Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali
Statistics
Name	Muhammad Ali
Birth name	Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr
Nickname	The Greatest, Louisville Lip
Weight	Heavyweight
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	African American
Birth date	(1942-01-17) January 17, 1942
Birth place	Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Style	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	61
Wins	56
Wins by KO	37
Losses	5
Draws	0
No contests	0

Olympic medal record
boxing
	1960 Rome	Light heavyweight

For other people named Muhammad Ali, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation).

"Cassius Clay" redirects here. For other uses, see Cassius Clay (disambiguation).

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. on January 17, 1942) is a retired American boxer. In 1999, Ali was crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated. He won the World Heavyweight Boxing championship three times, and won the North American Boxing Federation championship as well as an Olympic gold medal.

Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., who was named for the 19th century abolitionist and politician Cassius Clay. Ali later changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam and subsequently converted to Sunni Islam in 1975.

Biography

Early boxing career

Standing at 6'3" (1.91 m), Ali had a highly unorthodox style for a heavyweight boxer. Rather than the normal boxing style of carrying the hands high to defend the face, he instead relied on his ability to avoid a punch. In Louisville, October 29, 1960, Cassius Clay won his first professional fight. He won a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker, who was the police chief of Fayetteville, West Virginia. From 1960 to 1963, the young fighter amassed a record of 19-0, with 15 knockouts. He defeated such boxers as Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, Lamar Clark (who had won his previous 40 bouts by knockout), Doug Jones, and Henry Cooper. Among Clay's victories were versus Sonny Banks (who knocked him down during the bout), Alejandro Lavorante, and the aged Archie Moore (a boxing legend who had fought over 200 previous fights, and who had been Clay's trainer prior to Angelo Dundee).

Clay won a disputed 10 round decision over Doug Jones. The fight was named "Fight of the Year" for 1963. Clay's next fight was against Henry Cooper, who knocked Clay down with a left hook near the end of the fourth round. The fight was stopped in the 5th round due to a deep cut on Cooper's face.

Despite these close calls against Doug Jones and Henry Cooper, he became the top contender for Sonny Liston's title. In spite of Clay's impressive record, he was not expected to beat the champ. The fight was to be held on February 25, 1964 in Miami, Florida. During the weigh-in on the previous day, the ever-boastful Ali—who frequently taunted Liston during the buildup by dubbing him "the big ugly bear", among other things—declared that he would "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee," and, in summarizing his strategy for avoiding Liston's assaults, said, "Your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see."

File:Ali-Liston.jpg

Ali taunts Liston in their rematch, which lasted less than a round.

First title fight

Main article: Ali versus Liston

Clay, however, had a plan. Misreading Clay's exuberance as nervousness, Liston was over-confident, and was unprepared for any result but a quick stoppage. In the opening rounds, Clay's speed kept him away from Liston's powerful head and body shots, as he used his height advantage to effectively beat Liston to the punch with his jab.

By the third, Clay was on top, and had opened a cut under Liston's eye. Liston regained some ground in the fourth, as Clay was blinded by a foreign substance. It is officially unconfirmed whether this was something used to close Liston's cuts, or applied to Liston's gloves for a nefarious purpose; however, author, boxing historian and insider Bert Sugar has recalled at least two other Liston fights in which a similar situation occurred, suggesting the possibility that the Liston corner deliberately attempted to cheat.

Whatever the case, Liston came into the fourth round aggressively looking to put away the fight. As Clay struggled to recover his vision, he sought to escape Liston's offensive. He was able to keep out of range until his sweat and tears cleaned the foreign substance from his eyes, responding with a flurry of combinations near the end of the fifth round. By the sixth, he was looking for a finish and dominated Liston. Then Liston shocked the world when he did not come out for the seventh round to continue the fight; he later claimed to have injured his shoulder.

