Muhammad Ali ;
[9] (born
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American
professional boxer,
widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports
figures of the 20th century. From early in his career, Ali was known as
an inspiring, controversial and polarizing figure both inside and
outside the ring.
[10][11]
Clay was born in
Louisville, Kentucky, and began training when he was 12 years old. At 22, he won the
world heavyweight championship from
Sonny Liston in
an upset in 1964.
Shortly after that, Clay converted to Islam, changed his "slave" name
to Ali, and gave a message of racial pride for African Americans and
resistance to white domination during the
1960s Civil Rights Movement.
[12][13]
In 1966, two years after winning the heavyweight title, Ali further antagonized the white establishment by refusing to be
conscripted into the U.S. military, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to American involvement in the
Vietnam War.
[12] He was eventually arrested, found guilty of draft evasion charges and stripped of his boxing titles. He successfully
appealed
in the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned his conviction in 1971. By
that time, he had not fought for nearly four years—losing a period of
peak performance as an athlete. Ali's actions as a
conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger
counterculture generation.
[14][15]
Ali remains the only three-time
lineal
world heavyweight champion; he won the title in 1964, 1974, and 1978.
Between February 25, 1964, and September 19, 1964, Ali reigned as the
heavyweight boxing champion. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he was involved in several historic boxing matches.
[16] Notable among these were the "
Fight of the Century", "
Super Fight II" and the "
Thrilla in Manila" versus his rival
Joe Frazier, the first Liston fight, and "
The Rumble in the Jungle" versus
George Foreman. Ali retired from boxing in 1981.
