muhammad ali biography essay

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali was a three-time heavyweight boxing champion with an impressive 56-win record. He was also known for his public stance against the Vietnam War.

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Muhammad Ali was a boxer, philanthropist, and social activist who is universally regarded as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. Ali became an Olympic gold medalist in 1960 and the world heavyweight boxing champion in 1964. Following his suspension for refusing military service in the Vietnam War, Ali reclaimed the heavyweight title two more times during the 1970s, winning famed bouts against Joe Frazier and George Foreman along the way. Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and devoted much of his time after to philanthropy. He earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

FULL NAME: Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. BORN: January 17, 1942 DIED: June 3, 2016 BIRTHPLACE: Louisville, Kentucky SPOUSES: Sonji Roi (1964-1965), Belinda Boyd (1967-1977), Veronica Porché (1977-1986), and Yolanda Williams (1986-2016) CHILDREN: Maryum, Jamillah, Rasheda, Muhammad Jr., Miya, Khaliah, Hana, Laila Ali , and Asaad ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Capricorn

Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. His birth name was Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.

At an early age, young Clay showed that he wasn’t afraid of any bout—inside or outside of the ring. Growing up in the segregated South, he experienced racial prejudice and discrimination firsthand.

At the age of 12, Clay discovered his talent for boxing through an odd twist of fate. After his bike was stolen, Clay told police officer Joe Martin that he wanted to beat up the thief. “Well, you better learn how to fight before you start challenging people,” Martin reportedly told him at the time. In addition to being a police officer, Martin also trained young boxers at a local gym.

Clay started working with Martin to learn how to spar and soon began his boxing career. In his first amateur bout in 1954, he won the fight by split decision. Clay went on to win the 1956 Golden Gloves tournament for novices in the light heavyweight class. Three years later, he won the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, as well as the Amateur Athletic Union’s national title for the light heavyweight division.

Clay attended mostly Black public schools, including Central High School in Louisville from 1956 to 1960. Clay often daydreamed in class and shadowboxed in the halls—he was training for the 1960 Olympics at the time—and his grades were so bad that some of his teachers wanted to hold him back from graduation. However, the school’s principal Atwood Wilson could see Clay’s potential and opposed this, sarcastically asking the staff, “Do you think I’m going to be the principal of a school that Cassius Clay didn’t finish?”

In 1960, Clay won a spot on the U.S. Olympic boxing team and traveled to Rome to compete. At 6 feet, 3 inches tall, Clay was an imposing figure in the ring, but he also became known for his lightning speed and fancy footwork. After winning his first three bouts, Clay defeated Zbigniew Pietrzkowski of Poland to win the light heavyweight Olympic gold medal.

After his Olympic victory, Clay was heralded as an American hero. He soon turned professional with the backing of the Louisville Sponsoring Group and continued overwhelming all opponents in the ring.

Clay met charismatic Nation of Islam minister Malcolm X at a rally in Detroit in June 1962. Floored by Malcolm X’s fearlessness as an orator, the two developed a friendship and Clay became more involved in the Black Muslim group. Malcolm X even assigned an associate to help manage Clay’s day-to-day affairs.

In 1964, Malcolm X brought his family to visit Clay while he trained in Florida for his February 25 title fight against Sonny Liston . Clay’s victory over Liston earned him his first world heavyweight boxing championship. Following the win, the two held an evening of reflection in a hotel room with Jim Brown and Sam Cooke that became the inspiration for the One Night in Miami stage play and 2020 drama film.

The next morning, on February 26, Clay announced his affiliation with the Nation of Islam. At first, he called himself Cassius X before settling on the name Muhammad Ali. Surprisingly, his allegiances were with supreme leader Elijah Muhammad and not the exiled Malcolm X. Ali and Malcolm’s friendship quickly fractured, and the two went their separate ways by that spring.

Ali showed little remorse upon Malcolm X’s murder on February 21, 1965, but admitted in his 2005 memoir Soul of a Butterfly : “Turning my back on Malcolm was one of the mistakes that I regret most in my life.”

The boxer eventually converted to orthodox Islam during the 1970s.

Ali started a different kind of fight with his outspoken views against the Vietnam War. Drafted into the military in April 1967, he refused to serve on the grounds that he was a practicing Muslim minister with religious beliefs that prevented him from fighting. He was arrested for committing a felony and almost immediately stripped of his world title and boxing license.

The U.S. Justice Department pursued a legal case against Ali and denied his claim for conscientious objector status. He was found guilty of violating Selective Service laws and sentenced to five years in prison in June 1967 but remained free while appealing his conviction.

Unable to compete professionally in the meantime, Ali missed more than three prime years of his athletic career. Following his suspension, Ali found refuge on Chicago’s South Side, where he lived from the mid-1960s through the late 1970s. He continued training, formed amateur boxing leagues, and fought whomever he could in local gyms.

Finally granted a license to fight in 1970 in Georgia, which did not have a statewide athletic commission, Ali returned to the ring at Atlanta’s City Auditorium on October 26 with a win over Jerry Quarry. A few months later, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction in June 1971, allowing Ali to fight on a regular basis.

Ali had a career record of 56 wins, five losses, and 37 knockouts before his retirement in 1981 at the age of 39.

Often referring to himself as “The Greatest,” Ali was not afraid to sing his own praises. He was known for boasting about his skills before a fight and for his colorful descriptions and phrases. In one of his more famously quoted descriptions, Ali told reporters that he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” in the boxing ring.

A few of his more well-known bouts include the following:

Sonny Liston

After winning gold at the 1960 Olympics, Ali took out British heavyweight champion Henry Cooper in 1963. He then knocked out Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964, to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

Joe Frazier

On March 8, 1971, Ali took on Joe Frazier in what has been called the “Fight of the Century.” Frazier and Ali went toe-to-toe for 14 rounds before Frazier dropped Ali with a vicious left hook in the 15th. Ali recovered quickly, but the judges awarded the decision to Frazier, handing Ali his first professional loss after 31 wins.

After suffering a loss to Ken Norton, Ali beat Frazier in a rematch on January 28, 1974.

In 1975, Ali and Frazier locked horns again for their grudge match on October 1 in Quezon City, Philippines. Dubbed the “Thrilla in Manila,” the bout nearly went the distance, with both men delivering and absorbing tremendous punishment. However, Frazier’s trainer threw in the towel after the 14th round, giving the hard-fought victory to Ali.

George Foreman

Another legendary Ali fight took place on October 30, 1974, against undefeated heavyweight champion George Foreman . Billed as the “Rumble in the Jungle,” the bout was organized by promoter Don King and held in Kinshasa, Zaire.

For once, Ali was seen as the underdog to the younger, massive Foreman, but he silenced his critics with a masterful performance. He baited Foreman into throwing wild punches with his “rope-a-dope” technique, before stunning his opponent with an eighth-round knockout to reclaim the heavyweight title.

Leon Spinks

After losing his title to Leon Spinks on February 15, 1978, Ali defeated him months later in a rematch on September 15. Ali became the first boxer to win the heavyweight championship three times.

