Muhammad Ali Jr.'s Wife: Shaakira Ali. She was also known as Sonji Clay. . Influence on Muhammad Ali Through her strong Christian belief, Clay had a great influence on the life and spiritual upbringing of both of her sons. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942. He buried both of Muhammad's parents and Lonnie's mother, and when Ali used the visitation of Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. as an opportunity to hand out Islamic literature at the head of the casket . The New York boxing commission suspended Alis license the same day he was arrested and stripped him of his heavyweight title. He refused to serve in the Vietnam War, referring to himself as a conscientious objector, and was arrested. In one of his more famously quoted descriptions, Ali told reporters that he could float like a butterfly, sting like a bee in the boxing ring. Then, on March 31, 1973, a little-known fighter named Ken Norton broke Alis jaw in the second round en route to a 12-round upset decision. Muhammad Ali was a three-time heavyweight boxing champion with an impressive 56-win record. As a devout Muslim, Ali was deeply saddened by the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks in New York City and the subsequent anti-Muslim sentiment that swept the U.S. Ali would subsequently go on to attend the rallies and lectures of Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad. On April 28, 1967, the day of his scheduled induction, Ali refused to step forward when his name was called despite penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Islam does not promote terrorism or the killing of peopleIf the culprits are Muslim, they have twisted the teachings of Islam. According to the 1967 book, Black Is Best: The Riddle of Cassius Clay, by former Sports. And it made sense. Corrections? He also was the subject of the docuseries Whats My Name (2019) and Muhammad Ali (2021), the latter of which was codirected by Ken Burns. Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons. Many fans wanted to build a museum to acknowledge my achievements. In an excerpt from the Ali biography, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times, the boxer is quoted as saying: My mother is a Baptist, and when I was growing up, she taught me all she knew about God. People say a Muslim caused this destruction. Its unbelievable. It was a fight of historic proportions, billed as the Fight of the Century. Frazier won a unanimous 15-round decision. The Relationship of Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, The Story Behind the Famous Ali-Liston Photo, 10 Things You Might Not Know About Jimmy Butler, Relationship With Malcolm X and Conversion to Islam, Vietnam War Protest and Supreme Court Case, Wives, Children, and Family Boxing Legacy, https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Although he arrived in Miami Beach, Florida, a 7-1 underdog, the 22-year-old Clay relentlessly taunted Liston before the fight, promising to float like a butterfly, sting like a bee and predicting a knockout. Clay infuriated devotees of the sport as much as he impressed them. Alis place in boxing history as one of the greatest fighters ever is secure. The incident he describes in the letterpicking up the newspaper and reading the cartoonmay have been one in a series of influential events. However, the schools principal Atwood Wilson could see Clays potential and opposed this, sarcastically asking the staff, Do you think Im going to be the principal of a school that Cassius Clay didnt finish?. But in one of the most stunning upsets in sports history, Liston retired to his corner after six rounds, and Clay became the new champion. When his beloved bicycle was stolen, a tearful 12-year-old Clay reported the theft to Louisville police officer Joe Martin (1916-1996) and vowed to pummel the culprit. Even after Ali converted to Islam, he still held onto his belief in God, just by another name, like his mother taught him. In 1964, Malcolm X brought his family to visit Clay while he trained in Florida for his February 25 title fight against Sonny Liston. Muhammad Ali was initially raised as a Baptist[1] before entering Islam. You might be big, Camacho-Ali tells TIME. The divinity of Elijah, and that of the Nation of Islam's founder Wallace Fard Muhammad, was denied by Wallace D., and a nonracial view of religion was promulgated in which white people were no longer considered "devils". The message: Christianity was the religion of the oppressive white establishment. He continued training, formed amateur boxing leagues, and fought whomever he could in local gyms. [14][15] According to Ali, "hearts and souls have no color", and it was wrong of Elijah Muhammad to have talked of "white devils". But he never became embittered enough to quit or to engage in violence., Clinton spoke about how Ali found self-empowerment: I think he decided, before he could possibly have worked it all out, and before fate and time could work their will on him, he decided he would not ever be disempowered. This story is over 5 years old. Praise be to Allah. After his Olympic victory, Clay was heralded as an American hero. Shoot them for what? Three years later, he won the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, as well as the Amateur Athletic Unions national title for the light heavyweight division. Is this civilization of Europe? After 43 months in exile, Ali returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, and knocked out Jerry Quarry (1945-1999) in the third round. [b] Ali claimed he had seen the platform on several occasions. The Prophet Muhammad Muhammad was also very religious, occasionally taking journeys of devotion to sacred sites near Mecca. