Muhammad Ali

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

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

Muhammad Ali
Statistics
Name	Muhammad Ali
Birth name	Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.
Nickname	The Greatest, The Champ, Louisville Lip
Height	6'3"
Reach	80 inches (200 cm)
Weight division	Heavyweight
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	African American
Birth date	(1942-01-17) January 17, 1942
Birth place	Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	61
Wins	56
Wins by KO	37
Losses	5
Draws	0
No contests	0

Muhammad Ali

Medal record
Olympic Games
boxing
	1960 Rome	Light heavyweight

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942) is a retired American boxer and former three-time World Heavyweight Champion and winner of an Olympic gold medal. In 1999, Ali was crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and the BBC.

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 changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964 and subsequently converted to Sunni Islam in 1975.

Biography

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. (his original name) was born in Louisville on January 17 1942. His father, Clay Sr., painted billboards and signs, and his mother, Odessa Grady Clay, was a household domestic. Although Clay Sr. was a Methodist, he allowed Odessa to bring up both Clay boys as Baptists.

Early boxing career

Standing 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 speed and quickness to avoid a punch. He was first directed toward boxing by Louisville police officer Joe E. Martin, who first encountered the 12-year-old Cassius Clay fuming over his bicycle being stolen. Clay then, without Martin knowing, went to another gym as well as going to Martin's gym, to train with Fred Stoner. Ali did so because with Martin he made $4 a week on Tomorrow's Champions, a TV show that Martin did, but Ali also went to Stoner's gym because Stoner was an experienced coach. Stoner coached Ali throughout the remainder of his amateur career. His last amateur loss was to Kent Green of Chicago, who until Ali lost to Joe Frazier in 1971 as a pro, could say he was the last person to defeat the champion. Under Stoner's guidance, Clay went on to win six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, two national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union National Title, and the Light Heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Olympics in Rome [1]. Ali's record was 100 wins, with five losses, when he ended his amateur career.

A popular urban legend (concurring with Ali's own account of the event in his 1975 autobiography) states that after being refused service at a 'whites-only' restaurant, and fighting with a white gang, Clay threw his Olympic gold medal into the Ohio River. Whether this is true is still debated, although he was given a replacement medal during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he lit the torch to start the games.

He barely graduated from Louisville Central High, a local basketball power, finishing 369th out of 391 graduating seniors in the class of 1960, and often traveling to fight on weekends. A principal named Atwood argued in his favor, stating to his colleagues that the boy should be given a Certificate of Attendance, given that "...one day he'll be making more money than everyone in this room."

After his Olympic triumph, he returned to Louisville to begin his professional career. There, on October 29, 1960, Cassius Clay won his first professional fight, 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.

He built a reputation by correctly predicting the round in which he would "finish" several opponents, and by boasting before his triumphs. Clay admitted he adopted the latter practice from Freddie Blassie, a popular champion in the Los Angeles area who drew thousands of fans. Often referred to as "the man you loved to hate," Blassie could incite the crowd with a few heated remarks, and Clay followed suit.

Among Clay's victims were 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 had considered using Moore as a trainer, but Moore had insisted the cocky "Louisville Lip" perform training camp chores such as sweeping and dishwashing. He also gave some thought to having his idol Sugar Ray Robinson as a manager. But Clay had first met Dundee when the latter was in Louisville with light heavyweight champ Willie Pastrano. Teenage Gold Glover Clay went downtown to the fighter's hotel, called Dundee from the house phone, and asked up to their room. Once there, he asked Dundee (who was working with, or had, champions Sugar Ramos and Carmen Basilio) what his fighters ate, how long they slept, how much roadwork (jogging) they did, and how long they sparred.

Clay then won a disputed 11 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 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. The fight was nearly canceled when the promoter, Bill Faversham, learned of rumors that Clay had been seen around Miami and in other cities with the controversial Malcolm X. The Nation of Islam, at the time considered a "hate group" by most media and Americans in 1964, was perceived as a gate-killer to a bout where, given Liston's overwhelming status as the favorite to win (7-1 odds), had Clay's colorful persona as its sole appeal. Faversham confronted Clay about his association with Malcolm X (who, at the time, was actually under suspension by the Nation as a result of controversial comments made in early December in the wake of President Kennedy's assassination, which he called a case of "the chickens coming home to roost"). Clay, while coming short of admitting he was a member of the NOI, protested the cancellation of the fight. Faversham asked the fighter to delay his announcement about his conversion to Islam until after the fight. The incident is described in the 1975 book "The Greatest: My Own Story" by Ali (with Richard Durham).

