Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali wasn't merely a powerful, dynamic fighter, heavyweight champion and Olympic medalist. He was, and is, one of the most charismatic figures in modern sports history, as well as the most effective at self-mythologizing: he summed up his own quickness and agility as a fighter with the oft-quoted phrase "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." He could banter hilariously with his longtime foil, TV announcer Howard Cosell; trash-talk his opponents with a verbal fleetness that prefigured hip-hop; and take principled stands against war and injustice that resonated far beyond the sports world.
Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., in Louisville, Ky., he began boxing at age 12; he proceeded to capture two U.S. Golden Gloves and other honors before capping his stellar amateur career with a gold medal in the Light Heavyweight category at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Yet the abundant discrimination of '60s America prompted him to throw his gold medal in the Ohio River. Clay amassed an astonishing 19-0 record (with 15 knockouts) between 1960-63, and in 1964 defeated Sonny Liston in his first title bout. This victory coincided with his joining the Nation of Islam (he converted to Sunni Islam in 1975, and 30 years after that turned to Sufism). By the time of his rematch with Liston the following year, he'd adopted the name Muhammad Ali. This time he felled Liston in the first round.
Ali dominated in the 70s, beating Joe Frazier in a '74 nontitle fight and, that same year, journeying to Kinshasa, Zaire to fight then-champ George Foreman. The "Rumble in the Jungle," promoted by Don King, saw the champ heavily favored against Ali. But the hard-charging challenger used his wits, stamina and verbal taunts to exhaust Foreman, most of whose victories had been early-round knockouts. The technique later known as "rope-a-dope" allowed Ali to wear his opponent down and then move in for the kill. This historic fight is the subject of the Oscar-winning 1996 documentary When We Were Kings. Ali announced his retirement in '79.
Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1984, Ali has nonetheless maintained his public profile, engaged in extensive philanthropy, and been honored with countless awards and tributes, including the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Award, a Spirit of America Award, UPI Athlete of the Year, and induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1999, Sports Illustrated deemed him "Sportsman of the Century;" he was also dubbed "Sports Personality of the Century" by the BBC. Walnut Street in Louisville was renamed Muhammad Ali Boulevard. And at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he lit the torch to start the games, he was given a gold medal to replace the one he'd thrown in the river three decades earlier. Ali was certainly among the greatest boxers ever, but his life embodies far more than that — his spirit and tenacity knocked the whole world out.
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Muhammad Ali T-Shirts
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