Muhammad Ali
Ali in 1976
Born
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.

(1942-01-17)January 17, 1942
DiedJune 3, 2016(2016-06-03) (aged 74)
NationalityAmerican
Other names
  • The Greatest
  • The Louisville Lip
  • The People's Champion
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)[1]
Reach78 in (198 cm)[1]
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record[2]
Total fights61
Wins56
Wins by KO37
Losses5
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Olympic Games
Representing the  United States
Gold medal – first place 1960 Rome Light-heavyweight
Intercity Golden Gloves
Gold medal – first place 1959 Chicago Light-heavyweight
Gold medal – first place 1960 New York Heavyweight
Chicago Golden Gloves
Gold medal – first place 1959 Chicago Light-heavyweight
Gold medal – first place 1960 Chicago Light-heavyweight
US National Championships
Gold medal – first place 1959 Toledo Light-heavyweight
Gold medal – first place 1960 Toledo Light-heavyweight
Websitemuhammadali.com

Muhammad Ali is widely regarded by many boxing commentators and historians as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. Boxing magazine The Ring named him number 1 in a 1998 ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras.[3] In 1999, The Associated Press voted Ali the number one heavyweight of the 20th century.[4] In 1999, Ali was named the second greatest boxer in history, pound for pound, by ESPN; behind only welterweight and middleweight legend Sugar Ray Robinson.[5] In December 2007, ESPN listed Ali second in its choice of the greatest heavyweights of all time, behind Joe Louis.[6] He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1990.[7]

Early career

On-site poster for Cassius Clay's fifth professional bout

Clay made his professional debut on October 29, 1960, winning a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker. From then until the end of 1963, Clay amassed a record of 19–0 with 15 wins by knockout. He defeated boxers including Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, LaMar Clark, Doug Jones and Henry Cooper. Clay also beat his former trainer and veteran boxer Archie Moore in a 1962 match.[8][9]

These early fights were not without trials. Clay was knocked down by both Sonny Banks and Cooper. In the Cooper fight, Clay was floored by a left hook at the end of round four, and was groggy when he got up at the count of three. However, the round had ended by the time he rose, and he recovered between rounds, going on to win in the predicted 5th round due to Cooper's severely cut eye. The fight with Doug Jones on March 13, 1963, was Clay's toughest fight during this stretch. The number two and three heavyweight contenders respectively, Clay and Jones fought on Jones' home turf at New York's Madison Square Garden. Jones staggered Clay in the first round, and the unanimous decision for Clay was greeted by boos and a rain of debris thrown into the ring. Watching on closed-circuit TV, heavyweight champ Sonny Liston quipped that if he fought Clay he might get locked up for murder. The fight was later named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring magazine.[10]

In each of these fights, Clay vocally belittled his opponents and vaunted his abilities. He called Jones "an ugly little man" and Cooper a "bum." He said he was embarrassed to get in the ring with Alex Miteff and claimed that Madison Square Garden was "too small for me."[11] His provocative and outlandish behavior in the ring was inspired by professional wrestler "Gorgeous George" Wagner.[12] Ali stated in a 1969 interview with the Associated Press' Hubert Mizel that he met with Gorgeous George in Las Vegas in 1961 and that the wrestler inspired him to use wrestling jargon when he did interviews.[13]

In 1960, Clay left Moore's camp, partially due to his refusal to do chores such as washing dishes and sweeping. To replace Moore, Clay hired Angelo Dundee to be his trainer. Clay had met Dundee in February 1957 during Clay's amateur career.[14] Around this time, Clay sought longtime idol Sugar Ray Robinson to be his manager, but was rebuffed.[15]

World heavyweight champion

Fights against Liston

By late 1963, Clay had become the top contender for Sonny Liston's title. The fight was set for February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach. Liston was an intimidating personality, a dominating fighter with a criminal past and ties to the mob. Based on Clay's uninspired performance against Jones and Cooper in his previous two fights, and Liston's destruction of former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson in two first-round knock outs, Clay was a 7–1 underdog. Despite this, Clay taunted Liston during the pre-fight buildup, dubbing him "the big ugly bear", stating "Liston even smells like a bear" and claiming "After I beat him I'm going to donate him to the zoo."[16] Clay turned the pre-fight weigh-in into a circus, shouting at Liston that "someone is going to die at ringside tonight." Clay's pulse rate was measured at 120, more than double his normal 54.[17] Many of those in attendance thought Clay's behavior stemmed from fear, and some commentators wondered if he would show up for the bout.

The outcome of the fight was a major upset. At the opening bell, Liston rushed at Clay, seemingly angry and looking for a quick knockout. However, Clay's superior speed and mobility enabled him to elude Liston, making the champion miss and look awkward. At the end of the first round, Clay opened up his attack and hit Liston repeatedly with jabs. Liston fought better in round two, but at the beginning of the third round Clay hit Liston with a combination that buckled his knees and opened a cut under his left eye. This was the first time Liston had ever been cut. At the end of round four, Clay was returning to his corner when he began experiencing blinding pain in his eyes and asked his trainer, Angelo Dundee, to cut off his gloves. Dundee refused. It has been speculated that the problem was due to ointment used to seal Liston's cuts, perhaps deliberately applied by his corner to his gloves.[17] Though unconfirmed, boxing historian Bert Sugar claimed that two of Liston's opponents also complained about their eyes "burning."[18]

Despite Liston's attempts to knock out a blinded Clay, Clay was able to survive the fifth round until sweat and tears rinsed the irritation from his eyes. In the sixth, Clay dominated, hitting Liston repeatedly. Liston did not answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by TKO. Liston stated that the reason he quit was an injured shoulder. Following the win, a triumphant Clay rushed to the edge of the ring and, pointing to the ringside press, shouted: "Eat your words!" He added, "I am the greatest! I shook up the world. I'm the prettiest thing that ever lived."[19]

At ringside post fight, Clay appeared unconvinced that the fight was stopped due to a Liston shoulder injury, saying that the only injury Liston had was "an open eye, a big cut eye!" When told by Joe Louis that the injury was a "left arm thrown out of its socket," Clay quipped, "Yeah, swinging at nothing, who wouldn't!"[20]

In winning this fight at the age of 22, Clay became the youngest boxer to take the title from a reigning heavyweight champion. However, Floyd Patterson remained the youngest to win the heavyweight championship, doing so at the age 21 during an elimination bout following Rocky Marciano's retirement. Mike Tyson broke both records in 1986 when he defeated Trevor Berbick to win the heavyweight title at age 20.

Soon after the Liston fight, Clay changed his name to Cassius X, and then later to Muhammad Ali upon converting to Islam and affiliating with the Nation of Islam. Ali then faced a rematch with Liston scheduled for May 1965 in Lewiston, Maine. It had been scheduled for Boston the previous November, but was postponed for six months due to Ali's emergency surgery for a hernia three days before.[21] The fight was controversial. Midway through the first round, Liston was knocked down by a difficult-to-see blow the press dubbed a "phantom punch." Referee Jersey Joe Walcott did not begin the count immediately after the knockdown, as Ali refused to retreat to a neutral corner. Liston rose after he had been down for about 20 seconds, and the fight momentarily continued. However a few seconds later Walcott, having been informed by the timekeepers that Liston had been down for a count of 10, stopped the match and declared Ali the winner by knockout.[22] The entire fight lasted less than two minutes.[23]

It has since been speculated that Liston purposely dropped to the ground. Proposed motivations include threats on his life from the Nation of Islam, that he had bet against himself and that he "took a dive" to pay off debts. Slow-motion replays show that Liston was jarred by a chopping right from Ali, although it is unclear whether the blow was a genuine knockout punch.[24]

Fight against Patterson

Ali defended his title against former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson on November 22, 1965. Before the match, Ali mocked Patterson, who was widely known to call him by his former name Cassius Clay, as an "Uncle Tom", calling him "The Rabbit". Although Ali clearly had the better of Patterson, who appeared injured during the fight, the match lasted 12 rounds before being called on a technical knockout. Patterson later said he had strained his sacroiliac. Ali was criticized in the sports media for appearing to have toyed with Patterson during the fight.[25] Patterson biographer W.K. Stratton claims that the conflict between Ali and Patterson was not genuine but was staged to increase ticket sales and the closed-circuit viewing audience, with both men complicit in the theatrics. Stratton also cites an interview by Howard Cosell in which Ali explained that rather than toying with Patterson, he refrained from knocking him out after it became apparent Patterson was injured. Patterson himself later said that he'd never been hit by punches as soft as Ali's. Stratton states that Ali arranged the second fight, in 1972, with the financially struggling Patterson to help the former champion earn enough money to pay a debt to the IRS.[26]

Main Bout

After the Patterson fight, Ali founded his own promotion company, Main Bout. The company handled Ali's boxing promotions and pay-per-view closed-circuit television broadcasts; its stockholders were mainly fellow Nation of Islam members, such as Jabir Herbert Muhammad and the chief aide to Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad, John Ali,[27] along with several others, including Bob Arum, who later founded Top Rank.[28]

Ali in 1966

Ali and then-WBA heavyweight champion boxer Ernie Terrell had agreed to meet for a bout in Chicago on March 29, 1966 (the WBA, one of two boxing associations, had stripped Ali of his title following his signing a rematch with Liston [29] But in February Ali was reclassified by the Louisville draft board as 1-A from 1-Y, and he indicated that he would refuse to serve, commenting to the press, "I ain't got nothing against no Viet Cong; no Viet Cong never called me nigger."[30] Amidst the media and public outcry over Ali's stance, the Illinois Athletic Commission refused to sanction the fight, citing technicalities.[31]

Instead, Ali traveled to Canada and Europe and won championship bouts against George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper, Brian London and Karl Mildenberger.

Ali returned to the United States to fight Cleveland Williams in the Houston Astrodome on November 14, 1966. The bout drew a record-breaking indoor crowd of 35,460 people. Williams had once been considered among the hardest punchers in the heavyweight division, but in 1964 he had been shot at point-blank range with a .357 Magnum by a Texas policeman, resulting in the loss of one kidney and 10 feet (3.0 m) of his small intestine. Ali dominated Williams, winning a third-round technical knockout in what some consider the finest performance of his career.

