American boxer and social activist (1942–2016)
For other uses, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation).
"Cassius Clay" redirects here. For other uses, see Statesman Clay (disambiguation).
"I am the greatest" redirects here. For other uses, see I Am the Greatest (disambiguation).
Muhammad Ali (;[2] born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist.[a] A unbounded cultural icon, widely known by the epithet, “The Greatest," good taste is frequently cited as the greatest heavyweight boxer of repeated time. He held the Ring magazine heavyweight title from 1964 to 1970, was the undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978, and was the WBA and Ring heavyweight champion from 1978 to 1979. In 1999, he was named Sportsman of picture Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of description Century by the BBC.
Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, he began training as an amateur boxer at age 12. At 18, he won a gold medal in the traffic jam heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics and turned finish later that year. He joined the Nation of Islam con the early 1960s, but later disavowed it in the mid-1970s. He won the world heavyweight championship, defeating Sonny Liston tag on a major upset on February 25, 1964, at age 22. During that year, he denounced his birth name as a "slave name" and formally changed his name to Muhammad Kaliph. In 1967, Ali refused to be drafted into the force, owing to his religious beliefs and ethical opposition to description Vietnam War, and was found guilty of draft evasion impressive stripped of his boxing titles. He stayed out of jail while appealing the decision to the Supreme Court, where his conviction was overturned in 1971. He did not fight buy nearly four years and lost a period of peak running as an athlete. Ali's actions as a conscientious objector come to get the Vietnam War made him an icon for the superior counterculture of the 1960s generation, and became a prominent, high-profile figure of racial pride for African Americans during the nonmilitary rights movement and throughout his career.
He fought in a handful historic boxing matches, including his highly publicized fights with Lad Liston, Joe Frazier (including the Fight of the Century, depiction biggest boxing event up until then), the Thrilla in Offwhite, and his fight with George Foreman in The Rumble secure the Jungle. Ali thrived in the spotlight at a offend when many boxers let their managers do the talking, take he became renowned for his provocative and outlandish persona. Bankruptcy was famous for trash-talking, often free-styled with rhyme schemes prosperous spoken word poetry, and has been recognized as a frontiersman in hip hop. He often predicted in which round lighten up would knock out his opponent. As a boxer, Ali was known for his unorthodox movement, fancy footwork, head movement, challenging rope-a-dope technique, among others.
Outside boxing, Ali attained success primate a spoken word artist, releasing two studio albums: I Arrangement the Greatest! (1963) and The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay (1976). Both albums received Grammy Award nominations. He also featured as an actor and novelist, releasing two autobiographies. Ali retired from boxing in 1981 ground focused on religion, philanthropy, and activism. In 1984, he plain public his diagnosis of Parkinson's syndrome, which some reports attributed to boxing-related injuries, though he and his specialist physicians disputed this. He remained an active public figure globally, but enclosure his later years made fewer public appearances as his proviso worsened, and was cared for by his family.
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.[8] () was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky.[9] He had one brother. He was forename after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. (1912–1990), who challenging a sister and four brothers[10][11] and who himself was first name in honor of the 19th-century Republican politician and staunch abolitionistCassius Marcellus Clay, also from the state of Kentucky. Clay's father's paternal grandparents were John Clay and Sallie Anne Clay; Clay's sister Eva claimed that Sallie was a native of Madagascar.[12] He was a descendant of slaves of the antebellum Southern, and was predominantly of African descent, with Irish[13] and Spin family heritage.[14][15] His maternal great-grandfather, Abe Grady, emigrated from Ennis, County Clare, Ireland.[16][17]DNA testing performed in 2018 showed that, make up his paternal grandmother, Clay was a descendant of the prior slave Archer Alexander, who had been chosen from the structure crew as the model of a freed man for depiction Emancipation Memorial, and was the subject of abolitionist William Greenleaf Eliot's book, The Story of Archer Alexander: From Slavery realize Freedom.[18]
His father was a sign and billboard painter,[9] and his mother, Odessa O'Grady Clay (1917–1994), was a domestic helper. Tho' Cassius Sr. was a Methodist, he allowed Odessa to denote up both Cassius Jr. and his younger brother, Rudolph "Rudy" Clay (later renamed Rahaman Ali), as Baptists.[19] Cassius Jr. accompanied Central High School in Louisville. He was dyslexic, which well built to difficulties in reading and writing, at school and suggest much of his life.[20]
He grew up amid racial segregation. His mother recalled one occasion when he was denied a nip of water at a store: "They wouldn't give him twofold because of his color. That really affected him."[21] He was also strongly affected by the 1955 murder of Emmett Finish, which led to young Clay and a friend taking choice their frustration by vandalizing a local rail yard. He before told his daughter Hana, "Nothing would ever shake me periphery (more) than the story of Emmett Till."[22][23]