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. changes his name to Muhammad Ali

Ali at an address by Elijah Muhammad

Following his ascension to champion, he also became famous for other reasons: He revealed that he was a member of the Nation of Islam (often called the Black Muslims at the time) and Malcolm X provided Clay with the name Cassius X, discarding his surname as a symbol of his ancestors' enslavement, as had been done by other Nation members. On Friday, March 6, 1964, Malcolm X took Clay on a guided tour of the United Nations building (for a second time). Malcolm X announced that Clay would be granted his "X." That same night, Elijah Muhammad recorded a statement over the phone to be played over the radio that Clay would be renamed Muhammad (one who is worthy of praise) Ali (fourth rightly guided caliph). Only a few journalists (most notably Howard Cosell) accepted it at that time. The adoption of this name symbolized his new identity as a member of the Nation of Islam.

Vietnam puts a pause in Ali's career

In 1964, Ali failed the Armed Forces qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were subpar. However, in early 1966, the tests were revised and Ali was reclassified 1A. He refused to serve in the United States Army during the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector, because "War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an. I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers." Ali also famously said, "I ain't got no quarrel with those Vietcong" and "no Vietcong ever called me nigger."

Ali refused to respond to his name being read out as Cassius Clay, stating, as instructed by his mentors from the Nation of Islam, that Clay was the name given to his slave ancestors by the white man. By refusing to respond to this name, Ali's personal life was filled with controversy. Ali was essentially banned from fighting in the United States and forced to accept bouts abroad for most of 1966.

From his rematch with Liston in May 1965, to his final defense against Zora Folley in March 1967, he defended his title nine times. Few other heavyweight champions in history have fought so much in such a short period. Ali was scheduled to fight WBA champion Ernie Terrell in a unification bout in Toronto on March 29, 1966, but Terrell backed out and Ali won a 15-round decision against substitute opponent George Chuvalo. He then went to England and defeated Henry Cooper and Brian London by stoppage on cuts. Ali's next defense was against German southpaw Karl Mildenberger, the first German to fight for the title since Max Schmeling. In one of the tougher fights of his life, Ali stopped his opponent in round 12.

Ali returned to the United States in November 1966 to fight Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams in the Houston Astrodome. A year and a half before the fight, Williams had been shot in the stomach at point-blank range by a Texas policeman. As a result, Williams went into the fight missing one kidney, 10 feet of his small intestine, and with a shriveled left leg from nerve damage from the bullet. Ali beat Williams in three rounds.

On February 6, 1967, Ali returned to a Houston boxing ring to fight Terrell in what became one of the uglier fights in boxing. Terrell had angered Ali by calling him Clay, and the champion vowed to punish him for this insult. During the fight, Ali kept shouting at his opponent, "What's my name, Uncle Tom ... What's my name." Terrell suffered 15 rounds of brutal punishment, losing 13 of 15 rounds on two judges' scorecards, but Ali did not knock him out. Analysts, including several who spoke to ESPN on the sports channel's "Ali Rap" special, speculated that the fight only continued because Ali chose not to end it, choosing instead to further punish Terrell. After the fight, Tex Maule wrote, "It was a wonderful demonstration of boxing skill and a barbarous display of cruelty."

Ali's actions in refusing military service and aligning himself with the Nation of Islam made him a lightning rod for controversy, turning the outspoken but popular former champion into one of that era's most recognizable and controversial figures. Appearing at rallies with Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad and declaring his allegiance to him at a time when mainstream America viewed them with suspicion — if not outright hostility — made Ali a target of outrage, and suspicion as well. Ali seemed at times to even provoke such reactions, with viewpoints that wavered from support for civil rights to outright support of separatism. For example, Ali once stated, in relation to integration:

We who follow the teachings of Elijah Muhammad don't want to be forced to integrate. Integration is wrong. We don't want to live with the white man; that's all.

And in relation to inter-racial marriage:

No intelligent black man or black woman in his or her right black mind wants white boys and white girls coming to their homes to marry their black sons and daughters.

