142 Facts About Muhammed Ali

In 1966, Muhammed Ali refused to be drafted into the military owing to his religious beliefs and ethical opposition to the Vietnam War and was found guilty of draft evasion and stripped of his boxing titles.

Muhammed Ali stayed out of prison while appealing the decision to the Supreme Court, where his conviction was overturned in 1971.

Muhammed Ali did not fight for nearly four years and lost a period of peak performance as an athlete.

Muhammed Ali's actions as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War made him an icon for the larger counterculture of the 1960s generation, and he was a very high-profile figure of racial pride for African Americans during the civil rights movement and throughout his career.

Muhammed Ali fought in several historic boxing matches, including his highly publicized fights with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, the Thrilla in Manila, and his fight with George Foreman in The Rumble in the Jungle.

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Muhammed Ali thrived in the spotlight at a time when many boxers let their managers do the talking, and he became renowned for his provocative and outlandish persona.

Muhammed Ali was famous for trash-talking, often free-styled with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry incorporating elements of hip hop,.

Muhammed Ali often predicted in which round he would knock out his opponent.

Muhammed Ali featured as an actor and writer, releasing two autobiographies.

Muhammed Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and focused on religion, philanthropy and activism.

Muhammed Ali remained an active public figure globally, but in his later years made fewer public appearances as his condition worsened, and he was cared for by his family.

Muhammed Ali was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr.

Muhammed Ali was a descendant of slaves of the antebellum South, and was predominantly of African descent, with some Irish and English family heritage.

DNA testing performed in 2018 showed that, through his paternal grandmother, Muhammed Ali was a descendant of the former slave Archer Alexander, who had been chosen from the building crew as the model of a freed man for the Emancipation Memorial, and was the subject of abolitionist William Greenleaf Eliot's book, The Story of Archer Alexander: From Slavery to Freedom.

Muhammed Ali's father was a sign and billboard painter, and his mother, Odessa O'Grady Clay, was a domestic helper.

Muhammed Ali was dyslexic, which led to difficulties in reading and writing, at school and for much of his life.

Muhammed Ali went on to win six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, two national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union national title, and the light heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.

Muhammed Ali said in his 1975 autobiography that shortly after his return from the Rome Olympics, he threw his gold medal into the Ohio River after he and a friend were refused service at a "whites-only" restaurant and fought with a white gang.

The story was later disputed, and several of Muhammed Ali's friends, including Bundini Brown and photographer Howard Bingham, denied it.

Muhammed Ali received a replacement medal at a basketball intermission during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he lit the torch to start the games.

Muhammed Ali stated in a 1969 interview with the Associated Press' Hubert Mizel that he met with George in Las Vegas in 1961, that George told him that talking a big game would earn paying fans who either wanted to see him win or wanted to see him lose, thus Muhammed Ali transformed himself into a self-described "big-mouth and a bragger".

Muhammed Ali then faced a rematch with Liston scheduled for May 1965 in Lewiston, Maine.

Slow-motion replays show that Liston was jarred by a chopping right from Muhammed Ali, although it is unclear whether the blow was a genuine knockout punch.

Muhammed Ali was criticized in the sports media for appearing to have toyed with Patterson during the fight.

Stratton cites an interview by Howard Cosell in which Muhammed Ali explained that rather than toying with Patterson, he refrained from knocking him out after it became apparent Patterson was injured.

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Stratton states that Muhammed Ali arranged the second fight, in 1972, with the financially struggling Patterson to help the former champion earn enough money to pay a debt to the IRS.

Muhammed Ali mainly handled Ali's boxing promotions and pay-per-view closed-circuit television broadcasts.

Muhammed Ali's stockholders were mainly fellow Nation of Islam members, along with several others, including Bob Arum.

Muhammed Ali dominated Williams, winning a third-round technical knockout in what some consider the finest performance of his career.

Terrell claimed that early in the fight Muhammed Ali deliberately thumbed him in the eye, forcing him to fight half-blind, and then, in a clinch, rubbed the wounded eye against the ropes.

Muhammed Ali paid a bond and remained free while the verdict was being appealed.

Muhammed Ali registered for conscription in the United States military on his 18th birthday and was listed as 1-A in 1962.

