MUHAMMAD ALI

Muhammad Ali is a retired American boxer, philantropist, social activist. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. Once one of the top American boxers, Muhammad Ali has shown that he is not afraid of any fight, inside or outside the ring. Growing up in the segregated South.
He started boxing with twelve because a big guy stole his bike.
He was three times World Heavyweight Champion, who is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight championship boxers of all time. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. After turning proffesional, he went on to become the first boxer to win the lineal heavyweight championship three times.

Originally known as Cassius Clay , Ali changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964, subsequently converting to orthodox Islam in 1975. In 1967, Ali refused to be inducted in to the U.S. military based on his religious beliefs, and in opposition to the Vietnam War. He was arrested and found guilty on draft evasion gharges, stripped of his boxing title, and his boxing license was suspended. He was not imprisoned, but did not fight again for nearly four years , while his appeal worked its way yup to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was successful.

His nickname was "The Greatest", Ali was involved in several historic boxing matches. Notable among these are three with a rival Joe Frazier and one with George Foreman, whom he beat by knockout to win the world heavyweight title for thesecond time. He suffered only five losses no draws in his career, while amassing 56 wins (37 knockouts and 19 decisions).