Muhammad Ali, the legendary boxer and iconic public figure, died on Friday, June 3, at a hospital in the Phoenix area. [46] Foreman, increasingly angered, threw punches that were deflected and did not land squarely. He was also named BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year three times. After dodging a few punches, Monsoon put Ali in an airplane spin and dumped him to the mat. Ali stumbled to the corner, where his associate Butch Lewis convinced him to walk away. Despite this, Clay taunted Liston during the pre-fight buildup, dubbing him "the big ugly bear", stating "Liston even smells like a bear" and claiming "After I beat him I'm going to donate him to the zoo. "[71] The fight was close until the seventh round, when Ali bloodied Terrell and almost knocked him out. [98] According to most close to him, his Chicago years were formative. [47][48], These early fights were not without trials. In March, 632 , he returned to Mecca one last time to perform a pilgrimage . He is the only boxer to be named The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year six times, and was involved in more Ring "Fight of the Year" bouts than any other fighter. [204], In a 2004 autobiography, Ali attributed his conversion to mainstream Sunni Islam to Warith Deen Muhammad, who assumed leadership of the Nation of Islam upon the death of his father Elijah Muhammad, and persuaded the Nation's followers to become adherents of Sunni Islam. [178] Both homes were subsequently sold after Ali's death with Lonnie living in their remaining home in Paradise Valley, Arizona. [46] Ali received a replacement medal at the Georgia Dome during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he lit the torch to start the Games. You my opposer when I want equality. [260], In early 1980, Ali was recruited by President Jimmy Carter for a diplomatic mission to Africa, in an effort to persuade a number of African governments to join the US-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics in protest of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Their second daughter, Laila Ali, was born in December 1977. Wepner, a journeyman known as "The Bayonne Bleeder", stunned Ali with a knockdown in the ninth round; Ali would later say he tripped on Wepner's foot. Ali cooperated with Thomas Hauser on a biography, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times. This made Ali the first heavyweight champion to win the belt three times. [118][unreliable source], Ali's next opponents included Chuck Wepner, Ron Lyle, and Joe Bugner. In the 11th round, Frazier connected with a left hook that wobbled Ali, but because it appeared that Ali might be clowning as he staggered backwards across the ring, Frazier hesitated to press his advantage, fearing an Ali counter-attack. "[50] Ali's trash talk was inspired by professional wrestler "Gorgeous George" Wagner's, after he saw George's talking ability attract huge crowds to events. Center was held during the afternoon of June 10. There is a great possibility that I will retire. [331][332][333] Several of his fights were watched by an estimated 12billion viewers between 1974 and 1980, and his lighting of the torch at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics was watched by an estimated 3.5billion viewers. He added, "I love the music. He won the world heavyweight championship, defeating Sonny Liston in a major upset on February 25, 1964, at age 22. [194] Ali explained in his autobiography after studying his works, "he may have gotten rid of his slaves, but (he) held on to white supremacy. You my opposer when I want freedom. [277] The same year, he was awarded the Philadelphia Liberty Medal in recognition of his lifelong efforts in activism, philanthropy and humanitarianism.[269][252]. He started his professional career in January 1962 with a win by KO/TKO in 1 round against John Tate. ", "Muhammad Ali confesses illness put a stop to his 'girl chasing,' but his son is just starting", "Still Larger Than Life To Millions, Muhammad Ali Will Always Be The Champ", "Muhammad Ali's secret daughter begs to see boxing legend one more time 'before he dies', "6 Facts About Kiiursti Mensah Ali, Muhammed Ali's Ghanaian Daughter You Need To Know (, "Muhammad Ali's tangled love life leaves troubled legacy", "Ali's alleged lovechild talks to tabloids", "An 18-year-old woman has filed suit seeking $3 million ", "Ali coming home, buys house in Jefferson County", "Patricia Sheridan's Breakfast With Lonnie Ali", "Laila Ali, With Her Father Watching, Stays Undefeated", "Kevin Casey will