Muhammad Ali (1942 - 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist, widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport. [1] He won an Olympic gold medal in 1960 and became the first boxer to win the world heavyweight championship three separate times. His conversion to Islam, his refusal of induction into the United States military during the Vietnam War, and his outspokenness on race made him a figure of international political significance. [2]
Early life
He was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on 17 January 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended Central High School. He took up boxing at the age of twelve after reporting a stolen bicycle to a police officer who ran a local gym. [1]
As an amateur he won six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles and two national Golden Gloves championships, and at the 1960 Rome Olympics he won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division. He turned professional later that year.
World champion
Ali won the world heavyweight title in February 1964 by defeating Sonny Liston in Miami Beach, a result widely regarded as an upset; Liston did not answer the bell for the seventh round. [1] Shortly afterwards he announced that he had joined the Nation of Islam and had taken the name Muhammad Ali.
His style was unusual for a heavyweight: he fought with his hands low, relied on speed of foot and head movement rather than a guard, and combined a fast, accurate jab with sustained psychological pressure on opponents before and during bouts. [3] He defended the title nine times between 1965 and 1967.
Draft refusal and exile from boxing
In April 1967 Ali refused induction into the United States Army, citing his religious beliefs and his opposition to the Vietnam War. He was stripped of his title, his boxing licences were revoked in every state, and he was convicted of draft evasion and sentenced to five years' imprisonment, remaining free on appeal. [2]
He did not fight for three and a half years, during which he spoke widely on university campuses and became a prominent figure in the anti-war movement. In 1971 the United States Supreme Court unanimously overturned his conviction in Clay v. United States. [2]
Return and the great fights
Ali returned to the ring in 1970. He lost to Joe Frazier in 1971 in a bout billed as the Fight of the Century, the first defeat of his professional career. [1]
In October 1974 he regained the world title by defeating the undefeated champion George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, in the contest known as the Rumble in the Jungle, absorbing punishment on the ropes before stopping Foreman in the eighth round. [3] The following year he beat Frazier in Manila in the Thrilla in Manila, one of the most punishing heavyweight fights on record. He lost the title to Leon Spinks in 1978 and regained it in a rematch the same year, becoming the first three-time lineal heavyweight champion. He retired in 1981 with a professional record of 56 wins and 5 losses.
Later life and legacy
In 1984 Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome. He remained a public figure, undertaking humanitarian missions, and lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Games. [1] He received the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Amnesty International Lifetime Achievement Award, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He died in Scottsdale, Arizona, on 3 June 2016.
The Muhammad Ali Center opened in his home city of Louisville in 2005. His significance rests on both his record in the ring and his willingness to accept the cost of his convictions. [4]