Indeed, Ali's religious beliefs at the time included the notion that the white man was "the devil", and that white people were not "righteous". Ali claimed that white people hated black people.

Near the end of 1967, Ali was stripped of his title by the professional boxing commission and would not be allowed to fight professionally for more than three years. He was also convicted for refusing induction into the army and sentenced to five years in prison. Over the course of those years in exile, Ali fought to appeal his conviction. He stayed in the public spotlight and supported himself by giving speeches, primarily at rallies on college campuses that opposed the Vietnam War.

In 1970, Ali was allowed to fight again, and in late 1971 the Supreme Court reversed his conviction.

The comeback

In 1970, Ali was finally able to get a boxing license. With the help of a State Senator, he was granted a license to box in Georgia because it was the only state in America without a boxing commission. In October 1970, he returned to stop Jerry Quarry on a cut after three rounds. Shortly after the Quarry fight, the New York State Supreme Court ruled that Ali had been unjustly denied a boxing license. Once again able to fight in New York, he fought Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden in December 1970. After a tough 14 rounds, Ali stopped Bonavena in the 15th, paving the way for a title fight against Joe Frazier.

The Fight of the Century

Main article: Fight of the Century

Ali and Frazier fought each other on March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden. The fight, known as '"The Fight of the Century", was one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts of all time and remains one of the most famous. It featured two skilled, undefeated fighters, both of whom had reasonable claims to the heavyweight crown. The fight lived up to the hype, and Frazier punctuated his victory by flooring Ali with a hard left hook in the 15th and final round. Frank Sinatra — unable to acquire a ringside seat — took photos of the match for Life Magazine. Legendary boxing announcer Don Dunphy and actor and boxing aficionado Burt Lancaster called the action for the broadcast, which reached millions of people.

Frazier eventually won the fight and retained the title with a unanimous decision, dealing Ali his first professional loss.

In 1973, after a string of victories over top Heavyweight opposition in a campaign to force a rematch with Frazier, Ali split two bouts with Ken Norton (in the bout that Ali lost to Norton, Ali suffered a broken jaw), before beating Frazier (who had lost the title to George Foreman) on points in their 1974 rematch, to earn another title shot.

File:Foreman.jpg

The Rumble in the Jungle

The Rumble in the Jungle

Main article: The Rumble in the Jungle

Ali regained his title on October 30, 1974 by defeating champion George Foreman in their bizarre bout in Kinshasa, Zaire. Hyped as "The Rumble In The Jungle", the fight was promoted by Don King.

Almost no one, not even Ali's long-time supporter Howard Cosell, gave the former champion a chance of winning. Analysts pointed out that Joe Frazier and Ken Norton had given Ali four tough battles in the ring and won two of them while Foreman had destroyed both in the second round.

The fight became a political symbol - Ali was taken to represent Black consciousness and the fight against white power, Foreman taken to represent US arrogance. Ali was massively popular in Zaïre and gained enthusiastic support of the crowd for the much-hyped fight.

During the bout, Ali employed an unexpected strategy. Throughout the build up he declared he was going to 'dance' and use his speed to keep away from Foreman and out box him. However in the first round Ali headed straight for the champion and began hitting him with a rarely used punch known as a right hand lead. This involves hitting first with your right, rarely done at professional level as it has to travel the extra distance across the shoulders. Ali caught Foreman nine times in the first round with this technique but failed to knock him out. He then decided to take advantage of the young champion's one weakness: staying power. Foreman had won 37 of his 40 bouts by knockout, most within three rounds or less, with Foreman's eight previous bouts not going past the second round. Ali saw an opportunity to outlast Foreman, and capitalised on it. In the second round, the challenger retreated to the ropes inviting Foreman to hit him, whilst counterpunching and verbally taunting the younger man. Ali's plan was to enrage Foreman and absorb his best blows in order to exhaust him mentally and physically. While Foreman threw wide shots to Ali's body, Ali countered with stinging straight punches to Foreman's head. The champion threw hundreds of punches in seven rounds but with decreasing technique and effect. This was later termed "The Rope-A-Dope".