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, 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: Muhammad Ali versus Sonny Liston

Clay, however, had a plan for the fight. Misreading Clay's exuberance as nervousness, Liston was typically over-confident and was unprepared for any result other than a quick KO victory over Clay. 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 lightning-quick jab.

By the third round, Clay was ahead on points and had opened a cut under Liston's eye. Liston regained some ground in the fourth, as Clay was blinded by a substance in his eyes. It is unconfirmed whether this was something used to close Liston's cuts, or deliberately applied to Liston's gloves for a nefarious purpose; however, Bert Sugar (author, boxing historian and insider) 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 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 failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, later claiming a shoulder injury as the reason.

Cassius Clay indeed "Shook up the world!" as he promised.

In the rematch (photo above), which was held in May 1965 in relatively-remote Lewiston, Maine, Ali won by knockout in the first round as a result of what came to be called the "phantom punch." Many believe that Liston, possibly as a result of threats from Nation of Islam extremists, or in an attempt to "throw" the fight to pay off debts, just wanted to call it a day and waited to be counted out (see Muhammad Ali versus Sonny Liston). Others, however, discount both scenarios and insist that it was a quick, chopping Ali punch to the side of the head that legitimately felled Liston.

Name change

Ali at an address by Elijah Muhammad

After winning the championship from Liston in 1964, Clay revealed that he was a member of the Nation of Islam (often called the Black Muslims at the time) and the Nation gave Clay 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. Venerable boxing announcer Don Dunphy addressed the champion by his adopted name, as did British reporters. The adoption of this name symbolized his new identity as a member of the Nation of Islam.

Clay had discovered the Nation during a Golden Gloves tournament in Chicago in 1959, even writing a high school report on the organization. His school teachers at Louisville Central High were alarmed that a youngster with that much potential expressed interest in the nationalist faith. They dissuaded him from becoming involved. Many sportswriters of the early 1960s reported that it was Ali's brother, Rudy Clay, who converted to Islam first (estimating the date as 1962). Others wrote that Clay had been seen at Muslim rallies two years before he fought Liston. Ali's own version is that he did buy a copy of the "Muhammad Speaks" newspaper from a Muslim in Chicago, and a 45 rpm record by Minister Louis X (later Farrakhan) called "A White Man's Heaven is a Black Man's Hell."

Vietnam War nearly ends career

In 1964, Ali failed the U.S. Armed Forces qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were sub par. 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 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 successfully defended his title nine times, an active schedule for that 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 and 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 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 continued only because Ali wanted to thoroughly punish and humiliate Terrell. After the fight, Tex Maule wrote, "It was a wonderful demonstration of boxing skill and a barbarous display of cruelty."

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, as well as suspicion. Ali seemed at times to 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.

When the military attempted to draft him, Ali said he was a conscientious objector. "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong," he had said in 1966. "They never called me a nigger."

Appearing for his scheduled induction on April 28, 1967 in Houston, he refused three times to step forward at the call of his name. An officer warned him he was committing a felony punishable by five years in prison and a fine of $10,000. Once more Ali refused to budge when his name was called.

That day, the New York State Athletic Commission suspended his boxing license and stripped him of his title. Other boxing commissions followed suit.

At the trial two months later, the jury, after only 21 minutes of deliberation, found Ali guilty. The judge imposed the maximum sentence. After a court of appeals upheld the conviction, the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court. During this time, people turned against the war, and support for Ali grew.

In 1970, Ali was allowed to fight again. On June 28, 1971 in Clay v. United States the Supreme Court reversed his conviction with a unanimous decision.

The "Super Fight"

Main article: The Super Fight

Filmed in 1969, and released in 1970, a boxing match between Ali and Rocky Marciano, staged using probability formulas entered into a computer, was released as a feature film, to determine which undefeated heavyweight champions would win in a simulated bout. Marciano beat Ali with a KO in the 13th round. In 2005, a two-disc DVD of the Super Fight was released to the public with a documentary and an alternate ending with Ali stopping Marciano on cuts.

The comeback

In 1970, Ali was finally able to regain his 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 stopped 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, who had acquired the title during Ali's absence and was himself undefeated.

The Fight of the Century

Main article: Fight of the Century

Ali and Frazier met in the ring 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 legitimate 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 retained the title on 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 -- but this time against a seemingly-invincible Foreman.

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 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 knocked out both of them in the second round.

During the bout, Ali employed an unexpected strategy. Leading up to the fight he had 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 scoring with a right hand lead, clearly surprising Foreman. 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 weakness: staying power. Foreman had won 37 of his 40 bouts by knockout, most within three rounds, with Foreman's eight previous bouts not going past the second round. Ali saw an opportunity to outlast Foreman, and capitalized on it.