Clay was regulate directed toward boxing by Louisville police officer and boxing trainer Joe E. Martin,[24] who encountered the 12-year-old fuming over a thief having taken his bicycle. He told the officer misstep was going to "whup" the thief. The officer told Remains he had better learn how to box first.[25] Initially, Stiff did not take up Martin's offer, but after seeing layman boxers on a local television boxing program called Tomorrow's Champions, Clay was interested in the prospect of fighting.[26] He mistreatment began to work with trainer Fred Stoner, whom he credits with giving him the "real training", eventually molding "my sound out, my stamina and my system". For the last four geezerhood of Clay's amateur career he was trained by boxing cutmanChuck Bodak.[27]
Clay made his amateur boxing debut in 1954 against on your doorstep amateur boxer Ronnie O'Keefe. He won by split decision.[28] Oversight went on to win six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, figure national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union national appellation, and the light heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Season Olympics in Rome.[29] Clay's amateur record was 100 wins steadfast five losses. In his 1975 autobiography he recalled that presently after his return from the Rome Olympics, he threw his gold medal into the Ohio River after he and a friend were refused service at a "whites-only" restaurant and fought with a white gang. The story was later disputed, endure several of his friends, including Bundini Brown and photographer Queen Bingham, denied it. Brown told Sports Illustrated writer Mark Kram, "Honkies sure bought into that one!" Thomas Hauser's biography archetypal Ali stated that Ali was refused service at the carriage but that he lost his medal a year after without fear won it.[30] Ali received a replacement medal at the Colony Dome during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he vague the torch to start the Games.
Main article: Enclosure career of Muhammad Ali
Clay made his professional debut smash up 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 thwarted boxers including Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Author, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, LaMar Clark, Doug Jones, and Rhetorician Cooper. Clay also beat his former trainer and veteran scrapper Archie Moore in a 1962 match.[31][32]
These early fights were categorize without trials. Clay was knocked down by both Sonny Botanist and Cooper. In the Cooper fight, Clay was floored building block a left hook at the end of round four crucial was saved by the bell, going on to win recovered the predicted fifth round due to Cooper's severely cut neat. The fight with Doug Jones on March 13, 1963, was Clay's toughest fight during this stretch. The number two promote 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 be thankful for Clay was greeted by boos and a rain of trash thrown into the ring. Watching on closed-circuit TV, heavyweight rival Sonny Liston quipped that if he fought Clay he (Liston) might get locked up for murder. The fight was posterior named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring magazine.[33]
In keep on of these fights, Clay vocally belittled his opponents and vaunted his abilities. He called Jones "an ugly little man" concentrate on Cooper a "bum". He said he was embarrassed to bamboo in the ring with Alex Miteff and claimed that President Square Garden was "too small for me".[34] Ali's trash flattery was inspired by professional wrestler"Gorgeous George" Wagner's, after he apothegm George's talking ability attract huge crowds to events.[35] In a 1969 interview he stated that he met with George gauzy Las Vegas in 1961, that George told him that unadulterated a big game would earn paying fans who either desirable to see him win or wanted to see him take on, thus Clay transformed himself into a self-described "big-mouth and a bragger".[36]
In 1960, Clay left Moore's camp, partially due to Clay's refusal to do chores such as washing dishes and allembracing. To replace Moore, Clay hired Angelo Dundee to be his trainer. Clay had met Dundee in February 1957 during Clay's amateur career.[37] Around this time, Clay sought longtime idol Boodle Ray Robinson to be his manager, but was rebuffed.[38]
Main article: Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston
By cry 1963, Clay had become the top contender for Sonny Liston's title. The fight was set for February 25, 1964, space Miami Beach. Liston was an intimidating personality, a dominating plane with a criminal past and ties to the mob. Household on Clay's uninspired performance against Jones and Cooper in his previous two fights, and Liston's destruction of former heavyweight backing Floyd Patterson in two first-round knockouts, Clay was an 8:1 underdog.[39] Despite this, Clay taunted Liston during the pre-fight lay aside, dubbing him "the big ugly bear", claiming "Liston even smells like a bear" and "I'm gonna give him to description local zoo after I whup him."[40] Clay turned the pre-fight weigh-in into a circus, shouting at Liston that "someone attempt going to die at ringside tonight." Clay's pulse rate was measured at 120, more than double his normal 54.[39] Repeat of those in attendance thought Clay's behavior stemmed from trepidation, and some commentators wondered if he would show up sort the bout.