Larry Holmes

Following a brief retirement, Ali returned to the ring to face Larry Holmes on October 2, 1980, but was overmatched against the younger champion.

Following one final loss in 1981, to Trevor Berbick, the boxing great retired from the sport at age 39.

Ali was married four times and had nine children, including two children—daughters Miya and Khaliah—he fathered outside of marriage.

Ali married his first wife, Sonji Roi, in 1964. They divorced a little more than one year later when she refused to adopt the Nation of Islam dress and customs.

Ali married his second wife, 17-year-old Belinda Boyd, in 1967. Boyd and Ali had four children together: Maryum, born in 1969; Jamillah and Rasheda, both born in 1970; and Muhammad Ali Jr., born in 1972. Boyd and Ali’s divorce was finalized in 1977.

At the same time Ali was married to Boyd, he traveled openly with Veronica Porché, who became his third wife in 1977. The pair had two daughters together, Hana and Laila Ali . The latter followed in Ali’s footsteps by becoming a champion boxer. Porché and Ali divorced in 1986.

Ali married his fourth and final wife Yolanda, who went by Lonnie, in 1986. The pair had known each other since Lonnie was just 6 and Ali was 21; their mothers were best friends and raised their families on the same street. Ali and Lonnie had one son together, Asaad, and remained married until Ali’s death.

Grandchildren

Rasheda’s son Nico Walsh Ali became a boxer like his grandfather and aunt. In 2021, he signed a deal with legendary Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who promoted 27 of Muhammad Ali’s bouts. He won his first eight professional fights, according to database BoxRec.

Nico’s brother, Biaggio Ali Walsh, was a star football running back, helping lead national powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas to the top of the USA Today rankings from 2014 through 2016. He played collegiately at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas before becoming an amateur mixed martial artist.

The brothers have drawn the attention of social media celebrity Jake Paul, a novice boxer who has said he’d like to fight both and “erase” them.

One of Ali’s other grandsons, Jacob Ali-Wertheimer, competed in NCAA track and field at Harvard University and graduated in 2021.

In 1984, Ali announced that he had Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative neurological condition. Despite the progression of Parkinson’s and the onset of spinal stenosis, he remained active in public life.

Ali raised funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona. And he was on hand to celebrate the inauguration of the first Black president in January 2009, when Barack Obama was sworn into office.

In his retirement, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy. Over the years, Ali supported the Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, among other organizations. In 1996, he lit the Olympic cauldron at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, an emotional moment in sports history.

Ali traveled to numerous countries, including Mexico and Morocco, to help out those in need. In 1998, he was chosen to be a United Nations Messenger of Peace because of his work in developing nations.

In 2005, Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush .

Ali also received the President’s Award from the NAACP in 2009 for his public service efforts. Other recipients of the award have included include Ella Fitzgerald , Venus and Serena Williams , Kerry Washington , Spike Lee , John Legend , Rihanna , and LeBron James .

Ali opened the Muhammad Ali Center , a multicultural center with a museum dedicated to his life and legacy, in his hometown of Louisville in 2005.

“I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given,” he said. “Many fans wanted to build a museum to acknowledge my achievements. I wanted more than a building to house my memorabilia. I wanted a place that would inspire people to be the best that they could be at whatever they chose to do, and to encourage them to be respectful of one another.”

Ali lived the final decade of his live in the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley, Arizona.

A few years before his death, Ali underwent surgery for spinal stenosis, a condition causing the narrowing of the spine, which limited his mobility and ability to communicate. In early 2015, he battled pneumonia and was hospitalized for a severe urinary tract infection.

Ali died on June 3, 2016, in Scottsdale, Arizona, after being hospitalized for what was reportedly a respiratory issue. He was 74 years old.

Years before his passing, Ali had planned his own memorial services, saying he wanted to be “inclusive of everyone, where we give as many people an opportunity that want to pay their respects to me,” according to a family spokesman.

The three-day event, which took place in Ali’s hometown of Louisville, included an “I Am Ali” public arts festival, entertainment and educational offerings sponsored by the city, an Islamic prayer program, and a memorial service.

Prior to the memorial service, a funeral procession traveled 20 miles through Louisville, past Ali’s childhood home, his high school, the first boxing gym where he trained, and along Ali Boulevard as tens of thousands of fans tossed flowers on his hearse and cheered his name.

The champ’s memorial service was held at the KFC Yum Center arena with close to 20,000 people in attendance. Speakers included religious leaders from various faiths: Attallah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s eldest daughter; broadcaster Bryant Gumbel; former President Bill Clinton ; comedian Billy Crystal; Ali’s daughters Maryum and Rasheda; and his widow, Lonnie.

“Muhammad indicated that when the end came for him, he wanted us to use his life and his death as a teaching moment for young people, for his country, and for the world,” Lonnie said. “In effect, he wanted us to remind people who are suffering that he had seen the face of injustice—that he grew up during segregation and that during his early life he was not free to be who he wanted to be. But he never became embittered enough to quit or to engage in violence.”

Clinton spoke about how Ali found self-empowerment: “I think he decided, before he could possibly have worked it all out, and before fate and time could work their will on him, he decided he would not ever be disempowered. He decided that not his race, nor his place, the expectations of others—positive, negative, or otherwise—would strip from him the power to write his own story.”

Crystal, who was a struggling comedian when he became friends with Ali, said of the boxing legend: “Ultimately, he became a silent messenger for peace, who taught us that life is best when you build bridges between people, not walls.”

Pallbearers included Will Smith , who once portrayed Ali on film, and former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. Ali is buried at the Cave Hill National Cemetery in Louisville.

Ali’s stature as a legend continues to grow even after his death. He is celebrated not only for his remarkable athletic skills but for his willingness to speak his mind and his courage to challenge the status quo.

Ali played himself in the 1977 film The Greatest , which explored parts of his life such as his rise to boxing fame, conversion to Islam, and refusal to serve in Vietnam.

The 1996 documentary When We Were Kings explores Ali’s training process for his 1974 fight against George Foreman and the African political climate at the time. Directed by Leon Gast, the film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Actor Will Smith played Ali in the biopic film Ali, released in 2001. For the performance, Smith received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Ali’s relationship with Malcolm X is explored in the fictionalized 2020 drama One Night in Miami and the 2021 documentary Blood Brothers: Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali .

• The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.
• It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.
• I’m gonna float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see.
• I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given.
• I’m the champion of the world. I’m the greatest thing that ever lived. I’m so great I don’t have a mark on my face. I shook up the world! I shook up the world!
• If Clay says a mosquito can pull a plow, don’t ask how—Hitch him up!
• You get the impression while watching him fight that he plays cat and mouse, then turns out the light.
• The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people, or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom, and equality.
• Religions all have different names, but they all contain the same truths. I think the people of our religion should be tolerant and understand people believe different things.
• It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.
• I set out on a journey of love, seeking truth, peace, and understanding. l am still learning.
• Truly great people in history never wanted to be great for themselves.
• At night when I go to bed, I ask myself, “If I don’t wake up tomorrow, would I be proud of how I lived today?”
• This is the story about a man with iron fists and a beautiful tan.

