Ali, Muhammad (boxer)
I INTRODUCTION
Ali, Muhammad (boxer) (1942- ), American boxer, one of the greatest
fighters in the history of the sport. Colorful, talented, and
sometimes controversial, Ali entertained fans and intimidated
opponents. His boxing style involved graceful footwork and powerful
jabs. He also became famous for bragging about himself, often in his
own verse. Ali once described his skills by saying that he
could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." In 1978 he became
the first boxer to win the world heavyweight championship title three
different times.
II "THE GREATEST"
Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His birth name was Cassius
Marcellus Clay, Jr., named after famed Kentucky abolitionist Cassius
Marcellus Clay. Clay began boxing at the age of 12, after his bicycle
was stolen and a police officer suggested that he learn how to box.
By age 18 Clay had amassed an amateur record of 100 wins in 108
fights. This included six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, the 1959
International Golden Gloves heavyweight title, and a gold medal as
the light heavyweight champion at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome,
Italy.
After returning from the Olympics, Clay turned professional. He
fought his first professional bout on October 29, 1960, and defeated
Tunney Hunsaker. As Clay continued to win over the next few years, he
became more vocal about his successes, and he was given the nicknames
Louisville Lip and Mighty Mouth.
By 1964 Clay had recorded 19 professional wins and had earned a
chance to challenge heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. At 22 years
old, Clay was considered a serious underdog. Nonetheless, he
predicted that he would knock Liston out in the eighth round. Clay
needed even less time to make good on his claim. His jab-and-dance
technique tired Liston, who failed to come out of his corner at the
start of the seventh round. Clay was crowned the new world
heavyweight champion and proclaimed himself The Greatest.
In 1964 Clay converted to Islam, joined the Nation of Islam (see
Black Muslims), and assumed the name Muhammad Ali. In 1965 he
defended his title in a rematch against Liston, a bout that lasted
only 2 minutes 12 seconds. During the first round Ali caught Liston
with a hard blow, so quick that it was dubbed the "phantom punch"
because few fans saw it. Liston fell, and although he regained his
feet before the count was finished, the referee ended the fight in
Ali's favor. Six months later Ali successfully defended his title
against former champion Floyd Patterson. Ali retained his title with
victories in five more bouts before 1967.
III THE CONTROVERSIAL CHAMPION
In 1967, in the middle of the Vietnam War, Ali refused to be inducted
into the United States Army on the grounds that he was a black Muslim
minister and therefore a conscientious objector. He had thrust
himself into the middle of a period of volatility in American
society. Ali was an outspoken African American at a time when the
country's commitment to civil rights was being widely questioned. He
was also one of the most prominent conscientious objectors against
the war, which was attracting more and more protest. Ali was
convicted of draft evasion, and his popularity plummeted. Early in
1967 he was stripped of his heavyweight title and the title was
declared vacant. When he was subsequently banned from fighting in the
United States, Ali filed a number of court appeals.
Ali was allowed to return to the ring in late 1970, but in his
absence Joe Frazier had taken the world heavyweight title. After
three years without a championship fight against a serious
competitor, Ali entered the ring in March 1971 for a highly promoted
bout with Frazier. Because both Ali and Frazier carried undefeated
records, the bout was billed as "The Fight of the Century." Ali lost
the 15-round battle, and Frazier retained his title. Later that year
the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Ali's draft evasion
conviction.
IV CHAMPION AGAIN
Ali faced Frazier again in January 1974 at Madison Square Garden in
New York City. Frazier had lost the heavyweight title to George
Foreman in 1973, and therefore both boxers were mounting major
comebacks. After the former champions battled for 12 rounds, Ali won
by unanimous decision and gained the right to challenge Foreman for
the heavyweight title.
Ali and Foreman agreed to a bout to be held in Kinshasa, Zaire (now
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC). The match was dubbed by
many "The Rumble in the Jungle," and it attracted worldwide
attention. It was originally scheduled for early September 1974, but
after Foreman suffered a serious cut above his right eye during
training the fight was delayed until late October. Ali used the extra
time to train in Kinshasa. He savored the media limelight, made
friends with locals, and challenged and taunted Foreman at press
conferences and meetings. Despite Ali's confidence, many believed
that he was past his prime and would fall to the younger opponent.
