Muhammad Ali is rightfully called one of the most famous and great boxers in the entire professional history of this sport.

This heavyweight in his entire professional career (21 years) spent 61 fights, won 56 victories, 37 of which were by knockout.

short biography

Muhammad Ali was given a name at birth Cassius Marcellus Clay He was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. . His father - Cassius Clay Sr., an artist who painted signs and various posters. His mother - Odessa Clay, a housewife.

Cassius was the eldest child in the family. After 2 years, he had a brother - Rudolf(Rahman Ali).

Social status

The Clay family was considered representatives middle class among the black population of the United States, despite the fact that they lived much poorer than the "white" representatives of the same class.

Cassius did not have to provide for his family, as did many of his peers at school, but he sometimes took a part-time job (washing desks and blackboards at the University of Louisville) to get pocket money.

First training

At the age of 12, an incident occurred with Cassius Jr., after which he began to box:

Somehow, his bicycle was stolen. After discovering the loss, he met a policeman, whom he said that he would beat the thief. To which he replied: “First, learn to fight,” and invited the boy to the gym.

That cop was Joe Martin, who was a trainer for beginner boxers. His students participated in amateur tournaments"Golden Glove", and their fights were shown on TV.

2 weeks after talking with Joe, Cassius and his brother saw the performances of boxers on television, and the next day they came to training at Martin's gym.

“I will become the world champion, I am the best!”

Immediately the boy began to bully everyone in the hall, telling them in raised tones that become world boxing champion. At that time, almost no coach in Martin's gym saw the potential in the future of Muhammad Ali.

First victory

Already after 1.5 months after the start of training, Clay's first fight took place with a more experienced and adult opponent. Despite this, he managed to win the first victory in his history. The fight was broadcast on TV.

"Golden Glove"

The boy began to actively train, switched completely to healthy lifestyle life. 2 years after the first training, he won the Golden Glove tournament.

In 1960 he graduated from high school with a certificate. The director and so pulled him to the last. Mostly because of his sporting success.

At that time, his amateur career was in full swing: 100 fights, of which only 8 losses. Also at that time, he won a total of 4 tournaments (2 Golden Glove tournaments and 2 Amateur Athletic Union tournaments).

1960 Olympics

After graduation, the future Muhammad Ali wanted to go to professional boxing. However, the coach persuaded him to postpone this and participate in the Olympic summer games 1960.

Qualifying Tournament

Cassius accepted this offer. He passed qualifying tournament in San Francisco. All fights, except for the final one, he passed easily. Final Rival Alan Hudson nearly knocked out Cassius in the first round with a head kick. But this did not prevent the latter from winning the battle.

Success at the Olympics

Cassius easily defeated his first opponent at the Olympics - the Belgian Yvona Beko, defeating him by TKO in the second round.

In the quarterfinals, Clay met with the Soviet boxer Gennady Shatkov. The fight was dictated by Cassius, and the judges unanimously recognized him as the winner.

At the stage of the semi-finals, Clay was opposed by a familiar opponent - an Australian Tony Madigan(Cassius beat him in 1959). After the end of a tense duel, Madigan considered himself the winner, but the judges unanimously gave the victory to Clay.

In the final, an experienced boxer was waiting for him Zbigniew Pietrzykowski from Poland, he was nine years older than Cassius and had in his track record 230 fights.

Petshikovsky started the fight in an aggressive manner, trying to end the fight quickly. In the second round, Clay had to abandon his usual "light" manner and land several strong blows Pole. He did not slow down and last round, conducting a quick series of strikes, by the end of the fight Zbigniew was pressed to the ropes and close to an early defeat, but managed to survive until the final gong.

Cassius Clay won by unanimous decision, a few minutes later he was awarded gold medal.

Debut in professional boxing

Clay's first opponent in professional boxing was Tunny Hunsecker. Cassius conscientiously prepared for battle: he ran minimum 2 miles daily, sparred with his younger brother.

Before the fight, in his traditional manner, Clay bullied Hunseker, calling him a "bum" and promising to deal with him quickly in the 6th round. Cassius managed to win the victory, but the promised quick reprisal did not happen. Tunney said after the fight that he was lucky to fight with the future World Champion.