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Muhammad Ali

By: History.com Editors

Updated: February 27, 2024 | Original: December 16, 2009

Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) was an American former heavyweight champion boxer and one of the greatest sporting figures of the 20th century. An Olympic gold medalist and the first fighter to capture the heavyweight title three times, Ali won 56 times in his 21-year professional career. Ali’s outspokenness on issues of race, religion and politics made him a controversial figure during his career, and the heavyweight’s quips and taunts were as quick as his fists.

Born Cassius Clay Jr., Ali changed his name in 1964 after joining the Nation of Islam. Citing his religious beliefs, he refused military induction and was stripped of his heavyweight championship and banned from boxing for three years during the prime of his career. Parkinson’s syndrome severely impaired Ali’s motor skills and speech, but he remained active as a humanitarian and goodwill ambassador.

Muhammad Ali’s Early Years and Amateur Career

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., the elder son of Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. (1912-1990) and Odessa Grady Clay (1917-1994), was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky . It was a red-and-white Schwinn that steered the future heavyweight champion to the sport of boxing. When his beloved bicycle was stolen, a tearful 12-year-old Clay reported the theft to Louisville police officer Joe Martin (1916-1996) and vowed to pummel the culprit. Martin, who was also a boxing trainer, suggested that the upset youngster first learn how to fight, and he took Clay under his wing. Six weeks later, Clay won his first bout in a split decision.

Did you know? Muhammad Ali has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated 38 times, second only to basketball great Michael Jordan.

By age 18 Clay had captured two national Golden Gloves titles, two Amateur Athletic Union national titles and 100 victories against eight losses. After graduating high school, he traveled to Rome and won the light heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Clay won his professional boxing debut on October 29, 1960, in a six-round decision. From the start of his pro career, the 6-foot-3-inch heavyweight overwhelmed his opponents with a combination of quick, powerful jabs and foot speed, and his constant braggadocio and self-promotion earned him the nickname “Louisville Lip.”

Muhammad Ali: Heavyweight Champion of the World

After winning his first 19 fights, including 15 knockouts, Clay received his first title shot on February 25, 1964, against reigning heavyweight champion Sonny Liston (1932-1970). Although he arrived in Miami Beach, Florida, a 7-1 underdog, the 22-year-old Clay relentlessly taunted Liston before the fight, promising to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and predicting a knockout. When Liston failed to answer the bell at the start of the seventh round, Clay was indeed crowned heavyweight champion of the world. In the ring after the fight, the new champ roared, “I am the greatest!”

At a press conference the next morning, Clay, who had been seen around Miami with controversial Nation of Islam member Malcolm X (1925-1965), confirmed the rumors of his conversion to Islam. On March 6, 1964, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) bestowed on Clay the name of Muhammad Ali.

Ali solidified his hold on the heavyweight championship by knocking out Liston in the first round of their rematch on May 25, 1965, and he defended his title eight more times. Then, with the Vietnam War raging, Ali showed up for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28, 1967. Citing his religious beliefs, he refused to serve. Ali was arrested, and the New York State Athletic Commission immediately suspended his boxing license and revoked his heavyweight belt.

Convicted of draft evasion, Ali was sentenced to the maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, but he remained free while the conviction was appealed. Many saw Ali as a draft dodger, and his popularity plummeted. Banned from boxing for three years, Ali spoke out against the Vietnam War on college campuses. As public attitudes turned against the war, support for Ali grew. In 1970 the New York State Supreme Court ordered his boxing license reinstated, and the following year the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction in a unanimous decision.

Muhammad Ali’s Return to the Ring

After 43 months in exile, Ali returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, and knocked out Jerry Quarry (1945-1999) in the third round. On March 8, 1971, Ali got his chance to regain his heavyweight crown against reigning champ Joe Frazier (1944-2011) in what was billed as the “Fight of the Century.” The undefeated Frazier floored Ali with a hard left hook in the final round. Ali got up but lost in a unanimous decision, experiencing his first defeat as a pro.

Ali won his next 10 bouts before being defeated by Ken Norton (1943-). He won the rematch six months later in a split decision and gained further revenge in a unanimous decision over Frazier in a non-title rematch. The victory gave the 32-year-old Ali a title shot against 25-year-old champion George Foreman (1949-). The October 30, 1974, fight in Kinshasa, Zaire, was dubbed the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Ali, the decided underdog, employed his “rope-a-dope” strategy, leaning on the ring ropes and absorbing a barrage of blows from Foreman while waiting for his opponent to tire. The strategy worked, and Ali won in an eighth-round knockout to regain the title stripped from him seven years prior.

Ali successfully defended his title in 10 fights, including the memorable “Thrilla in Manila” on October 1, 1975, in which his bitter rival Frazier, his eyes swollen shut, was unable to answer the bell for the final round. Ali also defeated Norton in their third meeting in a unanimous 15-round decision.

On February 15, 1978, an aging Ali lost his title to Leon Spinks (1953-) in a 15-round split decision. Seven months later, Ali defeated Spinks in a unanimous 15-round decision to reclaim the heavyweight crown and become the first fighter to win the world heavyweight boxing title three times.

After announcing his retirement in 1979, Ali launched a brief, unsuccessful comeback. However, he was overwhelmed in a technical knockout loss to Larry Holmes (1949-) in 1980, and he dropped a unanimous 10-round decision to Trevor Berbick (1954-2006) on December 11, 1981. After the fight, the 39-year-old Ali retired for good with a career record of 56 wins, five losses and 37 knockouts.

Muhammad Ali’s Later Years and Legacy

In 1984 Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome, possibly connected to the severe head trauma suffered during his boxing career. The former champion’s motor skills slowly declined, and his movement and speech were limited. In spite of the Parkinson’s, Ali remained in the public spotlight, traveling the world to make humanitarian, goodwill and charitable appearances. He met with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) in 1990 to negotiate the release of American hostages, and in 2002 he traveled to Afghanistan as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

Ali had the honor of lighting the cauldron during the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In 1999 Ali was voted the BBC’s “Sporting Personality of the Century,” and Sports Illustrated named him “Sportsman of the Century.” Ali was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a 2005 White House ceremony, and in the same year the $60 million Muhammad Ali Center, a nonprofit museum and cultural center focusing on peace and social responsibility, opened in Louisville.

Ring Magazine named Ali “Fighter of the Year” five times, more than any other boxer, and he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons. He married his fourth wife, Yolanda, in 1986. Ali died at the age of 74 on June 3, 2016.

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Muhammad ali (1942–2016).

Visit of Muhammad Ali to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of History and Technology, now the National Museum of American History, March 17, 1976. During his visit he donated a pair of gloves and a robe to the museum for the “Nations of Nations” exhibition. Featured in TORCH, April 1976/Smithsonian Institution Archives. Click photo for article. (Photo by Richard K. Hofmeister)

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”–Muhammad Ali

Risk taker, sports figure and fearless social icon, Muhammad Ali, who died on June 4, is ever alive in the hearts of those who know him as the greatest boxer of the 20th century. His quotes and observations, like the one above, are legion. A quote by Shakespeare “To thine own self be true,” fits him well. The path he choose not only immortalized him to sports fans but endeared him to the general public. It was a path that led through the Smithsonian.

