Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. January 17, 1942) is an
American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist.
Considered a cultural icon, Ali has both been idolized and vilified.
Originally known as Cassius Clay, at the age of 22 he won the world
heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston. Ali changed his name after
joining the Nation of Islam in 1964, subsequently converting to Sunni
Islam in 1975. In 1967, three years after Ali had won the heavyweight
championship, he was publicly vilified for his refusal to be conscripted
into the U.S. military, based on his religious beliefs and opposition
to the Vietnam War. His 1966 statement, "Man, I ain't got no quarrel
with them Viet Cong", was one of the more telling remarks of that era.
Ali was eventually arrested and found guilty on draft evasion charges;
he was stripped of his boxing title, and his boxing license was
suspended. He was not imprisoned, but did not fight again for nearly
four years while his appeal worked its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court,
where it was eventually successful.
Ali would go on to become the first and only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion.
Nicknamed "The Greatest," Ali was involved in several historic boxing
matches. Notable among these were three with rival Joe Frazier, which
are considered among the greatest in boxing history, and one with George
Foreman, where he finally regained his stripped titles seven years
later. Ali was well known for his unorthodox fighting style, epitomized
by his catchphrase "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee", and
employing techniques such as the Ali Shuffle and the rope-a-dope. Ali
brought beauty and grace to the most uncompromising of sports and
through the wonderful excesses of skill and character, he became the
most famous athlete in the world. He was also known for his pre-match
hype, where he would "trash talk" opponents, often with rhymes.
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