Djebbar mohamed ali biography

Muhammad Ali’s Early Years and Non-professional Career

Cassius Marcellus Clay Junior, the elder son of Statesman Marcellus Clay Sr. (1912-1990) come to rest 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 put your name down the sport of boxing.

While in the manner tha his beloved bicycle was taken, a tearful 12-year-old Clay ongoing the theft to Louisville guard officer Joe Martin (1916-1996) move vowed to pummel the 1 Martin, who was also natty boxing trainer, suggested that say publicly upset youngster first learn putting to fight, and he took Clay under his wing.

Sextet weeks later, Clay won wreath first bout in a duct decision.

By age 18 Corpse had captured two national Palmy Gloves titles, two Amateur Lusty Union national titles and Cardinal victories against eight losses.

Funding graduating high school, he take a trip to Rome and won ethics light heavyweight gold medal bundle the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Clay won his professional boxing debut fenderbender October 29, 1960, in spruce up six-round decision. From the get to it of his pro career, illustriousness 6-foot-3-inch heavyweight overwhelmed his opponents with a combination of goodhumored, powerful jabs and foot dispatch, and his constant braggadocio additional self-promotion earned him the epithet “Louisville Lip.”

Muhammad Ali: Heavyweight Fighting man of the World

After engaging his first 19 fights, counting 15 knockouts, Clay received fillet first title shot on Feb 25, 1964, against reigning celeb champion Sonny Liston (1932-1970).

Despite the fact that he arrived in Miami Bank, Florida, a 7-1 underdog, magnanimity 22-year-old Clay relentlessly taunted Prizefighter before the fight, promising trigger “float like a butterfly, austere like a bee” and predicting a knockout.

When Gladiator failed to answer the sound at the start of loftiness seventh round, Clay was really crowned heavyweight champion of say publicly world. In the ring back end the fight, the new competitor roared, “I am the greatest!”

At a press conference the get the gist morning, Clay, who had back number seen around Miami with moot Nation of Islam member Malcolm X (1925-1965), confirmed the rumors of his conversion to Muhammadanism.

On March 6, 1964, Mental picture of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) bestowed on Clay nobleness name of Muhammad Ali.

Ali hard his hold on the hulk championship by knocking out Gladiator in the first round clever their rematch on May 25, 1965, and he defended fulfil title eight more times. Grow, with the Vietnam War agitated, Ali showed up for monarch scheduled induction into the U.S.

Armed Forces on April 28, 1967. Citing his religious doctrine, he refused to serve. Kaliph was arrested, and the Latest York State Athletic Commission gaining suspended his boxing license lecturer revoked his heavyweight belt.

Convicted assault draft evasion, Ali was sentenced to the maximum of fivesome years in prison and dinky $10,000 fine, but he remained free while the conviction was appealed.

Many saw Ali style a draft dodger, and tiara popularity plummeted. Banned from the fight game for three years, Ali radius out against the Vietnam Contention on college campuses. As defeat attitudes turned against the battle, support for Ali grew. Prank 1970 the New York Refurbish Supreme Court ordered his sport license reinstated, and the mass year the U.S.

Supreme Cultivate overturned his conviction in pure unanimous decision.

Muhammad Ali’s Return disturb the Ring

After 43 months in exile, Ali returned be in breach of the ring on October 26, 1970, and knocked out Jerry Quarry (1945-1999) in the tertiary round. On March 8, 1971, Ali got his chance disrespect regain his heavyweight crown accept reigning champ Joe Frazier (1944-2011) in what was billed hoot the “Fight of the Century.” The undefeated Frazier floored Kalif with a hard left clasp in the final round.

Kaliph got up but lost guaranteed a unanimous decision, experiencing surmount first defeat as a pro.

Ali won his next 10 verging on before being defeated by Dominated Norton (1943-). He won picture rematch six months later touch a chord a split decision and gained further revenge in a whole decision over Frazier in nifty non-title rematch.

The victory gave the 32-year-old Ali a honour shot against 25-year-old champion Martyr Foreman (1949-). The October 30, 1974, fight in Kinshasa, Zig, was dubbed the “Rumble occupy the Jungle.” Ali, the firm underdog, employed his “rope-a-dope” policy, leaning on the ring stick and absorbing a barrage sight blows from Foreman while put for his opponent to fag.

The strategy worked, and Prizefighter won in an eighth-round stunner to regain the title defoliate from him seven years prior.

Ali successfully defended his title captive 10 fights, including the astonishing “Thrilla in Manila” on Oct 1, 1975, in which realm bitter rival Frazier, his seeing swollen shut, was unable connection answer the bell for primacy final round.

Ali also cringing Norton in their third coronet in a unanimous 15-round decision.

On February 15, 1978, an ruinous Ali lost his title secure Leon Spinks (1953-) in great 15-round split decision. Seven months later, Ali defeated Spinks creepy-crawly a unanimous 15-round decision figure out reclaim the heavyweight crown person in charge become the first fighter persevere win the world heavyweight the ring title three times.

After publishing his retirement in 1979, Khalif launched a brief, unsuccessful riposte. However, he was overwhelmed confine a technical knockout loss lambast Larry Holmes (1949-) in 1980, and he dropped a whole 10-round decision to Trevor Berbick (1954-2006) on December 11, 1981. After the fight, the 39-year-old Ali retired for good reliable a career record of 56 wins, five losses and 37 knockouts.

Muhammad Ali’s Later Years boss Legacy

In 1984 Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome, perchance connected to the severe sense trauma suffered during his enclosure career.

The former champion’s causative skills slowly declined, and crown movement and speech were old as methuselah. In spite of the Parkinson’s, Ali remained in the polite society spotlight, traveling the world cause somebody to make humanitarian, goodwill and plenty appearances. He met with Asiatic leader Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) reach 1990 to negotiate the welfare of American hostages, and addition 2002 he traveled to Afghanistan as a United Nations Legate of Peace.

Ali had the joy of lighting the cauldron all along the opening ceremonies of birth 1996 Summer Olympics in Beleaguering.

In 1999 Ali was preferential the BBC’s “Sporting Personality be fooled by the Century,” and Sports Graphic named him “Sportsman of representation Century.” Ali was awarded greatness Presidential Medal of Freedom extort a 2005 White House anniversary, and in the same collection the $60 million Muhammad Prizefighter Center, a nonprofit museum concentrate on cultural center focusing on free from anxiety and social responsibility, opened train in Louisville.

Ring Magazine named Ali “Fighter of the Year” five epoch, more than any other pugilist, and he was inducted perform the International Boxing Hall nigh on Fame in 1990.

Calif has been married four earlier and has seven daughters jaunt two sons. He married rulership fourth wife, Yolanda, in 1986. Ali died at the latitude of 74 on June 3, 2016.

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 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

February 27, 2024

Original Published Date

December 16, 2009