In 1976, the Smithsonian acquired Ali’s boxing gloves and robe for an exhibition on the American Bicentennial, “A Nation of Nations.” At the donation ceremony, before a crowd of reporters and cheering spectators, Ali predicted that his Everlast gloves would become “the most famous thing in this building.”

The Smithsonian’s Ali objects artifacts and portraits are a testament to Ali’s life. Muhammad Ali rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most famous men in the world. Ali’s complexity matched the spirit of the tumultuous 1960s. He was at once a boxing titan, a civil rights warrior, an anti-war protester, and a charismatic celebrity.

Over the years the National Portrait Gallery, the National Postal Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture have collected images and memorabilia of the boxer.

On the Portrait Gallery’s third-floor mezzanine is a 1981 painting of Ali from the museum’s permanent collection, “Cat’s Cradle,” by Henry C. Casselli, Jr.

As a tribute to the man on the day of his passing, the Portrait Gallery installed a likeness that makes a statement about Ali the man. The boxer’s image, taken by photographer Yousuf Karsh in 1970, can be found near the north entrance on the first floor.

The charismatic Ali appeared on television, in commercials, and in a film about his life, and he used his worldwide fame for humanitarian efforts as well. Much more than an outstanding boxer, the media star became a symbol of courage, independence, and determination.

A few of many Muhammad Ali-related images and items at the Smithsonian include:

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Biography Online

Muhammad Ali Biography

“I’m not the greatest; I’m the double greatest. Not only do I knock ’em out, I pick the round. “

– Muhammad Ali

Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1942. He was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., (who was named after the 19th-century abolitionist and politician Cassius Clay). Ali would later change his name after joining the Nation of Islam. He subsequently converted to Sunni Islam in 1975.

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 quick feet and 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).

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 champion. The fight was to be held on February 25, 1964, in Miami, Florida. During the weigh-in before the fight, Ali frequently taunted Liston. Ali dubbed him “the big ugly bear”, and declared that he would “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee,” Ali was ready to dance around the ring, as he said, “Your hands can’t hit what your eyes can’t see.”

This was a typical buildup for Ali, who increasingly enjoyed playing to the crowd and creating a buzz before a fight. It was good news for fight promoters, who saw increased interest in any fight involving the bashful Ali.

Vietnam War

In 1964, Ali failed the Armed Forces qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were inadequate. 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 Koran. 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,

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.

“Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn’t choose it and I don’t want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name – it means beloved of God – and I insist people use it when people speak to me and of me.”

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 defence 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 defence 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 shrivelled 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 recognisable 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.

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.

“Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?”

– Muhammad Ali – explaining why he refused to fight in Vietnam

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

Muhammad Ali’s 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 was 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

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 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 the 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).

Rumble in the Jungle

In 1974, Ali gained a match with champion George Foreman. The fight took place in Zaire (the Congo) – Ali wanted the fight to be there to help give an economic boost to this part of Africa. The pre-match hype was as great as ever.

“Floats like a butterfly, sting like a bee, his hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see.”

– Muhammad Ali – before the 1974 fight against George Foreman

Against the odds, Ali won the rematch in the eighth round. Ali had adopted a strategy of wearing Foreman down though absorbing punches on the ropes – a strategy later termed – rope a dope.

This gave Ali another chance at the world title against Frazer

“It will be a killer, and a chiller, and a thriller, when I get the gorilla in Manila.”

– Ali before Frazer fight.

The fight lasted 14 rounds, with Ali finally proving victorious in the testing African heat.

Muhammad Ali 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.

Speaking of his own Parkinson’s disease, Ali remarks how it has helped him to look at life in a different perspective.

“Maybe my Parkinson’s is God’s way of reminding me what is important. It slowed me down and caused me to listen rather than talk. Actually, people pay more attention to me now because I don’t talk as much.” “I always liked to chase the girls. Parkinson’s stops all that. Now I might have a chance to go to heaven.”

Muhammad Ali, BBC

Despite the disability, he remained 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 recognised American in the world. In 1996, he had the honour of lighting the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

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.

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).

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 centre focuses on core themes of peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal growth.

According to the Muhammad Ali Center website in 2012,

“Since he retired from boxing, Ali has devoted himself to humanitarian endeavours 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.”

Muhammad Ali died on 3 June 2016, from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson’s disease.

“Will they ever have another fighter who writes poems, predicts rounds, beats everybody, makes people laugh, makes people cry and is as tall and extra pretty as me?”

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “ Biography of Muhammad Ali ”, Oxford, UK – www.biographyonline.net . Last updated 3rd February 2018

Related pages

• Muhammad Ali Facts
• Muhammad Ali Quotes

Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero

Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero at Amazon

Muhammad Ali – The Whole Story

Muhammad Ali – The Whole Story at Amazon

External pages Pages

• www.ali.com – Official website
• www.maprc.com Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center (MAPC)

 Muhammad Ali The Greatest Video

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In His Own Words

• Celebration of Life
• Six Core Principles
• Ali the Artist

Muhammad Ali was known for his quick wit and quips, read some of his greatest in and out of the ring.

"I’m young, handsome, fast, pretty, and can’t possibly be beat!"

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it – then I can achieve it.”

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

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.”

 “I’ve wrestled with alligators,  I’ve tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning and thrown thunder in jail.  You know I’m bad. Just last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. I’m so mean, I make medicine sick!”

“I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.”

“It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am.”

“I’m the greatest, I’m a bad man, and I’m pretty!”.

"I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want."

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

“You lose nothing when you fight for a cause… In my mind the losers are those who don’t have a cause they care about.”

“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”

“I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.”

“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'"

“I never thought of losing, but now that it’s happened, the only thing is to do it right. That’s my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life.”

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

“Inside or a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong.”

“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth."

“I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.”

“I try not to speak about all the charities and people I help, because I believe we can only be truly generous when we expect nothing in return.”

“Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change.”

“I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way, but if I have changed even one life for the better, I haven’t lived in vain.”

“I wanted to use my fame and this face that everyone knows so well to help uplift and inspire people around the world.”

“To be able to give away riches is mandatory if you wish to possess them. This is the only way that you will be truly rich.”

"Think well of all, be patient with all, and try to find the good in all."

“Silence is golden when you can’t think of an answer.”

“Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. It’s just plain wrong.”

“Throughout my life, I never sought retribution against those who hurt me because I believe in forgiveness. I have practiced forgiving, just as I want to be forgiven.”

“ Friendship… is not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.”

"What you’re thinking is what you’re becoming."

“Others may know pleasure, but pleasure is not happiness. It has no more importance than a shadow following a man.”

“Rivers, ponds, lakes, and streams – they all have different names, but they all contain water. Just as all religions do – they all contain truths.”

“Allah is the Greatest. I’m just the greatest boxer.”

“I’m no leader; I’m a little humble follower.”

