Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was a three-time world heavyweight champion with a professional record of 56 wins, 37 knockouts, and 5 losses across 61 fights. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, he won Olympic gold at the 1960 Rome Games and became world heavyweight champion in 1964. The Ring magazine ranked him the number one heavyweight of all time in 1998.
Personal Information
Biography
A Stolen Bicycle and a Louisville Policeman: How Ali Was Made
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, into a segregated West Louisville neighborhood shaped by Jim Crow laws. His father, Cassius Sr., painted signs and murals across the city. His mother, Odessa, kept the household. In 1954, a twelve-year-old Cassius had his red Schwinn bicycle stolen outside the Louisville Home Show. He found a Louisville police officer named Joe Martin and told him he wanted to fight whoever took it. Martin, who ran a boxing program for young people, told him to learn to fight first. That conversation was the origin of a 27-year career.
By 1960, Muhammad Ali — still fighting under his birth name — had built an amateur record of 134 wins and 7 losses, claiming Golden Gloves titles in 1959 and 1960. At the Rome Olympics that summer, the eighteen-year-old won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division, defeating Zbigniew Pietrzykowski of Poland in the final. He turned professional on October 29, 1960, winning a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker at Freedom Hall in Louisville. His first nineteen professional fights produced nineteen wins, fifteen by knockout.
Convention Hall, Miami Beach: The Night Liston Quit
On February 25, 1964, a 22-year-old Cassius Clay entered Convention Hall in Miami Beach as a 7-to-1 underdog against Sonny Liston, the heavyweight champion who had dismantled Floyd Patterson twice inside two rounds each time. Liston did not answer the bell for Round 7. Clay had his first world heavyweight championship.
The next morning, he announced his membership in the Nation of Islam. Elijah Muhammad gave him the name Muhammad Ali. A second fight with Liston, on May 25, 1965 in Lewiston, Maine, ended in Round 1 on Ali's right-hand anchor punch — one of the most disputed knockouts in boxing history.
On April 28, 1967, at the Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station in Houston, Texas, Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army. His stated position: "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong." Boxing commissions stripped his title and revoked his license within hours. A federal court convicted him of draft evasion on June 20, 1967, and sentenced him to five years in prison. He remained free on appeal. The suspension cost him 3 years and 7 months of his career — ages 25 to 28, his statistical prime. On June 28, 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously overturned his conviction.
Frazier, Foreman, and Three Fights That Defined a Sport
Ali returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, stopping Jerry Quarry in three rounds in Atlanta. Five months later came the reckoning: March 8, 1971, Madison Square Garden, the first time two undefeated heavyweights had met for the title in the sport's history. Joe Frazier won by unanimous decision over 15 rounds — Ali's first professional loss. Frazier knocked him down in Round 15 with a left hook. Ali rose and finished.
Three years later, on October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, Zaire, Ali met George Foreman — the man who had demolished Frazier in two rounds and Ken Norton in two rounds, both men who had beaten Ali. Foreman entered as the heavy favorite. Ali spent the early rounds absorbing body shots against the ropes while Foreman exhausted himself — a tactic later named the rope-a-dope — then knocked Foreman down in Round 8. The count was complete at 2:58 of the round. Second heavyweight championship. The Ring gave that fight its Fight of the Year award.
On October 1, 1975, at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines, Ali and Frazier met for the third time. ESPN's punch-stat data shows Frazier outlanded Ali 191 to 163 in the first nine rounds. Ali then outlanded Frazier 101 to 59 in rounds 10 through 14 — 264 to 250 in total. Before Round 15, Frazier's trainer Eddie Futch stopped it; Frazier had lost sight in his left eye. Ali said afterward it was the closest thing to dying he had ever known. The Ring named that fight its Fight of the Year as well.
Three Titles and a Record That Holds
On September 15, 1978, at the New Orleans Superdome before 63,352 spectators, Ali defeated Leon Spinks by unanimous decision over 15 rounds, becoming the first boxer in history to win the heavyweight championship on three separate occasions. He retired in June 1979. Two comeback fights followed: a TKO loss to Larry Holmes in Round 10 on October 2, 1980 — Angelo Dundee stopped it from the corner — and a unanimous decision loss to Trevor Berbick on December 11, 1981, in Nassau, Bahamas. His boxing career was finished.