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. In his later years, Ali embraced Universal Sufism also known as Sufi Order Inyati. [14] Ali's biographer David Remnick noted that everything "threatening or obscure" about the Nation of Islam's teachings, including the space platform, Yakub, and racial separatism, had long been forgotten by Ali. He was found guilty of violating Selective Service laws and sentenced to five years in prison in June 1967 but remained free while appealing his conviction. Ali, who died on June 3, 2016 at age 74, has offered a few different reasons for his embrace of Islam. Muhammad Ali's parents: Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay Originally known as Cassius Clay, Ali was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay. Directed by Leon Gast, the film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. I could never support hurting innocent men, women and children. Ali has Irish roots. Well, you better learn how to fight before you start challenging people, Martin reportedly told him at the time. The dramatic period of his life from 1964 to 1974 was the basis of the film Ali (2001), in which Will Smith starred as the boxer. All Rights Reserved. Following Ali's death, I graciously witnessed my own family's story on television and social media. In his retirement, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy. Born Cassius Clay Jr., Ali changed his name in 1964 after joining the Nation of Islam. How can you force a person for your own religion? [11], On being probed further by Plimpton, Ali explained that according to this belief system the first inhabitants of the earth were blacks. Ali got up but lost in a unanimous decision, experiencing his first defeat as a pro. In his first title defense in May 1965 Ali defeated Sonny Liston with a first-round knockout. Just years following his. In his interview with Plimpton, Ali stated that Wallace Fard had prophesied that the holocaust would arrive in 1970, leveling everything, and leaving only 154,000 black survivors to "get things going again.". He played collegiately at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas before becoming an amateur mixed martial artist. Apr 29. Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff in 2023, and before that had worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. Ali became the first boxer to win the heavyweight championship three times. He then knocked out Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964, to become the heavyweight champion of the world. Other recipients of the award have included include Ella Fitzgerald, Venus and Serena Williams, Kerry Washington, Spike Lee, John Legend, Rihanna, and LeBron James. It did something to me. Ring Magazine named Ali Fighter of the Year five times, more than any other boxer, and he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He married Odessa Lee O'Grady in 1934 and worked as a painter. One of her most notable works is her 2018 personal biography, At Home with Muhammad Ali, where she detailed the ups and downs of her father from the eyes of a daughter. [28] He was a descendant of slaves of the antebellum South, and was predominantly of African descent, with Irish [29] and English family heritage. He embraced Sufi Islam and followed the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan. Some of the ministers didn't like what he was teaching. At the age of 12, Clay discovered his talent for boxing through an odd twist of fate. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. One of Alis other grandsons, Jacob Ali-Wertheimer, competed in NCAA track and field at Harvard University and graduated in 2021. Her father is an East Indian Muslim while her mother is a Panamanian Catholic who is of Afro-Trinidadian . Muhammad Ali has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated 38 times, second only to basketball great Michael Jordan. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Over the course of three rounds, Ali landed more than 100 punches, scored four knockdowns, and was hit a total of three times. He was arrested for committing a felony and almost immediately stripped of his world title and boxing license. However, he was overwhelmed in a technical knockout loss to Larry Holmes (1949-) in 1980, and he dropped a unanimous 10-round decision to Trevor Berbick (1954-2006) on December 11, 1981. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Muhammad Ali prays in a mosque at his former training camp in Deer . It did something to me. . Muhammad Ali was a member of the inaugural class of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, and in 2005 he was awarded thePresidential Medal of Freedom. [31] At the weigh-in before the first Ali-Liston fight, Ali had shouted: "It is prophesied that I should win! The next year, his conviction was vacated by the Supreme Court. A member of Ali's entourage, Cody Jones, who was also present during this interview, corroborated what Ali said and claimed he had seen the platform together with Ali at five A.M. one morning when the two were out jogging. I sneaked into meetings, sneak in the back door, look around for the police officer, pass me in, before going in. FULL NAME: Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.BORN: January 17, 1942DIED: June 3, 2016BIRTHPLACE: Louisville, KentuckySPOUSES: Sonji Roi (1964-1965), Belinda Boyd (1967-1977), Veronica Porch (1977-1986), and Yolanda Williams (1986-2016)CHILDREN: Maryum, Jamillah, Rasheda, Muhammad Jr., Miya, Khaliah, Hana, Laila Ali, and AsaadASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Capricorn. Speakers included religious leaders from various