Laila Ali, the undefeated former champ, opened up on her impulsive teenage decisions that transformed her life. In an interview with Tom Bilyeu of ‘Impact Theory’, she told how she ventured into the wrong neighborhood, went to court, and later promised her mother to leave the house to stand on her feet.
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The former WBC, WIBA, IWBF, and IBA female super middleweight champ told when she was 13, she wanted to grow quickly. She wanted her freedom and the right to handle her own business, so she decided to leave the house.
In those days, she was going to school to learn how to do nails. Despite getting poor grades, she was catching the bus across the town into the hood to reach school. At one point, she realized she didn’t like her home anymore and promised her mother that she was moving out.
The interaction Laila Ali had with her mother
Speaking on the show, Ali said, “I asked her to emancipate me. I was like, ‘I found out you can emancipate me. There are some kids that live on their own.’ I did this research. She was like, ‘Laila …’ I was like, ‘No, really.’ That didn’t work, so I was like, ‘Okay, as soon as I’m old enough.’ I said I’m going to go to school, I’m going to live on my own, pay my bills”.
Though she tried, she could not convince her mother. As a result, her rebellious stand was crushed. She was locked up. Later, when she came back on track, she started building a clientele and had a nail salon. While she was busy doing this, she came across women’s boxing for the first time.
Becoming a professional female boxer and starting training for the sport is a totally different story. Laila faced a lot of resistance in following her passion. Initially, her father Ali, the greatest heavyweight of all time, was not happy with the decision. However, later he recognized her when he saw her fighting.
What do you think of Ali’s promise to her mother? Let us know in the comments below.
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Edited by
Ajinkya Aswale