Full name : Muhammad Ali
Nickname : The Greatest
Date of birth : 17th Jan, 1942
Place of birth : Louisville, KY
Height : 6ft. 3 inches
Turned pro : 1960
Pro record : 56W 5L 0D 0NC (37KO)


To accurately & comprehensively cover the influential periods of this man's life would take an entire website, let alone 1 page, so I won't even try!

Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay, knew he'd become a legend the second he won Olympic light-heavyweight gold. A monumental upset against the universally feared Sonny Liston gave Ali his dream world title, & he announced his faith (& new name) to the world shortly after. Disgracefully racist attitudes, spurred on by Ali's constant refusal to be an "Uncle Tom", resulted in Ali being stripped of his title for refusing to join the Vietnamese war ("I ain't got no quarrel with them Vietcong").

After 31/2 years in professional exile, Ali returned to the ring to face Joe Frazier, but the speed & reflexes of old were waining, & he lost a close decision. A rematch, however, saw him avenge his only defeat thus far. A subsequent knockout stoppage over the seemingly indestructable George Foreman placed Ali's name firmly in boxing legend, & a 14th round win in his 3rd fight with Frazier (in which both men were surely close to death), saw the legacy that is Muhammad Ali transcend boxing.

Despite retiring far too late, Ali's career is still regarded as one of the most impressive of all time, with massive wins in a number of superfights. A sufferer of Parkinson's Syndrome, Ali continues to enjoy worldwide popularity of epic proportions, & is now an international figure of peace & bravery, remembered as much for his influence outside of the ring as for his magical performances inside it. I personally have never seen a more impressive fighter than Ali during his 3 round 1966 bout with Cleveland Williams, in which he punched with unbelievable levels of power, speed, & accuracy -&, of course, danced beautifully too!