In the second round, the challenger retreated to the ropes inviting Foreman to hit him, while counterpunching and verbally taunting the younger man. Ali's plan was to enrage Foreman and absorb his best blows 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. Foreman threw hundreds of punches in seven rounds, but with decreasing technique and effectiveness. Ali's tactic of leaning on the ropes, covering up, and absorbing body shots was later termed "The Rope-A-Dope."

By the end of the seventh round, Foreman was exhausted. In the eighth round, Ali felled Foreman with a combination at center ring and Foreman failed to make the count. Against the odds, Ali had regained the title.

The "Rumble in the Jungle" was the subject of a 1996 Academy Award winning documentary film, When We Were Kings. The 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 sect to mainstream Sunni Islam in 1975. In a 2004 autobiography, written with daughter Hana Yasmeen Ali, Muhammad Ali attributes his conversion to the shift toward 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.

Inspiration for 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 a hapless Tomato Can. Wepner, however, trained for two months and although he lost on a technical knock-out in the 15th round, he put Ali down with a body shot in the 9th. Sylvester Stallone saw the match in person 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 accepted a third "rubber match" bout with 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. Ali was quoted after the fight as saying "This must be what death feels like" and congratulated Frazier on his gutsy effort. 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 reasserted control and the fight was stopped when Frazier was unable to answer the bell for the 15th and final round (his eyes were swollen closed).

Three-time World Heavyweight Champion

Ali would retain his title until a February 1978 loss to 1976 Olympic champion Leon Spinks, notable due to Spinks' lack of professional experience (only seven fights going). 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, Ali 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 title four times, Ali lost by technical knockout in round eleven, when Dundee would not let him come out for the round. 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 that he had a hole in the membrane of his brain. However, Don King is alleged to have withheld this report and allowed the fight to go on.

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." Compared to the mega-fights in which Ali had participated earlier in his career, held in famous venues, this match took place in virtual obscurity in Nassau. Although Ali performed marginally better against Berbick than he had against Holmes 14 months earlier, he lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Berbick, who at 27 was 12 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. His only non-decision loss was the technical knockout awarded to Larry Holmes in 1980.

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, 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 became legendary. It was his athleticism and boxing skill, however, that enabled him to scale the heights and sustain his position for so many years.

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 12 of the 70 street signs were stolen. Earlier that year, a committee of the Jefferson County Public Schools considered renaming Central High School in his honor, but the motion failed to pass. At any rate, in time, Ali Boulevard -- and Ali himself -- came to be well accepted in his hometown.

In retirement

In 1984, Ali learned he had Parkinson's disease a neurological syndrome characterized by tremors, rigidity of muscles and slowness of speech and movement. Although Ali's doctors disagreed 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.

A recent photograph of Ali

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 by 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 invited 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, namely the BBC Sports Personality of the Century Award in which he received more votes than the other four contenders combined. 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 "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).

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

According to the 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. On June 5, 2007, he received an honorary doctorate of humanities at Princeton University's 260th graduation ceremony.

Ali lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with his fourth wife, Yolanda 'Lonnie' Ali. They own a house in Berrien Springs, Michigan, which is for sale. On January 9, 2007, they purchased a house in eastern Jefferson County for $1,875,000.

Ranking in heavyweight history

As might be expected, there is no consensus among boxing experts and historians as to who is the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. However, Ring Magazine named Muhammad Ali as its choice for the honor in a 1998 ranking of top heavyweights from all eras.

Personal life

Muhammad Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons. Ali met his first wife, cocktail waitress Sonji Roi, approximately one month before they married on August 14, 1964. Roi's objections to certain Muslim customs in regard to dress for women contributed to the breakup of their marriage. They divorced on January 10, 1966.

On August 17, 1967, Ali married 17-year old Belinda Boyd. After the wedding, she changed her name to Khalilah Ali, following Muslim tradition, but she was still called Belinda by old friends and family. They had four children together: the eldest daughter, Maryum, was born in 1968; twin daughters, Jamillah and Rasheda, were born in 1970; Muhammad Ali's only biological son, Muhammad Ali Jr., was born in 1972. However, Ali began an affair with a young woman named Veronica Porsche in 1974. Porsche was one of the four poster girls who had promoted the Rumble in the Jungle fight in Zaire versus George Foreman. By the summer of 1977, Ali's second marriage was over and he had married Veronica. By the time they were married, they had a baby girl, Hana, and Veronica was pregnant with their second child. Their second daughter, Laila, was born in December of that year.

