When his beloved bicycle was stolen, a tearful 12-year-old Clay reported the theft to Louisville police officer Joe Martin (1916-1996) and vowed to pummel the culprit. Ali successfully defended his title in 10 fights, including the memorable Thrilla in Manila on October 1, 1975, in which his bitter rival Frazier, his eyes swollen shut, was unable to answer the bell for the final round. He was the father of three-time World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali and Rahman Ali, and the paternal grandfather of Laila Ali. He baited Foreman into throwing wild punches with his rope-a-dope technique, before stunning his opponent with an eighth-round knockout to reclaim the heavyweight title. Citing his religious beliefs, he refused military induction and was stripped of his heavyweight championship. A few of his more well-known bouts include the following: After winning gold at the 1960 Olympics, Ali took out British heavyweight champion Henry Cooper in 1963. There was more good than bad. Thus, purists cringed when Clay predicted the round in which he intended to knock out an opponent, and they grimaced when he did so and bragged about each new conquest. Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons. Clay often daydreamed in class and shadowboxed in the hallshe was training for the 1960 Olympics at the timeand his grades were so bad that some of his teachers wanted to hold him back from graduation. Clay attended mostly Black public schools, including Central High School in Louisville from 1956 to 1960. "[15][16][d], Ali decided to follow the teachings of Wallace Muhammad. The latter followed in Alis footsteps by becoming a champion boxer. Citing his religious beliefs, he refused military induction and was stripped of his heavyweight championship and banned from boxing for three years during the prime of his career. Muhammad Ali Jr is the first son born to Muhammad Ali by his second wife Khalilah Camacho Ali. And [one] thing in the paper [made] me keep the paper, and that was a cartoon. Muhammad Ali had seven daughters of his own with different women. He also spoke out against the Islamic extremists who carried out the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. One of her most notable works is her 2018 personal biography, At Home with Muhammad Ali, where she detailed the ups and downs of her father from the eyes of a daughter. Ali would subsequently go on to attend the rallies and lectures of Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad Ali, original name Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., (born January 17, 1942, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.died June 3, 2016, Scottsdale, Arizona), American professional boxer and social activist. Born Cassius Clay Jr., Ali changed his name in 1964 after joining the Nation of Islam. Ali traveled to numerous countries, including Mexico and Morocco, to help out those in need. Ali and Lonnie had one son together, Asaad, and remained married until Alis death. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942. True Muslims know or should know that it goes against our religion to try and force Islam on anybody. The restaurant's owner . Ali married his fourth and final wife Yolanda, who went by Lonnie, in 1986. Not only did his association with Ali bring. The real reason Muhammad Ali converted to Islam Muhammad Ali was a three-time heavyweight boxing champion with an impressive 56-win record. When Clay was 12 years old, he took up boxing under the tutelage of Louisville policeman Joe Martin. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Tracing Back Tatyana Ali's Parents and How She Met Her Husband Vaughn When Sonji met Muhammad Ali, he had not yet converted to Muslim and took the boxer's surname. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Fans line the path of Muhammad Alis funeral procession in 2016 near his childhood home in Louisville, Kentucky. Then, on April 28, 1967, citing his religious beliefs, Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army at the height of the war in Vietnam. His mother is a Muslim and his father is of Caucasian ethnicity. By the time he learned that he was not invincible, Ali had matured enough to take the lesson in his stride. Nico Ali Walsh wears gift from grandfather Muhammad Ali in debut win But I did buy the Muhammad Speaks paper. The cartoon illustrated how white slave owners brutally beat their slaves, while insisting that they pray to Jesus. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. How the world received Muhammad Ali's conversion. - Slate Magazine I sneaked into meetings, sneak in the back door, look around for the police officer, pass me in, before going in. He met with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) in 1990 to negotiate the release of American hostages, and in 2002 he traveled to Afghanistan as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. My father, Muhammad Ali, knew Islam is about peace. Meet Muhammad Ali's Wife and Children - buzznigeria.com His life story is told in the documentary film I Am Ali (2014), which includes audio recordings that he made throughout his career and interviews with his intimates. Muhammad Ali's conversion to Islam, in many ways, defined his career and legacy as a fighter . While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Muhammad Ali has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated 38 times, second only to basketball great Michael Jordan. Clays victory over Liston earned him his first world heavyweight boxing championship. On March 6, 1964, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) bestowed on Clay the name of Muhammad Ali. Born: January 17th, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The three-day event, which took place in Alis hometown of Louisville, included an I Am Ali public arts festival, entertainment and educational offerings sponsored by the city, an Islamic prayer program, and a memorial service. And that sounded right to me so I followed Wallace, but not everyone in the Nation felt that way. The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. In 1984, Ali announced that he had Parkinsons disease, a degenerative neurological condition. Muhammad Ali achieved renown as a boxer through his speed, superb footwork, ability to take a punch, and tremendous courage. ", "From the Vietnam war to Islam the key chapters in Ali's life", "W. Deen Mohammed, 74, Top U.S. Imam, Dies", "Farrakhan offers olive branch to unite Islam", "W.D. 3. All Rights Reserved. In early 2015, he battled pneumonia and was hospitalized for a severe urinary tract infection. Clay went on to win the 1956 Golden Gloves tournament for novices in the light heavyweight class. Later the Muslim leader Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) gave him the name Muhammad Ali, which means "beloved of Allah." (Allah is the god worshipped by Muslims.) Ali said at the time (via Vice): Well I figured they would pressure me if I revealed it so I kept it quiet for about three years. Ali was seen as a dickhead blabbermouth asshole who took fight promotion too far at the time, and thats true. Louis Farrakhan didn't like it either. Malcolm X even assigned an associate to help manage Clays day-to-day affairs. Muhammad also neglected to acknowledge Ali's attachment to the Nation of Islam, saying sports were discouraged by Allah until Ali became a successful boxer. 