125 pages 4 hours read

James Patterson, Kwame Alexander

Becoming Muhammad Ali

Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2020

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Round 8

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Round 8, Introduction Summary

Lucky says that every boxer needs to be confident; otherwise they would run out of the ring. He is sure that Cassius was confident about one thing: “that boxing was the fastest way for a kid like him to become famous” (229). Boxing became his whole focus.

Lucky recounts how he spent months after school watching Cassius practice. Cassius would periodically get frustrated when he was knocked down, but he blamed himself more than anyone else. However, he knew that staying down would be the real problem.

When they were younger, Willie Pastrano—a famous boxer—came to town with his trainer. Cassius found out where he was staying and went there. Using a hotel phone, he told Willie that he was the Golden Gloves champion in Louisville and that he wanted to win both the National Golden Gloves and the Olympics. Then he went upstairs and stayed for three hours, listening to Pastrano and his trainer give him tips about boxing. The experience made Cassius’s confidence grow even more.

Lucky thinks that the opposite of confidence is humility. Even though Cassius called himself “the Greatest,” he could be humble, though not many saw that. He knew that it frustrated Cassius that his mother only made four dollars a week when he could make that much from one fight, but his mother made him feel humble because even though it wasn’t easy, she did her work with pride.

Related Titles

By these authors

Study Guide
logo

1st to Die

James Patterson

1st to Die

James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

Alex Cross

James Patterson

Alex Cross

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Ali Cross

James Patterson

Ali Cross

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Along Came a Spider

James Patterson

Along Came a Spider

James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

Ambush

James O. Born, James Patterson

Ambush

James O. Born, James Patterson

STUDY + TEACHING GUIDE
logo

Booked

Kwame Alexander

Booked

Kwame Alexander

Study Guide
logo

Cross Down

James Patterson

Cross Down

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Eruption

Michael Crichton, James Patterson

Eruption

Michael Crichton, James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

Four Blind Mice

James Patterson

Four Blind Mice

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Holmes, Marple & Poe

James Patterson, Brian Sitts

Holmes, Marple & Poe: The Greatest Crime-Solving Team of the Twenty-First Century

James Patterson, Brian Sitts

Study Guide
logo

I Funny

James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein

I Funny: A Middle School Story

James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein

Plot Summary
logo

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

James Patterson

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

Med Head

James Patterson

Med Head

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life

Chris Tebbetts, James Patterson, Illustr. Laura Park

Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life

Chris Tebbetts, James Patterson, Illustr. Laura Park

Plot Summary
logo

Nevermore

James Patterson

Nevermore

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Rebound

Kwame Alexander

Rebound

Kwame Alexander

Plot Summary
logo

Roses Are Red

James Patterson

Roses Are Red

James Patterson

Plot Summary
logo

Sam's Letters to Jennifer

James Patterson

Sam's Letters to Jennifer

James Patterson

Study Guide
logo

Solo

Mary Rand Hess, Kwame Alexander

Solo

Mary Rand Hess, Kwame Alexander

Plot Summary
logo

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

James Patterson

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

James Patterson