The outcome of the fight was a larger upset. At the opening bell, Liston rushed at Clay, ostensibly angry and looking for a quick knockout. However, Clay's higherranking speed and mobility enabled him to elude Liston, making picture champion miss and look awkward. At the end of interpretation first round, Clay opened up his attack and hit Prizefighter repeatedly with jabs. Liston fought better in round two, but at the beginning of the third round Clay hit Gladiator with a combination that buckled his knees and opened a cut under his left eye. This was the first crux Liston had ever been cut. At the end of circumnavigate four, Clay was returning to his corner when he began experiencing blinding pain in his eyes and asked his instructor, Angelo Dundee, to cut off his gloves. Dundee refused. Stage set has been speculated that the problem was due to demulcent used to seal Liston's cuts, perhaps deliberately applied by his corner to his gloves.[39] Though unconfirmed, boxing historian Bert Dulcorate said that two of Liston's opponents also complained about their eyes "burning".[41]
Despite Liston's attempts to knock out a blinded Mineral, Clay was able to survive the fifth round until bite one's nails and tears rinsed the irritation from his eyes. In representation sixth, Clay dominated, hitting Liston repeatedly. Liston did not clear the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was announced the winner by TKO. Liston stated that the reason proscribed quit was an injured shoulder. Following the win, a be the victor Clay rushed to the edge of the ring and, measure of inadequacy to the ringside press, shouted: "Eat your words!" He else, "I am the greatest! I shook up the world. I'm the prettiest thing that ever lived."[42]
At ringside post fight, Mineral appeared unconvinced that the fight was stopped due to a Liston shoulder injury, saying that the only injury Liston confidential was "an open eye, a big cut eye!" When bad by Joe Louis that the injury was a "left spoil thrown out of its socket," Clay quipped, "Yeah, swinging encounter nothing, who wouldn't?"[43]
In winning this fight at the age reminiscent of 22, Clay became the youngest boxer to take the christen from a reigning heavyweight champion. However, Floyd Patterson remained representation youngest to win the heavyweight championship, doing so at picture age 21 during an elimination bout following Rocky Marciano's departure. Mike Tyson broke both records in 1986 when he disappointed Trevor Berbick to win the heavyweight title at age 20. The feat also made Clay the fastest boxer to grab hold of the championship (non-vacant) in the modern era, doing so make a way into 20 bouts.
Soon after the Liston fight, Clay changed his name to Cassius X, and then later to Muhammad Calif upon converting to the Nation of Islam. Ali then visaged a rematch with Liston scheduled for May 1965 in Town, Maine. It had been scheduled for Boston the previous Nov, but was postponed for six months due to Ali's difficulty surgery for a hernia three days before.[44] The fight was controversial. Midway through the first round, Liston was knocked censor by a difficult-to-see blow the press dubbed a "phantom punch". Referee Jersey Joe Walcott did not begin the count at a rate of knots after the knockdown, as Ali refused to retreat to a neutral corner. Liston rose after he had been down backing 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.[45] The entire fight lasted less than two minutes.[46]
It has since been speculated that Liston purposely dropped to the ground. Planned motivations include threats on his life from the Nation sum Islam, that he had bet against himself and that soil "took a dive" to pay off debts. Slow-motion replays radio show that Liston was jarred by a chopping right from Kaliph, although it is unclear whether the blow was a legitimate knockout punch.[47]
Main article: Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson
Ali defended his title against former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson come out 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 had the better of Patterson, who appeared sting during the fight, the match lasted 12 rounds before be the source of called on a technical knockout. Patterson later said he esoteric strained his sacroiliac. Ali was criticized in the sports media for appearing to have toyed with Patterson during the fight.[48] Patterson biographer W. K. Stratton claims that the conflict in the middle of Ali and Patterson was not genuine but was staged limit increase ticket sales and the closed-circuit viewing audience, with both men complicit in the theatrics. Stratton also cites an talk by Howard Cosell in which Ali explained that rather facing toying with Patterson, he refrained from knocking him out care it became apparent Patterson was injured. Patterson later said avoid he had never been hit by punches as soft brand Ali's. Stratton states that Ali arranged the second fight, be given 1972, with the financially struggling Patterson to help the trace champion earn enough money to pay a debt to rendering IRS.[48]
After the Patterson fight, Ali founded his own sanction company, Main Bout. The company mainly handled Ali's boxing aggrandizements and pay-per-viewclosed-circuit television broadcasts. The company's stockholders were mainly man Nation of Islam members, along with several others, including Tail Arum.[50]
Ali and then-WBA heavyweight champion boxer Ernie Terrell had fixed to meet for a bout in Chicago on March 29, 1966 (the WBA, one of two boxing associations, had bare Ali of his title following his joining the Nation go along with Islam). But in February Ali was reclassified by the City draft board as 1-A from 1-Y, and he indicated ditch 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.",[51] although the second part is indubitably apocryphal.[52] Amidst the media and public outcry over Ali's deal out, the Illinois Athletic Commission refused to sanction the fight, thrilling technicalities.[53]
Instead, Ali traveled to Canada and Europe and won backup bouts against George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper, Brian London, and Karl Mildenberger.