Ali fought Terrell in Houston on February 6, 1967. Terrell, who was unbeaten in five years and had defeated many of the boxers Ali had faced, was billed as Ali's toughest opponent since Liston; he was big, strong and had a three-inch reach advantage over Ali. During the lead up to the bout, Terrell repeatedly called Ali "Clay", much to Ali's annoyance. The two almost came to blows over the name issue in a pre-fight interview with Howard Cosell. Ali seemed intent on humiliating Terrell. "I want to torture him", he said. "A clean knockout is too good for him."[32] The fight was close until the seventh round, when Ali bloodied Terrell and almost knocked him out. In the eighth round, Ali taunted Terrell, hitting him with jabs and shouting between punches, "What's my name, Uncle Tom ... what's my name?" Ali won a unanimous 15-round decision. Terrell claimed that early in the fight Ali deliberately thumbed him in the eye, forcing him to fight half-blind, and then, in a clinch, rubbed the wounded eye against the ropes. Because of Ali's apparent intent to prolong the fight to inflict maximum punishment, critics described the bout as "one of the ugliest boxing fights." Tex Maule later wrote: "It was a wonderful demonstration of boxing skill and a barbarous display of cruelty." Ali denied the accusations of cruelty but, for Ali's critics, the fight provided more evidence of his arrogance.

After Ali's title defense against Zora Folley on March 22, he was stripped of his title due to his refusal to be drafted to army service.[33] His boxing license was also suspended by the state of New York. He was convicted of draft evasion on June 20 and sentenced to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He paid a bond and remained free while the verdict was being appealed.

Exile and comeback

In March 1966, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces. He was systematically denied a boxing license in every state and stripped of his passport. As a result, he did not fight from March 1967 to October 1970—from ages 25 to almost 29—as his case worked its way through the appeals process before his conviction was overturned in 1971. During this time of inactivity, as opposition to the Vietnam War began to grow and Ali's stance gained sympathy, he spoke at colleges across the nation, criticizing the Vietnam War and advocating African-American pride and racial justice.

The Super Fight

While banned from sanctioned bouts, Ali settled a $1 million lawsuit against radio producer Murray Woroner by accepting $10,000 to appear in a privately staged fantasy fight against retired champion Rocky Marciano.[34] In 1969 the boxers were filmed sparring for about 75 one-minute rounds; they acted out several different endings.[35] A computer program purportedly determined the winner, based on data about the fighters. Edited versions of the bout were shown in movie theaters in 1970. In the U.S. version Ali lost in a simulated 13th-round knockout, but in the European version Marciano lost due to cuts, also simulated.[36]

Ali suggested that prejudice determined his defeat in the U.S. version. He was reported to jokingly say, "That computer was made in Alabama."[34]

Return to prizefighting

On August 11, 1970, with his case still in appeal, Ali was granted a license to box by the City of Atlanta Athletic Commission, thanks to State Senator Leroy R. Johnson.[37] Ali's first return bout was against Jerry Quarry on October 26, resulting in a win after three rounds after Quarry was cut.

A month earlier, a victory in federal court forced the New York State Boxing Commission to reinstate Ali's license.[38] He fought Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden in December, an uninspired performance that ended in a dramatic technical knockout of Bonavena in the 15th round. The win left Ali as a top contender against heavyweight champion Joe Frazier.

First fight against Joe Frazier

Ali and Frazier's first fight, held at the Garden on March 8, 1971, was nicknamed the "Fight of the Century", due to the tremendous excitement surrounding a bout between two undefeated fighters, each with a legitimate claim as heavyweight champions. Veteran boxing writer John Condon called it "the greatest event I've ever worked on in my life." The bout was broadcast to 35 foreign countries; promoters granted 760 press passes.[39]

Adding to the atmosphere were the considerable pre-fight theatrics and name calling. Ali portrayed Frazier as a "dumb tool of the white establishment." "Frazier is too ugly to be champ", Ali said. "Frazier is too dumb to be champ." Ali also frequently called Frazier an "Uncle Tom". Dave Wolf, who worked in Frazier's camp, recalled that, "Ali was saying 'the only people rooting for Joe Frazier are white people in suits, Alabama sheriffs, and members of the Ku Klux Klan. I'm fighting for the little man in the ghetto.' Joe was sitting there, smashing his fist into the palm of his hand, saying, 'What the fuck does he know about the ghetto?'"[39]

Ali began training at a farm near Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1971 and, finding the country setting to his liking, sought to develop a real training camp in the countryside. He found a five-acre site on a Pennsylvania country road in the village of Deer Lake, Pennsylvania. On this site, Ali carved out what was to become his training camp, where he trained for all his fights from 1972 to the end of his career in 1981.

The Monday night fight lived up to its billing. In a preview of their two other fights, a crouching, bobbing and weaving Frazier constantly pressured Ali, getting hit regularly by Ali jabs and combinations, but relentlessly attacking and scoring repeatedly, especially to Ali's body. The fight was even in the early rounds, but Ali was taking more punishment than ever in his career. On several occasions in the early rounds he played to the crowd and shook his head "no" after he was hit. In the later rounds—in what was the first appearance of the "rope-a-dope strategy"—Ali leaned against the ropes and absorbed punishment from Frazier, hoping to tire him. In the 11th round, Frazier connected with a left hook that wobbled Ali, but because it appeared that Ali might be clowning as he staggered backwards across the ring, Frazier hesitated to press his advantage, fearing an Ali counter-attack. In the final round, Frazier knocked Ali down with a vicious left hook, which referee Arthur Mercante said was as hard as a man can be hit. Ali was back on his feet in three seconds.[39] Nevertheless, Ali lost by unanimous decision, his first professional defeat.

Chamberlain challenge and Ellis fight

In 1971, basketball star Wilt Chamberlain challenged Ali to a fight, and a bout was scheduled for July 26. Although the seven-foot-two-inch tall Chamberlain had formidable physical advantages over Ali— weighing 60 pounds more and able to reach 14 inches further —Ali was able to influence Chamberlain into calling off the bout by taunting him with calls of "Timber!" and "The tree will fall" during a shared interview. These statements of confidence unsettled his taller opponent, whom Los Angeles Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had offered a record-setting contract, conditional on Chamberlain agreeing to abandon what Cooke termed "this boxing foolishness,"[40] and he did exactly that.[41] To replace Ali's opponent, promoter Bob Arum quickly booked a former sparring partner of Ali's, Jimmy Ellis, who was a childhood friend from Louisville, Kentucky, to fight him.

Fights against Quarry, Patterson, Foster and Norton

After the loss to Frazier, Ali fought Jerry Quarry, had a second bout with Floyd Patterson and faced Bob Foster in 1972, winning a total of six fights that year. In 1973, Ken Norton broke Ali's jaw while giving him the second loss of his career. After initially considering retirement, Ali won a controversial decision against Norton in their second bout. This led to a rematch with Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 1974; Frazier had recently lost his title to George Foreman.

Second fight against Joe Frazier

Ali was strong in the early rounds of the fight, and staggered Frazier in the second round. Referee Tony Perez mistakenly thought he heard the bell ending the round and stepped between the two fighters as Ali was pressing his attack, giving Frazier time to recover. However, Frazier came on in the middle rounds, snapping Ali's head in round seven and driving him to the ropes at the end of round eight. The last four rounds saw round-to-round shifts in momentum between the two fighters. Throughout most of the bout, however, Ali was able to circle away from Frazier's dangerous left hook and to tie Frazier up when he was cornered, the latter a tactic that Frazier's camp complained of bitterly. Judges awarded Ali a unanimous decision.

World heavyweight champion (second reign)

The Rumble in the Jungle

The defeat of Frazier set the stage for a title fight against heavyweight champion George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, on October 30, 1974—a bout nicknamed The Rumble in the Jungle. Foreman was considered one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history. In assessing the fight, analysts pointed out that Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, who had given Ali four tough battles and won two of them, had both been devastated by Foreman in second-round knockouts. Ali was 32 years old, and had clearly lost speed and reflexes since his twenties. Contrary to his later persona, Foreman was at the time a brooding and intimidating presence. Almost no-one associated with the sport, not even Ali's long-time supporter Howard Cosell, gave the former champion a chance of winning.

Ali in 1974

As usual, Ali was confident and colorful before the fight. He told interviewer David Frost, "If you think the world was surprised when Nixon resigned, wait 'til I whup Foreman's behind!"[42] He told the press, "I've done something new for this fight. I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I'm so mean I make medicine sick."[43] Ali was wildly popular in Zaire, with crowds chanting "Ali, bomaye" ("Ali, kill him") wherever he went.

Ali opened the fight moving and scoring with right crosses to Foreman's head. Then, beginning in the second round, and to the consternation of his corner, Ali retreated to the ropes and invited Foreman to hit him while covering up, clinching and counter-punching, all while verbally taunting Foreman. The move, which would later become known as the "Rope-a-dope", so violated conventional boxing wisdom—letting one of the hardest hitters in boxing strike at will—that at ringside writer George Plimpton thought the fight had to be fixed.[39] Foreman, increasingly angered, threw punches that were deflected and did not land squarely. Midway through the fight, as Foreman began tiring, Ali countered more frequently and effectively with punches and flurries, which electrified the pro-Ali crowd. In the eighth round, Ali dropped an exhausted Foreman with a combination at center ring; Foreman failed to make the count. Against the odds, and amidst pandemonium in the ring, Ali had regained the title by knockout. Reflecting on the fight, George Foreman later said: "I thought Ali was just one more knockout victim until, about the seventh round, I hit him hard to the jaw and he held me and whispered in my ear: 'That all you got, George?' I realized that this ain't what I thought it was."[44]

President Jimmy Carter greets Ali at a White House dinner, 1977

Fights against Wepner, Lyle and Bugner

Ali's next opponents included Chuck Wepner, Ron Lyle, and Joe Bugner. Wepner, a journeyman known as "The Bayonne Bleeder", stunned Ali with a knockdown in the ninth round; Ali would later say he tripped on Wepner's foot. It was a bout that would inspire Sylvester Stallone to create the acclaimed film, Rocky.[45]

Third fight against Joe Frazier

Ali then agreed to a third match with Joe Frazier in Manila. The bout, known as the "Thrilla in Manila", was held on October 1, 1975,[33] in temperatures approaching 100 °F (38 °C). In the first rounds, Ali was aggressive, moving and exchanging blows with Frazier. However, Ali soon appeared to tire and adopted the "rope-a-dope" strategy, frequently resorting to clinches. During this part of the bout Ali did some effective counter-punching, but for the most part absorbed punishment from a relentlessly attacking Frazier. In the 12th round, Frazier began to tire, and Ali scored several sharp blows that closed Frazier's left eye and opened a cut over his right eye. With Frazier's vision now diminished, Ali dominated the 13th and 14th rounds, at times conducting what boxing historian Mike Silver called "target practice" on Frazier's head. The fight was stopped when Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, refused to allow Frazier to answer the bell for the 15th and final round, despite Frazier's protests. Frazier's eyes were both swollen shut. Ali, in his corner, winner by TKO, slumped on his stool, clearly spent.

