Today marks the 83rd birthday of Muhammad Ali – a man who many consider to be ‘The Greatest Boxer of all Time’ and transcended the sport to become an inspiration to millions
This day 83 years ago, a legend was born. And Muhammad Ali spent the next few decades of his life becoming one of the greatest boxers to ever pick up gloves.
Ali’s would-be 83rd birthday comes just a few months after the 50th anniversary of him shocking the world to knock out George Foreman in Africa and regain the title of world heavyweight champion. The Rumble in the Jungle took place in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo). It remains one of boxing’s most significant and talked about fights – and one of sports all-time greatest events.
The champion’s life was stared with moments of infamy, however here are 10 of the most ionic moments in the Muhammad “The Greatest” Ali’s life.
1. From humble beginnings (1954)
Ali’s journey to boxing started back in 1954 after a then 12 year old, then named Cassius Clay’s, bike had been stolen. Infuriated after his bike was stolen the boy found a police officer named Joe Martin who ran the Columbia boxing gym and recommended that the boy join it. Martin recalled: “He kept talking about how he wanted to ‘whup’ whoever it was that stole his bike I told him before he started talking about whupping somebody, he’d better learn how to fight.”
In Ali’s autobiography he said: “I ran downstairs crying but the sights and sounds and smells of the boxing excited me so much I almost forgot about my bike.”
2. “My son is going to be a future world Champion!” (1954)
The fledging boxer was no means a natural to the sport of boxing. Martin, his coach, noted back then: “he didn’t know a left hook from a kick in the ass.”
However, Clay found success in his first bout as he took home a split decision on Martian’s TV Show that was broadcast all over Kentucky – upon the victory Clay’s father proclaimed: “My son is going to be another Joe Louis!”
“The World Heavyweight Champion, Cassius Clay.”
3. Ali becomes the Olympic Champion
Due to a fear of flying Clay almost refused to travel to the Olympics. In the 1960 Olympic final he bested the 1956 bronze medallist, Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, to bring back the Gold medal for the US winning with an unanimous verdict.
The emerging talent quickly began predicting the rounds his bout would come to an end. These Olympic champion’s predictions paid off and drew crowds in and was a great promotion for the fighter – there was one run where the champ guessed seven out of eight fights correctly.
3. Ali be comes the Heavyweight champion of the world (1962)
At just the age of 22 Ali had landed himself a shot at the world title against one of the most feared boxers to ever live, Sonny Liston.
At the weigh-in Ali’s heart rate was double that of the average person. Ali claimed to his doctor: “Liston is scared of no man, but he is scared of a nut because he doesn’t know what I am going to do.”
Ali later admitted in a 1975 interview, of all of the men he fought Sonny Liston was the scariest boxer he had fought in his career.
In the 1964 bout, Ali shocked the world and in the sixth round he rendered Liston unable to continue the fight – “The Greatest” crowned himself as the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
4. Cassius Clay, no more. Muhammad Ali is born (1964)
In 1964, after going under the name Cassius X for a period, Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali after joining the Nation of Islam. The name was given to the boxer by the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad.
5. Ali knocks out Sonny Liston Rematch (1966)
In 1965 Ali and Liston met in the ring once again. This time Ali put down the man in the second round of the bout.
People debate on what sent Liston the 215lb (97kg) mob boss to the canvas; some believe Liston took a dive while others claim Ali bested the man with a super fast “phantom punch.”
Regardless of the speculation, the fight produced one of the most iconic image pictures of all time.
6. Banned from boxing and goes to jail (1967-68)
In 1967 Ali was stripped of his heavy weight title after refusing to join the US army.
The champion was convicted of draft evasion, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. While Ali did not spend any time in jail and was able to remain free on bail. However, the on fighting robbed him of serval years of boxing at a time when he was in the prime of his career.
7. ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ (1971)
In 1971 Ali met the then heavyweight champion in the ring George Foreman, nicknamed “Big George.”
The heavyweight bout was fought in Africa in Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and was given the title: “The Rumble in the Jungle.”
In a 1975 interview Ali admitted that despite Joe Fraiser being the “roughest and toughest” man he had faced, George Foreman was most powerful.
Upon knocking Foreman down and out in the last 20 seconds of the eighth round Ali claimed the heavyweight title once again – David Frost, on the commentary of the fight, proclaimed:
“The great man has done it! This is the most joyous scene in the history of boxing.”
8. Ali becomes the three time-heavy weight champion (1978)
In 1978, after losing the Heavyweight title, to the seven fight novice Leon Spinks, Ali won back the belt in a rematch a few months after.
The champion had become the first man ever to hold the heavyweight title three times in their career.
After the bout Ali promised he would retire and added: “I suffered and sacrificed more than I ever did. There’s nothing left for me to gain by fighting.”
10. Becoming a legend
On June 3rd 2016, one of the greatest sporting figures to ever live, Muhmmad Ali passed away at the age of 74.
Former heavy weight Champion George Foreman, who lost the title to Ali, called the man “one of the greatest humans he had ever met.”
Ali retired in 1981 winning 56 of his 61 fights, 37 by way of knockout. Ali served as an inspiration for people everywhere and went on to inspire the next generation and rose to a level of infamy that transcended the sport of boxing.
On a talk show alongside Ali, the youngest heavyweight champion to every live, Mike Tyson, was asked who would win a bout between the two of them, Tyson answered:
“In this situation, every head must bow, every tongue must confess, this is the greatest of all time.”