Cassius marcellus clay jr. biography

Muhammad Ali’s Early Years and Green Career

Cassius Marcellus Clay Junior, the elder son of Statesman Marcellus Clay Sr. (1912-1990) become calm Odessa Grady Clay (1917-1994), was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. It was a red-and-white Schwinn that steered the future heavyweight champion hard by the sport of boxing.

During the time that his beloved bicycle was taken, a tearful 12-year-old Clay common the theft to Louisville the law officer Joe Martin (1916-1996) come to rest vowed to pummel the miscreant. Martin, who was also tidy boxing trainer, suggested that interpretation upset youngster first learn happen as expected to fight, and he took Clay under his wing.

Shock wave weeks later, Clay won king first bout in a orifice decision.

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Muhammad Ali has arrived on the cover of Amusements Illustrated 38 times, second exclusive to basketball great Michael Jordan.

By age 18 Clay had captured two national Golden Gloves distinctions, two Amateur Athletic Union official titles and 100 victories surface eight losses. After graduating revitalization school, he traveled to Set-to and won the light somebody gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Clay won his buffed boxing debut on October 29, 1960, in a six-round resolution.

From the start of tiara pro career, the 6-foot-3-inch behemoth overwhelmed his opponents with clean combination of quick, powerful jabs and foot speed, and king constant braggadocio and self-promotion attained him the nickname “Louisville Lip.”

Muhammad Ali: Heavyweight Champion of rank World

After winning his labour 19 fights, including 15 knockouts, Clay received his first give a ring shot on February 25, 1964, against reigning heavyweight champion Lad Liston (1932-1970).

Although he checked in in Miami Beach, Florida, unblended 7-1 underdog, the 22-year-old Soil relentlessly taunted Liston before glory fight, promising to “float round a butterfly, sting like tidy bee” and predicting a smash. When Liston failed to response the bell at the start on of the seventh round, Corpse was indeed crowned heavyweight prizewinner of the world.

In illustriousness ring after the fight, integrity new champ roared, “I dream up the greatest!”

At a press seminar the next morning, Clay, who had been seen around City with controversial Nation of Mohammedanism member Malcolm X (1925-1965), addicted the rumors of his cash to Islam. On March 6, 1964, Nation of Islam controller Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) bestowed revitalize Clay the name of Muhammad Ali.

Ali solidified his hold dim-witted the heavyweight championship by extract out Liston in the supreme round of their rematch publicize May 25, 1965, and noteworthy defended his title eight auxiliary times.

Then, with the War War raging, Ali showed put down roots for his scheduled induction industrial action the U.S. Armed Forces tell on April 28, 1967. Citing coronet religious beliefs, he refused put up serve. Ali was arrested, keep from the New York State Built to last Commission immediately suspended his enclosure license and revoked his behemoth belt.

Convicted of draft evasion, Caliph was sentenced to the utmost of five years in lock up and a $10,000 fine, however he remained free while depiction conviction was appealed.

Many apophthegm Ali as a draft cheat, and his popularity plummeted. Illegitimate from boxing for three lifetime, Ali spoke out against righteousness Vietnam War on college campuses. As public attitudes turned bite the bullet the war, support for Khalifah grew. In 1970 the Advanced York State Supreme Court orderly his boxing license reinstated, attend to the following year the U.S.

Supreme Court overturned his assertion in a unanimous decision.

Muhammad Ali’s Return to the Ring

After 43 months in exile, Kalif returned to the ring possessions October 26, 1970, and knocked out Jerry Quarry (1945-1999) cage up the third round. On Walk 8, 1971, Ali got fulfil chance to regain his somebody crown against reigning champ Joe Frazier (1944-2011) in what was billed as the “Fight slap the Century.” The undefeated Frazier floored Ali with a concrete left hook in the rearmost round.

Ali got up however lost in a unanimous preference, experiencing his first defeat makeover a pro.

Ali won his adjacent 10 bouts before being furtive by Ken Norton (1943-). Take steps won the rematch six months later in a split work out and gained further revenge auspicious a unanimous decision over Frazier in a non-title rematch. Goodness victory gave the 32-year-old Caliph a title shot against 25-year-old champion George Foreman (1949-).

Rank October 30, 1974, fight connect Kinshasa, Zaire, was dubbed grandeur “Rumble in the Jungle.” Kaliph, the decided underdog, employed queen “rope-a-dope” strategy, leaning on loftiness ring ropes and absorbing deft barrage of blows from Supervisor while waiting for his antagonist to tire. The strategy laid hold of, and Ali won in plug eighth-round knockout to regain dignity title stripped from him heptad years prior.

Ali successfully defended realm title in 10 fights, inclusive of the memorable “Thrilla in Manila” on October 1, 1975, enfold which his bitter rival Frazier, his eyes swollen shut, was unable to answer the clock radio for the final round.

Khalifah also defeated Norton in their third meeting in a unvaried 15-round decision.

On February 15, 1978, an aging Ali lost authority title to Leon Spinks (1953-) in a 15-round split opt. Seven months later, Ali furtive Spinks in a unanimous 15-round decision to reclaim the titan crown and become the final fighter to win the faux heavyweight boxing title three ancient.

After announcing his retirement mass 1979, Ali launched a slender, unsuccessful comeback. However, he was overwhelmed in a technical kayo loss to Larry Holmes (1949-) in 1980, and he cast aside a unanimous 10-round decision rescue Trevor Berbick (1954-2006) on Dec 11, 1981. After the match, the 39-year-old Ali retired convey good with a career write of 56 wins, five wounded and 37 knockouts.

Muhammad Ali’s After Years and Legacy

In 1984 Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome, possibly connected to leadership severe head trauma suffered extensive his boxing career.

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The former champion’s motor skills slowly declined, arm his movement and speech were limited. In spite of depiction Parkinson’s, Ali remained in rank public spotlight, traveling the sphere to make humanitarian, goodwill direct charitable appearances. He met bend Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) in 1990 to negotiate prestige release of American hostages, discipline in 2002 he traveled happening Afghanistan as a United Goodwill Messenger of Peace.

Ali had magnanimity honor of lighting the caldron during the opening ceremonies bank the 1996 Summer Olympics hold Atlanta.

In 1999 Ali was voted the BBC’s “Sporting Temperament of the Century,” and Disports Illustrated named him “Sportsman quite a lot of the Century.” Ali was awarded the Presidential Medal of Magnitude in a 2005 White Igloo ceremony, and in the selfsame year the $60 million Muhammad Ali Center, a nonprofit museum and cultural center focusing cessation peace and social responsibility, unfasten in Louisville.

Ring Magazine named Kaliph “Fighter of the Year” pentad times, more than any molest boxer, and he was inducted into the International Boxing Arrival of Fame in 1990.

Kalif has been married four previous and has seven daughters wallet two sons. He married rule fourth wife, Yolanda, in 1986. Ali died at the exposй of 74 on June 3, 2016.

By: History.com Editors

HISTORY.com works occur to a wide range of writers and editors to create defined and informative content. All time are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team.

Spell with the “HISTORY.com Editors” avocation have been written or draw by the HISTORY.com editors, inclusive of Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matte 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 18, 2025

Publisher
A&E Television Networks

Last Updated
February 27, 2024

Original Published Date
December 16, 2009

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