When the fight began, observers were surprised by Ali's strategy. In
the weeks leading up to the bout, he had loudly predicted that he
would beat Foreman with graceful footwork, taking advantage of his
quickness to dance around Foreman. But his performance in the ring
was much different. Ali hugged the ropes and opened himself up to a
barrage of Foreman punches during the early rounds. Foreman became
weary as the fight progressed, however, and Ali fought back with well-
placed, powerful punches. This successful technique was later
dubbed "rope-a-dope." A knockout in the eighth round secured Ali's
victory and gained him his second world heavyweight title. The fight
and the weeks leading up to it were captured in the film When We Were
Kings, which was released in 1996 and won an Academy Award for best
documentary.
After defending his title against three different challengers early
in 1975, Ali agreed to fight Frazier in Manila, Philippines, in
October of that same year. Once again, Ali predicted victory. Before
28,000 boxing fans and 700 million television viewers, Ali outlasted
Frazier and defended his title in a brutal 15-round battle Ali
called "The Thrilla in Manila." The fight cemented Ali and Frazier's
places as two of the most durable, enduring boxers in the sport's
history.
V ANOTHER TITLE AND RETIREMENT
Ali defended his title six more times between 1976 and 1978. In
February 1978, however, he lost the title to Leon Spinks in Las
Vegas, Nevada. In September 1978 the two boxers fought a rematch and
Ali regained the title, beating Spinks in 15 rounds in New Orleans,
Louisiana. Ali retired in 1979, but he came out of retirement in 1980
to challenge Larry Holmes, who had taken the title. He lost to Holmes
and then lost to Trevor Berbick in 1981 before retiring for good.
At the height of his fame, Ali was one of the most famous athletes in
the world, and even after his retirement he was recognizable wherever
he went. He retired with a professional record of 56 wins (37 by
knockout) and 5 losses. After his boxing career ended, Ali donated
much of his time to various charities and humanitarian missions
around the world. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall
of Fame in 1990, and in 1996 he was awarded the honor of lighting the
Olympic torch in Atlanta, Georgia, to begin the Summer Olympic Games.
At the end of the century, many publications listed him as one of the
20th century's greatest and most influential athletes.
In 1984 Ali was first diagnosed with Parkinson syndrome, a medical
condition closely related to Parkinson disease. Symptoms include body
tremors, slurred or difficult speech, rigid limbs, facial
immobilization, and other neurological problems. The disorder
sometimes develops in boxers, because of the repeated blows to the
head they suffer over a long career. As the former champion coped
with the condition, he became a strong advocate for more research
money for Parkinson disease and related conditions.
I INTRODUCTION
Ali, Muhammad (boxer) (1942- ), American boxer, one of the greatest
fighters in the history of the sport. Colorful, talented, and
sometimes controversial, Ali entertained fans and intimidated
opponents. His boxing style involved graceful footwork and powerful
jabs. He also became famous for bragging about himself, often in his
own verse. Ali once described his skills by saying that he
could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." In 1978 he became
the first boxer to win the world heavyweight championship title three
different times.
II "THE GREATEST"
Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His birth name was Cassius
Marcellus Clay, Jr., named after famed Kentucky abolitionist Cassius
Marcellus Clay. Clay began boxing at the age of 12, after his bicycle
was stolen and a police officer suggested that he learn how to box.
By age 18 Clay had amassed an amateur record of 100 wins in 108
fights. This included six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, the 1959
International Golden Gloves heavyweight title, and a gold medal as
the light heavyweight champion at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome,
Italy.
After returning from the Olympics, Clay turned professional. He
fought his first professional bout on October 29, 1960, and defeated
Tunney Hunsaker. As Clay continued to win over the next few years, he
became more vocal about his successes, and he was given the nicknames
Louisville Lip and Mighty Mouth.
By 1964 Clay had recorded 19 professional wins and had earned a
chance to challenge heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. At 22 years
old, Clay was considered a serious underdog. Nonetheless, he
predicted that he would knock Liston out in the eighth round. Clay
needed even less time to make good on his claim. His jab-and-dance
technique tired Liston, who failed to come out of his corner at the
start of the seventh round. Clay was crowned the new world
heavyweight champion and proclaimed himself The Greatest.
In 1964 Clay converted to Islam, joined the Nation of Islam (see
Black Muslims), and assumed the name Muhammad Ali. In 1965 he
defended his title in a rematch against Liston, a bout that lasted
only 2 minutes 12 seconds. During the first round Ali caught Liston
with a hard blow, so quick that it was dubbed the "phantom punch"
because few fans saw it. Liston fell, and although he regained his
feet before the count was finished, the referee ended the fight in
Ali's favor. Six months later Ali successfully defended his title
against former champion Floyd Patterson. Ali retained his title with
victories in five more bouts before 1967.