Once more, Muhammed Ali refused to budge when his name was called, and he was arrested.

Muhammed Ali remained unable to obtain a license to box in any state for over three years.

Muhammed Ali remained free in the years between the Appellate Court decision and the Supreme Court ruling.

Civil rights figures came to believe that Muhammed Ali had an energizing effect on the freedom movement as a whole.

Muhammed Ali was systematically denied a boxing license in every state and stripped of his passport.

At the time, Muhammed Ali was widely condemned by the American media, with fears that his actions could potentially lead to mass civil disobedience.

Muhammed Ali began training at a farm near Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1971 and, finding the country setting to his liking, sought to develop a real training camp in the countryside.

Muhammed Ali found a five-acre site on a Pennsylvania country road in the village of Deer Lake, Pennsylvania.

On this site, Muhammed Ali carved out what was to become his training camp, where he trained for all his fights from 1972 to the end of his career in 1981.

Nevertheless, Muhammed Ali lost by unanimous decision, his first professional defeat.

Muhammed Ali won the bout through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the twelfth round.

Muhammed Ali was strong in the early rounds of the fight, and staggered Frazier in the second round.

Referee Tony Perez mistakenly thought he heard the bell ending the round and stepped between the two fighters as Muhammed Ali was pressing his attack, giving Frazier time to recover.

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Muhammed Ali was 32 years old, and had clearly lost speed and reflexes since his twenties.

Muhammed Ali opened the fight moving and scoring with right crosses to Foreman's head.

Midway through the fight, as Foreman began tiring, Muhammed Ali countered more frequently and effectively with punches and flurries, which electrified the pro-Muhammed Ali crowd.

Muhammed Ali then agreed to a third match with Joe Frazier in Manila.

However, Muhammed Ali soon appeared to tire and adopted the "rope-a-dope" strategy, frequently resorting to clinches.

Muhammed Ali fought Ken Norton for the third time in September 1976.

The bout, which was held at Yankee Stadium, resulted in Muhammed Ali winning a controversial decision that ringside commentators had scored in favour of Norton.

Muhammed Ali won the fight by another unanimous decision, but the bout caused his longtime doctor Ferdie Pacheco to quit after he was rebuffed for telling Muhammed Ali he should retire.

In February 1978, Muhammed Ali faced Leon Spinks at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.

Muhammed Ali sparred less than two dozen rounds in preparation for the fight, and was seriously out of shape by the opening bell.

Muhammed Ali's 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.

Muhammed Ali knew Ali had nothing left; he knew it would be a horror.

Muhammed Ali boxed both well known boxers and celebrities from other walks of life, including Michael Dokes, Antonio Inoki, Lyle Alzado, Dave Semenko, and the famous Puerto Rican comedian Jose Miguel Agrelot .

In 1979, Muhammed Ali fought an exhibition match against NFL player Lyle Alzado.

The match was officially a draw after going three rounds, but the Associated Press reported Muhammed Ali was not seriously trying and was just toying with Semenko.

Muhammed Ali was married four times and had seven daughters and two sons.

Muhammed Ali was introduced to cocktail waitress Sonji Roi by Herbert Muhammad, who was to become Muhammed Ali's long-time manager, and asked her to marry him after their first date.

Muhammed Ali's wore lipstick; she went into bars; she dressed in clothes that were revealing and didn't look right.

Rasheda married Robert Walsh and has two sons: Biaggio Muhammed Ali, was born on 1998, and and Nico Muhammed Ali was born on 2000, and who is a professional boxer.

Muhammed Ali was a resident of Cherry Hill, New Jersey in suburban Philadelphia in the early 1970s.

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At age 32 in 1974, Muhammed Ali began an extramarital relationship with 16-year-old Wanda Bolton .

Muhammed Ali had another daughter, Miya was born on 1972, and from an extramarital relationship with Patricia Harvell.

Muhammed Ali's served as the vice president and treasurer until the sale of the company in 2006.

Muhammed Ali's said he accepted responsibility and took care of her, but all contacts with him were cut off after he married his fourth wife Lonnie.

Muhammed Ali's further alleged that Ali had originally supported her and her son financially, but stopped doing so after four years.