By the end of the eighth round Foreman was clearly flagging and Ali made his move, turning Foreman off the ropes and executing a combination for the knockout. Allegedly asking the young champ "is that all you got" before launching the final knockout combination. Foreman failed to make the count, and Ali had regained the title.

This match was ranked seventh in the British television program The 100 Greatest Sporting Moments.

Ali becomes a Sunni Muslim

Ali converted from the Nation of Islam to orthodox Sunni Islam in 1975. In a 2004 autobiography, written with daughter Hana Yasmeen Ali, Muhammad Ali attributes his conversion to the shift towards Sunni Islam made by W.D. Muhammad after he gained control of the Nation of Islam upon the death of his father, Elijah Muhammad in 1975. According to a July 13, 1998 interview in Sports Illustrated, this Sunni Muslim philosophy contributes to his belief in segregation: "When one of the girls in the video laments that whites go in one car and blacks in another, Ali nods knowingly. "Nature's way," he says, "nature's way.""

Rocky

Main article: Rocky

On March 24, 1975, Ali fought Chuck Wepner in Cleveland, a fight that was to inspire the Academy Award winning movie Rocky. Ironically, however, it was Ali's opponent who provided the inspiration for history's most famous fictional pugilist. Wepner was a journeyman fighter who had been earning his living as a liquor salesman and security guard. Wepner had been dubbed "The Bayonne Bleeder" and, although he was ranked, he was considered hapless. Wepner, however, trained for two months and although he lost on a technical knock-out, he survived all 15 rounds and even managed to knock Ali down with a body shot. Sylvester Stallone saw the match on television and the concept of Rocky Balboa — an unknown club fighter who goes 15 rounds with the heavyweight champion — was born. Heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, the character portrayed by Carl Weathers, was loosely based on Ali.

The Thrilla in Manila

Main article: Thrilla in Manila

In 1975, Ali was again slated to fight Joe Frazier. The anticipation for the fight was enormous for the final clash between these two great heavyweights. Ali's frequent insults, slurs and poems increased the anticipation and excitement for the fight. After 14 grueling rounds, Frazier's trainer Eddie Futch refused to allow Frazier to continue. Frazier felt betrayed and never talked to Futch again. Ali was quoted after the fight as saying "This must be what death feels like". Ring Magazine called this bout 1975's Fight of the Year, the fifth year an Ali fight had earned that distinction. This fight has been called the greatest fight of all time by many. Ali won many of the early rounds, but Frazier staged a comeback in the middle rounds. By the late rounds, however, Ali had re-asserted control, and the fight was stopped due to Frazier's eyes being closed.

Neither fighter was ever the same again. Frazier would permanently retire after two more fights, and a declining Ali would struggle with many opponents from then on, aided by some controversial victories.

1976 saw him knock out two largely unknown opponents, Belgian stonecutter Jean-Pierre Coopman and English boxer Richard Dunn. On April 30, 1976 Ali faced Jimmy Young in Landover, Maryland. Young seemed to out point Ali, who had come in at 230 lbs, the heaviest of his career to that point. At the end of the match, the judges, chosen by Don King, gave Ali a decision, causing many to call it one of the worst decisions in the history of boxing. In September, Ali faced Ken Norton in their third fight, held at Yankee Stadium. Although it was highly disputed by some observers, the champion won by unanimous decision.

In 1977 Ali's ring doctor, Ferdie Pacheco, left Ali's entourage, stating that Ali was damaging himself by continuing to fight for too long, and that he did not wish to be held responsible. Pacheco had advised Ali to retire after beginning to see signs of Ali's reflexes slowing down.

