Muhammad Ali Biography

BIRTH: January 17, 1942, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.

DEATH: June 3, 2016, Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.

Muhammad Ali Biography : Bouts, Record, & Facts

Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer and a social activist. Ali was the first fighter to win the world heavyweight championship on three separate occasions. He was universally considered as one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century and dubbed as “The Greatest”.

Muhammad Ali’s real name was Cassius Marcellus Clay. He was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky to Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr and Odessa Grady Clay. Ali grew up in Kentucky where racism was very prominent. The discrimination that came with it made life difficult for African-Americans like Ali.

Ali discovered his talent for boxing through a weird turn of fate. At the age of twelve, his bike got stolen. He reported the theft to a local police officer, Joe Martin, threatening to beat up the culprit. Martin, who taught boxing at the local youth center, suggested that Ali learn the art first before issuing challenges. Soon, they both realized that Ali possessed natural talent for the sport.

Ali started his boxing career when he was only a teenager. He won his first amateur bout in 1954, and went on to win the 1956 Golden Gloves tournament in the light heavyweight class. In 1959 he won the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions and the Amateur Athletic Union’s national title for the light heavyweight division.

In 1960 Ali was selected for the U.S. Olympic boxing team in Rome. He won the light heavyweight gold medal and returned home an American hero. He decided to turn professional with the support of the Louisville Sponsoring Group.

In 1964, Ali became the youngest person to achieve the World Heavyweight Champion title. That year he joined the black Muslim group, the Nation of Islam, and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. He eventually converted to orthodox Islam in the 1970s. Due to his religious beliefs, he refused to serve in the U.S. army after being drafted in 1967. This led to Ali getting arrested and losing his world title and boxing license immediately. After three and a half years his ban was lifted, and he was allowed to return to the ring. Ali returned to the ring after the hiatus with a win against Jerry Quarry in 1970.

In the early 1970s, he fought some of his most epic fights. The first one was called the Fight of the Century. He fought against Joe Frazier for the heavyweight title but lost in the fifteenth round. It was Ali’s first professional defeat after 31 wins. Another major fight was called the Rumble in the Jungle, in 1974, between Ali and George Foreman. Ali won the match and regained the heavyweight title.

In 1978 Ali was defeated by the newcomer Leon Spinks, losing his title. However, seven months later, Ali defeated Spinks in a rematch, regaining his title. Ali retired from boxing in 1981 with a career record of 56 wins, five losses and 37 knockouts.

After his retirement, Ali dedicated most of his time to charitable causes. For his philanthropic work he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005 by President George Bush. In 1997, Ali opened the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona. In 1998, he became the United Nations Messenger of Peace.

For his exceptional work in the field of sports, he was honored with titles like “The Greatest”, “Fighter of the Year”, “Sportsman of the Year”, “Sportsman of the Century” and “Sports Personality of the Century”. He got inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

In 1984, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In his autobiography The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life’s Journey he describes his life after retirement. The condition eventually restricted him to a wheelchair following a decline in his motor functions; it became difficult for him to even communicate well.

Ali was married four times in his life. He had nine children, including two illegitimate children. Ali’s fourth wife, Yolanda had known him since they were children. They remained married until Ali’s death. Ali died on June 3, 2016, in Arizona, U.S. at the age of 74. He was one of the most recognizable personalities of the twentieth century. Because of his courage and discipline, he remains one of the best sportsmen in the world.