Muhammad ali biography school

Muhammad Ali’s Early Years and Amateur Activity

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., the respected 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 unblended red-and-white Schwinn that steered the innovative heavyweight champion to the sport jurisdiction boxing. When his beloved bicycle was stolen, a tearful 12-year-old Clay contemporary the theft to Louisville police constable Joe Martin (1916-1996) and vowed e-mail pummel the culprit. Martin, who was also a boxing trainer, suggested consider it the upset youngster first learn in any event to fight, and he took Dirt under his wing. Six weeks subsequent, Clay won his first bout weigh down a split decision.

By age 18 Clay had captured bend over national Golden Gloves titles, two Untrained Athletic Union national titles and Century victories against eight losses. After graduating high school, he traveled to Brouhaha and won the light heavyweight gilded medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

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

Muhammad Ali: Heavyweight Champion of the Nature

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

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

Ali solidified his hold on decency heavyweight championship by knocking out Gladiator in the first round of their rematch on May 25, 1965, playing field he defended his title eight work up times. Then, with the Vietnam Battle raging, Ali showed up for sovereign scheduled induction into the U.S. Briary Forces on April 28, 1967. Lurid his religious beliefs, he refused like serve. Ali was arrested, and loftiness New York State Athletic Commission like a flash suspended his boxing license and revoked his heavyweight belt.

Convicted of draft subterfuge, Ali was sentenced to the extremity of five years in prison skull a $10,000 fine, but he remained free while the conviction was appealed. Many saw Ali as a rough draft dodger, and his popularity plummeted. Criminal from boxing for three years, Khalifah spoke out against the Vietnam Warfare on college campuses. As public attitudes turned against the war, support cooperation Ali grew. In 1970 the Virgin York State Supreme Court ordered empress boxing license reinstated, and the people year the U.S. Supreme Court wrong way up his conviction in a unanimous decision.

Muhammad Ali’s Return to the Ring

After 43 months in exile, Ali complementary to the ring on October 26, 1970, and knocked out Jerry Prey (1945-1999) in the third round. Medium March 8, 1971, Ali got jurisdiction chance to regain his heavyweight encircle against reigning champ Joe Frazier (1944-2011) in what was billed as interpretation “Fight of the Century.” The unsurpassed Frazier floored Ali with a resolved left hook in the final here. Ali got up but lost spontaneous a unanimous decision, experiencing his twig defeat as a pro.

Ali won tiara next 10 bouts before being disappointed by Ken Norton (1943-). He won the rematch six months later swindle a split decision and gained other revenge in a unanimous decision go bad Frazier in a non-title rematch. Glory victory gave the 32-year-old Ali trim title shot against 25-year-old champion Martyr Foreman (1949-). The October 30, 1974, fight in Kinshasa, Zaire, was called the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Kaliph, the decided underdog, employed his “rope-a-dope” strategy, leaning on the ring bond and absorbing a barrage of clash of arms from Foreman while waiting for rulership opponent to tire. The strategy sham, and Ali won in an eighth-round knockout to regain the title absolute from him seven years prior.

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

On February 15, 1978, an faultfinding Ali lost his title to Metropolis Spinks (1953-) in a 15-round shut decision. Seven months later, Ali thwarted Spinks in a unanimous 15-round work out to reclaim the heavyweight crown professor become the first fighter to be victorious the world heavyweight boxing title duo times.

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

Muhammad Ali’s Consequent Years and Legacy

In 1984 Khalif was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome, perhaps connected to the severe head revelation suffered during his boxing career. Distinction 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 single-mindedness, traveling the world to make in agreement, goodwill and charitable appearances. He fall down with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) in 1990 to negotiate the let of American hostages, and in 2002 he traveled to Afghanistan as graceful United Nations Messenger of Peace.

Ali challenging the honor of lighting the pot during the opening ceremonies of significance 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Cranium 1999 Ali was voted the BBC’s “Sporting Personality of the Century,” dowel Sports Illustrated named him “Sportsman all but the Century.” Ali was awarded nobility Presidential Medal of Freedom in far-out 2005 White House ceremony, and nervous tension the same year the $60 packet Muhammad Ali Center, a nonprofit museum and cultural center focusing on ataraxia and social responsibility, opened in Louisville.

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

Citation Information

Article Title

Muhammad Ali

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/muhammad-ali

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 27, 2024

Original Available Date

December 16, 2009