Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. on January 17, 1942) is a retired African American boxer. In 1999, Ali was crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated. He is a three-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

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 orthodox Sunni Islam in 1975.

Biography

Early boxing career

In 1954, Ali, who was then known as Cassius Clay, parked his red-and-white Schwinn bike( His most prized possession) on the side of the building of the indoor fair he was about to go into. When he learned that his bicycle had been stolen, he approached a police officer named Joe Elsby Martin, Sr. and told him that he wanted to "whup" the thief. Martin, the coach of the Louisville city boxing program, told Ali that if he intended to "whup" someone, he should learn to fight. The next day, Ali appeared at Louisville's Columbia Gym and began boxing lessons with Martin. Ali credits Martin with teaching him how to "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." As an Olympic coach, Martin accompanied Ali to the Rome Olympics in 1960 where he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division.

Standing at 6' 3" (1.93 m), Ali had a highly unorthodox style for a heavyweight boxer. He carried his hands at his sides, rather than the normal boxing style of carrying the hands high to defend the face. Instead, he 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 (who weighed 160 pounds when he fought Clay), Donnie Fleeman (who had broken ribs going into the fight but fought Clay anyway), 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 then won a disputed 10 round decision over Doug Jones, who, despite being lighter than Clay, staggered Clay as soon as the fight started with a right hand, and beat Clay to the punch continually during the fight. The fight was named "Fight of the Year" for 1963. Clay's next fight was against Britain's Henry Cooper, who knocked Clay down with a left hook near the end of the fourth round. Clay was given extra time between rounds immediately after being floored by Cooper, a blatant violation of boxing rules. However, 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 and during the weigh-in on the previous day, the never-bashful 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."

Ali taunts a canvas ridden Liston

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 changed his name to Cassius X, discarding his surname as a symbol of his ancestors' enslavement, as had been done by other Nation members such as Malcolm X. He was soon given the name Muhammad Ali by the leader of the Nation, Elijah Muhammad, who revealed the name to Ali as "his true name," although only a few journalists (most notably Howard Cosell) accepted it at that time. The adoption of this name symbolized his new identity as a Black Muslim, and he retained the name even after he later became a Sunni Muslim.

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 Muslim mentors, 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 of 1965, to his final defense against Zora Folley in March of 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 fifteen 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, Cleveland Williams went into the fight missing one kidney, ten 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 Ernie Terrell, in what was to be 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, and during the fight Ali kept shouting at his opponent "What's my name, Uncle Tom...what's my name". Terrell suffered fifteen rounds of brutal punishment, losing 13 of 15 rounds on two judges' scorecards, but Ali was unable to knock him out. This caused many to question even more strongly Ali's "phantom punch knockout" over Liston. 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 of 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 actual 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.

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. 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 of 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 was unjustly denied a boxing license. Once again able to fight in New York, he fought Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden in December of 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

Ali and Frazier fought each other on March 8, 1971 at Madison Square Garden. This fight, known as The Fight of the Century, is one of the most famous and was one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts of all time, since 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 final round and won on points. 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. Despite an impressive performance, Ali may have still been suffering from the effects of "ring rust" due to his long layoff.

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 on points in their 1974 rematch, to earn another title shot.

The Rumble in the Jungle

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.

In the fight, Ali took 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 capitalized on it.

Commentators expected Ali to box Foreman at distance using his superior speed and footwork but, instead, during the second round Ali retreated to the ropes inviting Foreman to hit him, while sporadically 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. 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 beautiful combination for the knockout. Foreman failed to make the count, and Ali had regained the title.

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.

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.

Pre-fight poster for the Thrilla in Manila

The 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.

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

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 the greatest Heavyweight champion of all time, and one of the best pound for pound boxers in history. Ali fought with his head and not just his body. 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.

He's also recently topped the list of Greatest Heavyweights, along many boxing luminaries including the likes of Angelo Dundee and Dan Rafael.

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. 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 US Constitution and Bill of Rights in various high profile activities. Ali rode on a float at the 1988 Tournament of Roses, 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 1995 the debut album of the band Ben Folds Five included a song about Ali and his retirement called "Boxing". Ben Folds has said that his dad was a fan of Ali. 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 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."

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

The $60 million non-profit Muhammad Ali Center opened in downtown Louisville, Kentucky on November 19, 2005 (his 19th wedding anniversary). In addition to displaying his boxing memorabilia, the center focuses on core themes of peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal growth. Muhammad Ali currently lives on a small farm near Berrien Springs, Michigan with his fourth wife, Yolanda 'Lonnie' Ali.

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."

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 rejected the part of Ali until Muhammad Ali came and told him to take the part.

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).

Personal life

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

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

• The Greatest-My Own Story by Muhammad Ali with Richard Durham - 1975.

Ali onscreen

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

When We Were Kings

• 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.