The final professional record: 61 fights, 56 wins, 37 knockouts, 5 losses, across 21 years. The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year a record six times — 1963, 1966, 1972, 1974, 1975, and 1978. No boxer has appeared in more Ring Fight of the Year bouts: six, across the same span. The Ring ranked him the number one heavyweight of all time in 1998. Sports Illustrated and the BBC both named him Sportsman of the Century in 1999. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 1990.
What the Ledger Shows
In 1984, three years after his final fight, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, hands visibly trembling, he lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony. He was appointed UN Messenger of Peace in 2002. The Presidential Medal of Freedom followed in 2005, the same year the Muhammad Ali Center opened in Louisville.
Muhammad Ali died on June 3, 2016, in Scottsdale, Arizona, from septic shock following complications from Parkinson's syndrome. He was 74. A decade on, his amateur record of 134 wins and 7 losses, his professional record of 56 wins with 37 knockouts, three heavyweight championship reigns, and six Fighter of the Year awards from The Ring remain unmatched in the history of the heavyweight division. The data the sport uses to judge greatness was largely built around him. The Ring's 1998 ranking placed him first. Nothing in the record since has changed that.
FAQs About Muhammad Ali
When Did Muhammad Ali Die ?
Muhammad Ali died on June 3, 2016, in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of 74.
How Did Muhammad Ali Die ?
Ali died from septic shock as a result of complications from Parkinson's syndrome, a condition he had battled for more than three decades.
When Did Muhammad Ali Retire ?
Ali first retired in June 1979 after winning his third heavyweight title. He came out of retirement twice, fighting Larry Holmes in 1980 and Trevor Berbick in 1981, before permanently retiring after that final bout.
When Was Muhammad Ali's Last Fight ?
Ali's last professional fight was on December 11, 1981, against Trevor Berbick in Nassau, Bahamas — a unanimous decision loss over 10 rounds at age 39.
How Old Was Muhammad Ali When He Died ?
Muhammad Ali was 74 years old at the time of his death on June 3, 2016.
Did Muhammad Ali Go to Jail ?
Ali was convicted of draft evasion on June 20, 1967, and sentenced to five years in prison, but he never served prison time — he remained free on bail throughout his appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously overturned his conviction on June 28, 1971.
Why Did Muhammad Ali Start Boxing ?
In 1954, a twelve-year-old Cassius Clay had his bicycle stolen and reported the theft to Louisville police officer Joe Martin, who ran a youth boxing program. Martin told him to learn to fight first — that encounter launched his career.
How Old Was Muhammad Ali When He Started Boxing ?
Ali was 12 years old when he began training under Officer Joe Martin in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1954, and turned professional at 18 on October 29, 1960.
Was Muhammad Ali Black ?
Yes. Muhammad Ali was a Black American, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, and raised in the segregated West Louisville neighborhood.
What Disease Did Muhammad Ali Have ?
Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome in 1984, three years after his final professional fight. The disease progressively impaired his speech and motor function over the following three decades.
Did Muhammad Ali Fight Mike Tyson ?
No. Ali and Tyson never met in the ring. Ali's professional career ended in December 1981; Tyson did not make his pro debut until March 1985, four years after Ali retired.
What Is Muhammad Ali Famous For ?
Ali is famous for being the first boxer to win the world heavyweight championship three separate times, his professional record of 56 wins and 37 knockouts, landmark fights including the Rumble in the Jungle and the Thrilla in Manila, his Vietnam War draft refusal, and his lifelong activism on civil rights and humanitarian causes.
How Much Did Muhammad Ali Weigh ?
Ali competed in the heavyweight division and typically weighed between 210 and 230 pounds throughout his professional career. His walking weight for most of his prime years was around 215–220 lbs, with his height listed at 6'3" and reach of 78 inches.
Is Tatyana Ali Related to Muhammad Ali ?
No. Tatyana Ali — the actress known for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air — is not related to Muhammad Ali. She is of Indo-Trinidadian and Afro-Panamanian descent; the shared surname is coincidental and carries no family connection.
How Many Children Did Muhammad Ali Have ?
Muhammad Ali had nine children: seven daughters — Maryum, Jamillah, Rasheda, Hana, Laila, Khaliah, and Miya — and two sons, Muhammad Ali Jr. and his adopted son Asaad Amin.