fight at UFC 199 despite passing of father-in-law Muhammad Ali", "My dad, the greatest: Hana Ali recalls the crushing heartache that would haunt her father his whole life", "Muhammad Ali: They Look Like They're Happy Together", "From the Vietnam war to Islam the key chapters in Ali's life", "History website, Muhammad Ali: "Cassius Clay is my slave name", "Muhammad Ali originally named for ardent abolitionist and Yale alumnus Cassius Clay", "Muhammad Ali: Why the boxing legend converted to Islam and refused to serve in the Vietnam War", "Muhammad Ali discussing his meeting with the KKK while with the Nation of Islam", "Muhammad Ali had a thought-provoking response when asked about his retirement plans", "Muhammad Ali's visit was Kozhikode's knockout moment", "Muhammad Ali: Five things you never knew about the boxing legend", "Family, faith and magic tricks: My 40-year friendship with Muhammad Ali", "Muhammad Ali: Unapologetically Black, Unapologetically Muslim", "Timothy Gianotti The Imam whose on Muhammad Ali's last days and funeral", "Prof. Gianotti plans Muhammad Ali's funeral and memorial service", International Committee To Reunite The Beatles, "Muhammad Ali in a Broadway Musical? During this part of the bout Ali did some effective counter-punching, but for the most part absorbed punishment from a relentlessly attacking Frazier. [157] In 2001 Khaliah was quoted as saying she believed her father viewed her as "a mistake". [259][2] The same year, he participated in The Longest Walk, a protest march in the United States in support of Native American rights, along with singer Stevie Wonder and actor Marlon Brando. [141] Most boxing commentators at the time viewed the fight negatively and hoped it would be forgotten as some considered it a "15-round farce. "[13], Recalling Ali's anti-war position, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said: "I remember the teachers at my high school didn't like Ali because he was so anti-establishment and he kind of thumbed his nose at authority and got away with it. Eugene Powers/Shutterstock. After Ali's title defense against Zora Folley on March 22, he was stripped of his title due to his refusal to be drafted to army service. He was one of only three boxers to be named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated. [96], In March 1966, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces. "[188], Ali said that he first heard of the Nation of Islam when he was fighting in the Golden Gloves tournament in Chicago in 1959, and attended his first Nation of Islam meeting in 1961. I shook up the world. Ali won the bout through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the twelfth round.[109]. The fight was largely motivated by Ali's need for money. Happy Easter!. Terrell, who was unbeaten in five years and had defeated many of the boxers Ali had faced, was billed as Ali's toughest opponent since Liston; he was big, strong and had a three-inch reach advantage over Ali. I'm fighting for the little man in the ghetto.' [288] Ali's daughter May May Ali responded to the rumors, stating that she had talked to him on the phone the morning of February 3 and he was fine. People who supported Ali during this time were also threatened, including sports journalist Jerry Izenberg, whose columns defended Ali's decision not to serve. [9] As a Muslim, Ali was initially affiliated with Elijah Muhammad's Nation of Islam (NOI). You my opposer when I want justice. Following the win, a triumphant Clay rushed to the edge of the ring and, pointing to the ringside press, shouted: "Eat your words!" By 1986, Ali and Porch were divorced due to Ali's continuous infidelity. One official asked whether the United States would "send Chris Evert to negotiate with London." ")[73][75] By early 1966, the army lowered its standards to permit soldiers above the 15th percentile and Ali was again classified as 1-A. Muhammad Ali was a three-time heavyweight boxing champion with an impressive 56-win record. Fox, who has Parkinson's disease, to raise awareness and fund research for a cure. [270] According to Politico, Ali supported Orrin Hatch politically. [195] With the Clay name coming from a family of enslavers, Ali concluded: "Why should I keep my white slavemaster's name visible and my black ancestors invisible, unknown, unhonored? [23][248][249] Ali still remained active during this time, later participating as a guest referee at WrestleMania I. His family traveled to his bedside, where they remained for about a day before Ali died at 9:10 p.m. local time on Friday. "[112], It was a