Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) (1942-),
Pugilist: born in Louisville, Ky. As an
amateur fighter, Ali was the winner of the Golden
Gloves and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) titles
and the Olympic Games light heavyweight championship
in 1960, the year he became a professional.
In 1964 Ali won the professional heavyweight championship from a heavily favored Charles "Sonny" Liston whom he knocked out in seven rounds, and whom Ali defeated even more decisively the next year. Ali adopted the Muslim faith in 1957 and took the name Muhammad Ali in 1964.
He was barred from the ring for four years and stripped of his heavyweight title because of conscientious objection, on religious grounds, to serving in the armed forces.
A court order in 1970 overturned his suspension from boxing, and in that year he launched a remarkable comeback. Though he lost to Joe Fraxier in a title match in1971, Ali regained the championship in 1974 at the age of 32 knocking out George Foreman in eight rounds.
In 1978, he lost his title to Leon Spinks but regained it before his retirement in 1979. One of the most idolized fighters of all time, especially in Black communities, Ali was known for his witty poetry and rhymes and his outspoken opposition to racism.
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