“The only thing that matters is submitting to the will of God.”

The Man Behind The Quotes

Learn more about Muhammad Ali and his legacy.

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The Life Of Muhammad Ali, In His Own Words

NPR looks back at the life of Muhammad Ali, through his own words.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

As we've been hearing today, thousands of people have gathered in Louisville, Ky., to remember boxer Muhammad Ali, who died last week at the age of 74. So we've been listening back to Ali in his own words.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

In the fall of 1974, Ali was preparing to face George Foreman in a championship fight in Zaire, the country now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This was the so-called Rumble in the Jungle. Ali was the underdog against the much younger Foreman. But ahead of the fight, he was all confidence as captured in the documentary "When We Were Kings."

(SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "WHEN WE WERE KINGS")

MUHAMMAD ALI: I have wrestled with a alligator. I done tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail. That's bad. Only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. I'm so mean I make medicine sick.

ALI: Fast, fast, fast - last night I cut the light off in my bedroom - hit the switch, was in the bed before the room was dark.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Incredible.

ALI: Fast...

ALI: And you, George Foreman - all you chumps are going to bow when I whoop him, all of you. I know you've got him. I know you've got him picked. But the man's in trouble. I'm going to show you how great I am.

SIEGEL: That was Muhammad Ali in 1974. As it turned out, he had a reason to be confident. Ali went on to knockout Foreman in the eighth round of that fight.

Copyright © 2016 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Muhammad Ali Inspires Writers in Life and Death

By Richard Sandomir

• June 11, 2016

Norman Mailer, the pugilistic literary lion, opened “The Fight,” his account of Muhammad Ali’s victory in Zaire over George Foreman in 1974, with a ripe evocation of Ali’s magnetism, a sort of carnal electricity, which made him such a compelling subject.

“There is always a shock in seeing him again,” he wrote. “Not live as in television, but standing before you, looking his best. Then the World’s Greatest Athlete is in danger of being our most beautiful man, and the vocabulary of Camp is doomed to appear. Women draw an audible breath. Men look down. They are reminded of their lack of worth. If Ali never opened his mouth to quiver the jellies of public opinion, he would inspire love and hate. For he is the Prince of Heaven — so says the silence around his body when he is luminous.”

Ali captivated writers for more than 50 years, and his death this month at 74 is unlikely to diminish his power as a literary muse.

David Hirshey, the senior vice president and executive editor of HarperCollins, called Ali “the perfect prism through which to view sports, race, religion, politics, celebrity, comedy, tragedy.” Hirshey, who published Mark Kram’s revisionist look at Ali, “Ghosts of Manila,” in 2001, added: “And at the same time, he’s also an extraordinary kaleidoscope — depending on who is looking at him, and how you always get a different image. I suspect there will be endless angles for generations to come.”

Ali has had his life story told repeatedly. He has been written about as a mystic, a healer, a friend to ordinary folks, a rapper and an acolyte of Malcolm X. He put his name to a 1975 autobiography and cooperated with Thomas Hauser on a 1991 biography that was written as an oral history (“Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times”). He was the co-author of “The Soul of a Butterfly” with one of his daughters, Hana, and the outsize star of a 75-pound tome (“GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali” ) that was covered in silk and leather and cost up to $7,000.

New entries are already being added. Sports Illustrated is publishing a commemorative book this month composed largely of Ali articles from its archive. The magazine, as well as Time and Life, put out a special edition that went on sale Friday.

Another Ali book by Hauser, “Muhammad Ali: A Tribute to the Greatest” — a reissue of a 2005 collection of his writings about Ali with some newer pieces added — was just published. And a book by Josh Gross about Ali’s not-so-great adventure in Japan with the wrestler Antonio Inoki in 1976 (“Ali vs. Inoki”) — and its influence on mixed martial arts — will be available this month from BenBella Books.

A biography from Jonathan Eig, who has written books about Lou Gehrig, Al Capone and Jackie Robinson, is scheduled to be published in 2017. Eig looked at the array of Ali books about three years ago and determined that the oeuvre lacked a complete biography, the closest being Hauser’s oral history.

“There’s a ton of new material and new information that no one has come across before,” Eig said. “I found some of it in the archives of people who interviewed him over the years, who left their note and tapes, some in court records, and some in interviews. His wives had never really discussed what their lives were like with him.”

And in a vow that sounded almost Ali-like, he added: “I think I’ll blow people’s minds with some of the stuff I’ve discovered about Ali, in good ways and bad ways. I think people will be shocked by the book.”

While Eig chose to re-examine the full breadth of Ali’s life and career, Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith took a rigorous look at a critical slice of Ali’s earlier years: how Cassius Clay become Muhammad Ali, which they delve into in their recently published book, “Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X” (Basic Books).

“We weren’t the first to recognize this, but most of their relationship was clandestine, so the only way to get to it was to systematically go through newspapers and F.B.I. reports to create a day-by-day itinerary of each man,” Roberts, a history professor at Purdue, said of Ali and Malcolm X. “We got into the politics of the Nation of Islam, the schism between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad, what role Cassius Clay played in that schism and how he was used as a pawn by both characters.”

Once Muhammad had cast Malcolm X out of the Nation of Islam, Clay, who had only recently taken his new name, turned his back on Malcolm X.

“When Malcolm lost the contest for Clay’s loyalty,” Roberts and Smith write, “he had no more moves, no more pawns to sacrifice. At that moment Malcolm was expendable. At that moment, his life was in jeopardy.” He was assassinated on Feb. 21, 1965.

Hauser, a longtime boxing writer who spent considerable time with Ali in the 1980s and ’90s, reflected with sadness that the world was able to watch Ali deteriorate over the years, in contrast with world figures like Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, whose physical declines were largely shielded from the public. Ali was not ashamed of the effects of Parkinson’s disease and often wanted to travel and be seen.

“We watched this man wither in the public eye,” Hauser said by telephone. “Lennox Lewis told me he retired when he did as heavyweight champion because of what happened to Ali. Everyone knew the end was coming and quite a few people, myself included, felt it was merciful.” And, he said, younger generations who experienced Ali in decline missed the sight of him healthy, flicking his jab, declaring his greatness, admiring his prettiness and standing, in braggadocio, in victory over a supine Sonny Liston.

“It will take time,” he wrote, “for the image of the aging Ali to fade and for the image of the young Ali to be restored.”

Muhammad Ali

• Occupation: Boxer
• Born: January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky
• Died: June 3, 2016 in Scottsdale, Arizona
• Best known for: World Heavyweight Champion
• Nickname: The Greatest

• Fight of the Century - The "Fight of the Century" took place on March 8, 1971 in New York City between Ali (31-0) and Joe Frazier (26-0). This fight went all 15 rounds with Ali losing to Frazier by decision. It was Ali's first loss as a professional.
• Rumble in the Jungle - The "Rumble in the Jungle" took place on October 30, 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire between Ali (44-2) and George Foreman (40-0). Ali knocked out Foreman in the eighth round to regain the title of Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World.
• Thrilla in Manila - The "Thrilla in Manila" took place on October 1, 1975 in Quezon City, Philippines between Ali (48-2) and Joe Frazer (32-2). Ali won by TKO after the 14th round when the referee stopped the fight.