major upset victory,[113] after Ali came in as a 41 underdog against the previously unbeaten, heavy-hitting Foreman. In 1977, Rodney Hilton Brown, who owned an art gallery in NYC, asked Ali if he was interested in painting. Ali returned to the United States to fight Cleveland Williams at the Astrodome in Houston on November 14, 1966. He died from septic shock,a common but potentially deadly condition. [315], In 1999, Time magazine named Ali one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century. Muhammad Ali's doctor says the iconic boxer had been "having a tough time in the last year" before his death. [158], By the summer of 1977, his second marriage ended due to Ali's repeated infidelity, and he had married actress and model Veronica Porch. After the fight he cited Frazier as "the greatest fighter of all times next to me. [302][303][304] Billy Crystal gave the eulogy. The mall opened in 1976 with Ali attending its opening. [140] The match was not scripted and ultimately declared a draw. However, initially when he refused induction, he became arguably the most hated man in the country and received many death threats. "[173][174] Ali biographer and friend Thomas Hauser has said this claim was of "questionable veracity". [159] At the time of their marriage, they had a daughter, Hana, and Veronica was pregnant with their second child. Soon after the Liston fight, Clay changed his name to Cassius X, and then later to Muhammad Ali upon converting to Islam and affiliating with the Nation of Islam. My enemy is the white people, not Viet Cong or Chinese or Japanese. I would get home from school to find homeless families sleeping in our guest room. Hana wrote about her father, "His love for people was extraordinary. Though his condition was initially described as fair, it worsened, and he died the following day at the age of 74 from septic shock.[293][294][295][296]. However, Ali soon appeared to tire and adopted the "rope-a-dope" strategy, frequently resorting to clinches. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me. [148], On August 17, 1967, Ali married Belinda Boyd. Kiiursti says she has a relationship with his other children. "[68], although the second part is probably apocryphal. [231] Other rappers narrated the documentary as well, including Doug E Fresh, Ludacris and Rakim who all spoke on Ali's behalf in the film. [61] The fight was controversial. Lonnie first met Ali at the age of 6 when her family moved to Louisville in 1963. [153] Rasheda married Robert Walsh and has two sons: Biaggio Ali, (born 1998), and Nico Ali (born 2000), who is a professional boxer. [131] Despite pleas to definitively retire, Ali fought one last time on December 11, 1981, in Nassau, Bahamas, against Trevor Berbick, losing a ten-round decision. [290] Ali was once again hospitalized on January 15, 2015, for a urinary tract infection after being found unresponsive at a guest house in Scottsdale, Arizona. [255] Early in his career, one of his main focuses was youth education. BET played their documentary Muhammad Ali: Made In Miami. Howard Cosell would remark that he had "never seen Ali so off in his timing" and when asked on his performance against Young in the post-fight interview, Ali stated that he was "getting old" and that he was "preserving his energy" for Ken Norton. [148] According to Ali, "She wouldn't do what she was supposed to do. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century and is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. "[267] In 1985, he visited Israel to request the release of Muslim prisoners at Atlit detainee camp, which Israel declined. He did not fight for nearly four years and lost a period of peak performance as an athlete. Ali solidified his hold on the heavyweight championship by knocking out Liston. His retirement was short-lived, however; Ali announced his comeback to face Larry Holmes for the WBC belt in an attempt to win the heavyweight championship an unprecedented fourth time. He was initially hospitalized in the Phoenix area on Monday. I want to sit back and count my money, live in my house and my farm, work for my people and concentrate on my family."[120]. [190], In fact, Clay was initially refused entry to the Nation of Islam (often called the Black Muslims at the time) due to his boxing career. [156] In January 1985, Aaisha sued Ali for unpaid palimony. Muhammad Ali to a crowd of college students during his exile from boxing[72], Ali registered for conscription in the United States military on his 18th birthday and was listed as 1-A in 1962. Now you see me, now you don't. [171] She further alleged that Ali had originally supported her and her son financially, but stopped doing so after four years. The bout was broadcast to 36 countries; promoters granted 760 press passes. [305] Ali's memorial was watched by an estimated 1billion viewers worldwide.