faiths: Attallah Shabazz, Malcolm Xs eldest daughter; broadcaster Bryant Gumbel; former President Bill Clinton; comedian Billy Crystal; Alis daughters Maryum and Rasheda; and his widow, Lonnie. Then Muhammad brought Ali in as a close confidant and offered him his new name, Muhammad Ali, which the boxer adopted in 1964. At the same time Ali was married to Boyd, he traveled openly with Veronica Porche, who became his third wife in 1977. His record-setting boxing career, unprecedented flair for showmanship and stands on civil rights made him one of the best-known figures of the 20th century. The Clays weren't rich, but they weren't poor either. [3], Ali first met Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad's chief disciple at the time in Detroit in 1962. He wrote about it with pragmatism. Ali, who died on June 3, 2016 at age 74, has offered a few different reasons for his embrace of Islam. Drafted into the military in April 1967, he refused to serve on the grounds that he was a practicing Muslim minister with religious beliefs that prevented him from fighting. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Two days later Clay shocked the boxing establishment again by announcing that he had accepted the teachings of the Nation of Islam. Ali didn't write about why Islam attracted him in spiritual terms. It also ended Ali and Malcolms friendship when Ali decided to stay loyal to Muhammad. He won the rematch six months later in a split decision and gained further revenge in a unanimous decision over Frazier in a non-title rematch. Citing his religious beliefs, he refused military induction and was stripped of his heavyweight championship and banned from boxing for three years during the prime of his career. After advancing through the amateur ranks, he won a gold medal in the 175-pound division at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and began a professional career under the guidance of the Louisville Sponsoring Group, a syndicate composed of 11 wealthy white men. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}10 Things You Might Not Know About Jimmy Butler, Celebrities & Notables Running the Boston Marathon, 7 Facts About Gymnast and TikTok Star Olivia Dunne, Nat Sweetwater Cliftons First NBA Season, 8 Negro League Legends Featured in a New MLB Game, Get to Know NCAA Tournament Star Caitlin Clark, 10 Things You Might Not Know About Shohei Ohtani. According to Islamic belief, Muhammad was the only person to see Heaven and Hell while still alive. They believed Elijah was a prophet, and they've kept the exact ways Elijah taught them. But perhaps more important, he had courage and all the other intangibles that go into making a great fighter. A black brother dressed in a black Mohair suit, [with a] white shirt and a black bowtie, was [selling] some newspapers called Muhammad Speaks. I told him OK, I will be there. La conversin de Muhammad Ali al Islam defini, de muchas maneras, su carrera y su legado como luchador con conviccin. At first, he called himself Cassius X before settling on the name Muhammad Ali. In all likelihood, Alis interest in the Nation Of Islam grew over time and repeated exposures, Eig says. Muhammad also neglected to acknowledge Ali's attachment to the Nation of Islam, saying sports were discouraged by Allah until Ali became a successful boxer. Wallace would go on to change the name of the Nation of Islam to, initially the World Community of al-Islam in the West, and later to the American Muslim Mission. [21], Ali later moved away from Inayat Khan's teachings of Universal Sufism, towards traditional Sunni-Sufi Islam. ", "From the Vietnam war to Islam the key chapters in Ali's life", "W. Deen Mohammed, 74, Top U.S. Imam, Dies", "Farrakhan offers olive branch to unite Islam", "W.D. He met with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) in 1990 to negotiate the release of American hostages, and in 2002 he traveled to Afghanistan as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. He soon turned professional with the backing of the Louisville Sponsoring Group and continued overwhelming all opponents in the ring. Muhammad Ali converted to Islam in the '60s, but embraced a more spiritual path in his later life. Son of Odessa Clay Older brother of Muhammad Ali. Biography. Seven months later, Ali defeated Spinks in a unanimous 15-round decision to reclaim the heavyweight crown and become the first fighter to win the world heavyweight boxing title three times. Clay was a decided underdog. I will pray to Jesus, sir, Jesus. And I liked that cartoon. He claimed that as a minister of the Black Muslim religion he was not obligated to serve . The eight-hour docuseries premieres on PBS on Sept. 19, and before you tune in, check out our list of the many ways the heavyweight . A woman who can run faster than any other born must live by a superior. Shame on you ( Europe) Fabin F.M. 7. The opponents he was besting were a mixture of veterans who were long past their prime and fighters who had never been more than mediocre. Ali solidified his hold on the heavyweight championship by knocking out Liston in the first round of their rematch on May 25, 1965, and he defended his title eight more times. His birth name was Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. At an early age, young Clay showed that he wasnt afraid of any boutinside or outside of the ring. One of their twin daughters, Rasheda, is an author, and another one is an actress . I cannot be beaten! ALI'S PARENTS VISITED REGULARLY, HELPING IN THE KITCHEN . Convicted of draft evasion, Ali was sentenced to the maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, but he remained free while the conviction was appealed. Ali