Muhammed Ali's daughter Laila was a professional boxer from 1999 until 2007, despite her father's previous opposition to women's boxing.

Muhammed Ali'd buy them clothes, take them to hotels and pay the bills for months in advance.

Muhammed 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.

Muhammed Ali continued to attend meetings, although keeping his involvement hidden from the public.

Around that time Muhammed Ali moved to the south side of Chicago and lived in a series of houses, always near the Nation of Islam's Mosque Maryam or Elijah Muhammad's residence.

Muhammed Ali later said that turning his back on Malcolm was one of the mistakes he regretted most in his life.

The Nation of Islam was widely viewed by whites and some African Americans as a black separatist "hate religion" with a propensity toward violence; Muhammed Ali had few qualms about using his influential voice to speak Nation of Islam doctrine.

Muhammed Ali still believes that even good Christians or good Jews can receive God's blessing and enter heaven as he stated, "God created all people, no matter what their religion".

Muhammed Ali said some people didn't like the change and stuck to Elijah's teachings, but he admired it and so left Elijah's teachings and became a follower of Sunni Islam.

Muhammed Ali had gone on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in 1972, which inspired him in a similar manner to Malcolm X, meeting people of different colors from all over the world giving him a different outlook and greater spiritual awareness.

Muhammed Ali developed an interest in Sufism, which he referenced in his autobiography, The Soul of a Butterfly.

Muhammad Ali received guidance from Islamic scholars such as Grand Mufti of Syria Al Marhum Al Sheikh Ahmed Kuftaro, Hisham Kabbani, Imam Zaid Shakir, Hamza Yusuf, and Timothy J Gianotti, who was at Ali's bedside during his last days and ensured that although his funeral was interfaith, it was still in accordance with Islamic rites and rituals.

In 1976, inventor Alan Amron and businessman Joel Sacher partnered with Muhammed Ali to promote The International Committee to Reunite the Beatles.

Muhammed Ali said the idea was not to use the proceeds for profit, but to establish an international agency to help poor children.

Muhammed Ali had a cameo role in the 1962 film version of Requiem for a Heavyweight, and during his exile from boxing, he starred in the short-lived 1969 Broadway musical, Buck White.

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Muhammed Ali appeared in the documentary film Black Rodeo riding both a horse and a bull.

In 1977 the book was adapted into a film called The Greatest, in which Muhammed Ali played himself and Ernest Borgnine played Angelo Dundee.

Muhammed Ali often used rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry, both for when he was trash talking in boxing and as political poetry for his activism outside of boxing.

In 1963, Muhammed Ali released an album of spoken word music on Columbia Records titled, I Am the Greatest, and in 1964, he recorded a cover version of the rhythm and blues song "Stand by Me".

Muhammed Ali later received a second Grammy nomination, for "Best Recording for Children", with his 1976 spoken word novelty record, The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs Mr Tooth Decay.

Muhammed Ali was an influential figure in the world of hip hop music.

Muhammed Ali was a boxer and an activist, but he had a role in influencing what now dominated pop-culture, hip-hop.

Muhammed Ali has been cited as an inspiration by rappers such as LL Cool J, Public Enemy's Chuck D, Jay-Z, Eminem, Sean Combs, Slick Rick, Nas and MC Lyte.

Muhammed Ali was involved with professional wrestling at different times in his career.

Muhammed Ali stumbled to the corner, where his associate Butch Lewis convinced him to walk away.

In 1995, Muhammed Ali led a group of Japanese and American professional wrestlers, including his 1976 opponent Antonio Inoki and Ric Flair, on a sports diplomacy mission to North Korea.

Muhammed Ali was guest of honor at the record-breaking Collision in Korea, a wrestling event with the largest attendance of all time.

Muhammad Muhammed Ali's fights were some of the world's most-watched television broadcasts, setting television viewership records.

Muhammed Ali was an amateur artist and made dozens of drawings and paintings in the 1970s.

Muhammed Ali took him up on the offer and produced several paintings for him to sell.

In 1984, Muhammed Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome, which sometimes results from head trauma from violent physical activities such as boxing.

Muhammed Ali focused on practicing his Islamic duty of charity and good deeds, donating millions to charity organizations and disadvantaged people of all religious backgrounds.