[243]. [291] He was released the next day. But in February Ali was reclassified by the Louisville draft board as 1-A from 1-Y, and he indicated that he would refuse to serve, commenting to the press, "I ain't got nothing against no Viet Cong; no Viet Cong never called me nigger. [56] Though unconfirmed, boxing historian Bert Sugar said that two of Liston's opponents also complained about their eyes "burning". He stayed out of prison while appealing the decision to the Supreme Court, where his conviction was overturned in 1971. At the time, Ali was widely condemned by the American media,[99] with fears that his actions could potentially lead to mass civil disobedience. Tex Maule later wrote: "It was a wonderful demonstration of boxing skill and a barbarous display of cruelty." You need to keep that 'cause it's gone be worth a lot of money,'" Boyd said, mimicking Ali. Leroy Johnson, Jesse Hill Jr. and Harry Pett had used their local political influence and set up the company House of Sports to organize the fight, underlining the influential power of Georgia's black politics in Ali' s comeback. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening," said family . [172] According to Veronica, Ali admitted to the affair with Williams, but did not believe Osmon was his son which Veronica supported by saying "Everybody in the camp was going with that girl. [144], In 1979, Ali fought an exhibition match against NFL player Lyle Alzado. Proposed motivations include threats on his life from the Nation of Islam, that he had bet against himself and that he "took a dive" to pay off debts. [354], "Cassius Clay" and "Mohammad Ali" redirect here. For the last four years of Clay's amateur career he was trained by boxing cutman Chuck Bodak.[43]. In 1984, he made public his diagnosis of Parkinson's syndrome, which some reports attributed to boxing-related injuries,[23] though he and his specialist physicians disputed this. But he only has one hometown. [179], In a 1974 interview, Ali said, "If they say stand and salute the flag I do that out of respect, because I'm in the country". and LL Cool J, and his "outsized ego foreshadowed the vainglorious excesses of Kanye West, while his Afrocentric consciousness and cutting honesty pointed forward to modern bards like Rakim, Nas, Jay-Z, and Kendrick Lamar. "This is money to help people all over the world", he said. ", "Rand Paul's amendment to knock out the draft named after Muhammad Ali", "H.R. [62] The entire fight lasted less than two minutes. I used to train to their music." Things. In 1973, Ken Norton broke Ali's jaw while giving him the second loss of his career. Pride was acquired by its rival, Ultimate Fighting Championship, in 2007. [69] Amidst the media and public outcry over Ali's stance, the Illinois Athletic Commission refused to sanction the fight, citing technicalities.[70]. Ali also received numerous tributes from the world of sports including Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, the Miami Marlins, LeBron James, Steph Curry and more. My arms, my face, my sides all ache. In 1993, the Associated Press reported that Ali was tied with Babe Ruth as the most recognized athlete, out of over 800 dead or living athletes, in America. He told interviewer David Frost, "If you think the world was surprised when Nixon resigned, wait till I whup Foreman's behind! he called himself Cassius X before settling on the name Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in its first year and held wins over seven other Hall of Fame inductees during an era that has been called the golden age of heavyweight boxing. [36] Cassius Jr. attended Central High School in Louisville. [20][21][22] He often predicted in which round he would knock out his opponent. Ali secured the release of the hostages, in exchange for promising Hussein that he would bring America "an honest account" of Iraq. However, Frazier came on in the middle rounds, snapping Ali's head in round seven and driving him to the ropes at the end of round eight. [219][220] He also appeared in the documentary film Black Rodeo (1972) riding both a horse and a bull. After initially considering retirement, Ali won a controversial decision against Norton in their second bout.
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