said at the time (via Vice): Well I figured they would pressure me if I revealed it so I kept it quiet for about three years. They never called me nigger, they never lynched me, they didnt put no dogs on me, they didnt rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father. In celebration of Muhammad Ali's extraordinary journey, MyHeritage decided to build his family tree and share his family and personal history.. Muhammad is a descendant of pre-Civil War era American slaves in the American . Almost all figures in this mythology are exact, notes Plimpton. Ali lived the final decade of his live in the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley, Arizona. A few months later, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction in June 1971, allowing Ali to fight on a regular basis. Following his suspension for refusing military service in the Vietnam War, Ali reclaimed the heavyweight title two more times during the 1970s, winning famed bouts against Joe Frazier and George Foreman along the way. He continued to attend meetings, although keeping his involvement hidden from the public. Then, on March 8, 1971, he challenged Joe Frazier, who had become heavyweight champion during Alis absence from the ring. Now there is another version of Alis story, which is arguably the most definitive of the bunch, appearing first in TIME. When Liston failed to answer the bell at the start of the seventh round, Clay was indeed crowned heavyweight champion of the world. Nico Ali Walsh Wiki :- As per the sources, Nico Walsh belongs to a mixed ethnical background. In a May 25, 1965, rematch against Liston, he emerged with a first-round knockout victory. Ali died at the age of 74 on June 3, 2016. Ali considered his Christian upbringing empty and sought out a new spiritual home, which he found in the Nation of Islam. Photo: Maryum Ali's parents together while she was in her father's arm. She taught us it was wrong to be prejudiced or hate. By 2005, Ali had embraced Sufism, a strand of Islam that emphasizes a personal connection with . The boxer eventually converted to orthodox Islam during the 1970s. Ali played himself in the 1977 film The Greatest, which explored parts of his life such as his rise to boxing fame, conversion to Islam, and refusal to serve in Vietnam. Alis most-tangible ring assets were speed, superb footwork, and the ability to take a punch. And [one] thing in the paper [made] me keep the paper, and that was a cartoon. Following one final loss in 1981, to Trevor Berbick, the boxing great retired from the sport at age 39. It was a different time. The final ring contest of Alis career was a loss by decision to Trevor Berbick in 1981. asheda Ali was born in 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, to the prominent professional boxer, Muhammad Ali, and his second wife, Belinda Boyd, also known as Khalilah Camacho Ali. By 2005, Ali had become more spiritual than religious, his daughter Hana Yasmeen Ali told Beliefnet. His earlier adherence to the teachings of Elijah Muhammad (e.g., that white people are devils and there is no heaven or hell) were replaced by a spiritual embrace of all people and preparation for his own afterlife. All Rights Reserved. Muhammad Ali's conversion to Islam, in many ways, defined his career and legacy as a fighter . "[6] According to Dennis and Atyeo: Malcolm X firmly implanted in Ali's mind the belief that he was invincible which must have been of enormous psychological advantage to a young fighter facing the awesome Sonny Liston. Muhammad Ali sacrificed three years of his career and risked imprisonment for his faith. The legs that had allowed him to dance for 15 rounds without stopping no longer carried him as surely around the ring. Explain, she instructed him, why you embraced Islam in the first place. Dubbed the Thrilla in Manila, the bout nearly went the distance, with both men delivering and absorbing tremendous punishment. In 1984 Ali was diagnosed with Parkinsons syndrome, possibly connected to the severe head trauma suffered during his boxing career. All Rights Reserved. Most recently, Ali spoke out against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trumps proposed ban against Muslim in the U.S. We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda. He was known for boasting about his skills before a fight and for his colorful descriptions and phrases. Ali was the first fighter to win the world heavyweight championship on three separate occasions; he successfully defended this title 19 times. A follower of the Nation of Islam, he was allocated the name Muhammad Ali by Elijah Muhammad, the movement's leader. According to the 1967 book, Black Is Best: The Riddle of Cassius Clay, by former Sports Illustrated writer Jack Olsen, Ali said his first encounter came from a street corner proselytizer in Harlem. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Muhammad Alis Early Years and Amateur Career, Muhammad Ali: Heavyweight Champion of the World, https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/muhammad-ali. Magazines, Digital Marital Status: Married. Muhammad Ali said that he first heard of the Nation of Islam when he was fighting in the Golden Gloves tournament in Chicago in 1959, and attended his first Nation of Islam meeting in 1961. Updated 11:13 AM EDT, Tue June 14, 2016. In 1984, Ali announced that he had Parkinsons disease, a degenerative neurological condition. In the letter, which Camacho-Ali says her ex-husband wrote some time in the late 1960s, Ali describes seeing a cartoon in the Nation of Islam newspaper, Muhammad Speaks, outside a skating rink in his hometown of Louisville.
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