Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942, was an American professional boxer and an activist.

Regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century and is frequently ranked as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, Ali was known for his trash-talking, often free-styled with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry.

His iconic personality and outlandish persona made him one of the most recognizable figures in the world even outside of boxing.

Muhammad Ali Fight Archive

Throughout his 21-year professional boxing career from 1960 to 1981, Ali fought in a total of 61 fights, winning 56 of them and losing just 5 fights.

About

Muhammad Ali made his professional debut on October 29, 1960, at the age of 18 against Tunney Hunsaker. He won the fight via 6 round unanimous decision. After his debut, Ali went on to win 30 more consecutive fights, including 25 wins via stoppage.

First World Title Fight

At the age of 22, Ali had his first world title fight against Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964, after 19 professional fights, for the heavyweight NYSAC, WBA, WBC, and The Ring titles. He defeated Liston via 6th round RTD and became the heavyweight champion of the world, holding the NYSAC, WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight world-champion belts.

Professional Boxing Career

Ali had a total of 61 fights in his professional boxing career of 21 years, where he won 56 fights and lost just five. He held eight world titles and won a total of nine world heavyweight titles. He had thirty-seven knockout wins and one loss via knockout. Ali also defended his titles nineteen times, with fourteen of those defenses ending in a knockout win for him. Ali won a total of 22 heavyweight championship fights.

Famous Matches

Ali's career was highlighted by historic boxing matches including highly publicized fights with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, the Thrilla in Manila, and his fight against George Foreman in The Rumble in the Jungle.

Championships and Achievements

Ali was a two-time undisputed heavyweight world champion, first winning the title after defeating Liston in 1964. He held the title until 1967 when he was stripped of his titles due to his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. Ali was also one of the few boxers to regain the heavyweight championship after losing it. He won it back from George Foreman in 1974 after defeating him via an 8th round KO in the Rumble in the Jungle. Ali won a total of 22 heavyweight championship fights, which cemented his legacy as one of the greatest boxers of all time. His other notable victories include wins over seven Hall-of-Famers.

Nicknames and Personal Life

Throughout his career, Ali had nicknames such as "The Greatest," "The People's Champion," and "The Louisville Lip." Ali was also successful outside of boxing, as a spoken word artist, actor, and writer. Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and focused on religion, philanthropy, and activism.

Parkinson's Syndrome and Legacy

In 1984, Ali made public his diagnosis of Parkinson's syndrome, which some reports attributed to boxing-related injuries. However, he and his specialist physicians disputed this. Ali remained an active public figure globally, but in his later years made fewer public appearances as his condition worsened, and he was cared for by his family. In recognition of his immense contribution to boxing, Ali was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 1990. Ali's legacy continues to inspire many, especially his social activism during the civil rights movement and his self-confidence, which made him a global icon in the sports and entertainment world.

Legacy and Awards

Ali's boxing skills gained him numerous accolades, including being named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC in 1999. Today, Ali's legacy continues to inspire many, especially his social activism during the civil rights movement and his self-confidence, which made him a global icon in the sports and entertainment world.

Professional Boxing Career

Ali made his professional debut on October 29, 1960, against Tunney Hunsaker at the age of 18, defeating Hunsaker via 6 round unanimous decision.

He went on to win 30 more consecutive fights after the debut, which included 25 wins via stoppage.

At the age of 22, he had his first world title fight against Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964, after 19 professional fights, for the heavyweight NYSAC, WBA, WBC, and The Ring titles. He defeated Liston via 6th round RTD and became the heavyweight champion of the world, holding the NYSAC, WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight world-champion belts.

Ali had a total of 61 fights in his professional boxing career of 21 years, where he won 56 fights and lost just five. He held eight world titles and won a total of nine world heavyweight titles. He had thirty-seven knockout wins and one loss via knockout. Ali also defended his titles nineteen times, with fourteen of those defenses ending in a knockout win for him.

Ali won a total of 22 heavyweight championship fights, which cemented his legacy as one of the greatest boxers of all time. His career was highlighted by historic boxing matches including highly publicized fights with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, the Thrilla in Manila, and his fight against George Foreman in The Rumble in the Jungle.

Ali was a two-time undisputed heavyweight world champion, first winning the title after defeating Liston in 1964. He held the title until 1967 when he was stripped of his titles due to his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. Ali was also one of the few boxers to regain the heavyweight championship after losing it. He won it back from George Foreman in 1974 after defeating him via an 8th round KO in the Rumble in the Jungle. His other notable victories include wins over seven Hall-of-Famers (Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Bob Foster, Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston, and Archie Moore), Henry Cooper, Leon Spinks, and Ernie Terrell.

Throughout his career, Ali had nicknames such as "The Greatest," "The People's Champion," and "The Louisville Lip." His self-proclaimed "Greatest of All Time" nickname remains famous to this day. Ali was 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm) tall, with a reach of 78 inches (198 cm), and fought in the orthodox stance. He competed in the heavyweight weight class.

Outside of boxing, Ali also attained success as a spoken word artist, releasing two studio albums: I Am the Greatest! (1963) and The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay (1976). Both albums received Grammy Award nominations. He also featured as an actor and writer, releasing two autobiographies. Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and focused on religion, philanthropy, and activism.

In 1984, Ali made public his diagnosis of Parkinson's syndrome, which some reports attributed to boxing-related injuries. However, he and his specialist physicians disputed this. He remained an active public figure globally, but in his later years made fewer public appearances as his condition worsened, and he was cared for by his family. In recognition of his immense contribution to boxing, Ali was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 1990.

Reacting to his death in 2016, the then-President Barack Obama remarked that Ali was a "man who fought for what was right. A man who fought for us. He stood with King and Mandela; stood up when it was hard; spoke out when others wouldn't. His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing. It would earn him enemies on the left and the right, make him reviled, and nearly send him to jail. But Ali stood his ground. And his victory helped us get used to the America we recognize today."

Ali was a dexterous and evasive boxer with an impressive footwork who had an unusual combination of speed, agility, and power. He was famous for his "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" style of boxing. Ali's boxing skills gained him numerous accolades, including being named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC in 1999. Today, Ali's legacy continues to inspire many, especially his social activism during the civil rights movement and his self-confidence, which made him a global icon in the sports and entertainment world.

Muhammad Ali Fight Record