An ailing Ali said afterwards that the fight "was the closest thing to dying that I know", and, when later asked if he had viewed the fight on videotape, reportedly said, "Why would I want to go back and see Hell?" After the fight he cited Frazier as "the greatest fighter of all times next to me."

Later career

Ali being interviewed by WBAL-TV's Curt Anderson, 1978, Baltimore, Maryland

Following the Manila bout, Ali fought Jean-Pierre Coopman, Jimmy Young, and Richard Dunn, winning the last by knockout.

On June 1, 1976, Ali removed his shirt and jacket and confronted professional wrestler Gorilla Monsoon in the ring after his match at a World Wide Wrestling Federation show in Philadelphia Arena. After dodging a few punches, Monsoon put Ali in an airplane spin and dumped him to the mat. Ali stumbled to the corner, where his associate Butch Lewis convinced him to walk away.[46]

On June 26, 1976, Ali participated in an exhibition bout in Tokyo against Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist Antonio Inoki.[47] Ali was only able to land two jabs while Inoki's kicks caused two blood clots and an infection that almost resulted in Ali's leg being amputated.[47][48] The match was not scripted and ultimately declared a draw.[47] After Ali's death, The New York Times declared it his least memorable fight.[48] Most boxing commentators at the time viewed the fight negatively and hoped it would be forgotten as some considered it a "15-round farce."[49] Today it is considered by some to be one of Ali's most influential fights and CBS Sports said the attention the mixed-style bout received "foretold the arrival of standardized MMA years later."[49][50]

Ali fought Ken Norton for the third time in September 1976. The bout, which was held at Yankee Stadium, resulted in Ali winning a heavily contested decision that was loudly booed by the audience. Afterwards, he announced he was retiring from boxing to practice his faith, having converted to Sunni Islam after falling out with the Nation of Islam the previous year.[51]

After returning to box in two exhibition bouts in April 1977 against a then 18-year-old Michael Dokes[52] and journeyman Jody Ballard, Ali successfully defended his title for the 9th time against Alfredo Evangelista in May. Ali fought again in September 1977, struggling in a 10th title defence against hard-hitting contender Earnie Shavers. Ali was hurt in the second round but ultimately won the fight by another unanimous decision. The bout caused his long-time doctor Ferdie Pacheco to quit after he was rebuffed for telling Ali he should retire. Pacheco was quoted as saying, "the New York State Athletic Commission gave me a report that showed Ali's kidneys were falling apart. I wrote to Angelo Dundee, Ali's trainer, his wife and Ali himself. I got nothing back in response. That's when I decided enough is enough."[39]

In February 1978, Ali faced Leon Spinks at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. At the time, Spinks had only seven professional fights to his credit, and had recently fought a draw with journeyman Scott LeDoux. Ali sparred less than two dozen rounds in preparation for the fight, and was out of shape. He lost the title by split decision. Ali sought to regain his title however, and a rematch was scheduled for the fall of 1978.

Ali started training early and even travelled to Moscow, Russia to box in three exhibition fights in June of that year against Soviet Amateur champion Igor Vysotsky, Pyotar Zayev and Yevgeny Gorstkov.[53] Embarrassed by the Spinks loss, Ali purportedly sparred over 200 rounds in his preparation for the rematch, seemingly determined to regain his title. The Spinks rematch took place in September 1978 at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. A then-record 63,350 people attended the bout[54] and paid a total of $6 million in admission, making it the largest live gate in boxing history at that time.[55] A fitter and sharper Ali, although noticeably slower than his prime years, danced around Spinks and scored from range for the majority of the bout, holding his much younger opponent every time he got in close. Ali won a well deserved unanimous decision, with referee Lucien Joubert scoring rounds 10–4, judge Ernie Cojoe 10–4, and judge Herman Preis 11–4. This made Ali the first heavyweight champion to win the lineal title three times.[56][57]

Following this win, on July 27, 1979, Ali announced his retirement from boxing. His retirement was short-lived, however; Ali announced his comeback to face Larry Holmes for the WBC belt in an attempt to win the heavyweight championship an unprecedented fourth time. The fight was largely motivated by Ali's need for money. Holmes' trainer Richie Giachetti said, "Larry didn't want to fight Ali. He knew Ali had nothing left; he knew it would be a horror."

It was around this time that Ali started struggling with vocal stutters and trembling hands.[58] The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) ordered that he undergo a complete physical in Las Vegas before being allowed to fight again. Ali chose instead to check into the Mayo Clinic, who declared him fit to fight. Their opinion was accepted by the NAC on July 31, 1980, paving the way for Ali's return to the ring.[59]

The fight took place on October 2, 1980, in Las Vegas Valley, with Holmes easily dominating Ali, who was weakened from thyroid medication he had taken to lose weight. Giachetti called the fight "awful ... the worst sports event I ever had to cover." Actor Sylvester Stallone was at ringside and said that it was like watching an autopsy on a man who is still alive.[39] In the eleventh round, Angelo Dundee told the referee to stop the fight, making it the only time that Ali ever lost by stoppage. After the fight, Holmes went back to his dressing room and cried. The Holmes fight is said to have contributed to Ali's Parkinson's syndrome.[60] Despite pleas to definitively retire, Ali fought one last time on December 11, 1981, in Nassau, Bahamas, against Trevor Berbick, losing a ten-round decision.[61][62][63]

By the end of his boxing career Ali had absorbed 200,000 hits.[64]

Boxing style

Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves are preserved in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History.

Ali had a highly unorthodox boxing style for a heavyweight (210 pounds), epitomized by his catchphrase "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." Never an overpowering puncher, Ali relied early in his career on his incredible hand speed, superb reflexes and constant movement, dancing and circling opponents for most of the fight, holding his hands low and lashing out with a quick, cutting left jab that he threw from unpredictable angles. His footwork was so strong that it was extremely difficult for opponents to cut down the ring and corner Ali against the ropes. He was also able to quickly dodge punches with his speed, head movement, dancing and footwork.

One of Ali's greatest tricks was to make opponents overcommit by pulling straight backward from punches. Disciplined, world-class boxers chased Ali and threw themselves off balance attempting to hit him because he seemed to be an open target, only missing and leaving themselves exposed to Ali's counter punches, usually a chopping right.[65] Slow motion replays show that this was precisely the way Sonny Liston was hit and apparently knocked out by Ali in their second fight.[66] Ali often flaunted his movement by dancing the "Ali Shuffle", a sort of center-ring jig.[67] Ali's early style was so unusual that he was initially discounted because he reminded boxing writers of a lightweight, and it was assumed he would be vulnerable to big hitters like Sonny Liston.

Jimmy Jacobs, who co-managed Mike Tyson, used a synchronizer to measure young Ali's punching speed versus Sugar Ray Robinson, a welter/middleweight who was considered pound-for-pound the best fighter in history. Ali was 25% faster than Robinson, even though Ali was 45–50 pounds heavier.[68] Ali's punches produced approximately 1,000 pounds of force.[69] "No matter what his opponents heard about him, they didn't realize how fast he was until they got in the ring with him", Jacobs said.[70] The effect of Ali's punches was cumulative. Charlie Powell, who fought Ali early in Ali's career and was knocked out in the third round, said: "When he first hit me I said to myself, 'I can take two of these to get one in myself.' But in a little while I found myself getting dizzier and dizzier every time he hit me. He throws punches so easily that you don't realize how much they hurt you until it's too late."[11]

Commenting on fighting the young Ali, George Chuvalo said: "He was just so damn fast. When he was young, he moved his legs and hands at the same time. He threw his punches when he was in motion. He'd be out of punching range, and as he moved into range he'd already begun to throw the punch. So if you waited until he got into range to punch back, he beat you every time."[39]

Floyd Patterson said, "It's very hard to hit a moving target, and (Ali) moved all the time, with such grace, three minutes of every round for fifteen rounds. He never stopped. It was extraordinary."[39]

Darrell Foster, who trained Will Smith for the movie Ali, said: "Ali's signature punches were the left jab and the overhand right. But there were at least six different ways Ali used to jab. One was a jab that Ali called the 'snake lick', like cobra striking that comes from the floor almost, really low down. Then there was Ali's rapid-fire jab—three to five jabs in succession rapidly fired at his opponents' eyes to create a blur in [the latter's] face so he wouldn't be able to see [Ali's] right hand coming behind it."[71]

Footwork

An unconventional "dancing" style of footwork was popularized by Ali in the 1960s. He moved side to side, and forward and back, while bouncing on the balls of his feet and dancing around his opponents. This allowed him to quickly move to wherever he wanted in the ring. He also occasionally shuffled his feet back and forth quickly, confusing his opponents before landing a blow, a move called the Ali shuffle.[72][73] His unconventional footwork was referred to as the "dancing legs" at the time.[74]

Ali's footwork notably influenced martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, who studied Ali's footwork and incorporated it into his own Jeet Kune Do style of hybrid martial arts in the 1960s.[75]

Trash-talk

Ali regularly taunted and baited his opponents—including Liston, Frazier, and Foreman—before the fight and often during the bout itself. He said Frazier was "too dumb to be champion", that he would whip Liston "like his Daddy did", that Terrell was an "Uncle Tom" for refusing to call Ali by his name and continuing to call him Cassius Clay, calling Patterson a "rabbit", and calling Foreman "a mummy". In speaking of how Ali stoked Liston's anger and overconfidence before their first fight, one writer commented that "the most brilliant fight strategy in boxing history was devised by a teenager who had graduated 376 in a class of 391."[68]