New coach: Angelo Dundee

After the first victory in the professional arena, the question arose of finding a new coach for Clay. The team that sponsored the boxer opted for Angelo Dundee.

Dundee immediately understood how to work with an active and sometimes aggressive boxer. He never shut his mouth, did not control - only directed his energy “in the right direction”.

winning streak

Cassius confidently won the next 4 fights and 1 sparring:

• After a week of training with a new coach, he defeated Herb Siler in the 4th round by knockout.
• The next victory was over Tony Esperti.
• The next fight seemed the most difficult of all. Mohammed Ali said he would beat the current world champion - Ingemar Johhansson. And not just beat - send in a knockout. There was no official fight, Yuhhanson's manager organized a sparring, in which Ali confidently won.
• The fourth official knockout victory was over Jimmy Robinson.

Further victories brought Clay closer to the Champion title. He defeated famous heavyweights one after another.

World Champion title

On February 25, 1964, a fight took place in which Cassius Clay was a contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. His opponent is the reigning champion Sonny Liston.

After the duel began, Cassius began to circle around Liston, eluding his powerful attacks and counterattacking. In the third round there was a fracture - Clay began to frankly outplay the champion. After one of his successful combinations, Liston's legs began to tangle, and he almost fell.

In a completely lost round, Sonny opened a cut under his left eye, and a hematoma formed under his right. Suddenly, during the fourth round, Clay began to have problems with his eyesight, he began to experience acute pain in his eyes. Cassius saw practically nothing and asked the coach to take off his gloves, at a difficult moment Angelo Dundee showed composure, releasing his fighter to the next round with the task of moving around the ring, avoiding Liston's attacks.

Clay managed not to miss a heavy blow from the champion, and in the fifth round his vision was restored. Cassius again dominated the ring, and after many accurate strikes according to Sonny, in between rounds, Liston refused to continue the fight. At 22, Clay became the heavyweight champion of the world.

Joining the "Nation of Islam"

In 1964 Cassius Clay joined the Nation of Islam religious society. Leader of this organization Elijah Muhammad later became his spiritual mentor and influenced in many ways later life boxer.

It was Elijah Muhammad who gave the name to the new world champion - Mohammed Ali.

New name

After Cassius entered the nation of Islam, he began to introduce himself Muhammad Ali- it was a Muslim name given to him as a member of the community. Society reacted negatively to this fact.

The boxer's father believed that he was "brainwashed" on religious grounds, and said that he himself would continue to proudly wear his first and last name.

Second fight with Liston

May 25, 1965 rematch between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston small town— Lewiston. The stakes were in favor of the old champion.

Nobody expected what happened in the ring: in the 2nd minute of the first round, Ali knocked out Liston. Even Mohammed himself believed that Sonny set himself up on purpose, and said this in a post-match interview.

However, the fight was won and the young champion defended his title for the first time. There were no serious rivals among boxers for him at the moment.

Later, until the spring of 1967, Ali 8 times was able to defend the world heavyweight title.

Refusal to serve in the army and disqualification

In 1967 Ali for 3 years was forced to retire from professional boxing. This happened because of his refusal to serve in the army. The boxer explained this by the fact that his religious views did not allow him to participate in hostilities.

However, representatives of the prosecution believed that he could serve outside the hot spots. The champion still refused to serve in the army. At trial, the jury gave him a guilty verdict.

Sports commissions revoked the boxer's license, and he could no longer compete in the professional ring.

Return to big sport took place only in 1970, when the court considered one of the next appeals of Ali's lawyer, and made a positive decision in his favor.

End of career

After his return to boxing, Muhammad Ali had many more great fights. In 1980 his last fight took place. in professional sports. He lost ahead of schedule for the first time to the reigning young champion Larry Holmes. It happened in the 10th round.

Further fate

After leaving boxing, Muhammad Ali fell ill after 4 years Parkinson's disease. Ali was suffering from symptoms of illness, but his mind remained clear and he decided to devote himself to the service of Islam. Mohammed started helping people, he could make a $100,000 donation with just a couple of questions, or get out of the car and help the average homeless person.

During the solemn ceremony on the occasion of the end of his career, he was presented with a commemorative diamond ring, which Ali gave to a disabled girl on the same evening.