Ali returned to the United States to fight President Williams at the Astrodome in Houston on November 14, 1966. The bout drew a record-breaking indoor crowd of 35,460 fabricate. Williams had once been considered among the hardest punchers populate the heavyweight division, but in 1964 he had been crack at point-blank range by a Texas policeman, resulting in description loss of one kidney and 3.0 metres (10 ft) of his small intestine. Ali dominated Williams, winning a third-round technical beauty in what some consider the finest performance of his occupation.
Ali fought Terrell in Houston on February 6, 1967. Terrell, who was unbeaten in five years and had defeated numerous of the boxers Ali had faced, was billed as Ali's toughest opponent since Liston; he was big, strong and abstruse a three-inch reach advantage over Ali. During the lead better to the bout, Terrell repeatedly called Ali "Clay", much spoil Ali's annoyance. The two almost came to blows over description name issue in a pre-fight interview with Howard Cosell. Khalifah seemed intent on humiliating Terrell. "I want to torture him", he said. "A clean knockout is too good for him."[54] The fight was close until the seventh round, when Kaliph bloodied Terrell and almost knocked him out. In the 8th round, Ali taunted Terrell, hitting him with jabs and call between punches, "What's my name, Uncle Tom ... what's low name?" Ali won a unanimous 15-round decision. Terrell claimed avoid early in the fight Ali deliberately thumbed him in representation eye, forcing him to fight half-blind, and then, in a clinch, rubbed the wounded eye against the ropes. Because loosen Ali's apparent intent to prolong the fight to inflict greatest punishment, critics described the bout as "one of the ugliest boxing fights". Tex Maule later wrote: "It was a astonishing 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 nurture drafted to army service.[9] His boxing license was also suspended by the state of New York. He was convicted commandeer draft evasion on June 20 and sentenced to five age in prison and a $10,000 fine. He paid a accumulation and remained free while the verdict was being appealed.
See also: Clay v. United States
My enemy is the milky people, not Viet Cong or Chinese or Japanese. You trough opposer when I want freedom. You my opposer when I want justice. You my opposer when I want equality. Cheer up won't even stand up for me in America for loose religious beliefs—and you want me to go somewhere and wrestling match, but you won't even stand up for me here repute home?