Ali typically portrayed himself as the "people's champion" and his opponent as a tool of the (white) establishment. During the early part of his career, he built a reputation for predicting rounds in which he would finish opponents, often vowing to crawl across the ring or to leave the country if he lost the bout.[33] Ali adopted the latter practice from "Gorgeous" George Wagner, a professional wrestling champion who drew thousands of fans to his matches as "the man you love to hate."[33] When Ali was 19, Wagner, who was in town to wrestle Freddie Blassie and had crossed paths with Clay,[13] told the boxer before a bout with Duke Sabedong in Las Vegas,[13] "A lot of people will pay to see someone shut your mouth. So keep on bragging, keep on sassing and always be outrageous."[12]

ESPN columnist Ralph Wiley called Ali "The King of Trash Talk".[76] In 2013, The Guardian said Ali exemplified boxing's "golden age of trash-talking."[77] Bleacher Report called Clay's description of Sonny Liston smelling like a bear and his vow to donate him to a zoo after he beat him the greatest trash-talk line in sports history.[78]

Rope-a-dope

In the opinion of many observers, Ali became a different fighter after the 3½-year layoff. Ferdie Pacheco, Ali's corner physician, noted that he had lost his ability to move and dance as before.[39] This forced Ali to become more stationary and exchange punches more frequently, exposing him to more punishment while indirectly revealing his tremendous ability to take a punch. This physical change led in part to the "rope-a-dope" strategy, where Ali would lie back on the ropes, cover up to protect himself and conserve energy, and tempt opponents to punch themselves out. Ali often taunted opponents in the process and lashed back with sudden, unexpected combinations. The strategy was dramatically successful in the George Foreman fight, but less so in the first Joe Frazier bout when it was introduced.

Later years

Of his later career, Arthur Mercante said: "Ali knew all the tricks. He was the best fighter I ever saw in terms of clinching. Not only did he use it to rest, but he was big and strong and knew how to lean on opponents and push and shove and pull to tire them out. Ali was so smart. Most guys are just in there fighting, but Ali had a sense of everything that was happening, almost as though he was sitting at ringside analyzing the fight while he fought it."[39]

In the mid-1970s, Ali took an interest in Asian martial arts, such as karate and taekwondo. The founder of American taekwondo, Jhoon Goo Rhee, coached Ali for several fights. A punching technique that Rhee taught him was the "accupunch", a technique that Rhee himself had originally learnt from Bruce Lee. The "accupunch" is a rapid fast punch that is very difficult to block, based on human reaction time—"the idea is to finish the execution of the punch before the opponent can complete the brain-to-wrist communication." Ali was reportedly unable to block the punch when Rhee first demonstrated it to him. Ali later used the "accupunch" to knockout Richard Dunn in 1976.[79]

Ali and his contemporaries

Ali and Frazier

Friendship

In an interview published in 2002, Joe Frazier recalled that he had first met Ali around 1968. At this time Ali was continuing his legal fight to get his boxing license back, and Frazier was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Frazier stated that he had campaigned vigorously for Ali to get his license; this included going to Washington and meeting the president to lobby on Ali's behalf. Frazier also lent Ali some money at this time.[80]

According to Dave Wolf, former sports editor of Life and a member of Frazier's entourage, Frazier was keen for Ali's return to boxing, because he believed that beating Ali would win him unambiguous acknowledgement as the "best."[81] According to Wolf, Frazier was also kind to Ali during this time—agreeing to participate in staged confrontations, which enabled Ali to get publicity and earn money giving lectures. Wolf states that Frazier had deep respect for Ali's religious beliefs, and even participated in Muslim services at Ali's suggestion. Until Ali got "nasty" before their first fight, Frazier endorsed Ali's refusal to be drafted; Wolf recalls: "I remember [Frazier] telling me, 'If Baptists weren't allowed to fight, I wouldn't fight either'."[81]

Ali and Frazier knew they would become wealthy if Ali returned to the ring.[82][83] Prior to their first fight, both had expressed a liking for each other.[84] In 1970, Ali had stated: "Me and Joe Frazier will be buddies. I just want it to go down in history that I didn't sell out or Uncle Tom when I got famous, and I don't think Joe Frazier's going to do that either. He ain't dumb."[84]

Opponents

Ali and Frazier fought three fights in the span of five years; the first and third of these are widely regarded to be among the greatest of all boxing bouts, and the Ali-Frazier rivalry has been hailed as one of the greatest any sport has seen.[85][86] Writing in Sports Illustrated, William Nack commented:

Of all the names joined forever in the annals of boxing—from Dempsey-Tunney to Louis-Schmeling, from Zale-Graziano to Leonard-Hearns—none are more fiercely bound by a hyphen than Ali-Frazier. Not Palmer-Nicklaus in golf nor Borg-McEnroe in tennis, as ardently competitive as these rivalries were, conjure up anything remotely close to the epic theater of Ali-Frazier.[86]

According to Ali, Frazier's style of boxing made him a tougher opponent for him than Liston or Foreman because he was vulnerable to Frazier's in-close left hook. Had he fought with Frazier before his three-and-half year break from boxing, when he was younger, "I'd have danced for fifteen rounds, and Joe wouldn't have ever caught me."[87][lower-alpha 1]

After Thrilla in Manila, Frazier called Ali "a great champion",[88] and, referring to Ali, graciously stated that "[m]y man fought a good fight";[89] while Ali declared Frazier to be "the greatest fighter of all time next to me."[90]

Trash-talk and altercations

In the buildup to their bouts, Ali called Frazier "dumb" and an "Uncle Tom" before their first, "ignorant" before the second, and a "gorilla" before the third.[91][92] Writers Dennis and Don Atyeo have noted that given Ali's warm words for Frazier in the past, his jibes about Frazier sounded hollow.[84]

On January 23, 1974, five days before their second fight, Ali and Frazier had a public altercation captured on television. ABC Sports' Howard Cosell had arranged for the two to come to the studio to comment on their first fight. Things went smoothly until Frazier commented about Ali having to visit a hospital after the fight. Ali immediately responded by claiming he had gone to a hospital for ten minutes whereas Frazier had been hospitalized for three weeks after the fight,[lower-alpha 2] and concluded by calling Frazier "ignorant."[94][95] Frazier then snapped; removing his studio earplug, Frazier reached across to Ali, protesting the use of the word "ignorant."[93][94] Soon the two were wrestling on the floor, until they were separated by onlookers.[94][96][lower-alpha 3]

According to veteran boxing commentator Ronnie Nathanielsz, during the buildup to Thrilla in Manilla, Ali once awakened Frazier in the middle of the night by constantly screaming. When Frazier appeared on the balcony of his hotel room, Ali pointed a toy gun at him and shouted: "I am going to shoot you."[89]

Immediately after Thrilla in Manilla, Ali summoned Frazier's son Marvis to his dressing room and apologized for the things he had said about Frazier.[98][lower-alpha 4] When Marvis conveyed Ali's contrition to his father, Frazier commented that Ali should have communicated this to him directly.[98] After returning to the United States, Ali called boxing promoter and manager Butch Lewis, and asked for Frazier's private number, saying he wanted to apologize to Frazier. However, when Lewis conveyed this request to Frazier, he was told not to share the phone number with Ali.[86]

Finale

In 1988, Ali and Frazier joined George Foreman, Larry Holmes, and Ken Norton in Las Vegas for the making of the film Champions Forever. At a local gym, Frazier came across Ali before a crowd of spectators, and said: "Look at Ali. Look what's happened to him. All your talkin', man. I'm faster than you are now. You're damaged goods."[86] Ali, already afflicted with Parkinson's, insisted that he remained faster than Frazier and pointing to a heavy bag suggested the two compete to see which of them could hit the bag the fastest. Frazier immediately took off his coat, moved to the bag and threw a dozen rapid punches at it accompanied by loud grunts. Without removing his coat, Ali strolled towards the bag, held the ready stance, mimicked one of Frazier's grunts without throwing a punch, and then addressed Frazier with the words "Wanna see it again, Joe?" Everyone laughed, except Frazier.[86]

Later that day, Frazier started walking towards Ali after having had too much to drink. Ali biographer Thomas Hauser, who was present, recalled that for the next 10 minutes Larry Holmes positioned himself between Ali and Frazier, preventing Frazier from reaching Ali. George Foreman then took over and acted as Ali's shield for the next 10 minutes. Throughout this incident, Ali remained oblivious to what was going on.[86]

In his 1996 autobiography Smokin' Joe: The Autobiography of a Heavyweight Champion of the World, in which he always refers to Ali as Cassius Clay,[99] Frazier wrote:

Truth is, I'd like to rumble with that sucker [Ali] again—beat him up piece by piece and mail him back to Jesus. ... Now people ask me if I feel bad for him, now that things aren't going so well for him. Nope. I don't. Fact is, I don't give a damn. They want me to love him, but I'll open up the graveyard and bury his ass when the Lord chooses to take him.[86][100]

Commenting on Ali lighting the Olympic flame in 1996, Frazier stated that it would have been good if Ali had fallen into the cauldron after lighting the flame, and that he would have pushed Ali in himself if he had the chance to do so.[86][101][102] In a press conference held on July 30, 1996, Frazier accused Ali of being a "draft dodger" and a racist,[lower-alpha 5] and claimed he would have been a better choice to light the Olympic flame.[86] Also in 1996, Frazier claimed Ali was suffering from "Joe Frazier-itis" and "left-hook-itis."[86]

In a 1997 interview, Frazier expressed no regret for the words he had used for Ali at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. According to Frazier:

We weren't animals. We were human beings. He called me a gorilla. An Uncle Tom. Uncle Tom? I grew up so poor and so black in South Carolina, even the water we drank was colored. The only guy I 'tommed' for was him, giving in to him. God gave him so many gifts. Fast. Pretty. Smart. Strong. He didn't have to do what he did.[102]