III THE CONTROVERSIAL CHAMPION
In 1967, in the middle of the Vietnam War, Ali refused to be inducted
into the United States Army on the grounds that he was a black Muslim
minister and therefore a conscientious objector. He had thrust
himself into the middle of a period of volatility in American
society. Ali was an outspoken African American at a time when the
country's commitment to civil rights was being widely questioned. He
was also one of the most prominent conscientious objectors against
the war, which was attracting more and more protest. Ali was
convicted of draft evasion, and his popularity plummeted. Early in
1967 he was stripped of his heavyweight title and the title was
declared vacant. When he was subsequently banned from fighting in the
United States, Ali filed a number of court appeals.
Ali was allowed to return to the ring in late 1970, but in his
absence Joe Frazier had taken the world heavyweight title. After
three years without a championship fight against a serious
competitor, Ali entered the ring in March 1971 for a highly promoted
bout with Frazier. Because both Ali and Frazier carried undefeated
records, the bout was billed as "The Fight of the Century." Ali lost
the 15-round battle, and Frazier retained his title. Later that year
the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Ali's draft evasion
conviction.
IV CHAMPION AGAIN
Ali faced Frazier again in January 1974 at Madison Square Garden in
New York City. Frazier had lost the heavyweight title to George
Foreman in 1973, and therefore both boxers were mounting major
comebacks. After the former champions battled for 12 rounds, Ali won
by unanimous decision and gained the right to challenge Foreman for
the heavyweight title.
Ali and Foreman agreed to a bout to be held in Kinshasa, Zaire (now
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC). The match was dubbed by
many "The Rumble in the Jungle," and it attracted worldwide
attention. It was originally scheduled for early September 1974, but
after Foreman suffered a serious cut above his right eye during
training the fight was delayed until late October. Ali used the extra
time to train in Kinshasa. He savored the media limelight, made
friends with locals, and challenged and taunted Foreman at press
conferences and meetings. Despite Ali's confidence, many believed
that he was past his prime and would fall to the younger opponent.
When the fight began, observers were surprised by Ali's strategy. In
the weeks leading up to the bout, he had loudly predicted that he
would beat Foreman with graceful footwork, taking advantage of his
quickness to dance around Foreman. But his performance in the ring
was much different. Ali hugged the ropes and opened himself up to a
barrage of Foreman punches during the early rounds. Foreman became
weary as the fight progressed, however, and Ali fought back with well-
placed, powerful punches. This successful technique was later
dubbed "rope-a-dope." A knockout in the eighth round secured Ali's
victory and gained him his second world heavyweight title. The fight
and the weeks leading up to it were captured in the film When We Were
Kings, which was released in 1996 and won an Academy Award for best
documentary.
After defending his title against three different challengers early
in 1975, Ali agreed to fight Frazier in Manila, Philippines, in
October of that same year. Once again, Ali predicted victory. Before
28,000 boxing fans and 700 million television viewers, Ali outlasted
Frazier and defended his title in a brutal 15-round battle Ali
called "The Thrilla in Manila." The fight cemented Ali and Frazier's
places as two of the most durable, enduring boxers in the sport's
history.
V ANOTHER TITLE AND RETIREMENT
Ali defended his title six more times between 1976 and 1978. In
February 1978, however, he lost the title to Leon Spinks in Las
Vegas, Nevada. In September 1978 the two boxers fought a rematch and
Ali regained the title, beating Spinks in 15 rounds in New Orleans,
Louisiana. Ali retired in 1979, but he came out of retirement in 1980
to challenge Larry Holmes, who had taken the title. He lost to Holmes
and then lost to Trevor Berbick in 1981 before retiring for good.
At the height of his fame, Ali was one of the most famous athletes in
the world, and even after his retirement he was recognizable wherever
he went. He retired with a professional record of 56 wins (37 by
knockout) and 5 losses. After his boxing career ended, Ali donated
much of his time to various charities and humanitarian missions
around the world. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall
of Fame in 1990, and in 1996 he was awarded the honor of lighting the
Olympic torch in Atlanta, Georgia, to begin the Summer Olympic Games.
At the end of the century, many publications listed him as one of the
20th century's greatest and most influential athletes.
In 1984 Ali was first diagnosed with Parkinson syndrome, a medical
condition closely related to Parkinson disease. Symptoms include body
tremors, slurred or difficult speech, rigid limbs, facial
immobilization, and other neurological problems. The disorder
sometimes develops in boxers, because of the repeated blows to the
head they suffer over a long career. As the former champion coped
with the condition, he became a strong advocate for more research
money for Parkinson disease and related conditions.
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