How Many Fights Did Muhammad Ali Lose ?
Ali lost five professional fights across his 61-fight career: to Joe Frazier (1971), Ken Norton (1973), Leon Spinks (1978), Larry Holmes (1980), and Trevor Berbick (1981).
How Much Was Muhammad Ali Worth When He Died ?
Muhammad Ali's net worth at the time of his death in 2016 was estimated at approximately $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth — built from fight purses, endorsements, and a landmark $50 million name and likeness licensing deal he signed in 2006.
Career Timeline
At age 12, Cassius Clay had his red Schwinn bicycle stolen in Louisville. He reported the theft to police officer Joe Martin, who ran a youth boxing program — that conversation began his entire career.
Won the light heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics at age 18, defeating Zbigniew Pietrzykowski of Poland in the final. Finished his amateur career with a record of 134 wins and 7 losses.
Made his professional debut on October 29, 1960, defeating Tunney Hunsaker by unanimous decision over 6 rounds at Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky.
Earned his first Fighter of the Year award from The Ring magazine, beginning a record-setting run of six such awards across his career.
Defeated Sonny Liston by TKO when Liston refused to answer the bell for Round 7 at Convention Hall, Miami Beach, on February 25, 1964 — becoming world heavyweight champion at age 22.
The morning after defeating Liston, announced his membership in the Nation of Islam. Received the name Muhammad Ali from Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad.
Knocked out Sonny Liston in Round 1 of their rematch on May 25, 1965, in Lewiston, Maine, with a right-hand anchor punch — one of the most disputed knockouts in boxing history.
Refused U.S. Army induction in Houston, Texas, on April 28, 1967. Boxing authorities stripped his heavyweight title and revoked his license within hours. Convicted of draft evasion on June 20, 1967.
After 3 years and 7 months out of boxing, returned on October 26, 1970, stopping Jerry Quarry in Round 3 in Atlanta — his first fight since being stripped of his title.
Faced Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971 — the first meeting of two undefeated heavyweight champions in history. Frazier won by unanimous decision over 15 rounds in Ali's first professional loss.
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously overturned Ali's draft evasion conviction on June 28, 1971, ruling he had been improperly denied conscientious objector status.
Defeated heavyweight champion George Foreman by KO in Round 8 on October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa, Zaire, using the rope-a-dope strategy. Regained the world heavyweight championship for the second time.
Defeated Joe Frazier by TKO in Round 14 on October 1, 1975, in Quezon City, Philippines. Frazier's trainer stopped the fight before Round 15 after Frazier lost sight in his left eye. Named The Ring's Fight of the Year.
Defeated Leon Spinks by unanimous decision on September 15, 1978, at the New Orleans Superdome before 63,352 fans — becoming the first boxer in history to win the world heavyweight championship three separate times.
Retired from professional boxing in June 1979 following his third heavyweight championship reign, holding a professional record of 56 wins, 37 KOs, and 5 losses.
Came out of retirement and faced WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes on October 2, 1980, at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas. Angelo Dundee stopped the fight from the corner between Rounds 10 and 11.
Lost to Trevor Berbick by unanimous decision over 10 rounds on December 11, 1981, in Nassau, Bahamas. Ali's final professional fight at age 39. Career record: 61 fights, 56 wins, 37 KOs, 5 losses.
Formally diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome three years after retirement. Ali later acknowledged the connection between the disease and the physical toll of his boxing career.
Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural class in Canastota, New York.
Lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Atlanta Games opening ceremony before a global television audience, his hands visibly trembling from Parkinson's syndrome — one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.
The Ring magazine ranked Muhammad Ali the number one heavyweight boxer of all time in its definitive all-era rankings.
Named Sportsman of the Century by both Sports Illustrated and the BBC — recognised globally as the defining athlete of the 20th century.
Appointed United Nations Messenger of Peace, formalising his decades of humanitarian work across the globe.
Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush — the highest civilian honour in the United States.
The Muhammad Ali Center opened in Louisville, Kentucky, in November 2005 — a museum and cultural centre preserving his six core principles: confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect, and spirituality.
Muhammad Ali died on June 3, 2016, in Scottsdale, Arizona, from septic shock following complications from Parkinson's syndrome. He was 74 years old. His body was returned to Louisville for a public funeral attended by thousands.