In a 2001 interview with The New York Times, Ali again apologized to Frazier for calling him names which, Ali claimed, was done to promote their fights. Frazier initially accepted the apology saying it was time to put this issue behind them.[103] However, subsequently Frazier commented that Ali should apologize directly to him instead of apologizing through a newspaper. Reacting to this, Ali stated: "If you see Frazier, you tell him he's still a gorilla."[104]

In his interview in Stephen Brunt's 2002 book Facing Ali, Frazier, referring to how he had contributed to Ali's infirmity, claimed he was sure Ali thinks of him whenever he gets out of bed, and that whatever Ali was undergoing was the will of God.[105][lower-alpha 6]

In a 2008 interview, Frazier stated he had forgiven Ali, but was unable to comment on whether Ali's present condition was due to divine punishment, as he had earlier stated, since "God works in a mysterious way."[106]

In 2011, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of his first fight with Ali, and the year of his death, Frazier reiterated that he had forgiven Ali.[102][lower-alpha 7] Frazier's funeral service was attended by Ali who reportedly stood and clapped vigorously when the Rev. Jesse Jackson asked the mourners to stand and bring their hands together one last time for Frazier.[107]

Titles in boxing

Cassius Clay, later Muhammad Ali, (second from right) at the 1960 Olympics

Major world titles

Other world titles

The Ring magazine titles

Lineal titles

  • Lineal heavyweight champion (3×)[108]

Regional titles

Amateur titles

Accolades

Professional boxing record

61 fights 56 wins 5 losses
By knockout 37 1
By decision 19 4
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Age Location Notes
61 Loss 56–5 Trevor Berbick UD 10 Dec 11, 1981 39 years, 328 days Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, Nassau, Bahamas
60 Loss 56–4 Larry Holmes RTD 10 (15), 3:00 Oct 2, 1980 38 years, 259 days Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. For WBC and vacant The Ring heavyweight titles
59 Win 56–3 Leon Spinks UD 15 Sep 15, 1978 36 years, 241 days Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. Won WBA and The Ring heavyweight titles
58 Loss 55–3 Leon Spinks SD 15 Feb 15, 1978 36 years, 29 days Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. Lost WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
57 Win 55–2 Earnie Shavers UD 15 Sep 29, 1977 35 years, 255 days Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
56 Win 54–2 Alfredo Evangelista UD 15 May 16, 1977 35 years, 119 days Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland, U.S. Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
55 Win 53–2 Ken Norton UD 15 Sep 28, 1976 34 years, 255 days Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
54 Win 52–2 Richard Dunn TKO 5 (15), 2:05 May 24, 1976 34 years, 128 days Olympiahalle, Munich, West Germany Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
53 Win 51–2 Jimmy Young UD 15 Apr 30, 1976 34 years, 104 days Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland, U.S. Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
52 Win 50–2 Jean-Pierre Coopman KO 5 (15), 2:46 Feb 20, 1976 34 years, 34 days Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
51 Win 49–2 Joe Frazier RTD 14 (15), 3:00 Oct 1, 1975 33 years, 257 days Philippine Coliseum, Quezon City, Philippines Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
50 Win 48–2 Joe Bugner UD 15 July 1, 1975[114] 33 years, 164 days Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
49 Win 47–2 Ron Lyle TKO 11 (15), 1:08 May 16, 1975 33 years, 119 days Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
48 Win 46–2 Chuck Wepner TKO 15 (15), 2:41 Mar 24, 1975 33 years, 66 days Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio, U.S. Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
47 Win 45–2 George Foreman KO 8 (15), 2:58 Oct 30, 1974 32 years, 286 days Stade du 20 Mai, Kinshasa, Zaire Won WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
46 Win 44–2 Joe Frazier UD 12 Jan 28, 1974 32 years, 11 days Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained NABF heavyweight title
45 Win 43–2 Rudie Lubbers UD 12 Oct 20, 1973 31 years, 276 days Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
44 Win 42–2 Ken Norton SD 12 Sep 10, 1973 31 years, 236 days The Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S. Won NABF heavyweight title
43 Loss 41–2 Ken Norton SD 12 Mar 31, 1973 31 years, 73 days Sports Arena, San Diego, California, U.S. Lost NABF heavyweight title
42 Win 41–1 Joe Bugner UD 12 Feb 14, 1973 31 years, 28 days Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
41 Win 40–1 Bob Foster KO 8 (12), 0:40 Nov 21, 1972 30 years, 309 days Sahara Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, U.S. Retained NABF heavyweight title
40 Win 39–1 Floyd Patterson RTD 7 (12), 3:00 Sep 20, 1972 30 years, 247 days Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained NABF heavyweight title
39 Win 38–1 Alvin Lewis TKO 11 (12), 1:15 Jul 19, 1972 30 years, 184 days Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
38 Win 37–1 Jerry Quarry TKO 7 (12), 0:19 Jun 27, 1972 30 years, 162 days Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. Retained NABF heavyweight title
37 Win 36–1 George Chuvalo UD 12 May 1, 1972 30 years, 105 days Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Retained NABF heavyweight title
36 Win 35–1 Mac Foster UD 15 Apr 1, 1972 30 years, 75 days Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan
35 Win 34–1 Jürgen Blin KO 7 (12), 2:12 Dec 26, 1971 29 years, 343 days Hallenstadion, Zürich, Switzerland
34 Win 33–1 Buster Mathis UD 12 Nov 17, 1971 29 years, 304 days Astrodome, Houston, Texas, U.S. Retained NABF heavyweight title
33 Win 32–1 Jimmy Ellis TKO 12 (12), 2:10 Jul 26, 1971 29 years, 190 days Astrodome, Houston, Texas, U.S. Won vacant NABF heavyweight title
32 Loss 31–1 Joe Frazier UD 15 Mar 8, 1971 29 years, 50 days Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. For WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
31 Win 31–0 Oscar Bonavena TKO 15 (15), 2:03 Dec 7, 1970 28 years, 324 days Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Won vacant NABF heavyweight title
30 Win 30–0 Jerry Quarry RTD 3 (15), 3:00 Oct 26, 1970 28 years, 282 days Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
29 Win 29–0 Zora Folley KO 7 (15), 1:48 Mar 22, 1967 25 years, 64 days Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained WBA, WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
28 Win 28–0 Ernie Terrell UD 15 Feb 6, 1967 25 years, 20 days Astrodome, Houston, Texas, U.S. Retained WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles;
Won WBA heavyweight title
27 Win 27–0 Cleveland Williams TKO 3 (15), 1:08 Nov 14, 1966 24 years, 301 days Astrodome, Houston, Texas, U.S. Retained WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
26 Win 26–0 Karl Mildenberger TKO 12 (15), 1:30 Sep 10, 1966 24 years, 236 days Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany Retained WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
25 Win 25–0 Brian London KO 3 (15), 1:40 Aug 6, 1966 24 years, 201 days Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England Retained WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
24 Win 24–0 Henry Cooper TKO 6 (15), 1:38 May 21, 1966 24 years, 124 days Arsenal Stadium, London, England Retained WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
23 Win 23–0 George Chuvalo UD 15 Mar 29, 1966 24 years, 71 days Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada Retained WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
22 Win 22–0 Floyd Patterson TKO 12 (15), 2:18 Nov 22, 1965 23 years, 309 days Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. Retained WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
21 Win 21–0 Sonny Liston KO 1 (15), 2:12 May 25, 1965 23 years, 128 days Civic Center, Lewiston, Maine, U.S. Retained WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
20 Win 20–0 Sonny Liston RTD 6 (15), 3:00 Feb 25, 1964 22 years, 39 days Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. Won WBA, WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
19 Win 19–0 Henry Cooper TKO 5 (10), 2:15 Jun 18, 1963 21 years, 152 days Wembley Stadium, London, England
18 Win 18–0 Doug Jones UD 10 Mar 13, 1963 21 years, 55 days Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
17 Win 17–0 Charlie Powell KO 3 (10), 2:04 Jan 24, 1963 21 years, 7 days Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
16 Win 16–0 Archie Moore TKO 4 (10), 1:35 Nov 15, 1962 20 years, 302 days Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
15 Win 15–0 Alejandro Lavorante KO 5 (10), 1:48 Jul 20, 1962 20 years, 184 days Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
14 Win 14–0 Billy Daniels TKO 7 (10), 2:21 May 19, 1962 20 years, 122 days St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.
13 Win 13–0 George Logan TKO 4 (10), 1:34 Apr 23, 1962 20 years, 96 days Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
12 Win 12–0 Don Warner TKO 4 (10), 0:34 Feb 28, 1962 20 years, 70 days Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
11 Win 11–0 Sonny Banks TKO 4 (10), 0:26 Feb 10, 1962 20 years, 24 days Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
10 Win 10–0 Willi Besmanoff TKO 7 (10), 1:55 Nov 29, 1961 19 years, 316 days Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
9 Win 9–0 Alex Miteff TKO 6 (10), 1:45 Oct 7, 1961 19 years, 263 days Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
8 Win 8–0 Alonzo Johnson UD 10 Jul 22, 1961 19 years, 186 days Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
7 Win 7–0 Duke Sabedong UD 10 Jun 26, 1961 19 years, 160 days Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
6 Win 6–0 LaMar Clark KO 2 (8), 1:27 Apr 19, 1961 19 years, 92 days Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Donnie Fleeman RTD 6 (8) Feb 21, 1961 19 years, 35 days Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 Jim Robinson KO 1 (8), 1:34 Feb 7, 1961 19 years, 21 days Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
3 Win 3–0 Tony Esperti TKO 3 (8), 1:30 Jan 17, 1961 19 years, 0 days Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Herb Siler TKO 4 (8), 1:00 Dec 27, 1960 18 years, 345 days Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Tunney Hunsaker UD 6 Oct 29, 1960 18 years, 286 days Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.

Exhibition boxing record

The following list does not include matches in which the opponent's name, location or exact date is unknown such as the one that took place in Genoa, Italy against Alonzo Johnson and Giorgio Bambini around 1971, his knockout victory over Alonzo Johnson in Doha, Qatar in 1971 (before The Fight of the Century), his six-round exhibition on April 26, 1975 in Orlando, Florida, and the one that took place in Casablanca, Morocco around 1979. Exhibition contests do not count on a professional or amateur boxer's official record.