Muhammed Ali began visiting Africa, starting in 1964 when he visited Nigeria and Ghana.

In early 1980, Muhammed 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 .

Muhammed Ali was unable to explain why the African countries should join the US boycott when it had failed to support the African boycott of the 1976 Olympics, and was unaware that the Soviet Union was sponsoring popular revolutionary movements in Africa.

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Muhammed Ali did convince the government of Kenya to boycott the Olympics.

In 1984, Muhammed Ali announced his support for the re-election of United States President Ronald Reagan.

In 1988, during the First Intifada, Muhammed Ali participated in a Chicago rally in support of Palestine.

In 1990, Muhammed Ali traveled to Iraq prior to the Gulf War, and met with Saddam Hussein in an attempt to negotiate the release of American hostages.

Muhammed Ali secured the release of the hostages, in exchange for promising Hussein that he would bring America "an honest account" of Iraq.

Muhammed Ali cooperated with Thomas Hauser on a biography, Muhammad Muhammed Ali: His Life and Times.

In 1994, Muhammed Ali campaigned to the United States government to come to the aid of refugees afflicted by the Rwandan genocide, and to donate to organizations helping Rwandan refugees.

Muhammed Ali was helped to his feet by his wife Lonnie to stand before the flag due to his Parkinson's syndrome rendering him unable to carry it into the stadium.

In 1978, Muhammed Ali revealed that he was "broke" and several news outlets reported his net worth to be an estimated .

In 2006, Muhammed Ali sold his name and image for $50million, after which Forbes estimated his net worth to be $55million in 2006.

Muhammed Ali gave me this illness to remind me that I am not number one; Muhammed Ali is.

In 1998, Ali began working with actor Michael J Fox, who has Parkinson's disease, to raise awareness and fund research for a cure.

In 2000, Ali worked with the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Disease to raise awareness and encourage donations for research.

Muhammed Ali's funeral had been pre-planned by himself and others for several years prior to his actual death.

Muhammed Ali's memorial was watched by an estimated 1billion viewers worldwide.

Muhammed Ali 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.

Muhammed Ali was one of only three boxers to be named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated.

Muhammad Muhammed 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.

Muhammed Ali was named one of the 100 most influential Americans of the 20th century by Life magazine in 1990.

In 1993, the Associated Press reported that Muhammed Ali was tied with Babe Ruth as the most recognized athlete, out of over 800 dead or living athletes, in America.

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Muhammed Ali was the recipient of the 1997 Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

Muhammed Ali was crowned Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated.

Muhammed Ali was named Athlete of the Century by USA Today, and ranked as the third greatest athlete of the 20th century by ESPN SportsCentury.

Muhammed Ali was named "Kentucky Athlete of the Century" by the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies at the Galt House East.

Muhammed Ali Mall, located in Araneta Center, Quezon City, Philippines, is named after him.

Muhammad Muhammed Ali was often dubbed the world's "most famous" person in the media.

Muhammed Ali appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated on 38 different occasions, second only to Michael Jordan's 46.

Muhammed Ali appeared on the cover of Time Magazine 5 times, the most of any athlete.

In 2015, Harris Poll found that Muhammed Ali was one of the three most recognizable athletes in the United States, along with Michael Jordan and Babe Ruth.

Muhammed Ali was the subject of the British television program This Is Your Life in 1978 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.

Muhammed Ali was featured in Superman vs Muhammad Muhammed Ali, a 1978 DC Comics comic book pitting the champ against the superhero.

In 1979, Muhammed Ali guest-starred as himself in an episode of the NBC sitcom Diff'rent Strokes.

Muhammed Ali wrote several bestselling books about his career, including The Greatest: My Own Story and The Soul of a Butterfly.

The 2001 biopic Muhammed Ali garnered a Best Actor Oscar nomination for Will Smith for his portrayal of Muhammed Ali.

In 2002, Muhammed Ali was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the entertainment industry.

Muhammed Ali's star is the only one to be mounted on a vertical surface, out of deference to his request that the name Muhammad—a name he shares with the Islamic prophet—not be walked upon.

Muhammed Ali's 1966 fight against George Chuvalo was the subject of Joseph Blasioli's 2003 documentary film The Last Round: Chuvalo vs Ali.