Mohammed used his popularity to help those in need, he turned to wealthy people with a request to follow his example, and few people refused him.

Death of a Great Boxer

On June 2, 2016, Muhammad Ali was brought to Scottsdale Hospital. He had a lung problem. The next day, June 3, 2016 at the age of 75 Great Mohammed Ali died in the hospital from septic shock.

June 10 and 11 in the native city of the boxer Louisville funerals were held with lowered flags.

TSN Prospor talks about the dark days in the career of a great boxer.

Great boxer Muhammad Ali, who passed away on the night of June 3-4, was an incredibly strong athlete.

During his career he has spent 61 duel, 56 of which he won. A lot is said about Mohammed's victories, but almost nothing is remembered about the defeats.

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TSN Prosport I decided to fill this gap and tell you in what battles the legendary Ali lost to his rivals.

Ali met with an American Joe Frazier as part of the fight for the title of world champion according to the WBC and WBA World. This meeting ended with the defeat of Mohammed by unanimous decision in a 15-round fight.

Read also:

In the fight for the title of champion according to the NABF version, Ali met with an American Ken Norton and lost to an opponent by a split decision in a 12-round fight. Boxers met twice more and both times Mohammed was stronger.

Read also:

WBC and WBA World title fight against another American Leon Spinks also ended in defeat. Ali lost to his opponent by split decision in a 15-round fight. After exactly 7 months, their rematch took place in which Mohammed was already stronger.

Read also:

The fourth defeat in Ali's career was inflicted by an American Larry Holmes in the fight for the title of world champion according to the WBC. The opponent dominated throughout the fight against Ali and won in every round of this fight. Mohammed refused to continue the fight in the 10th round of the 15-rand meeting.

Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, who was hospitalized the day before due to breathing problems, died on Friday in the United States at the age of 74.
Rest in peace old Clay, you were one of the best.

As a child, Cassius Clay had his bicycle stolen. The boy approached the policeman and asked him to find the thief. “And when you find it, I will beat him!” - said Cassius Marcellus Clay. The cop replied that before you beat someone, you need to learn how to do it. Fate or not, that cop worked part-time as a trainer at a teenage boxing club. The very next day, the future legendary fighter Muhammad Ali began boxing. From childhood, he developed boxing strength.
In professional boxing, like many of the American fighters, Muhammad Ali (eng. Muhammad Ali) got after Olympic Games 1960s. There he confidently won in the category up to 81 kg, after which he made his debut as a pro in a fight with Lamar Clark. Ali knocked out the opponent for good - Clark ended his career after this fight.

In February 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay went on title fight against champion Sonny Liston. It was hard for both of them in the ring: Liston's eyebrow was cut open and a hematoma formed, Clay began to have vision problems in the fourth round. But the future Mohammed Ali still won. Cassius Clay became heavyweight champion.

Actually, the name change occurred precisely after receiving the championship belt. Immediately after the fight, Clay had already officially joined the Muslim organization "Nation of Islam" and changed his name to Mohammed Ali.

After that, for another 7 years, Ali continuously won, until in 1971 he met in the ring with Joe Frazier. The match immediately promised to be interesting, because two undefeated champions were behind the ropes. Now one had to lose this title. The battle went on for 15 rounds until Frazier slapped Ali properly, and he stopped "fluttering like a butterfly" and fell. Knockdown. Muhammad Ali lost for the first time

Ali made the decision to leave boxing as early as 1978. For last fight they chose Leon Spinks, the 1976 Olympic champion, as partners. Ali considered Spinks a weak opponent and was careless about the preparation. For which he paid the price - the farewell fight turned into the boxer's third defeat. True, the decision of the judges is still considered controversial, but history is history.
Ali did not want to leave defeated. He demanded a rematch. Spinks agreed to a return fight, for which he was stripped of the title (according to the rules, he first had to fight Ken Norton and defend the belt). Mohammed Ali took revenge and defeated Spinks. After the fight, the legendary boxer announced his retirement from boxing.