• He fought twenty-two professional heavyweight championship bouts.
• He has been married four times and has nine children.
• His youngest daughter, Laila Ali, was an undefeated professional boxer with a record of 24-0.
• His trainer from 1960 to 1981 was Angelo Dundee. Dundee also worked with Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman.
• Actor Will Smith portrayed Muhammad Ali in the movie Ali .
• He once said that Sonny Liston smelled "like a bear" and that Ali was going to "donate him to a zoo."
• He was voted the No. 1 heavyweight of the 20th century by the Associated Press.
• Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Muhammad Ali Biography

How it works

Muhammad Ali was a professional boxer and very passionate. One of the best boxers in the world, a person who practiced boxing all his life, a person who is very inspirational, Muhammad Ali! He started boxing when he was 12 years old and had very inspirational quotes. He always had one fear, It was planes. He also struggled with some things in his boxing career and outside his life. Muhammad Ali lived a good life as a boxer, also as when he was not boxing, but at the same time, he would change his faith.

He was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. When he was born his name was Cassius Marcellus. At the age of 12 someone took his bike, he told the cops and said “ I want to beat that guy up” Then the cop told him he needs to train to do that and while he was training he figured that boxing was his talent.

As he was in his boxing career people called him “The People’s Champion”, “The Greatest”, and “Black Superman.” He converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964. He wasn’t allowed to box for 3 years after converting to Islam. In his boxing career, he had 105 total fights he won 100 total fights and lost 5 of them. He fights for a purpose and that purpose is to be successful. When he went to the Olympics and won the gold medal was when he got all of that fame from boxing. In his professional boxing career, Muhammad Ali fought 64 total fights, won 56, won 37 by KO and then in 2016 on June 3 a tragic death happened, it was the death of Muhammad Ali. Quotes that Muhammad Ali said were either based on boxing, life or to inspire. “It’ll be a killa, a chilla, a thrilla when I got the gorilla in the manilla.” this quote was based on when he punched a small rubber gorilla that was meant to be Joe Fraizer, he also said this on October 1, 1975. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

This quote was also based on boxing but, not only was it based on boxing it was always a very well-known quote. He meant this to be that the float like a butterfly part is supposed to mean that he flies around his opponents, and the sting like a bee part is meant to be that he punches as hard as a bee will sting a person.”When you come to the fight don’t block the aisle, don’t block the door and you all will go home after round four.” Muhammad Ali would always predict his victory and he once predicted this after his victory of the once-great but old Archie Moore by TKO in the fourth round on November 15, 1962. “I am the king of the world!” was a boxing quote, he ha[[ily shouted these words while running around the ring after beating Sonny Liston refused to get off the stool for the seventh round in their February 25, 1964, title fight. “You so ugly, you have to sneak up on the mirror so it won’t run off the wall.” this was something he said often so it was based on his life and it was a zinger to rattle Sonny Liston so that when they would start the fight Sonny would be angry so he’d forget how to fight.

“I love you show, and I like your style but your pay is so cheap I won’t be back for a while.” this was a life quote and it was for when he went on a TV talk show with the hosts about small appearance fees, but as these varied hosts as Joe Namath in 1969, Dinah Shore in the 1970s. Britain’s Michael Parkinson in 1971, and Joanna Lumley in 1989, he rhymed with it. “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietnam Congress…. They never called me nigger.” He was heavily judged by the political establishment and the mainstream media for refusing induction into the armed forces which were also a reason he why he couldn’t play in boxing for 3 years, he also said this on February 17, 1966. “My way of joking is to tell the truth. That’s the funniest joke in the world.” Muhammad Ali said this often, but it’s actually different kind of words of what he first heard as a boy from his mother, Odessa, who he called Mama Bird. “In your struggle for freedom, justice, and equality, I am with you.” Muhammad Ali and Martin Luther King Jr. had different kinds of beliefs and faiths, but they were both not following the war in Vietnam and admired each other for their civil rights activism. When they both appeared at a rally for fair housing in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 10, 1967.

“Don’t count the days, make the days count. This quote was to inspire others and he used this quote as a pep talk before boxing matches. When Muhammad Ali started boxing he got very scared and struggled with some things of his own. When he was on his way to Italy he was scared that a wing would break off the plane. He struggled with boxing when he converted to Islam. Fear was just a word not an established law to him. He struggled with trying to get justice and freedom. He never feared a wealthy farmer in a third world country. The only thing that really feared him were planes. He also struggled when he got Parkinson’s disease which was a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately dopamine-producing neurons in a specific area of the brain called substantia nigra. He held the struggle with frightening one belief because someone had to, so why not the strongest man in the world. Muhammad Ali was very talented, especially when it comes to boxing. He had a good life, quotes, fears and struggles which they fears and struggles weren’t good to him.

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57 Interesting Facts About Muhammad Ali

Last updated on February 10th, 2022

T he achievements of one of the greatest boxers, Muhammad Ali, are not just confined to the ring, but extend beyond considerable lengths and breadths of the planet. He lead his life with confidence, conviction, and dedication, and even after his passing away, he is remembered by millions across the world. With these 57 facts about Muhammad Ali, we try to recollect his childhood, adulthood, boxing career, and the work he did for his fellow human being.

1. Son of Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay, childhood Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) was born on 17 January 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky , United States . He was an American professional boxer, philanthropist, entertainer, and activist. Famous for his boxing prowess, he was later nicknamed “The Greatest.”

2. His mother was a domestic helper and his father was a billboard painter. Despite the fact that Cassius Senior was a Methodist, he permitted his wife to bring up Cassius Jr. and his younger brother, Rudolph Clay as Baptists. Cassius Clay, a dyslexic, went to Central High School in Louisville.

3. Because of his medical condition, he faced problems in reading and writing in school and much for the rest of his life. Cassius and his family grew up in the midst of racial discrimination. There was an occasion when a storekeeper denied him a drink of water because of his color.

4. He started boxing at the tender age of 12 in a random manner. After someone stole his bike, a tearful clay told a police officer, Joe Martin , that he wanted to pummel the culprit. The officer advised him to learn how to fight, and took the young kid under his wing.

5. The police officer (Joe Martin) was a boxing trainer at a local gym and used to teach people how to box. Cassius started visiting the gym and picked up the basics of boxing. It was not long before he started to compete and six weeks later won his first bout in a split decision.

6. Clay had captured two national Amateur Athletic Union titles, two national Golden Glove titles, and 100 victories against eight losses by the time he was 18. He traveled to Rome after graduating high school, and won the light heavyweight gold medal in the Summer Olympics of 1960.

7. On October 29, 1960, Clay won his professional boxing debut in a six-round decision. The 6′ 3″ heavyweight boxer, overwhelmed his opponents from the start of his pro career. His opponents were overwhelmed by his combination of foot speed along with a combination of quick and powerful jabs.

