Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century and is often cited as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. In 1999, he was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.
Angelo Dundee was an American boxing trainer and cornerman. Internationally known for his work with Muhammad Ali (1960–1981), he also worked with 15 other world boxing champions, including Sugar Ray Leonard, José Nápoles, George Foreman, George Scott, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio, Luis Manuel Rodríguez, and Willie Pastrano.
Tunney Morgan Hunsaker was a mid-20th century American professional boxer, who also served as the Police Chief of Fayetteville, West Virginia.
Major-General Cassius Marcellus Clay was an American planter, politician, military officer and abolitionist who served as the United States ambassador to Russia from 1863 to 1869. Born in Kentucky to a wealthy planter family, Clay entered politics during the 1830s and grew to support the abolitionist cause in the U.S., drawing ire from fellow Southerners. A founding member of the Republican Party in Kentucky, he was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as the U.S. minister to Russia, where Clay is credited with influencing Russian support for the Union during the American Civil War.
Edgar L. "Bud" Bruner was a boxing manager, trainer, and gym proprietor from Louisville, Kentucky.
This article covers the boxer Muhammad Ali's appearances in media and popular culture.
Cassius Clay and Archie Moore fought a boxing match on November 15, 1962 in Los Angeles. This is notable because it was Clay's first professional fight in the Heavyweight division. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout in the fourth round, as he had predicted in a stanza before the bout.
Cassius Clay and Doug Jones fought a ten-round boxing match at Madison Square Garden in New York City, on March 13, 1963. Clay won the bout on points through a close but unanimous decision.
Cassius Clay fought a ten-round boxing match with Charlie Powell in Pittsburgh on January 24, 1963. Clay won the bout by knocking out Powell in the third round.
Cassius Clay fought Sonny Banks in a ten-round boxing match at Madison Square Garden in New York City on February 10, 1962. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the fourth round. The event is remembered for being the first professional boxing match in which Ali was officially knocked down in the ring by his boxing opponent.
Cassius Clay fought Argentine Alex Miteff in a ten-round boxing match in Louisville on October 7, 1961. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the sixth round. Miteff and Clay would feature in the 1962 film Requiem for a Heavyweight.
The Cassius Clay vs. Alonzo Johnson ten-round boxing match between Cassius Clay and Alonzo Johnson was held in Louisville, Kentucky on July 22, 1961. Cassius Clay won the bout on points with a unanimous decision.
Cassius Clay vs. Alejandro Lavorante was a heavyweight professional boxing match.
Cassius Clay fought a ten-round boxing match with George Logan in Los Angeles on April 23, 1962. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout after the referee stopped the fight in the fourth round. This was Clay's 13th professional victory and before the fight Jack Dempsey predicted he would win the title. Logan sustained a serious eye injury during the bout that eventually led to its stoppage. Logan later claimed his cornermen told him to use low blows against Clay but he refused. Logan was later a truant officer and a police officer in his native state of Idaho.
Cassius Clay fought Billy Daniels in a ten-round boxing match at St. Nicholas Arena in New York City on May 19, 1962. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the seventh round. The fight featured a series of clinches and calls of "break" from the referee. Clay was ahead on points when the referee stopped the fight after a cut opened above Daniels' left eyebrow. At the time of the stoppage, referee Mark Conn had Clay ahead 5-1, and judges Artie Aidala and Leo Birnbaum had him in front 4-2. Both Daniels and Clay had been undefeated up till this bout.
Cassius Clay fought an eight-round boxing match with LaMar Clark in Louisville on April 19, 1961. Clark had entered the ring with a formidable reputation of knocking out 45 of his previous opponents. However, Clay broke Clark's nose in the fight and won the bout through a knockout in the second round following which Clark retired from boxing.
Cassius Clay fought a ten-round boxing match with Willi Besmanoff in Louisville on November 29, 1961. Clay won the bout through a technical knockout in the seventh round after the referee stopped the fight with Besmanoff sprawled on his back on the canvas.
Cassius Clay fought an eight-round boxing match with Texan Donnie Fleeman in Miami on February 21, 1961. Prior to this fight, Fleeman had a record of 51 fights with 45 wins including 20 knockouts. Clay won the bout through a technical knockout after the referee stopped the fight in the seventh round. This was the first time Clay had gone over six rounds in a boxing match. It was also the first time Fleeman had ever been knocked down in a boxing match. Fleeman retired from boxing after this fight.
Cassius Clay fought Jim Robinson in a boxing match at Miami Beach Convention Center on February 7, 1961. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the first round. Robinson was a last minute replacement for another fighter who was supposed to fight Clay on the night of the fight; this was Robinson's second professional boxing match.
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. In 1999, The Associated Press voted Ali the number one heavyweight of the 20th century. 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. In December 2007, ESPN listed Ali second in its choice of the greatest heavyweights of all time, behind Joe Louis. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1990.
