[313] He also appeared on the cover of Time Magazine 5 times,[314] the most of any athlete. Ali was married four times and had seven daughters and two sons. "[179], 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. He said a reunion of the Beatles "would make a lot of people happy. Soccer is clearly the most popular sport in terms of fans. Boxing writer Richie Giachetti said, "Larry didn't want to fight Ali. "[108] Ali was wildly popular in Zaire, with crowds chanting "Ali, bomaye" ("Ali, kill him") wherever he went. He was a boxer and an activist, but he also had a role in influencing what now dominated pop-culture, hip-hop. The case went on until 1986 and was eventually thrown out as her allegations were deemed to be barred by the statute of limitations. and "The tree will fall" during a shared interview. [197], After the September 11 attacks in 2001, he stated that "Islam is a religion of peace" and "does not promote terrorism or killing people", and that he was "angry that the world sees a certain group of Islam followers who caused this destruction, but they are not real Muslims. 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 knockouts, Clay was a 7–1 underdog. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger." Earlier that year, a committee of the Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky) considered renaming Ali's alma mater, Central High School, in his honor, but the motion failed to pass. [146] In January 1985, Aaisha sued Ali for unpaid palimony. "[173], Ali's daughter Laila was a professional boxer from 1999 until 2007,[174] despite her father's previous opposition to women's boxing. Ali was unable to explain why the African countries should join the US boycott when it had failed to support the African boycott of the 1976 Olympics (in protest at Apartheid in South Africa), and was unaware that the Soviet Union was sponsoring popular revolutionary movements in Africa. "[142] The marriage was childless and they divorced on January 10, 1966. [271] On December 20, 2014, Ali was hospitalized for a mild case of pneumonia. "[279] Politicians such as Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, David Cameron and more paid tribute to Ali. 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",[105] and he did exactly that. It was so obvious, It was easy to forgive him. [118] Ali won a unanimous decision in an uninspiring fight, with referee Lucien Joubert scoring rounds 10-4, judge Ernie Cojoe 10-4, and judge Herman Preis 11-4. In winning this fight at the age of 22, Clay became the youngest boxer to take the title from a reigning heavyweight champion. [132], On June 26, 1976, Ali participated in an exhibition bout in Tokyo against Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist Antonio Inoki. Actor Sylvester Stallone was at ringside and said that it was like watching an autopsy on a man who is still alive. Browse our listings to find jobs in Germany for expats, including jobs for English speakers or those in your native language. Ali fought Ken Norton for the third time in September 1976. 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. The show's title itself was inspired by the quote "Different strokes for different folks" popularized in 1966 by Ali, who also inspired the title of the 1967 Syl Johnson song "Different Strokes", one of the most sampled songs in pop music history. [301], The 1976 Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki fight played an important role in the history of mixed martial arts. Later that same day, the New York State Athletic Commission suspended his boxing license and stripped him of his title. However, after he won the championship from Liston in 1964, the Nation of Islam was more receptive and agreed to publicize his membership. Found insideAt that moment the tall captain stretched forth his arm and laid his hand on ... falling on horse and rider and wrestler and robber and Amir; hiding all, ... "Muhammad Ali’s Strange, Failed Diplomatic Career", by Michael Ezra, "Muhammad Ali: Africa remembers the boxing legend", "The Time Muhammad Ali Stopped a Man From Leaping to His Death", "Ali Talks Would-Be Jumper Off Ninth-Floor Fire Escape", "CAMPAIGN NOTES; Muhammad Ali Switches His Support to Reagan", "Muhammad Ali 2012 Liberty Medal Ceremony", "How Muhammad Ali became a sporting hero to the Arab world", "Muhammad Ali and Orrin Hatch: An unlikely friendship", "MIDEAST TENSIONS; At Baghdad's Bazaar, Everyone Wants Hostages", "I was with Muhammad Ali on his hostage-release trip to Iraq — and the media has it all wrong", "UN Messenger of Peace Muhammad Ali arrives in Afghanistan", "Fightin' talk as Ennis awaits Muhammed Ali (, "Muhammad Ali returns to the Olympic stage, once again, in London", "Muhammad Ali's Finances A Puzzle To News Media; 'I'm Broke,' He Quips", "His Lifestyle, His Ex-Wives, His Expensive Entourage: They Explain Why Ali Took An $8 Million Beating", "Ali, the Greatest, sells his name and image for $50m", "Muhammad Ali's Name Likely to Rake in the Cash for Years to Come", "60 Million Watch America: A Tribute to Heroes", "Muhammad Ali dead: Michael J Fox pays tribute to fellow Parkinson's disease sufferer and their 'common fight, "Brother: Muhammad Ali 'could be dead in days, "Muhammad Ali's daughter: Father watching Super Bowl, not near death", "Muhammad Ali hospitalized with pneumonia", "Boxing legend Muhammad Ali in hospital after being found 'unresponsive' at his home", "Ali out of hospital in time for 73rd birthday", "Muhammad Ali hospitalized with respiratory issue", "Muhammad Ali Dies: 'The Greatest' Boxer Dead at 74", "Muhammad Ali Dies at 74: Titan of Boxing and the 20th Century", "Muhammad Ali Died of Septic Shock, Will Be Honored at Public Funeral: Spokesman", "UFC 199 Invades LA Forum, Honors Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali", "Will Smith, Lennox Lewis among pallbearers for Muhammad Ali, who scripted his own funeral in final days", "Muhammad Ali To Be Buried In Louisville Friday", "Muhammad Ali's funeral to be watched worldwide by billions", "Muhammad Ali Islamic Funeral Prayer Service Jenazah scheduled at Freedom Hall", "Will Smith, Mike Tyson among those serving as pallbearers at Muhammad Ali's funeral | For The Win", "Сегодня годовщина смерти легендарного Мохаммеда Али", "Retton, Hammill most popular American athletes in United States: poll", "Sports Illustrated honors world's greatest athletes", "Ali: The Greatest of 20th century; Show stops when the champ arrives for awards dinner", "President Clinton Awards the Presidential Citizens Medals", "Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients", "Bush presents Ali with Presidential Medal of Freedom", "Briefs: Ali to receive Otto Hahn Medal today in Berlin", "Boxing legend Ali gets Princeton degree", "Ali Mall: First Ever Shopping Mall Makes A Comeback", "What role did boxer Muhammad Ali play in early MMA? Judges awarded Ali a unanimous decision. Found insideThe stories of the Shahnameh are deeply embedded in Persian culture and beyond, as attested by their appearance in such works as The Kite Runner and the love poems of Rumi and Hafez. Pride was acquired by its rival, Ultimate Fighting Championship, in 2007. [293][22] He was named Athlete of the Century by USA Today, and ranked as the third greatest athlete of the 20th century by ESPN SportsCentury. The officer told Clay he had better learn how to box first. 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.