Muhammad Ali

From Wiki 5A

Cassius Marcellus Clay or you might know him as Muhammad Ali, was known for boxing. Ali was born in 1942 and when he was 12 years old he took up boxing after his bike was stolen at an arena. Then he told someone and the man told him to go to the basement and talk to a policeman. Ali said that he was going to "whop" the person that took his bike. The officer told him that he needed to learn to fight before he went around picking fights. Then he said he wanted to learn to box under the teachings of Louisville policeman Joe Matron. On March 4, 1964, he was given the name of Muhammad Ali by Elijah Muhammad.

When Ali was older he won an Olympic gold medal. He also received six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles and the World Heavyweight Championship in the years 1964-67, 1974-78, and 1978-79. He is in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, inductee in 1983, named the greatest heavyweight champion of all time in Ring Magazine in 1987, and was an International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee in 1990.

Later on 1946 he got drafted into the army and would not go so they took his boxing license away. He later got his boxing license back and went on to fight Joe Frazier. One of the thing Muhammad Ali was known for was he was the only boxer who won the Heavyweight champion chip three times and he had a record of 56 wins five loses and out of the 56 wins 37 of them were wins by K.O. and Ali defended his title 19 times. Ali married his fourth wife Lonnie N’ee Yolanda Williams in 1986. And he has nine children. Ali was chosen to light the Olympic torch in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ali now lives with Parkinson’s syndrome. It has slowed Ali down, yet he is still active. He is raising money for his foundation and some times shows up at sport tributes and fund raisers. He was one of the most beloved athletes in the world.

To learn more, look at pictures and listen to his great words, go to www.ali.com