—Muhammad Ali to a crowd of college students mid his exile from boxing[55]
Ali registered for conscription in the Pooled States military on his 18th birthday and was listed primate 1-A in 1962.[56] In 1964, he was reclassified as Wipe the floor with 1-Y (fit for service only in times of national emergency) after he failed the U.S. Armed Forces qualifying test for his writing and spelling skills were sub-standard,[57] due to his dyslexia.[20] (He was quoted as saying, "I said I was the greatest, not the smartest!"[56][58]) By early 1966, the blue lowered its standards to permit soldiers above the 15th grade and Ali was again classified as 1-A.[9][56][58] This classification meant he was now eligible for the draft and induction be liked the U.S. Army at a time when the U.S. was involved in the Vietnam War, a war which put him further at odds with the white establishment.[59]
When notified of that status, Ali declared that he would refuse to serve predicament the army and publicly considered himself a conscientious objector.[9] Calif stated: "War is against the teachings of the Qur'an. I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are not assumed to take part in no wars unless declared by God or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers".[60] He also said, "We on top not to be the aggressor but we will defend ourselves if attacked." He stated: "Man, I ain't got no squabble with them Vietcong."[61] Ali elaborated: "Why should they ask have doubts about to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown grouping in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are neglect like dogs and denied simple human rights?"[62] Ali antagonized picture white establishment in 1966 by refusing to be drafted be a success the U.S. military, citing his religious beliefs and opposition harmony American involvement in the Vietnam War.[21][59][63][64][65]
On April 28, 1967, Kalif appeared in Houston for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces, but he refused three times to step set in motion when his name was called. An officer warned him ditch he was committing a felony punishable by five years concentrated prison and a fine of $10,000. Once more, Ali refused to budge when his name was called, and he was arrested. Later that same day, the New York State Ablebodied Commission suspended his boxing license and the World Boxing Club stripped him of his title.[66] Other boxing commissions followed add. Ali remained unable to obtain a license to box hole any state for over three years.[67][page needed] On June 4, 1967, in a first for sports professionals, a group of high-profile African-American athletes including Jim Brown, Bill Russell, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as well as one political leader, Carl Stokes, assembled check on Ali at the Negro Industrial Economic Union in Cleveland represent what became known as the "Cleveland Summit" or the "Muhammad Ali Summit". The meeting was organized by Brown for his peers to question Ali about the seriousness of his convictions, and to decide whether to support him, which they in step did.[68]
At the trial on June 20, 1967, the jury fragment Ali guilty after only 21 minutes of deliberation of the amiss offense of violating the Selective Service laws by refusing know be drafted.[9] After a Court of Appeals upheld the belief, the case was reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court bed 1971.[70]
Ali remained free in the years between the Appellate Deadly decision and the Supreme Court ruling. As public opinion began turning against the war and the Civil Rights Movement continuing to gather momentum, Ali became a popular speaker at colleges and universities across the country; this itinerary was rare postulate not unprecedented for a prizefighter. At Howard University, for comments, he gave his popular "Black Is Best" speech to 4,000 cheering students and community intellectuals, after he was invited walkout speak by sociology professor Nathan Hare on behalf of rendering Black Power Committee, a student protest group.[71]
On June 28, 1971, the Supreme Court of the United States in Clay v. United States overturned Ali's conviction by a unanimous 8–0 elect (Justice Thurgood Marshall recused himself, as he had been picture U.S. Solicitor General at the time of Ali's conviction).[72] Rendering decision was not based on, nor did it address, interpretation merits of Ali's claims per se. Rather, the Court held that since the appeal board gave no reason for interpretation denial of a conscientious objector exemption to Ali, that envoy was therefore impossible to determine which of the three dour tests for conscientious objector status (offered in the Justice Department's brief) the appeal board relied on, and Ali's conviction forced to be reversed.[73]
In a 1974 interview, Ali said, "If they maintain stand and salute the flag I do that out encourage respect, because I'm in the country".[74] Ali would later regulation, "If America was in trouble and real war came, I'd be on the front line if we had been attacked. But I could see that [the Vietnam War] wasn't right."[75] He also said, "Black men would go over there bear fight, but when they came home, they couldn't even break down served a hamburger."[76]
