Legend Spotlights

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is considered among the great boxing heavyweights that have ever lived. He was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., on January 17, 1942. After joining the Nation of Islam, Ali changed his name. At the age of 22 Ali won the World Heavyweight Championship in 1964. He defeated Sonny Liston with a total knockout to win the title. To date, Ali remains the only three-time lineal world heavyweight champion. Nicknamed "The Greatest", Ali competed in historic boxing matches with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman. During his match with George Foeman, Ali regained his heavyweight title of which he had been stripped of seven years earlier by the US government. Ali had refused to sign up for the US Army draft on April 28, 1967. His conviction was later overturned by the supreme court on a technicality. Ali was known for his colorful phrases. One of his most famous quotes used was that he could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Ali died on June 03, 2016, at the age of 74.