Ali would retain his title until a February 1978 loss to 1976 Olympic champion Leon Spinks. In losing to the novice Spinks, Ali became the first heavyweight champion in the entire history of boxing to lose his title to a novice who had had only seven professional fights. In the September rematch in New Orleans at the Superdome, Spinks' cornerman Georgie Benton walked out of the ring after the 6th round, later commenting that he did not think the fight was on the level. Ali was given a 15-round decision over the disoriented Spinks. Then on June 27, 1979, he announced his retirement and vacated the title.

Final comeback and retirement

That retirement was short-lived, however, and on October 2, 1980, he challenged Larry Holmes for the WBC's version of the world Heavyweight title. Looking to set another record, as the first boxer to win the Heavyweight title four times, Ali lost by technical knockout in round eleven, when Dundee would not let him come out for the round. The Holmes fight, promoted as "The Last Hurrah", was a fight many fans and experts view with disdain, because it was a fight that saw a "deteriorated version" of Ali. Holmes was Ali's sparring partner when Holmes was a budding fighter; thus, some viewed the result of the fight as a symbolic "passing of the torch." Holmes even admitted later that, although he dominated the fight, he held his punches back a bit out of sheer respect for his idol, and former employer. It was revealed after the fight that Ali had been examined at the Mayo Clinic, and the results were shocking. He had admitted to tingling in his hands, and slurring of his speech. The exam revealed he actually had a hole in the membrane of his brain. However, Don King withheld this report, and allowed the fight to go on.

Despite the apparent finality of his loss to Holmes and his increasingly suspect medical condition, Ali would fight one more time. On December 11, 1981, he fought rising contender and future world champion Trevor Berbick, in what was billed as "The Drama in the Bahamas." Because Ali was widely viewed as a damaged fighter, few American venues expressed much interest in hosting the bout, and few fans expressed much interest in attending or watching it. Compared to the mega-fights Ali fought in widely known venues earlier in his career, the match took place in virtual obscurity, in Nassau. Although Ali performed marginally better against Berbick than he had against Holmes fourteen months earlier, he still lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Berbick, who at 27 was twelve years younger.

Following this loss, Ali retired permanently in 1981, with a career record of 56 wins (37 by knockout) and 5 losses, and as a three-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

Ali's legacy

File:AliOlympicTorch.jpg

The torch Ali used to light the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Muhammad Ali defeated almost every top Heavyweight in his era, an era which has been called the Golden Age of Heavyweight boxing. Ali was named "Fighter of the Year" by Ring Magazine more times than any other fighter, and was involved in more Ring Magazine "Fight of the Year" bouts than any other fighter. He is an inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and holds wins over seven other Hall of Fame inductees. He is also one of only three boxers to be named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated. He is regarded as one of the best pound for pound boxers in history. He was a masterful self-promoter, and his psychological tactics before, during, and after fights, were very effective. It was his supreme skill, however, that enabled him to scale the heights and sustain his position.

In 1978, three years before Ali's permanent retirement, the Board of Aldermen in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky voted 6-5 to rename Walnut Street to Muhammad Ali Boulevard. This was controversial at the time, as within a week of the city installing 70 street signs, 12 were stolen. Earlier that year, a committee of the Jefferson County Public Schools considered renaming Central High School in his honor, but didn't approve the idea. At any rate, the naming of Ali Boulevard as well as Ali himself, in time, came to be well accepted in his hometown.

In retirement

Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the early 1980s, following which his motor functions began a slow decline. Although Ali's doctors disagreed during the 1980s and 1990s about whether his symptoms were caused by boxing and whether or not his condition was degenerative, he was ultimately diagnosed with Pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome. By late 2005 it was reported that Ali's condition was notably worsening. According to the documentary When We Were Kings, when Ali was asked about whether he has any regrets about boxing due to his disability, he responded that if he didn't box he would still be a painter in Louisville, Kentucky.