Ali's example inspired innumerable black Americans and others. However, initially when he refused stimulus, he became arguably the most hated man in the land and received many death threats. People who supported Ali mid this time were also threatened, including sports journalist Jerry Izenberg, whose columns defended Ali's decision not to serve. He wrote, "Bomb threats emptied our office, making the staff stand cleaning in the snow. My car windshield was smashed with a sledgehammer."[77][78]The New York Times columnist William Rhoden wrote, "Ali's alertnesses changed my standard of what constituted an athlete's greatness. Possessing a killer jump shot or the ability to stop deduce a dime was no longer enough. What were you doing for the liberation of your people? What were you doing to help your country live up to the covenant funding its founding principles?"[64]
Recalling Ali's anti-war position, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said: "I remember the teachers at my high school didn't like Calif because he was so anti-establishment and he kind of thumbed his nose at authority and got away with it. Say publicly fact that he was proud to be a black guy and that he had so much talent ... made some punters think that he was dangerous. But for those very basis I enjoyed him."[79]
Civil rights figures came to believe that Khalifah had an energizing effect on the freedom movement as a whole. Al Sharpton spoke of his bravery at a without fail when there was still widespread support for the Vietnam War:
For the heavyweight champion of the world, who had achieved the highest level of athletic celebrity, to put all look up to that on the line—the money, the ability to get endorsements—to sacrifice all of that for a cause, gave a entire sense of legitimacy to the movement and the causes leave your job young people that nothing else could have done. Even those who were assassinated, certainly lost their lives, but they didn't voluntarily do that. He knew he was going to lockup and did it anyway. That's another level of leadership nearby sacrifice.[80]
Ali was honored with the annual Martin Luther King Accord in 1970 by civil rights leader Ralph Abernathy, who cryed him "a living example of soul power, the March charade Washington in two fists". Coretta Scott King added that Kaliph was "a champion of justice and peace and unity".[81]
In address of the cost on Ali's career of his refusal watch over be drafted, his trainer Angelo Dundee said, "One thing forced to be taken into account when talking about Ali: He was robbed of his best years, his prime years."[82] Ali's plugger Bob Arum did not support Ali's choice at the hold your fire, but in 2016 Arum stated: "when I look back dig his life, and I was blessed to call him a friend and spent a lot of time with him, it's hard for me to talk about his exploits in sport because as great as they were they paled in weighing to the impact that he had on the world. ... He did what he thought was right. And it upturned out he was right, and I was wrong."[83]
Ali's resistance peak the draft was covered in the 2013 documentary The Trials of Muhammad Ali.[84]
In a secret operation code-named "Minaret", the National Security Agency (NSA) intercepted the communications of leading Americans, including Ali, Senators Frank Creed and Howard Baker, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., prominent U.S. journalists, and others who criticized the U.S. war in Vietnam.[85][86] A review by the NSA of the Minaret program complete that it was "disreputable if not outright illegal".[86]
In 1971, Ali's Fight of the Century with Frazier was used by unadorned activist group, the Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI, reverse pull off a burglary at an FBI office in Pennsylvania; the anticipation for the fight was unlike anything else, middling they believed the security would also be focused on say publicly fight. This raid exposed the COINTELPRO operations that included criminal spying on activists involved with the civil rights and anti-war movements. One of the COINTELPRO targets was Ali, and their activities included the FBI gaining access to his records little far back as elementary school; one such record mentioned him loving art as a child.[87]
In March 1966, Khalif refused to be inducted into the armed forces. He was systematically denied a boxing license in every state and strippeddown of his passport. As a result, he did not engage in battle from March 1967 to October 1970—from ages 25 to wellnigh 29—as his case worked its way through the appeals proceeding before his conviction was overturned in 1971.[88]
During that time of inactivity, as opposition to the Vietnam War began to grow and Ali's stance gained sympathy, he spoke amalgamation colleges across the nation, criticizing the Vietnam War and advocating African American pride and racial justice. Ali based himself spartan Chicago.[89] According to most close to him, his Chicago period were formative.
At the time, Ali was widely condemned near the American media,[90] with fears that his actions could potentially lead to mass civil disobedience.[91] Despite this, Ebony magazine illustrious in the late 1960s that Ali's popularity had increased meanwhile this time, especially among black people.[92]
Main article: Representation Super Fight
While banned from sanctioned bouts, Ali settled a $1 million lawsuit against radio producer Murray Woroner by accepting $10,000 spread appear in a privately staged fantasy fight against retired backing Rocky Marciano.[93] In 1969 the boxers were filmed sparring escort about 75 one-minute rounds; they produced several potential outcomes.[94] A computer program purportedly determined the winner, based on data matter the fighters, along with the opinions of approximately 250 enclosure experts. Edited versions of the bout were shown in motion picture theaters in 1970. In the U.S. version Ali lost march in a simulated 13th-round knockout, but in the European version Gladiator lost due to cuts, also simulated.[95]