103 fights 0 wins 3 losses
By knockout 0 3
Draws 2
Non-scored 98
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Age Location Notes
103 Draw 0–3–2 (98) Dave Semenko PTS 3 June 12, 1983 41 years, 146 days Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
102 0–3–1 (98) Reiner Hartner ? December 4, 1982 40 years, 321 days Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai, U.A.E. Non-scored bout
101 0–3–1 (97) Jimmy Ellis ? December 1, 1982 40 years, 318 days Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Non-scored bout
100 0–3–1 (96) Jimmy Ellis 5 January 31, 1980 38 years, 14 days Madras, India Non-scored bout
99 0–3–1 (95) Kaur Singh 4 January 27, 1980 38 years, 10 days National Stadium, New Delhi, India Non-scored bout
98 0–3–1 (94) Lyle Alzado 8 July 14, 1979 37 years, 178 days Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado, U.S. Non-scored bout
97 0–3–1 (93) Thomas F. X. Smith 2 June 29, 1979 37 years, 163 days Jersey City Armory, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. Non-scored bout
96 0–3–1 (92) Brendan Byrne 2 June 29, 1979 37 years, 163 days Jersey City Armory, Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. Non-scored bout
95 0–3–1 (91) Jimmy Ellis 5 June 7, 1979 37 years, 141 days Odeon Theatre, Birmingham, England Non-scored bout
94 0–3–1 (90) Karl Mildenberger 2 June 4, 1979 37 years, 138 days Grugahalle, Essen, West Germany Non-scored bout
93 0–3–1 (89) Georg Butzbach 3 June 4, 1979 37 years, 138 days Grugahalle, Essen, West Germany Non-scored bout
92 0–3–1 (88) John L. Gardner 4 May 29, 1979 37 years, 132 days Royal Albert Hall, London, England Non-scored bout
91 0–3–1 (87) Jimmy Ellis 5 May 27, 1979 37 years, 130 days Randershallen, Randers, Denmark Non-scored bout
90 0–3–1 (86) Alonzo Johnson 5 May 27, 1979 37 years, 130 days Randershallen, Randers, Denmark Non-scored bout
89 0–3–1 (85) Jimmy Ellis 2 March 12, 1979 37 years, 54 days Providence Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. Non-scored bout
88 0–3–1 (84) Alonzo Johnson 2 March 12, 1979 37 years, 54 days Providence Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. Non-scored bout
87 0–3–1 (83) John "Dino" Denis 2 March 12, 1979 37 years, 54 days Providence Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. Non-scored bout
86 0–3–1 (82) Luke Capuano 4 February 28, 1979 37 years, 42 days DePaul University Alumni Hall, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Non-scored bout
85 0–3–1 (81) Joe Bugner ? February 8, 1979 37 years, 22 days Auckland, New Zealand Non-scored bout
84 0–3–1 (80) Jimmy Ellis ? February 8, 1979 37 years, 22 days Auckland, New Zealand Non-scored bout
83 0–3–1 (79) Igor Vysotsky 2 June 20, 1978 36 years, 154 days Moscow, RSFSR, U.S.S.R. Non-scored bout
82 0–3–1 (78) Evgeny Gorstkov 2 June 20, 1978 36 years, 154 days Moscow, RSFSR, U.S.S.R. Non-scored bout
81 0–3–1 (77) Pyotr Zayev 2 June 20, 1978 36 years, 154 days Moscow, RSFSR, U.S.S.R. Non-scored bout
80 0–3–1 (76) Burt Young ? May 8, 1978 36 years, 111 days Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Non-scored bout
79 0–3–1 (75) Marvin Gaye ? May 8, 1978 36 years, 111 days Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Non-scored bout
78 0–3–1 (74) Richard Pryor ? May 8, 1978 36 years, 111 days Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Non-scored bout
77 0–3–1 (73) Sammy Davis Jr. ? May 8, 1978 36 years, 111 days Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Non-scored bout
76 0–3–1 (72) Scott LeDoux 5 December 2, 1977 35 years, 319 days Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Non-scored bout
75 0–3–1 (71) Bernardo Mercado 5 November 14, 1977 35 years, 301 days Santamaría Bullring, Bogotá, Colombia Non-scored bout
74 Loss 0–3–1 (70) Bruce Wells KO ? August 12, 1977 35 years, 207 days South Shields, England
73 0–2–1 (70) Michael Dokes 3 April 16, 1977 35 years, 89 days Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. Non-scored bout
72 0–2–1 (69) Jody Ballard 3 April 16, 1977 35 years, 89 days Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. Non-scored bout
71 0–2–1 (68) Ron Drinkwater 2 January 29, 1977 35 years, 12 days Hynes Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Non-scored bout
70 0–2–1 (67) Matt Ross 2 January 29, 1977 35 years, 12 days Hynes Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Non-scored bout
69 0–2–1 (66) Frank Kingston Smith 1 January 29, 1977 35 years, 12 days Hynes Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Non-scored bout
68 0–2–1 (65) Walter Haines 1 January 29, 1977 35 years, 12 days Hynes Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Non-scored bout
67 0–2–1 (64) Peter Fuller 1 January 29, 1977 35 years, 12 days Hynes Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Non-scored bout
66 0–2–1 (63) Jerry Huston Jr. 2 January 29, 1977 35 years, 12 days Hynes Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Non-scored bout
65 0–2–1 (62) Larry D. Rice 1 June 27, 1976 34 years, 162 days Camp Casey, Dongducheon, South Korea Non-scored bout
64 0–2–1 (61) Gerald Noble 1 June 27, 1976 34 years, 162 days Camp Casey, Dongducheon, South Korea Non-scored bout
63 Draw 0–2–1 (60) Antonio Inoki PTS 15 Jun 25, 1976 34 years, 160 days Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan Under special "boxing-wrestling" rules
62 Loss 0–2 (60) José Miguel Agrelot KO ? February 6, 1976 34 years, 20 days Cancha Pepin Cestero, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
61 0–1 (60) Clifford "Randy" Stephens 3 December 6, 1975 33 years, 323 days Dallas, Texas, U.S. Non-scored bout
60 Loss 0–1 (59) Bill Cunningham KO ? (2) June 6, 1975 33 years, 140 days Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
59 0–0 (59) Robert Blackwell 2 June 6, 1975 33 years, 140 days Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Non-scored bout
58 0–0 (58) Johnny Hudson 3 June 6, 1975 33 years, 140 days Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Non-scored bout
57 0–0 (57) Boston Almon 1 June 6, 1975 33 years, 140 days Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Non-scored bout
56 0–0 (56) Ron Gentry 2 June 6, 1975 33 years, 140 days Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Non-scored bout
55 0–0 (55) Joe Bugner ? December 3, 1974 32 years, 320 days Royal Albert Hall, London, England Non-scored bout
54 0–0 (54) Roy "Cookie" Wallace 4 February 23, 1973 31 years, 37 days Moody Coliseum, University Park, Texas, U.S. Non-scored bout
53 0–0 (53) Alonzo Johnson 2 November 28, 1972 30 years, 316 days Salem-Roanoke Valley Civic Center, Salem, Virginia, U.S. Non-scored bout
52 0–0 (52) John Jordan 2 November 28, 1972 30 years, 316 days Salem-Roanoke Valley Civic Center, Salem, Virginia, U.S. Non-scored bout
51 0–0 (51) Jimmy Wingfield 2 November 28, 1972 30 years, 316 days Salem-Roanoke Valley Civic Center, Salem, Virginia, U.S. Non-scored bout
50 0–0 (50) Charlie Boston 2 November 28, 1972 30 years, 316 days Salem-Roanoke Valley Civic Center, Salem, Virginia, U.S. Non-scored bout
49 0–0 (49) Paul Raymond 2 October 11, 1972 30 years, 268 days Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Non-scored bout
48 0–0 (48) Ray Anderson 2 October 11, 1972 30 years, 268 days Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Non-scored bout
47 0–0 (47) Doug Kirk 2 October 11, 1972 30 years, 268 days Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Non-scored bout
46 0–0 (46) Cliff McDonald 2 October 11, 1972 30 years, 268 days Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Non-scored bout
45 0–0 (45) John "Dino" Denis 2 October 11, 1972 30 years, 268 days Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Non-scored bout
44 0–0 (44) Gary Dee 1 August 28, 1972 30 years, 224 days Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. Non-scored bout
43 0–0 (43) Rodney Greene 1 August 28, 1972 30 years, 224 days Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. Non-scored bout
42 0–0 (42) Terry Daniels 2 August 28, 1972 30 years, 224 days Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. Non-scored bout
41 0–0 (41) Amos Johnson 2 August 28, 1972 30 years, 224 days Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. Non-scored bout
40 0–0 (40) Alonzo Johnson 2 August 28, 1972 30 years, 224 days Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio U.S. Non-scored bout
39 0–0 (39) Ray Anderson 2 August 24, 1972 30 years, 220 days Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland U.S. Non-scored bout
38 0–0 (38) Alonzo Johnson 2 August 24, 1972 30 years, 220 days Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland U.S. Non-scored bout
37 0–0 (37) Gregorio Peralta 8 August 1, 1972 30 years, 197 days La Monumental, Barcelona, Spain Non-scored bout
36 0–0 (36) Ba Sounkalo 8 July 29, 1972 30 years, 194 days Casablanca, Morocco Non-scored bout
35 0–0 (35) Rudy Clay 2 July 1, 1972 30 years, 166 days Los Angeles, California, U.S. Non-scored bout
34 0–0 (34) Charley James 2 July 1, 1972 30 years, 166 days Los Angeles, California, U.S. Non-scored bout
33 0–0 (33) Billy Ryan 2 July 1, 1972 30 years, 166 days Los Angeles, California, U.S. Non-scored bout
32 0–0 (32) Eddie Jones 2 July 1, 1972 30 years, 166 days Los Angeles, California, U.S. Non-scored bout
31 0–0 (31) Lonnie Bennett 2 July 1, 1972 30 years, 166 days Los Angeles, California, U.S. Non-scored bout
30 0–0 (30) Al Migliorato 4 February 18, 1972 30 years, 32 days Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. Non-scored bout
29 0–0 (29) Jeff Merritt 5 January 28, 1972 30 years, 11 days Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Non-scored bout
28 0–0 (28) Alonzo Johnson 5 January 28, 1972 30 years, 11 days Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Non-scored bout
27 0–0 (27) Miguel Ángel Páez 5 November 6, 1971 29 years, 293 days Atlanta Court, Buenos Aires, Argentina Non-scored bout
26 0–0 (26) James Summerville 5 November 6, 1971 29 years, 293 days Atlanta Court, Buenos Aires, Argentina Non-scored bout
25 0–0 (25) Cliff Field 2 October 19, 1971 29 years, 275 days Royal Albert Hall, London, England Non-scored bout
24 0–0 (24) Graham Sines 2 October 19, 1971 29 years, 275 days Royal Albert Hall, London, England Non-scored bout
23 0–0 (23) Johnny Frankham 2 October 19, 1971 29 years, 275 days Royal Albert Hall, London, England Non-scored bout
22 0–0 (22) Alonzo Johnson 2 October 19, 1971 29 years, 275 days Royal Albert Hall, London, England Non-scored bout
21 0–0 (21) Eddie Brooks 2 August 22, 1971 29 years, 217 days Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Non-scored bout
20 0–0 (20) Lancer Johnson 4 August 22, 1971 29 years, 217 days Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago Non-scored bout
19 0–0 (19) Eddie Brooks 4 August 21, 1971 29 years, 216 days Nuevo Circo, Caracas, Venezuela Non-scored bout
18 0–0 (18) Lancer Johnson 4 August 21, 1971 29 years, 216 days Nuevo Circo, Caracas, Venezuela Non-scored bout
17 0–0 (17) Rufus Braswell 3 June 25, 1971 29 years, 159 days Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio, U.S. Non-scored bout
16 0–0 (16) Eddie Brooks 3 June 25, 1971 29 years, 159 days Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio, U.S. Non-scored bout
15 0–0 (15) J.D. McCauley 2 June 25, 1971 29 years, 159 days Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio, U.S. Non-scored bout
14 0–0 (14) George Hill 2 September 2, 1970 28 years, 228 days Archer Hall Gymnasium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Non-scored bout
13 0–0 (13) Johnny Hudgins 2 September 2, 1970 28 years, 228 days Archer Hall Gymnasium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Non-scored bout
12 0–0 (12) Rufus Braswell 2 September 2, 1970 28 years, 228 days Archer Hall Gymnasium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Non-scored bout
11 0–0 (11) Orvill Qualls 3 June 15, 1967 25 years, 149 days Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Non-scored bout
10 0–0 (10) Al "Blue" Lewis 3 June 15, 1967 25 years, 149 days Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Non-scored bout
9 0–0 (9) Doug Jones 6 October 27, 1966 24 years, 283 days Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Non-scored bout
8 0–0 (8) Cody Jones 4 August 20, 1965 23 years, 215 days Paisley, Scotland Non-scored bout
7 0–0 (7) Jimmy Ellis 4 August 20, 1965 23 years, 215 days London, England Non-scored bout
6 0–0 (6) Jimmy Ellis 2 August 16, 1965 23 years, 211 days Nya Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden Non-scored bout
5 0–0 (5) Cody Jones 2 August 16, 1965 23 years, 211 days Nya Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden Non-scored bout
4 0–0 (4) Cody Jones 3 July 31, 1965 23 years, 195 days San Juan, Puerto Rico Non-scored bout
3 0–0 (3) Jimmy Ellis 3 July 31, 1965 23 years, 195 days San Juan, Puerto Rico Non-scored bout
2 0–0 (2) Cody Jones 4 July 28, 1965 23 years, 192 days The Palace Theatre, Belize City, British Honduras Non-scored bout
1 0–0 (1) Ingemar Johansson 2 February 6, 1961 19 years, 20 days Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. Non-scored bout