8. On February 25, 1964, Clay received his first title shot against Sonny Liston, the then reigning heavyweight champion. Prior to this he won his first 19 fights, which included 15 knockouts. Clay kept on taunting Liston during the fight, and even went to the extent of predicting a knockout.

9. While entering the ring he promised to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” At the start of the seventh round, Liston failed to answer the bell. Consequently, Clay was crowned world boxing heavyweight champion. Following his victory he roared at the crowd “I am the greatest.”

10. In 1964 he changed his name to Muhammad Ali after joining the Nation of Islam . As a result, he rejected induction in the military, stating that he would not enlist because of his religious beliefs. He was stripped of his heavyweight boxing title because of this and received a three-year ban from boxing.

11. The rumors that Clay had converted to Islam were confirmed at a press conference the next morning. For quite some time Clay was seen around Miami with Malcolm X , a member of the controversial Nation of Islam. Ejijah Muhammad (his spiritual mentor) bestowed the name of Muhammed Ali on March 6, 1964.

12. Ali played his first match against Floyd Patterson on 22 November, 1965 for the WBC/Ring/lineal world heavyweight championship. They played the second match for the North American Boxing Federation on 20 September 1972. Ali won both fights on technical knockouts.

13. Following the Patterson fight, Ali formed his own promotion company — Main Bout . The company handled the boxer’s pay per view closed circuit broadcasts as well as handled Ali’s boxing promotions. Mainly fellow Nation of Islam members were its stockholders.

14. By knocking out Sonny in the first round of their rematch on 25 May 1965, Ali solidified his hold on the heavyweight championship. 

15. Ali refused to serve, citing his religious beliefs. He was later arrested. Following this, the New York State Athletic Commission revoked his heavyweight belt as well as suspended his boxing license. Ali was not perturbed by this decision.

16. Convicted of evasion of draft, Ali was imposed with a fine of $10,000 and to the maximum of five years in prison. Nevertheless, Ali remained free while the conviction was being appealed. He spoke out against the Vietnam War on college campuses after being banned from boxing for three years.

17. Ali’s popularity plummeted and many saw him as a draft dodger. However, support for Ali grew as public attitudes turned against the war. The New York State Supreme Court ordered the reinstatement of his boxing license in the year 1970.

18. Ali returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, after spending 43 months in exile, and knocked out Jerry Quarry in the third round. The opportunity for Ali to regain his heavyweight crown against Joe Frazier, the reigning champion came on 8 March, 1971.

19. In what was billed as the “Fight of the Century” Ali was floored by the then undefeated Frazier in the final round. Although Ali got up, he lost in a unanimous decision, and experienced his first defeat as a pro.

20. Unperturbed, Ali won the next ten bouts before being defeated by Ken Norton. Six months later he won the rematch in a split decision as well as gained additional revenge in a unanimous decision over Frazier in a non-title match.

21. Thanks to this victory, Ali was provided an opportunity to take on champion George Foreman. The match held in Kinshasa, Zaire on 30 October, 1974 allowed Ali to employ his special strategy to wear out his opponent.

22. During the fight Ali would lean on the ropes of the ring, all the while absorbing a bombardment of blows from the fist of Foreman while taking his sweet time for his opponent to get tired. The strategy was successful and Ali won in the 8th round knockout. He regained the title stripped from him seven years ago.

23. Ali faced no problems defending his title in the next 10 bouts, which included the unforgettable “Thrilla in Manila” on 1 October, 1975. In this bout , Frazier, Ali’s bitter rival, was unable to answer the bell for the final round.

24. An ageing Ali lost his title to Leon Spinks in a 15 round split decision. The match was held on the 15th of February, 1978. Ali defeated Spinks seven months later to reclaim his heavyweight crown.

25. Following his victory against Spinks, Ali became the first boxer to win the world heavyweight boxing titles three times. Ali launched a brief, albeit unsuccessful comeback after announcing his retirement in 1979. Unfortunately, he was overcome in a technical KO loss to Larry Holmes in 1980.

26. On 11 December, 1981, he dropped a unanimous 10 round fight to Trevor Berbick. The 39 year old Ali retired for good after this fight with a career record of 37 Kos and 56 wins. His body was bruised and battered and he could fight no more.

27. Photographer Howard Bingham was Ali’s best friend for 35 years. During this period he traveled the globe, meeting presidents and princes. He would not have been able to do so were it not for his selfless devotion to his buddy, Muhammad Ali.

28. Some of his other close friends include Alicia Keys, Denzel Washington, Howard Bingham, Magic Johnson, Heidi Klum, Madonna, Will Smith, Angela Jolie, Brad Pitt, Elton John, Lenny Kravitz, Billy Crystal, Tom Cruise, Jada Pinkett Smith, Halle Berry, and many more.

29. Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons. His four wives include Sonji Roi ( m. 1964; div. 1966), Belinda Boyd (m. 1967; div. 1977)​, Veronica Porche Ali (m. 1977; div. 1986), and Yolanda Williams (m. 1986)​ — the latter being his last wife.

30. Ali, whose height was 1.91 meters and who had a reach of 198 centimeters had nine children. They are Laila, Maryum, Asaad, Rasheda, Hana, Jamillah, Miya, Khaliah, and Muhammad Ali Jr. He also had a brother, Rahman Ali.

31. Apart from being a boxing champion, Muhammad Ali was also a champion of equality, justice, and peace. His life fighting in or out of the box epitomizes an icon that people love to emulate and use as a role model. Apart from being quick to admit his mistake he reminded us the need to stay humble.

32. Ali was a leader by character. He lived by working, living, and leading in alignment with his core principles, purpose, values, and beliefs. The lifeline of life is guided by values. Ali lived his values of compassion, justice, and fairness by refusing to go to Vietnam to fight for the U.S.

33. Life was not a bouquet of roses for Ali. Apart from serving five years in prison, he began showing signs of slurred speech and slowness when he was in his mid-30s. Later on, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome ate the age of 42.

34. With 716.4 points, BoxRec ranks Ali as the fourteen greatest boxer, pound for pound of all time. During his professional career, he is the highest ranked fighter to have only faced heavyweights. The Ring (a boxing magazine) ranked him number 1 in a ranking of the greatest heavyweights from all eras.

35. Ali remained in public spotlight, despite suffering from Parkinson’s. He traveled the world to spread goodwill, and make humanitarian and charitable appearances.

36. Few people know that Ali met Iraqi leader , Saddam Hussain in the year 1990 to negotiate the release of American hostages.

37. During the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, Ali had the honor of lighting the cauldron . BBC voted Ali as the “Sporting Personality of the Century” in 1999.

38. In a 2005 White House ceremony, Ali was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The same year saw the opening of the $60 million Muhammad Ali Center . This cultural center and nonprofit museum focuses on social responsibility and peace. It was opened in Louisville.

39. Muhammad Ali was declared by Ring Magazine as “the Fighter of the Year” on five occasions. This figure is much more than any other boxer has received. In 1990 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

40. Despite his money and popularity, he remained a humble, religious and down to earth person. He was the first one to come out and donate money for a worthy cause. This fact alone speaks volumes about his character.