7. Muhammad Ali Jr. (son with Khalilah Ali) Year of Birth: 1972 He is the fourth child to the great star and also the only biological son born to Ali. A member of Ali's entourage, Cody Jones, who was also present during this interview, corroborated what Ali said and claimed he had seen the platform together with Ali at five A.M. one morning when the two were out jogging. At the age of 12, Clay discovered his talent for boxing through an odd twist of fate. Rashedas son Nico Walsh Ali became a boxer like his grandfather and aunt. Ali was a member of the inaugural class of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, and in 2005 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Write to Sean Gregory at sean.gregory@time.com. The victory gave the 32-year-old Ali a title shot against 25-year-old champion George Foreman (1949-). Alis father, Cassius Clay Sr., was a Methodist, but he allowed his wife, Odessa OGrady Clay, a devout Christian, raised their sons Cassius Jr. (Ali) and Rudolph Rudy, as Baptist. Following his suspension, Ali found refuge on Chicagos South Side, where he lived from the mid-1960s through the late 1970s. The New York boxing commission suspended Alis license the same day he was arrested and stripped him of his heavyweight title. Muhammad Ali's eldest Daughter, Maryum Ali is enjoying her Single life The final performances of Alis ring career were sad to behold. Alis message of Black pride and Black resistance to white domination was on the cutting edge of the civil rights movement. He is a graduate of Syracuse University, an avid sports fan, a frequent moviegoer, and trivia buff. Porch and Ali divorced in 1986. Following the win, the two held an evening of reflection in a hotel room with Jim Brown and Sam Cooke that became the inspiration for the One Night in Miami stage play and 2020 drama film. They have alienated many from learning about Islam. Perhaps not surprising given Ali's gift of gab, but his great-grandfather Abe Grady was an Irishman who emigrated to the United States and settled in Kentucky in the . One of Alis greatest regrets and he said as much is that he never patched things up with Malcolm, that he never told Malcolm how important he was to him. [14] Ali's biographer David Remnick noted that everything "threatening or obscure" about the Nation of Islam's teachings, including the space platform, Yakub, and racial separatism, had long been forgotten by Ali. A woman who can run faster than any other born must live by a superior. On one of his pilgrimages in 610, he was meditating in a cave on. Magazines, Digital Moreover, although exemptions from military service on religious grounds were available to qualifying conscientious objectors who were opposed to war in any form, Ali was not eligible for such an exemption, because he acknowledged that he would be willing to participate in an Islamic holy war. In what is regarded by many as the greatest prizefight of all time (the Thrilla in Manila), Ali was declared the victor when Fraziers corner called a halt to the bout after 14 brutal rounds. On October 30, 1974, Ali challenged George Foreman, who had dethroned Frazier in 1973 to become heavyweight champion of the world. Muhammad Ali died in June 2016. Conversely, the thought of having to face a dreaded "Black Muslim" must have been at the very least a slightly daunting proposition for many of Ali's opponents, especially the ones he christened "Uncle Toms."[32]. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In spite of the Parkinsons, Ali remained in the public spotlight, traveling the world to make humanitarian, goodwill and charitable appearances. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Today, the world celebrates the 70th birthday of the first and only three-time consecutive World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.).. Following a brief retirement, Ali returned to the ring to face Larry Holmes on October 2, 1980, but was overmatched against the younger champion. Al, in full Al ibn Ab lib, also called Al al-Murta, (born c. 600, Mecca, Arabia [now in Saudi Arabia]died January 661, Kufa, Iraq), cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, and fourth of the "rightly guided" (rshidn) caliphs, as the first four successors of Muhammad are called. As public attitudes turned against the war, support for Ali grew. I am angry that the world sees a certain group of Islam followers who caused this destruction, but they are not real Muslims. In 1996 Ali was chosen to light the Olympic flame at the start of the Games of the XXVI Olympiad in Atlanta, Georgia. Ali took the stance of a conscientious objector as a black Muslim and ultimately was arrested then convicted. On March 6, 1964, he took the name Muhammad Ali, which was given to him by his spiritual mentor, Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad Ali's parents: Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay Originally known as Cassius Clay, Ali was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay. Boyd and Ali divorced in 1976. He embraced Sufi Islam and followed the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan. Odessa Grady Clay - Wikipedia Updated: September 12, 2018 | Original: December 16, 2009. Roi and Muhammad Ali reportedly met through Ali's manager, Herbert Muhammad. The Real Reason Muhammad Ali Converted To Islam - NDTV The Prophet Muhammad and the Origins of Islam Ali spent his later years embracing a more spiritual faith rather than adhering to religious doctrine. All Rights Reserved. Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya - Wikipedia Malcolm X is credited with playing a critical role in the evolution of Ali's religious views by steering him towards the Nation of Islam. [21], Ali later moved away from Inayat Khan's teachings of Universal Sufism, towards traditional Sunni-Sufi Islam. They are racist fanatics who call themselves Muslims, permitting this murder of thousands. However, he was overwhelmed in a technical knockout loss to Larry Holmes (1949-) in 1980, and he dropped a unanimous 10-round decision to Trevor Berbick (1954-2006) on December 11, 1981. As memories are shared of Ali, the world can examine the relevance of Islam in the Black struggle. He stayed out of prison while he appealed his case, which went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. He converted to two other sects within the Muslim religion over the course of his life. But in one of the most stunning upsets in sports history, Liston retired to his corner after six rounds, and Clay became the new champion. Explain, she instructed him, why you embraced Islam in the first place.
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