Laila Ali would follow the career of her father, eventually becoming the IBA, WIBA, and IWBF champion.

By 1986, Ali and Veronica had divorced.

On November 19, 1986, Ali married his fourth wife, Yolanda 'Lonnie' Ali. They had known each other since the early 1960s in Louisville, having first met when Ali was 22 and Yolanda was 6. Their mothers were close friends, although Lonnie Ali has publicly denied the popular notion that Muhammad Ali was once her babysitter. They have one adopted son, Asaad.

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

Ali in the media

Books

• Black is Best: The Riddle of Cassius Clay, by Jack Olsen (1967)
• The Fight, by Norman Mailer (1975)
• The Greatest: My Own Story, by Muhammad Ali with Richard Durham (1975)
• King of the World, by David Remnick (1999)
• The Greatest, by Walter Dean Myers (2001)
• The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey, by Muhammad Ali with Hana Yasmeen Ali (2004)
• The Untold Legacy Of Muhammad Ali, by Thomas Hauser (2005)

Illustrated books

Photography

• GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), Taschen's massive 800-page tribute weighs 75 lbs; limited "Champ's Edition" is autographed by Muhammad Ali and comes with a sculpture by Jeff Koons.

Comics

• New Grappler Baki - In Search of Our Strongest Hero, Japanese manga series portraying Muhammad Ali and a fictional son, Muhammad Ali, Jr.
• Superman vs Muhammad Ali, by Dennis O'Neill & Neal Adams, DC Comics (1978)

Music

• Ali himself released a 45rpm version of the song "Stand by Me" (written by Ben E. King, Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller), a track which also featured on his 1963 Columbia album "I am the Greatest" (released under the name Cassius Clay).
• In December 1969, Ali appeared on Broadway in the musical Buck White.The show ran for just seven performances; but Ali and the cast performed the number "We Came in Chains" on the Ed Sullivan Show.
• In 1971, New York singer Vernon Harrell released a record about him called "Muhammed Ali" (sic) (Brunswick Records #55448) as Verne Harrell. This misspelling of Ali's name was printed on the labels of the 45s.
• In 1974, a song about Ali titled "Black Superman (Muhammad Ali)" was recorded by British reggae group Johnny Wakelin & the Kinshasa Band.
• The R. Kelly song "World's Greatest" is a tribute to Muhammad Ali and it is featured on the soundtrack to the 2001, motion picture Ali. In 2002, the song peaked at #34 on Billboard's Hot 100 US singles chart and at #4 on the UK singles chart. The song's video features archived footage of Ali as well as an homage to the firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical workers regarded among the greatest heroes of the rescue operations necessitated by the events of 9/11.
• The British dance band Faithless recorded a song titled "Muhammad Ali" which was released as a single on September 23, 2001. The single reached #29 on the UK singles chart. The song was included on their 2001 album Outrospective.
• In 2001, he was mentioned (under the name Cassius Clay) in the lyrics to De Phazz's "Death By Chocolate" album in the song "Something Special".

Movies and television

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).

File:When We Were Kings.jpg

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

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 and Ali 65. They premiered on December 9th, 2006 at 9PM EST on ESPN.

Ali appeared on the WGBH series Say Brother, where he spoke about his reasons for not serving in the Vietnam War.[2]

Video games

Ali has appeared in numerous video boxing games. Some of which feature him as the title character. Examples include Foes of Ali, Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing, and the Fight Night series.

Quotes

I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.

It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.

To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you're not, pretend you are.

If my fans think I can do everything I say I can do, then they're crazier than I am.

God gave me this illness to remind me that I'm not number One; he is.

Superman don't need no seat belt. [Comment to flight attendant, who replied, 'Superman don't need no airplane, either.']

I'll beat him so bad he'll need a shoehorn to put his hat on.

If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize.

Fifteen referees. I want fifteen referees to be at this fight because there ain't no one man who can keep up with the pace I'm gonna set except me. There's not a man alive who can whup me. I'm too fast. I'm too smart. I'm too pretty. I should be a postage stamp. That's the only way I'll ever get licked.

References

• Hauser, Thomas (2004 Reprint). Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times. Robson Books. ISBN 1-86105-738-5. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)

See also

• BBC Sports Personality of the Century Award
• List of heavyweight boxing champions
• List of Louisvillians
• List of male boxers
• List of North American Muslims
• List of notable boxing rivalries
• List of WBA world champions
• List of WBC world champions
• Notable boxing families

External links

• www.ali.com - Official website
• 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
• Laila Ali Webpage