41. Thanks to his popularity, several movies were made about Ali including: A.K.A. Cassius Clay, I am Ali, Ali: An American Hero, The Greatest and many more. See the table at the end of the article for more information.

42. Ali was also a famous philanthropist, an individual who uses their money to help the public. Apart from supporting the “make a wish” foundation as well as the Special Olympics, he also founded his own organization, the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center .

43. Muhammad Ali relished hot buttered rolls, spinach, macaroni and cheese, green peas, baked chicken, and dressing.

44. Many people believe that Ali would have lived a normal life and would not have suffered from Parkinson’s disease had he not taken to boxing. However, the legend states that the punches he took during his boxing career had nothing to do with his case of Parkinson’s disease.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Muhammad Ali — The Life Of Muhammad Ali And His Impact On The World

The Life of Muhammad Ali and His Impact on The World

• Categories: Muhammad Ali

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Words: 1440 |

Published: Dec 16, 2021

Words: 1440 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

Table of contents

The life of muhammad ali and his significant impact on society, muhammad ali as a humanitarian and a philanthropist, works cited.

• Butterfield, F. (2015). The greatest: Muhammad Ali. Scholastic Inc.
• Hauser, T. (1992). Muhammad Ali: His life and times. Simon & Schuster.
• Hirsch, J. S. (2016). Ali: A life. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• Kram, M. (2001). Ghosts of Manila: The Fateful Blood Feud between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. HarperCollins.
• Lewis, D. L., & Smith, S. M. (2017). The African American athlete: Social myths and stereotypes. Lexington Books.
• Manning, H. (2016). Muhammad Ali: The people's champion. Abdo Publishing.
• Remnick, D. (1999). King of the world: Muhammad Ali and the rise of an American hero. Vintage.
• Roberts, R. (2016). A history of boxing in America: The heroic age, 1840-1900. McFarland.
• Schaap, J. (2016). Ali: A life in pictures. Sport Magazine.
• Smith, J., & Smith, R. (2010). The champ: The story of Muhammad Ali. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

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Muhammad Ali's Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame Is on a Wall So People Can't Step on His Name?

In 1964, cassius clay changed his name to muhammad ali shortly after converting to islam., nikki dobrin, published april 17, 2024.

About this rating

In April 2024, a claim was shared on Reddit that Muhammad Ali's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located on a wall to prevent people from stepping on his name. The post, which received 33,000 upvotes, likely gained traction because of the star's unique status as the only one on the Walk of Fame that people cannot physically tread on.

The claim has circulated widely on social media platforms for years, including X (formerly Twitter) as well as  Reddit . Online accounts have shared images of Ali's star along with captions highlighting its distinct placement and attributing it to a gesture of respect for the late boxer's Muslim faith.  Users on X have expressed admiration for the tribute. 

( @TundeSmilez /X)

It's true that Ali's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is positioned differently from all the other stars on the sidewalk, with the world heavyweight boxing champion's star mounted on a wall .  The placement of his star is not only unique but also symbolic, reflecting the boxer's devotion to his Muslim faith.

Snopes reached out to Ana Martinez, who works at the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce as the vice president of media and talent relations and producer for the Walk of Fame ceremony. 

"Mr. Ali didn't want the name of the Prophet Muhammad to be stepped on and he made a special request that it be placed on a wall," Martinez said. "This was granted by Walk of Fame Selection Chair Johnny Grant."

The official website of the Hollywood Walk of Fame  noted that Ali's star is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd., affixed to a wall that's part of the Dolby Theatre entertainment complex. The star was unveiled on Jan. 11, 2002, to honor Ali's contributions to the world of sports and entertainment.

Martinez told USA Today in 2016 that the sports icon received the honor — usually reserved for entertainers — because  "he was a showman. He had two Grammy-nominated spoken word albums. He was an entertainer, as well."

According to the Independent , Ali's star was placed on a wall rather than the sidewalk because he did not want his name to be walked on by "people who have no respect for me," with the pugilist saying around the time of the 2002 ceremony that "I bear the name of our Beloved Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), and it is impossible that I allow people to trample over his name."

In 1964, at the age of 22, Ali changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, shortly after converting to Islam and four years after winning the  gold medal in light heavyweight boxing at the 1960 Summer Olympics .

After the name change, when asked by a TV reporter why he insisted on being called by the new name , Ali explained, "'Cause that's the name given to me by my leading teacher, the honorable Elijah Muhammad. That's my original name, that's a Black man's name. Cassius Clay was my slave name, I'm no longer a slave." ( Elijah Muhammad was the leader of the Nation of Islam at the time.)

Asked the meaning behind his new name and whether he intended to continue his boxing career using it, Ali continued, "Muhammad means 'worthy of all praises,' and Ali means 'most high.' … I want to be called by that name. I write autographs in that name. I want to be known all over the world as that name, especially throughout Asia and Africa, because that's the name of our peoples over home."

Snopes has previously reported on Ali — who died in 2016 of septic shock  following a years-long battle with  Parkinson's disease —  including the claim he  once talked a suicidal man off the ledge of a building  and a claim that Donald Trump once sparred with him .

Ali's Spirituality - Muhammad Ali Center . 26 Aug. 2023, https://alicenter.org/meet-ali/spirituality/.

Bulman, May. "Muhammad Ali Dead: Why the Iconic Boxer's Hollywood Star Isn't on the Walk of Fame | The Independent." The Independent , 3 June 2017. www.independent.co.uk , https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/boxing/muhammad-ali-death-hollywood-star-why-is-it-on-the-wall-not-walk-of-fame-a7065186.html.

Elijah Muhammad | Nation of Islam, Black Nationalism, Civil Rights Activist | Britannica . 28 Mar. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elijah-Muhammad.

"Https://Twitter.Com/TundeSmilez/Status/1668955999129030659." X (Formerly Twitter) , https://twitter.com/TundeSmilez/status/1668955999129030659. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.

Mallenbaum, Carly. "Why Ali's Hollywood Star Is on a Wall (Not the Ground)." USA TODAY , https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/06/04/muhammad-ali-hollywood-star/85426914/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.

Muhammad Ali | Cassius Clay Changes His Name to Muhammad Ali | Episode 2 | PBS . www.pbs.org , https://www.pbs.org/video/cassius-clay-changes-his-name-muhammad-ali-dfjgzt/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.

service — Corina Knoll Corina Knoll is a former reporter for the Metro section of the Los Angeles Times She was on the team that investigated corruption in Bell-which led to the paper's 2011 Pulitzer Prize, et al. "Los Angeles Mourns Muhammad Ali, the Activist, Entertainer and Icon." Los Angeles Times , 4 June 2016, https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-muhammad-ali-hollywood-star-20160604-snap-story.html.

Walk of Fame | Hollywood Chamber of Commerce . https://hollywoodchamber.net/tag/walk-of-fame/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.

By Nikki Dobrin

Nikki Dobrin is based in Los Angeles and has previously worked at The Walt Disney Company, as well as written and edited for People, USA Today and The Hill.

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