During an interview, Laila Ali stated that she had had three significant contradictions with her father, Muhammad Ali. The first happened when she was very young. Laila stopped following her father’s adopted faith, refusing to toe his line. Later, when she turned eighteen, the future world champion miffed her father a second time. Laila left her home and started living with her then-boyfriend. Finally, much against her father’s wishes and admonishments, she decided to follow him into a career in boxing. 

Fans and viewers could make out her feistiness; after all, her father had made a name for himself in that department. But before she became the formidable champion the world came to know about, Laila, in her words, lived in a ‘dysfunctional’ family. The former super middleweight and light heavyweight champion described a turbulent childhood in her book ‘Reach! Finding Strength, Spirit, and Personal Power.’ Written along with author David Ritz, she takes readers through a journey leaving most in a state of surprise. 

Laila Ali’s dreams; a house, with no one to protect her

Because of her father’s popularity, hordes of people visited their residence. As a result, a young Laila Ali often felt like being on ‘display,’ and unguarded.

Recollecting one particular phase from her childhood, Laila describes having two “recurring dreams”- “In the first, the mansion becomes a maze where a killer is looking for me…”

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She explains the dream sequence further – trying to escape the maze and hiding underneath a table. Later, she clung to the table, hoping the crazed man would miss her presence.

She recollects being summoned to her father’s room in the second dream. Upon reaching the place, she is told to sit on a woman’s lap, “…who, just like that, turns into a skeleton.” 

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She makes a beeline for the upper level, where she finds a lively Mardi Gras atmosphere, with parties in every room. Running away as she approaches the porch, thunder and a flash of lightning greet her, “A monsoon is washing over the mansion. The porch becomes a ship. Everyone aboard the ship is a skeleton. She runs back inside, where everyone she touches turns into a skeleton.” Unfortunately, no one can rescue her while she’s stuck in the house.

Laila Ali, the two-division world champion

The gripping surrealism of a youngster is sure to register a lasting impression on a reader. Embarking on a professional career in 1999, Laila ‘She Bee Stingin’ Ali fought 24 times. Never losing a single match, she won 21 of her bouts through knockouts. In 2002, she became the IBA super middleweight champion and won the WIBF and WIBA titles a year later. Then, stepping up, Laila Ali won the WIBF light heavyweight title in 2004.  She retired in 2007 with all her titles intact.

Watch Out for More: Laila Ali shared her journey to becoming a successful athlete