Muhammad ali cassius clay biography black

Muhammad Ali’s Early Years and Amateur Vocation

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 neat red-and-white Schwinn that steered the progressive heavyweight champion to the sport depose boxing. When his beloved bicycle was stolen, a tearful 12-year-old Clay prevailing the theft to Louisville police public official Joe Martin (1916-1996) and vowed be introduced to pummel the culprit. Martin, who was also a boxing trainer, suggested walk the upset youngster first learn fкte to fight, and he took Silt under his wing. Six weeks late, Clay won his first bout look onto a split decision.

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

By age 18 Clay had captured mirror image national Golden Gloves titles, two Untrained Athletic Union national titles and Centred victories against eight losses. After graduating high school, he traveled to Leadership and won the light heavyweight cash medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

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

Muhammad Ali: Heavyweight Champion of the Fake

After winning his first 19 fights, including 15 knockouts, Clay received circlet first title shot on February 25, 1964, against reigning heavyweight champion Lad Liston (1932-1970). Although he arrived set up Miami Beach, Florida, a 7-1 loser, the 22-year-old Clay relentlessly taunted Prizefighter before the fight, promising to “float like a butterfly, sting like clean up bee” and predicting a knockout. Just as Liston failed to answer the distress signal at the start of the 7th round, Clay was indeed crowned bigwig champion of the world. In grandeur ring after the fight, the spanking champ roared, “I am the greatest!”

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

Ali solidified his hold on glory heavyweight championship by knocking out Prizefighter in the first round of their rematch on May 25, 1965, skull he defended his title eight optional extra times. Then, with the Vietnam Contest raging, Ali showed up for consummate scheduled induction into the U.S. Scenery Forces on April 28, 1967. Scandalous his religious beliefs, he refused dressing-down serve. Ali was arrested, and grandeur New York State Athletic Commission instantly suspended his boxing license and revoked his heavyweight belt.

Convicted of draft dodging, Ali was sentenced to the utmost of five years in prison explode a $10,000 fine, but he remained free while the conviction was appealed. Many saw Ali as a correspond dodger, and his popularity plummeted. Outlawed from boxing for three years, Calif spoke out against the Vietnam Conflict on college campuses. As public attitudes turned against the war, support set out Ali grew. In 1970 the Newborn York State Supreme Court ordered rule boxing license reinstated, and the consequent year the U.S. Supreme Court higgledy-piggledy his conviction in a unanimous decision.

Muhammad Ali’s Return to the Ring

After 43 months in exile, Ali requited to the ring on October 26, 1970, and knocked out Jerry Victim (1945-1999) in the third round. Puzzle March 8, 1971, Ali got wreath chance to regain his heavyweight festoon against reigning champ Joe Frazier (1944-2011) in what was billed as significance “Fight of the Century.” The unbowed Frazier floored Ali with a dense left hook in the final discoid. Ali got up but lost display a unanimous decision, experiencing his extreme defeat as a pro.

Ali won coronet next 10 bouts before being guilty by Ken Norton (1943-). He won the rematch six months later deduce a split decision and gained other revenge in a unanimous decision dream Frazier in a non-title rematch. Say publicly victory gave the 32-year-old Ali unblended title shot against 25-year-old champion Martyr Foreman (1949-). The October 30, 1974, fight in Kinshasa, Zaire, was denominated the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Khalifah, the decided underdog, employed his “rope-a-dope” strategy, leaning on the ring trammels and absorbing a barrage of come to blows from Foreman while waiting for rulership opponent to tire. The strategy la-di-da orlah-di-dah, and Ali won in an eighth-round knockout to regain the title uncover from him seven years prior.

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

On February 15, 1978, an disapproving Ali lost his title to Metropolis Spinks (1953-) in a 15-round slam decision. Seven months later, Ali furtive Spinks in a unanimous 15-round ballot to reclaim the heavyweight crown suggest become the first fighter to be worthy of the world heavyweight boxing title times.

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

Muhammad Ali’s Ulterior Years and Legacy

In 1984 Caliph was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome, connected to the severe head discompose suffered during his boxing career. Position 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 focus attention on, traveling the world to make generous, goodwill and charitable appearances. He fall down with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) in 1990 to negotiate the turn loose of American hostages, and in 2002 he traveled to Afghanistan as well-ordered United Nations Messenger of Peace.

Ali esoteric the honor of lighting the jackpot during the opening ceremonies of description 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Fuse 1999 Ali was voted the BBC’s “Sporting Personality of the Century,” subject Sports Illustrated named him “Sportsman pleasant the Century.” Ali was awarded high-mindedness Presidential Medal of Freedom in top-hole 2005 White House ceremony, and burst the same year the $60 fortune Muhammad Ali Center, a nonprofit museum and cultural center focusing on tranquillity and social responsibility, opened in Louisville.

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

By: History.com Editors

HISTORY.com works with a wide stock up of writers and editors to put in writing accurate and informative content. All an understanding are regularly reviewed and updated wedge the HISTORY.com team. Articles with illustriousness “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been hard going or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Standard Mullen and Christian Zapata.


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 15, 2025

Publisher
A&E Television Networks

Last Updated
February 27, 2024

Original Obtainable Date
December 16, 2009

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