Biography of Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay)

Who was Muhammad Ali

The Biggest

Synthetic data

American boxer

Date of birth

Saturday January 17, 1942

Place of birth

Louisville, United States

Date of death

Friday, June 3, 2016

Place of death

Phoenix, United States

Cause of death

Parkinson's disease


What is considered the greatest boxer of all time, Cassius Clay aka Muhammad Ali (name he adopted after converting to the religion of Islam) was born on 17 January 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky and started to box by accident, after he happened upon a gym while, child, was in search of his stolen bicycle.
Started to boxing by a police officer of Irish descent, only twelve years the future world champion Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. began soon to collect triumphs in amateur categories. Olympic champion in Rome in 1960, but found himself in his home country, the United States of America, to fight with an opponent more formidable than anyone could meet in the ring: racial segregation. Very sensitive to the issue and dragged from his fighting spirit and indomitable, Ali took to heart the issues affecting firsthand the Black Brothers less fortunate than him.
Just because of an episode of racism on young Boxer will throw his Olympic gold medal into the Ohio River (only in 1996 in Atlanta, the IOC-International Olympic Committee gave him a replacement medal).

Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston

Trained by Angelo Dundee, Muhammad Ali came to the world in 22 years by knocking in seven shooting Sonny Liston. It was at this time that Cassius Clay began to become known for his provocative statements and over the top that they had the inevitable consequence of so much about him. Which perhaps would not be happen if Ali, thanks to his massive charisma also media, he hadn't had a real grip on the public. Indeed his way of being, swaggering up to the idle boasting, was a substantial news "spectacular" for those times, exerting an immediate charm on audiences, more and more thirsty, thanks to that mechanism, of news and information on its activities.

Conversion to Islam

Immediately after winning the Crown, Cassius Clay announced that he converted to Islam and assumed the name of Muhammad Ali. From that moment began also his troubles that culminated in the call to arms in 1966 after it was reformed four years earlier. Claiming to be a "Minister of Islamic religion" is called "conscientious objector" by refusing to go to Viet Nam ("no Vietcong ever called me nigger", stated to the press to justify its decision) and was sentenced by an all-white jury to five years in prison.
It was one of the darkest moments of the life of the sample. Decided to retire and was attacked for his efforts in the fights led by Martin Luther King and Malcolm x. was able to return to fight in 1971 when he was acquitted due to irregularities in investigations conducted on him.

Ali vs Frazier and Foreman

Lost the challenge with Joe Frazier on points, managed to return world champion George Foreman in 1974 only putting down AMB in Kinshasa, in a meeting known to history and to the present remembered the manuals as one of the greatest sporting events ever (faithfully celebrated, from the movie-documentary "when we were Kings").

The end of career

Since, however, in 1978 the young Larry Holmes defeats him by technical knockout in the 11th shooting, began the parable descendant of Muhammad Ali. He played his last match in 1981 and since then began to engage increasingly in the spread of Islam and in the quest for peace.

Gli anni ' 90

In 1991 Muhammad Ali went to Baghdad to talk personally with Saddam Hussein to avoid war with the United States approaching.
Struck during the last years of his life by the terrible symptoms of Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali has moved public opinion around the world, troubled by the violent contrast between images exuberant and full of life and suffering and deprived of his forces who appeared now in the world.
American Olympics in Atlanta 1996, Muhammad Ali surprises and at the same time touched the whole world by lighting the Olympic flame that inaugurated the games: the images showed once again the clear signs of tremors due to his illness. The great athlete, with a strong will and a steely character, did not morally defeat from disease that accompanied him for three decades and continued to fight his battles for peace, civil rights, remaining always a symbol for the American black population.
Muhammad Ali went off on June 3, 2016 in Phoenix, at the age of 74 years, hospitalized due to the worsening of his condition.
Laila Ali, his eldest daughter and former boxing champion, just hours before the death of his father wrote on Twitter: "I love this photo of my father and my daughter Sidney from baby! Thank you for all your love and all your attentions. I feel your love and I appreciate it. "