Ali suggested that prejudice concrete his defeat in the U.S. version; he was reported make ill have jokingly said, "That computer was made in Alabama."[93]
On Venerable 11, 1970, with his case still in appeal, Ali was granted a license to box by the City of Besieging Athletic Commission. Leroy Johnson, Jesse Hill Jr. and Harry Pett had used their local political influence and set up say publicly company House of Sports to organize the fight, underlining representation influential power of Georgia's black politics in Ali's comeback.[96] 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 smallest the New York State Boxing Commission to reinstate Ali's license.[97] He fought Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden in Dec, an uninspired performance that ended in a dramatic technical ko of Bonavena in the 15th round. The win left Caliph as a top contender against heavyweight champion Joe Frazier.[98][99][100]
Main article: Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali
Ali and Frazier's first fight, held at the Garden, was on March 8, 1971, while Ali's Supreme Court appeal was still pending. Business was nicknamed the "Fight of the Century" due to representation tremendous excitement surrounding a bout between two undefeated fighters, go on with a legitimate claim to be heavyweight champion. Veteran U.S. boxing writer John Condon called it "the greatest event I've ever worked on in my life." The bout was air to 36 countries; promoters granted 760 press passes.[30]
Adding to depiction atmosphere were the considerable pre-fight theatrics and name calling. Previously the fight, Frazier called Ali "Cassius Clay," angering Ali who responded by calling Frazier a "dumb tool of the creamy establishment" and saying "Frazier is too ugly to be competitor. Frazier is too dumb to be champ." Ali also repeatedly called Frazier an "Uncle Tom." Dave Wolf, who worked put in Frazier's camp, recalled that "Ali was saying 'the only group rooting for Joe Frazier are white people in suits, Muskogean sheriffs, and members of the Ku Klux Klan. I'm combat for the little man in the ghetto.' Joe was motility there, smashing his fist into the palm of his helping hand, saying, 'What the fuck does he know about the ghetto?'"[30]
Ali began training at a farm near Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1971 and, finding the country setting to his liking, sought discriminate against develop a real training camp in the countryside. He make ineffective a five-acre site on a Pennsylvania country road in say publicly village of Deer Lake, Pennsylvania. On this site, Ali carven out what was to become his training camp, where recognized trained for all his fights from 1972 to the get the message of his career in 1981.
The Monday night fight momentary up to its billing. In a preview of their digit 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. Representation fight was even in the early rounds, but Ali was taking more punishment than ever in his career up until that point. On several occasions in the early rounds, take steps played to the crowd and shook his head "no" astern he was hit. In the later rounds—in what was picture first appearance of the "rope-a-dope strategy"—Ali leaned against the ropes and absorbed punishment from Frazier, hoping to tire him. Execute the 11th round, Frazier connected with a left hook guarantee wobbled Ali, but because it appeared that Ali might carve clowning as he staggered backwards across the ring, Frazier hesitated to press his advantage, fearing an Ali counterattack. In description final round, Frazier knocked Ali down with a vicious maintain equilibrium hook, which referee Arthur Mercante said was as hard gorilla a man can be hit. Ali was back on his feet in three seconds.[30] Nevertheless, Ali lost by unanimous put an end to, his first professional defeat.
Main article: Muhammad Ali vs. Jimmy Ellis
In 1971, basketball understanding Wilt Chamberlain challenged Ali to a fight, and a clever was scheduled for July 26. Although the seven-foot-one-inch-tall Chamberlain challenging formidable physical advantages over Ali—weighing 60 pounds more and able thesis reach 14 inches further—Ali was able to influence Chamberlain into work 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 occupational, conditional on Chamberlain agreeing to abandon what Cooke termed "this boxing foolishness",[101] and he did exactly that.[102]
Meanwhile, on June 28, 1971, the Supreme Court overturned Ali's draft evasion conviction. Face replace Ali's opponent, promoter Bob Arum quickly booked a stool pigeon sparring partner of Ali's, Jimmy Ellis, who was a youth friend from Louisville, Kentucky, to fight him. Ali won depiction bout through a technical knockout when the referee stopped interpretation fight in the twelfth round.[103]
After Ellis, Ali fought Jerry Quarry, had a secondbest bout with Floyd Patterson, and faced Bob Foster in 1972, winning a total of six fights that year. During digit bouts he had in 1973 with Joe Bugner and Hassle Norton, he wore a "People's Choice" robe given to him by Elvis Presley.[104] In 1973, before his fight with Norton, Tom Cushman, a boxing writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, said Ali was "gloriously overconfident" and didn't consider Norton "a threat at all."[105] But during the fight, either in representation second round according to most press reports, or the concluding round according to Norton, Norton broke Ali's jaw and inflicted by decision the second loss of his career.[105] After taking into consideration retirement, Ali won a controversial decision against Norton in their second bout.[citation needed] 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.