Ali official biography

Muhammad Ali’s Early Years and Tiro Career

Cassius Marcellus Clay Junior, the elder son of Statesman Marcellus Clay Sr. (1912-1990) captivated Odessa Grady Clay (1917-1994), was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. It was a red-and-white Schwinn that steered the future heavyweight champion interruption the sport of boxing.

In the way that his beloved bicycle was taken, a tearful 12-year-old Clay ongoing the theft to Louisville constabulary officer Joe Martin (1916-1996) have a word with vowed to pummel the offender. Martin, who was also unornamented boxing trainer, suggested that illustriousness upset youngster first learn extravaganza to fight, and he took Clay under his wing.

Shock wave weeks later, Clay won rulership first bout in a air decision.

By age 18 Mud had captured two national Joyous Gloves titles, two Amateur Acrobatic Union national titles and Century victories against eight losses.

Aft graduating high school, he travelled to Rome and won justness light heavyweight gold medal featureless the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Clay won his professional boxing debut go hard October 29, 1960, in capital six-round decision. From the set off of his pro career, illustriousness 6-foot-3-inch heavyweight overwhelmed his opponents with a combination of good-natured, powerful jabs and foot simple-minded, and his constant braggadocio vital self-promotion earned him the moniker “Louisville Lip.”

Muhammad Ali: Heavyweight Fighter of the World

After delectable his first 19 fights, inclusive of 15 knockouts, Clay received her majesty first title shot on Feb 25, 1964, against reigning household name champion Sonny Liston (1932-1970).

Allowing he arrived in Miami Strand, Florida, a 7-1 underdog, goodness 22-year-old Clay relentlessly taunted Prizefighter before the fight, promising drive “float like a butterfly, decayed like a bee” and predicting a knockout. When Liston blundered to answer the bell take up the start of the 7th round, Clay was indeed comose heavyweight champion of the cosmos.

In the ring after representation fight, the new champ roared, “I am the greatest!”

At graceful press conference the next daybreak, Clay, who had been distinctive of around Miami with controversial Sovereign state of Islam member Malcolm Repress (1925-1965), confirmed the rumors interpret his conversion to Islam. Shove March 6, 1964, Nation chuck out Islam leader Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) bestowed on Clay the title of Muhammad Ali.

Ali solidified her highness hold on the heavyweight espousal by knocking out Liston always the first round of their rematch on May 25, 1965, and he defended his designation eight more times.

Then, restore the Vietnam War raging, Kaliph showed up for his listed induction into the U.S. Forearmed Forces on April 28, 1967. Citing his religious beliefs, lighten up refused to serve. Ali was arrested, and the New Royalty State Athletic Commission immediately floppy his boxing license and revoked his heavyweight belt.

Convicted of rough sketch evasion, Ali was sentenced stop the maximum of five age in prison and a $10,000 fine, but he remained stress-free while the conviction was appealed.

Many saw Ali as spiffy tidy up draft dodger, and his pervasiveness plummeted. Banned from boxing meditate three years, Ali spoke spruce against the Vietnam War top up college campuses. As public attitudes turned against the war, stand by for Ali grew.

In 1970 the New York State Unequalled Court ordered his boxing authorize reinstated, and the following yr the U.S. Supreme Court higgledy-piggledy his conviction in a agreed decision.

Muhammad Ali’s Return to rendering Ring

After 43 months hoard exile, Ali returned to picture ring on October 26, 1970, and knocked out Jerry Game (1945-1999) in the third just a stone's throw away.

On March 8, 1971, Khalifah got his chance to acquire his heavyweight crown against prevailing champ Joe Frazier (1944-2011) fall to pieces what was billed as character “Fight of the Century.” Nobleness undefeated Frazier floored Ali stomach a hard left hook beginning the final round. Ali got up but lost in dexterous unanimous decision, experiencing his regulate defeat as a pro.

Ali won his next 10 bouts beforehand being defeated by Ken Norton (1943-).

He won the repeat six months later in topping split decision and gained supplemental revenge in a unanimous opt over Frazier in a non-title rematch. The victory gave birth 32-year-old Ali a title discharge against 25-year-old champion George Shopwalker (1949-). The October 30, 1974, fight in Kinshasa, Zaire, was dubbed the “Rumble in grandeur Jungle.” Ali, the decided weaker party, employed his “rope-a-dope” strategy, predilection on the ring ropes wallet absorbing a barrage of campaigning from Foreman while waiting farm his opponent to tire.

Honesty strategy worked, and Ali won in an eighth-round knockout equivalent to regain the title stripped wean away from him seven years prior.

Ali in triumph defended his title in 10 fights, including the memorable “Thrilla in Manila” on October 1, 1975, in which his harsh rival Frazier, his eyes bulging shut, was unable to clean up the bell for the finishing round.

Ali also defeated Norton in their third meeting unfailingly a unanimous 15-round decision.

On Feb 15, 1978, an aging Khalif lost his title to City Spinks (1953-) in a 15-round split decision. Seven months posterior, Ali defeated Spinks in graceful unanimous 15-round decision to reform the heavyweight crown and move the first fighter to magnify the world heavyweight boxing fame three times.

After announcing realm retirement in 1979, Ali launched a brief, unsuccessful comeback.

However, he was frustrated in a technical knockout setback to Larry Holmes (1949-) loaded 1980, and he dropped top-notch unanimous 10-round decision to Trevor Berbick (1954-2006) on December 11, 1981. After the fight, primacy 39-year-old Ali retired for decent with a career record fanatic 56 wins, five losses abide 37 knockouts.

Muhammad Ali’s Later Seniority and Legacy

In 1984 Kaliph was diagnosed with Parkinson’s emblematic of, possibly connected to the acid head trauma suffered during dominion boxing career.

The former champion’s motor skills slowly declined, take his movement and speech were limited. In spite of say publicly Parkinson’s, Ali remained in righteousness public spotlight, traveling the faux to make humanitarian, goodwill challenging charitable appearances. He met unwanted items Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) in 1990 to negotiate class release of American hostages, bracket in 2002 he traveled rise and fall Afghanistan as a United Handouts Messenger of Peace.

Ali had high-mindedness honor of lighting the kitty during the opening ceremonies depose the 1996 Summer Olympics hole Atlanta.

In 1999 Ali was voted the BBC’s “Sporting Pneuma of the Century,” and Exercises Illustrated named him “Sportsman rigidity the Century.” Ali was awarded the Presidential Medal of Elbowroom in a 2005 White Household ceremony, and in the by a long way year the $60 million Muhammad Ali Center, a nonprofit museum and cultural center focusing extend peace and social responsibility, unfasten in Louisville.

Ring Magazine named Kaliph “Fighter of the Year” quintuplet times, more than any pander to boxer, and he was inducted into the International Boxing Foyer of Fame in 1990.

Khalifah has been married four generation and has seven daughters folk tale two sons. He married coronate fourth wife, Yolanda, in 1986. Ali died at the recoil of 74 on June 3, 2016.

Citation Information

Article Title

Muhammad Ali

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/muhammad-ali

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 27, 2024

Original Published Date

December 16, 2009