Occupation: boxer
Muhammad Ali’s Early Life
Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. to Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr. and Odessa (Grady) Clay on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. Clay’s father worked painting billboards and signs and his mother worked as a domestic. Clay began boxing at the age of twelve, under the direction of Joe Martin. He began fighting in the amateur ranks. In the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, he won a gold medal in the 175-pound division.
Muhammad Ali’s Professional Career
After the Olympics, Clay emerged in the professional league under the sponsorship of the Louisville Sponsoring Group. In October 1960, in his first professional heavyweight fight against Tunney Hunsaker, he won. After winning his next eighteen fights, fifteen by knockout, Clay was scheduled to fight the heavyweight champion Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Clay was the considered the underdog to Liston who had knocked out his last three challengers in the first round. Before the fight, as Clay was known to do, he verbally attacked Liston and boasted that he would win. To the shock of the boxing world, Clay’s prediction came true. He defeated Liston.
Two days after the fight, Clay announced that he was converting to the Nation of Islam. On March 6, 1964, he changed his name to Muhammad Ali, which was the name given him by Elijah Muhammad. This was so controversial that during the 1960s, the New York Times and several other papers refused to acknowledge his new name when writing about him.
Ali fought a rematch with Liston on May 25, 1965. Ali knocked out Liston in the first round. Over the next two years, Ali defended his title and won against Floyd Patterson, George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper, Brian London, Karl Mildenberger, Cleveland Williams, Ernie Terrell, and Zora Folley.
Muhammad Ali’s Heavyweight Title is Stripped
On April 28, 1967, Ali made another controversial decision. When drafted in the U.S. Army during the war in Vietnam, he refused to go. For Ali, his opposition stemmed from more than just his belief that the war was immoral. He believed that since blacks did not experience equality at home, for them to serve in the war was a perversion of justice.
Initially, Ali was granted conscientious objector status, but after he stated that he was not against all wars and would participate in an Islamic holy war, he no longer qualified. He was fined ten thousand dollars, sentenced to five years in prison, and his heavyweight title and license to box was taken away. Four years later, his conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme court because of procedural grounds.
Ali Resumes His Professional Boxing Career
Ali returned to professional boxing in October 1970. Although his skills had eroded and he was less agile than before, he was victorious over Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena. The challenge came when he fought Joe Frazier in the match called the “Fight of the Century. On March 8, 1971, Ali lost to Frazier. In a second match with Frazier, he won.
After years of working his way closer to the heavyweight title, on October 30, 1974, Ali fought heavyweight champion, George Foreman. The fight took place in Kinshasa, Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and it was referred to as the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Ali was the favorite for the people of Zaire and Foreman was considered the American. In the eighth round, Ali knocked out Foreman. He regained the heavyweight title for a second time.
Before retirement, Ali had a few other notable fights. He fought a third match against Frazier. Called the “Thrilla in Manila,” the fight took place on October 1, 1975 in Manila, Philippines. Ali celebrated another victory over Frazier. On February 15, 1978, he lost his title to Olympic gold medallist, Leon Spinks. Less than a year later, he defeated Spinks, and for the third time he held the heavyweight title.
Muhammad Ali Retires
Ali retired in 1979, but returned to the ring in 1980 to fight Larry Holmes. His skills had substantially diminished and he suffered the worst loss of his career. He returned for his last fight in 1981 against Trevor Berbick. While not as brutal as his prior fight, he lost again.
In the late 1980s, Ali began suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Despite this hurdle, Ali remained active. He was the spokesperson for Operation USA in Rwanda in 1996, he formed the Muhammad Ali Community and Economic Development Corporation in Chicago, Illinois, and in 1996 he lit the opening flame at the Olympic Games in Atlanta.