However, "retirement" did not work out. For financial reasons, Cassius Clay returned to the ring. He resumed his habit of insulting opponents before a fight. For which he paid: Larry Holmes beat 38-year-old Ali well. That one had excess weight, he moved slowly, but Holmes respected the legendary fighter. Many believe that the knockout did not happen, due to Larry's desire to keep Mohammed at least a little self-confidence. One way or another, the battle was lost. After receiving $ 8 million for participation, Muhammad Ali had another fight with Trevor Berbick. He lost again and left the sport forever.

Ali's biography includes a long period of interaction with the Nation of Islam, an American religious organization. Both his father and boxing mates condemned his participation in it, and WBA President Ed Lassman even wanted to deprive Clay of the champion title. But Ali's popularity kept the belt behind him.

Regardless of religious predilections, Mohammed Ali created a unique fighting style. He moved around the ring on his toes (fluttered!) and evaded the opponent's attacks. It was like a real dance and it was beautiful. Plus on account tall(191 cm) Ali often hit the head from unexpected angles.

Alas, there was also a drawback. Ali paid little attention to protecting the body - over time, opponents learned to use it against him. Speed ​​helped out: Mohammed, being a heavyweight, managed to move around the ring at the level of a boxer with an average weight.

But in addition to physical data, Ali knew how to influence the enemy psychologically. He called the round in which he would lose. Composed offensive poems about his opponent. He knew how to get it - Joe Fraser did not forgive Ali, even after Mohammed was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. They say that a couple of years before Fraser's death, they still reconciled, but according to other sources, Joe did not wait for a real apology.

Ali would have been married four times. They divorced again because of religion: the boxer's mentors from the Nation of Islam were against his marriage to a non-Muslim woman. Ali's last wife was his longtime girlfriend from his hometown of Louisville. And from the third marriage with fashion model Veronica Porsche, Leila Ali was born, who became the world boxing champion, I will follow in my father's footsteps.

On June 3, 2016, the athlete died in a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, where he had been taken two days earlier with a respiratory illness.

Black boxer Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, USA. At birth, he was named Cassius Marcellus Clay. He was not afraid of fights either in childhood or later - wherever they took place, inside the ring or outside it.

During his childhood, Louisville (Kentucky) was not the most rosy place for black residents - Cassius Clay managed to experience racial discrimination and prejudice, which, quite possibly, influenced his passion for boxing.

Appeal to boxing

At the age of 12, the future champion began boxing - this happened thanks to an accident that brought him together with his future trainer Joe Martin. A bicycle was stolen from Cassius Clay - telling Martin, who was also a police officer, about this, he showed a clear desire to teach the thief a lesson with his fists.

Martin asked if the guy could fight. Cassius replied that no, but he would still fight. To this, the coach advised him to first come to the gym and learn. So he set foot on the road that led him to the role of one of the most famous and recognizable boxers in the history of this sport.

Clay began to train under Martin and soon became involved in fights. He won his first amateur fight in 1954 by decision of the judges. In 1956, he won the Golden Glove tournament among beginners in light heavyweight.

Olympic gold

In 1960, Cassius Clay won the competition of the Athletic Amateur Union and received an invitation to the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games. With his height of about 1.9 m, he was a very imposing figure in the ring.

Ali has already begun to develop his own style - he seemed to "dance" around the enemy with his hands down, provoking him to powerful blows, from which the boxer himself successfully evaded.

After winning the Olympics, he returned home with a gold medal. The boxer wore it everywhere without taking it off, but his pride in his achievement soon wavered when he tried to visit a whites-only restaurant.

The restaurant staff refused to serve him, even hanging around his neck, as usual, a golden Olympic medal did not change the situation. This incident made a very strong impression on Clay - according to his brother Rahman, he was so upset that he went to the bridge over the Ohio River and threw the medal into the water. However, this was not the end of the story of the man who would soon take the name Muhammad Ali. The biography of "The Greatest" was just beginning.

Professional sports

Shortly after winning the Games, he signed a contract with managers, which were 11 partners, who also took on the costs of flights and training for the athlete.

The first debut of the young champion in professional sports took place on October 29, 1960, against Tanny Hunsaker, whom he confidently defeated. After the fight, Clay participated for some time in Archie Moore's training camp, but they could not find a common language, and the young boxer returned to Louisville.

In addition, Clay, in addition to his own fighting style, formed another defining feature - his language. Boasting, jokes, outright insults towards opponents served as part of the show and helped him to be a very bright and eye-catching personality.