Television viewership

Muhammad Ali's fights were some of the world's most-watched television broadcasts, setting television viewership records. Some of his most-watched fights drew an estimated 12 billion viewers worldwide between 1974 and 1980, and were the world's most-watched live television broadcasts at the time.[115]

DateFight(s)Region(s)ViewersSource(s)
February 25, 1964 Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston Western world 165,950,000
Europe 165,000,000 [116]
United States (PPV) 950,000 [117][118]
May 25, 1965 Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston II Worldwide 80,000,000 [119]
United Kingdom 7,000,000 [120]
May 21, 1966 Muhammad Ali vs. Henry Cooper II Worldwide 200,000,000 [121]
United Kingdom 21,000,000 [122]
United States 20,000,000 [123]
March 8, 1971 Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier (Fight of the Century) Worldwide 300,000,000 [124]
United Kingdom 27,500,000 [125]
South Korea 2,000,000 [126]
February 14, 1973 Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Bugner United Kingdom 20,000,000 [127]
October 30, 1974 Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman (The Rumble in the Jungle) Worldwide 1,000,000,000 [128][129][130][131]
United Kingdom 26,000,000 [132]
May 16, 1975 Muhammad Ali vs. Ron Lyle United States 50,000,000 [133]
February 20, 1976 Muhammad Ali vs. Jean-Pierre Coopman United States 40,000,000 [134]
April 30, 1976 Muhammad Ali vs. Jimmy Young United States 33,700,000 [135]
May 24, 1976 Muhammad Ali vs. Richard Dunn United States 65,000,000 [136]
June 26, 1976 Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki Worldwide 1,400,000,000 [137][138]
Japan 54,000,000 [139]
May 16, 1977 Muhammad Ali vs. Alfredo Evangelista United States 50,000,000 [140]
September 29, 1977 Muhammad Ali vs. Earnie Shavers United States 70,000,000 [136]
February 15, 1978 Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks United States 70,000,000 [141]
September 27, 1978 Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks II Worldwide 2,000,000,000 [142][143]
United States 90,000,000 [144][145]
Total viewership Worldwide 5,500,000,000

Pay-per-view bouts

The earliest form of pay-per-view boxing telecasts was closed-circuit television, also known as theatre television, where fights were telecast live to a select number of venues, mostly theaters, where viewers paid for tickets to watch the fight live. The use of closed-circuit for boxing telecasts peaked in popularity with Ali in the 1960s and 1970s.[146][147] Most of Ali's closed-circuit telecasts were handled by his promotion company Main Bout.[28] The following table lists known ticket sales/buys for Ali fights at closed-circuit venues/theaters:

Closed-circuit theatre television
DateFightBilling[148]Region(s)BuysRevenueRevenue (inflation)
March 13, 1963 Cassius Clay vs. Doug Jones Clay vs. Jones United States 150,000[149] $500,000[150] $4,800,000
February 25, 1964 Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston Greatest Fight In History United States 700,000[117] $5,000,000[117] $47,200,000
May 25, 1965 Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston II Champion vs. Ex-Champion United States 630,000[119] $4,300,000[146] $39,900,000
November 22, 1965 Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson Ali vs. Patterson[151] United States 500,000[152] $4,000,000[146] $37,100,000
March 29, 1966 Muhammad Ali vs. George Chuvalo The Second Reckoning United States 46,000[153] $230,000[153] $2,070,000
May 21, 1966 Muhammad Ali vs. Henry Cooper II Friday Night of the Century England 40,000[154] $1,500,000[154] $13,500,000
August 6, 1966 Muhammad Ali vs. Brian London Ali vs. British Bulldog England 38,000[155] $300,000[154] $2,700,000
November 14, 1966 Muhammad Ali vs. Cleveland Williams Ali vs. Williams United States 500,000[154] $3,750,000[154] $34,800,000
February 6, 1967 Muhammad Ali vs. Ernie Terrell The Battle of Champions United States 800,000[156] $4,000,000[156] $36,100,000
January 20, 1970 Muhammad Ali vs. Rocky Marciano The Super Fight Western world $5,000,000[157] $37,700,000
United States 500,000[158][159] $2,500,000[158] $18,800,000
October 26, 1970 Muhammad Ali vs. Jerry Quarry Return of the Champion United States 630,000[160][117] $3,500,000[161] $26,400,000
March 8, 1971 Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier Fight of the Century Anglosphere 2,590,000 $45,750,000 $300,000,000
United States 2,500,000[162] $45,000,000[163] $325,000,000
London 90,000[164] $750,000[165] $5,400,000
February 14, 1973 Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Bugner Fight of a Lifetime United Kingdom 30,000[166] $300,000[166] $2,000,000
January 28, 1974 Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II Super Fight II United States 1,100,000[167] $17,000,000[167] $100,900,000
October 30, 1974 Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman The Rumble in the Jungle Worldwide 50,000,000[168] $100,000,000[169][170] $590,000,000
United States 3,000,000[147] $60,000,000[147] $356,000,000
March 24, 1975 Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner Chance of a Lifetime United States 500,000[171] $5,000,000[172] $27,200,000
October 1, 1975 Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III Thrilla in Manila Worldwide 100,000,000[173] $100,000,000 $500,000,000
United States 3,000,000[147] $60,000,000[147] $326,000,000
June 26, 1976 Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki War of the Worlds United States 2,000,000[174] $20,000,000[175] $100,000,000
September 28, 1976 Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton III Ali's Revenge United States 1,500,000[176] $33,500,000[177][178] $172,300,000
March 31, 1985 WrestleMania I WrestleMania United States 1,000,000[179] $10,000,000[180] $27,200,000
Total sales Worldwide 162,154,000 $364,380,000 $2,016,420,000

Professional boxing was introduced to pay-per-view home cable television with several Muhammad Ali fights, especially the Thrilla in Manila fight between Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975, which was transmitted through HBO.[181][182] Ali had several fights broadcast on early pay-per-view home television:

Pay-per-view home television
DateFightBilling[148]NetworkRegion(s)BuysRevenueRevenue (inflation)
March 13, 1963 Cassius Clay vs. Doug Jones Clay vs. Jones United States [150]
February 25, 1964 Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston Greatest Fight In History WHCT[183] United States 250,000[118] $750,000[184][185] $7,100,000
November 22, 1965 Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson Ali vs. Patterson United States $150,000[186] $1,400,000
May 21, 1966 Muhammad Ali vs. Henry Cooper II Friday Night of the Century Pay TV United Kingdom 40,000[123] $448,004[187][188] $4,340,000
November 14, 1966 Muhammad Ali vs. Ernie Terrell The Battle of Champions Hartford United States [189]
October 1, 1975 Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III Thrilla in Manila HBO United States 500,000[190] $10,000,000[191] $54,400,000
December 11, 1981 Muhammad Ali vs. Trevor Berbick Drama in Bahama SelectTV United States [192]
Total sales 790,000 $11,348,004 $62,640,000