Despite the disability, he remains a beloved and active public figure. Recently he was voted into Forbes Celebrity 100 coming in at number 13 behind Donald Trump. In 1985, he served as a guest referee at the inaugural WrestleMania event. In 1987 he was selected by the California Bicentennial Foundation for the U.S. Constitution to personify the vitality of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights in various high profile activities. Ali rode on a float at the 1988 Tournament of Roses Parade, launching the U.S. Constitution's 200th birthday commemoration. He also published an oral history, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times with Thomas Hauser, in 1991. Ali received a Spirit of America Award calling him the most recognized American in the world. In 1996, he had the honor of lighting the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Muhammad Ali Center, alongside Interstate 64 on Louisville's riverfront

He has appeared at the 1998 AFL (Australian Football League) Grand Final, where Anthony Pratt recruited him to watch the game. He also greets runners at the start line of the Los Angeles Marathon every year.

In 1999, Ali received a special one-off award from the BBC at its annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award ceremony, which was the BBC Sports Personality of the Century Award. His daughter Laila Ali also became a boxer in 1999, despite her father's earlier comments against female boxing in 1978: "Women are not made to be hit in the breast, and face like that... the body's not made to be punched right here [patting his chest]. Get hit in the breast... hard... and all that."

On September 13, 1999, Ali was named "Kentucky Athlete of the Century" by the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies at the Galt House East.

Ali's Presidential Medal of Freedom on display at the Ali Center

In 2001, a biographical film, entitled Ali, was made, with Will Smith starring as Ali. The film received mixed reviews, with the positives generally attributed to the acting, as Smith and supporting actor Jon Voight earned Academy Award nominations. Prior to making the Ali movie, Will Smith had continually rejected the role of Ali until Muhammad Ali personally requested that he accept the role. According to Smith, the first thing Ali said about the subject to Smith was: "You ain't pretty enough to play me".

He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony on November 9, 2005, and the prestigious "Otto Hahn peace medal in Gold" of the United Nations Association of Germany (DGVN) in Berlin for his work with the US civil rights movement and the United Nations (December 17 2005).

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Ali gestured to President Bush during the ceremony for the Presidential Medal of Freedom

On November 19, 2005 (Ali's 19th wedding anniversary), the $60 million non-profit Muhammad Ali Center opened in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to displaying his boxing memorabilia, the center focuses on core themes of peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal growth.

According to the Muhammad Ali Center website, "Since he retired from boxing, Ali has devoted himself to humanitarian endeavors around the globe. He is a devout Sunni Muslim, and travels the world over, lending his name and presence to hunger and poverty relief, supporting education efforts of all kinds, promoting adoption and encouraging people to respect and better understand one another. It is estimated that he has helped to provide more than 22 million meals to feed the hungry. Ali travels, on average, more than 200 days per year."

At the FedEx Orange Bowl on January 2, 2007, Ali was an honorary captain for the Louisville Cardinals wearing their white jersey, number 19. Ali was accompanied by golf legend Arnold Palmer, who was the honorary captain for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade.

A youth club in Ali's hometown and a species of rose (Rosa ali) have also been named after him.

Ali lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with his fourth wife, Yolanda 'Lonnie' Ali.

Ranking in heavyweight history

There is some dispute among boxing historians about whether Ali or Joe Louis is the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. While the International Boxing Research Organization ranks Louis as the best, a 1998 ranking in Ring magazine named Ali as the greatest heavyweight of all time.

Personal life

Muhammad Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons.

Wife's name	Marriage date	Divorce date	Children
Yolanda 'Lonnie' Ali	November 19, 1986	(current wife)	Asaad (adopted)
Veronica Porsche Ali	June 19, 1977	July 1986	Hana, Laila.
Khalilah 'Belinda' Ali	August 17, 1967	1977	Maryum, Rasheeda, Jamilla, Muhammad Jr.
Sonji Roi	August 14, 1964	January 10, 1966	(none)

Ali has two other daughters, Miya and Khaliah, from extramarital relationships.