From this point of view, Clay was an excellent publicist for himself - he worked on this no less than Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum cares about the "economic miracle" of Dubai.

In the meantime, a coach was found for him - the choice of managers fell on Angelo Dundee. Dundee was not just a good specialist and one of the best in the treatment of wounds during the battle - he also managed to find the right approach to Clay without trying to change his manner of communication, control or forbid anything.

The first fight under the leadership of Dundee took place at Clay with Herb Seeler. Next was Tony Esperti, after him - the Swedish champion Ingemar Johansson. He often referred to himself as "The Great", and his way of praising himself and bullying his opponents was as unorthodox as his fighting style.

Clay entered the ring against more and more serious opponents until he eventually faced Sonny Liston. The then world heavyweight champion, Liston received his title in September 1962.

The fight between him and Clay (as well as the interviews that preceded it, which both gave during the break between the official announcement and entering the ring) was bright and spectacular. Cassius, in his usual manner, applied psychological pressure to Liston immediately after the fight was officially announced. As a result, at the age of 22, after a tough fight, Clay became the heavyweight champion of the world.

"Nation of Islam"

It was after the fight with Liston that the boxer officially announced his entry into the Nation of Islam, a religious and nationalist organization in the United States, whose main goal is to improve the spiritual, social and economic situation of African Americans in the States and around the world. The second and most famous name - Muhammad Ali - the leader of the organization, Elijah Muhammad, gave Clay two weeks after joining, in accordance with tradition.

This act of the boxer caused a violent and negative public reaction. WBA President Ed Lassman even tried to strip the champion of his title, although he failed. His fellow boxers Louis and Patterson also reacted ambiguously to the act, the latter generally considered the Nation of Islam to be an anti-American organization. Ali answered him in his own way, promising to "play" with him for 10 rounds, and then beat him.

Division of the "Nation" and the choice of champion

At that time, the leader of the association was Elijah Muhammad, the second person after him was Malcolm Ex, a former radical fighter for the rights of blacks, at that time a very influential member of the organization and a fairly close friend of Ali.

Such an abundance of the names of the Prophet is no accident: they were very popular in the organization, just as they are popular among Muslims around the world both now and in the past. The name of the Prophet was borne by the Khedive of Egypt in the 19th century, an Irish scholar and public figure by the name of Mokri, the current Emir of Dubai, Mohammed al Maktoum.

After Ax's travels in Africa and the Middle East, his views began to diverge from that of Elijah, so in March 1964 he was forcibly excommunicated from The Nation. In this regard, Ali was forced to make a choice between him and Elijah - in the end, he chose the second.

Floyd Patterson

After the second fight with Liston, which took place in 1965 and also ended in Clay's victory, he simply did not have any serious rivals. So he went on vacation - a world tour.

After returning, there was a fight between Ali and his childhood idol, Floyd Patterson. In full accordance with the promise, Muhammad spent eleven rounds, not allowing his opponent to do anything serious, but he himself did not deliver decisive blows.

Only in the twelfth round did he begin to box in full force, as a result of which the referee stopped the fight, and another victory appeared in the champion's track record.

However, trouble was already brewing for the man known as Muhammad Ali. The biography of the boxer contains a three-year break in his career and the deprivation of him of all won titles.

Rejection of the army

In August 1966, the Nation of Islam hired a lawyer to help the champion get out of military duty. A few years earlier, he had already received a summons, but was declared "unfit" because he did not pass the IQ tests. On this occasion, Ali joked during an interview: "I'm the greatest, not the smartest."

However, this situation could not remain - even if the commission did not recognize the boxer as fit for war, he could be used for auxiliary work, and he also did not want this.

In April 1967, the boxer officially refused military service, and the court, held in June 1967, found him guilty. He was stripped of his title and the right to speak in the ring.

Break and new beginning

The boxer himself explained his refusal with religious beliefs. The "Nation of Islam" did not welcome the war, naturally, Muhammad Ali could not go to serve either. Quotes from his interview with Esquire magazine during this period clearly indicate that he was contemplating retiring from boxing and changing careers.

During the forced break, the champion managed to play in a Broadway musical, star in documentary, sell the rights to use his name in a hamburger advertisement and try himself as a public speaker - many universities invited him to lecture for a fee.