See also

Notes

  1. [Frazier] was harder for me than Liston or Foreman, because he had what I was vulnerable to—a good in-close left hook. Foreman wasn't an infighter or a hooker. He was an uppercutter with a right hand and a jab, always looking you in the eye. Liston was scarier than Frazier, but I fought Liston when I was young. Joe stayed on me, always on my chest, and from out of nowhere he'd throw the hook. If I was young, I'd have danced for fifteen rounds, and Joe wouldn't have ever caught me. But the first time we fought, I was three-and-half years out of shape.
    Muhammad Ali[87]
  2. According to Dave Wolf, the reason for Frazier's hospitalization was hypertension from which he had been suffering before the fight.[93]
  3. Larry Holmes commented that instead of letting Ali's words upset him, Frazier's response to Ali calling him ignorant should have been: "Yeah, okay, I might be ignorant, but this ignorant man is going to kick your ass."Eig[97]
  4. Ali asked for me to come to his dressing room before any of the press arrived. I went in there and Ali was real tired and he hugged me and apologized for what he'd said about my father before the fight. He said, 'Tell your father he's a great man'.
    Marvis Frazier[98]
  5. In the 1996 press conference, Frazier stated that "[Ali] didn't like his white brothers."[86] Prior to their first fight, Frazier had questioned Ali's commitment to blacks, given "a lot of guys around him are white."[84]
  6. In his book, Brunt notes Frazier's struggle of revealing his genuine beliefs about Ali, and being savvy, because by now he had people looking after his commercial interests, and "somebody probably had a talk with him about image and public relations and how they relate to earning potential ... Still, even the new, polished, packaged Frazier has his moments."[105]
  7. In a column in the Hartford Courant, published the day after Frazier's death, Jeff Jacobs wrote: "I hope Smokin' Joe did [forgave Ali]. I hope he let every inch of hate go. The Greatest and The Greatest Opponent deserve to join gloves and walk together into immortality.[102]

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    126. "Most Boxing Buffs Agree With Outcome". Poughkeepsie Journal. March 9, 1971. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    127. Annual Report and Accounts. Independent Broadcasting Authority. 1972–1973. p. 13. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2019. And Muhammad Ali, still the greatest attraction in boxing, was seen in action against Jerry Quarry, Bob Foster and finally, in Las Vegas, against Joe Bugner — a fight which attracted an ITV audience of twenty million.
    128. "Revisiting 'The Rumble in the Jungle' 40 years later". USA Today. October 29, 2014. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    129. "Mike Tyson May Fight George Foreman In Biggest Money Match: $80 Million". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. 88 (19): 46. September 18, 1995. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
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    131. "Oct 30, 1974 CE: Rumble in the Jungle". National Geographic. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
    132. "Daily Mirror". Longman Asia. November 1, 1974. ISBN 9789623599856. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2019. 'Ali is so tired he cannot raise his hands. ' The next moment Ali raised his fists and Foreman was knocked out. The 26 million who saw the same fight with the same commentary on BBC-1 ... did not hear that line. "Yes, we cut it out, ' said a BBC man last night, 'to spare Harry Carpenter's blushes.'
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    135. "Boxing Back On The Tube In A Big Way". Northwest Arkansas Times. January 26, 1977. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
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    139. "Ten highest-rated Japanese MMA matches". Yahoo! Sports. December 21, 2007. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
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    141. "CBS was big winner when Spinks beat Ali". The Times. February 24, 1978. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
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    143. "Leon Spinks, who beat Muhammad Ali in historic upset in 1978, dies at 67". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
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    149. "Invitation To Murder: Cassius May Get A Crack At Liston This Summer". The Courier-Journal. March 14, 1963. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    150. 1 2 "Clay-Jones Fight First Garden Sellout in 13 Yrs". Traverse City Record-Eagle. March 13, 1963. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
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    155. "The Times". August 9, 1966. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    156. 1 2 "Terrell Gets Crack at Unbeaten Clay". The Philadelphia Inquirer. February 5, 1967. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    157. "Ali vs. Marciano: Who wins?". The Enterprise. September 1, 2009. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
    158. 1 2 Sullivan, Russell (2002). Rocky Marciano: The Rock of His Times. University of Illinois Press. p. 286. ISBN 9780252027635. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    159. "Dayton Daily News". January 21, 1970. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    160. "Ali wants Frazier after TKO over Quarry". Auburn Citizen. October 27, 1970. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    161. "Clay-Quarry fight to gross $3.5 million". Battle Creek Enquirer. November 10, 1970. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    162. Frazier, Joe; Berger, Phil (2013). Smokin' Joe: The Autobiography of a Heavyweight Champion of the World, Smokin' Joe Frazier. AudioGO. p. 104. ISBN 9781620642160. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    163. Ryan, Joe (2013). Heavyweight Boxing in the 1970s: The Great Fighters and Rivalries. McFarland. p. 65. ISBN 9780786492497. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    164. "The Promoters Loved the Fight But Some Fans Call It 'a Bore'". Detroit Free Press. March 10, 1971. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    165. "'Bugner's British Bunch' Travels To See Ali Bout". The News-Press. February 2, 1973. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    166. 1 2 "Ali—Old Punch Gone—Still Gets Big Offers". The Philadelphia Inquirer. February 16, 1973. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    167. 1 2 "Ali-Frazier show is a hit". Lompoc Record. January 29, 1974. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    168. "Zaire's fight promotion opens new gold mines". The Morning Herald. November 18, 1974. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    169. "New Times". New Times. New Times Communications Corp. 3: 116. 1974. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2019. No, if the Ali-Foreman story is just going to be about Race and Religion, forget the millions of dollars this fight can make, forget the shot in the arm this championship bout will give to boxing, forget gigundo grosses from the documentary movies of the fight, the training camps and that three-day black music festival in Zaire, forget that possible total of $100 million in revenues
    170. Kabanda, Aloys (1977). Ali/Foreman: le combat du siècle à Kinshasa, 29–30 octobre 1974 : introduit par une étude sur la République du Zaïre (in French). Naaman. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2019. Soit, pour Don King et ses amis, c'est la fin de leurs dépenses d'énergie pour trouver de l'argent nécessaire pour le coup le plus formidable jamais réalisé dans le show-boxing business et il prévoit une recette pouvant aller de 35 à 100 millions de dollars.
    171. "All batters Wepner in 15-round win". The Capital. March 25, 1975. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
    172. "Promoter likes format used for Mon. fight". Traverse City Record-Eagle. March 26, 1975. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
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    Sporting positions
    Amateur boxing titles
    Previous:
    Kent Green
    U.S. Golden Gloves
    light heavyweight champion

    1959
    Next:
    Jefferson Davis
    Previous:
    Sylvester Banks
    U.S. light heavyweight champion
    1959, 1960
    Next:
    Bob Christopherson
    Previous:
    Jimmy Jones
    U.S. Golden Gloves
    heavyweight champion

    1960
    Next:
    Al Jenkins
    Regional boxing titles
    Vacant
    Title last held by
    Leotis Martin
    NABF heavyweight champion
    December 17, 1970 – March 8, 1971
    Failed to win world title
    Vacant
    Title next held by
    George Foreman
    Vacant
    Title last held by
    George Foreman
    NABF heavyweight champion
    July 26, 1971 – March 31, 1973
    Succeeded by
    Preceded by
    Ken Norton
    NABF heavyweight champion
    September 10, 1973 – October 30, 1974
    Won world title
    Vacant
    Title next held by
    Ken Norton
    World boxing titles
    Preceded by WBA heavyweight champion
    February 25, 1964 – September 14, 1964
    Stripped
    Vacant
    Title next held by
    Ernie Terrell
    WBC heavyweight champion
    February 25, 1964 – March 11, 1969
    Stripped
    Vacant
    Title next held by
    Joe Frazier
    The Ring heavyweight champion
    February 25, 1964 – March 13, 1970
    Stripped
    Undisputed heavyweight champion
    February 25, 1964 – September 14, 1964
    Titles fragmented
    Vacant
    Title next held by
    Himself
    Preceded by
    Ernie Terrell
    WBA heavyweight champion
    February 6, 1967 – April 28, 1967
    Stripped
    Vacant
    Title next held by
    Jimmy Ellis
    Vacant
    Title last held by
    Himself
    Undisputed heavyweight champion
    February 6, 1967 – April 28, 1967
    Titles fragmented
    Vacant
    Title next held by
    Joe Frazier
    Preceded by
    George Foreman
    WBA heavyweight champion
    October 30, 1974 – February 15, 1978
    Succeeded by
    WBC heavyweight champion
    October 30, 1974 – February 15, 1978
    The Ring heavyweight champion
    October 30, 1974 – February 15, 1978
    Undisputed heavyweight champion
    October 30, 1974 – February 15, 1978
    Preceded by
    Leon Spinks
    WBA heavyweight champion
    September 15, 1978 – October 18, 1979
    Vacated
    Vacant
    Title next held by
    John Tate
    The Ring heavyweight champion
    September 15, 1978 – July 4, 1979
    Retired
    Vacant
    Title next held by
    Larry Holmes
    Awards
    Inaugural award United Press International
    Athlete of the Year

    1974
    Next:
    João Carlos de Oliveira
    Previous:
    Olga Korbut
    BBC Overseas
    Sports Personality of the Year

    1973, 1974
    Next:
    Arthur Ashe
    Previous:
    Niki Lauda
    BBC Overseas
    Sports Personality of the Year

    1978
    Next:
    Björn Borg
    Records
    Previous:
    Ernie Terrell
    Oldest living
    world heavyweight champion

    December 16, 2014 – June 3, 2016
    Next:
    George Foreman
    Olympic Games
    Previous:
    Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway
    Final Olympic torchbearer
    Atlanta 1996
    Next:
    Midori Ito
    Previous:
    Antonio Rebollo
    Final Summer Olympic torchbearer
    Atlanta 1996
    Next:
    Cathy Freeman
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