man who needs no introduction ..." and "The Greatest" made his way to ringside as the crowd revived the famous chant ... "Ali, Ali, Ali..."