Radio

• Actor Giancarlo Esposito recorded a public service announcement for Deejay Ra's 'Hip-Hop Literacy' campaign, encouraging reading of books about Muhammad Ali.

Books

• King of the World - The best-selling biography by David Remnick.
• The Greatest-My Own Story by Muhammad Ali with Richard Durham - 1975.
• The Fight by Norman Mailer - 1975
• Mohammad Ali and a fictional son Mohammad Ali Jr. are portrayed in the Japanese manga series "New Grappler Baki - In search of our strongest hero".
• GOAT (Greatest Of All Time): Taschen's massive 800 page tribute to Ali, weighs in at 75lbs, limited "Champ's Edition" is autographed by Muhammad Ali and comes with a sculpture by Jeff Koons.
• The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey by Muhammad Ali (with Hana Yasmeen Ali) - 2004.
• Superman Vs Muhammad Ali: DC Comics - 1978, by Dennis O'Neill & Neal Adams.

Music

• In 1974, a song about Ali titled "Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)" was recorded by British reggae group Johnny Wakelin & the Kinshasa Band.
• The British dance band Faithless recorded a song titled "Muhammad Ali" which was released as a single on 23 September 2001. The single reached #29 in the UK singles chart. The song was included on their 2001 album Outrospective.

Ali on screen

When We Were Kings is a 1996 Academy Award-winning documentary film about the "Rumble in the Jungle", Ali's legendary 1974 fight against George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

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When We Were Kings

Several individuals have portrayed Ali in film biographies, including Ali himself:

• Future Amazing Race winner Chip McAllister, in the 1977 film, The Greatest (portraying a young adult Cassius Clay)
• Muhammad Ali, in the 1977 film, The Greatest
• Darius McCrary, in the 1997 HBO TV movie, Don King: Only in America
• Terrence Howard, in the 2000 ABC TV movie, King of the World
• Aaron Meeks, in the 2000 Fox TV movie, Ali: An American Hero (portraying a young Cassius Clay)
• David Ramsey, in the 2000 Fox TV movie, Ali: An American Hero
• Will Smith, in the 2001 film, Ali

Additionally, Ali has appeared as himself in numerous scripted films and television series, including the films Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), Body and Soul (1981 version, starring Leon Isaac Kennedy), and Doin' Time (1985); and the television series Vega$ (1979), Diff'rent Strokes (1979), and Touched by an Angel (1999).

Ali portrayed a former slave in Reconstruction-era Virginia who is elected to the United States Senate in the 1979 NBC TV movie Freedom Road, which was based upon the 1944 novel by Howard Fast.

Ali provided the voice for the titular character in the 1977 NBC animated series, I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali.

Ali is featured prominently in a series of ESPN specials in honor of his 65th birthday. The shows include Ali Rap, Ali's Dozen & Ali 65. They premiered on December 9th, 2006 at 9PM EST on ESPN.

See also

• Muhammad Ali Center
• BBC Sports Personality of the Century Award
• List of famous Louisvillians
• List of heavyweight boxing champions
• List of male boxers
• List of notable boxing rivalries
• List of WBC world champions
• List of WBA world champions
• Notable boxing families

External links

• www.ali.com - Official website
• WFMU's Putting the Ham in MuHAMmad
• Top Ali Fight Photos from Sports Illustrated
• www.maprc.com Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center (MAPC)
• Muhammad Ali at IMDb
• United Athletes Magazine Ali's physical qualities and abilities.
• Muhammad Ali's profile at FamousMuslims.com
• Muhammad Ali's Career Record
• Muhammad Ali's U.S. Olympic Team bio
• article on the 1978 DC Comics special edition comic book, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali - from www.ali.com
• Muhammad Ali Highlights in and out of the ring
• Muhammad Ali Audio Soundboard
• Ian Palmer's TigerBoxing article on The Thrilla in Manila