In June 1971, the US Supreme Court ruled favorably in Ali's case. He was acquitted and restored in all rights, he could again enter the ring and travel around the planet. Lawyers succeeded in restoring his license, and the championship title began in the second round.

Personal life

The famous boxer was married four times, as a result of these marriages, seven daughters and four sons were born. Muhammad Ali's first wife, the waitress Sonji Roy, was not a Muslim, and under the influence of the Nation of Islam, their relationship ended in divorce (January 1966).

Already in August 1967, Ali married Belinda Boyle, who, unlike her first wife, converted to Islam and the name of Khalil Ali. In this marriage, 4 children were born - three daughters and one son. Their relationship, however, began to deteriorate. In 1977, Mohammed divorced Khalila, after which he married Veronica Porsche, with whom he had an affair during their marriage. From this connection, two daughters were born, but in 1986 they divorced.

The boxer's attitude towards women was very conservative - Muhammad Ali himself spoke about this. Quotes from his numerous interviews create the image of his woman as a beautiful, elegant lady. Cassius himself believed that a woman should not work - she should take care of the children, the house, be beautiful for her husband.

In 1986, Ali married his childhood friend Yolanthe Williams, with whom he still lives. They have no children of their own, but the couple adopted a boy, five-year-old Asaad Amin. In addition to those already mentioned, the boxer has two more illegitimate daughters.

On the Walk of Fame there is his star - the first and so far the only one installed on a vertical surface, more precisely, on the wall of the Kodak Theater. So Muhammad Ali himself asked - the Prophet and his name should not be under the feet of passers-by. He himself did nothing to diminish the dignity of the Muslim spiritual leader:

• Muhammad Ali suffered from a fear of flying. When he flew to the Olympics for the second time, he bought a parachute and spent the entire flight in it.
• After his debut fight with Ronnie O'Keefe, Clay took training very seriously. He preferred to run to school instead of taking the bus, did not drink, did not smoke, and became a supporter of a healthy diet.
• At the end of school, Ali received only a certificate of attendance, but not a diploma, which was issued in case of successful graduation from an educational institution. He had problems with reading until the end of his life.
• Throughout his career, the boxer finished 37 fights ahead of schedule - 12 of them were clean knockouts and 25 were technical.
• In the second round in a duel against Ken Norton, the opponent broke his jaw, but he refused to stop the fight and boxed all 12 rounds with a broken one.
• His fight with George Foreman was the first heavyweight title fight in history to take place on the African continent.
• The third fight between Muhammad Ali and Frazier went down in history as one of the toughest and greatest fights in the heavyweight division. It lasted 14 rounds and is known as the "Thriller in Manila".

Here he is, the legendary boxer!

In Rome (Italy), Cassius Clay, under his own name, became the light heavyweight champion of the Olympic Games. After that, he turned pro.

In 1963, Cassius Clay defeated Doug Jones. The fight received the status of "fight of the year" according to the magazine "Ring"

In 1964, Cassius Clay received his first title as a result of a fight with Sonny Liston, defeating him by technical knockout in the seventh round. In the same year, Clay converted to Islam and changed his name to Mohammed Ali.

On May 25, 1965, a second duel took place between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, in which Ali again won.

In 1966-1967, the boxer defended his title against Brian London, Karl Mildenberger, Cleveland Williams, Ernie Terrell and Zora Folly.

In 1967, during the Vietnam War, Muhammad Ali was drafted into the US Army, but refused to participate in the war. His title was annulled, and the boxer himself was sentenced to five years for evading service. At this time, Ali was banned from boxing. In 1970, the US Supreme Court overturned the verdict, and the boxer returned to the ring.

In March 1971, Muhammad Ali entered the ring for the first time against Joe Frazier. This fight was subsequently named "fight of the year" according to the magazine "Ring". In the 15th round, Ali was knocked down, and after the end of the fight, the judges came to the conclusion that he had lost the fight. It was Ali's first loss in his career.

In 1974, the second duel took place between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Ali won this fight, winning him on points.

On October 30, 1974, the fight for the world title took place between George Foreman, the reigning champion, and challenger Muhammad Ali. Experts consider this fight as "the greatest and unforgettable". It was won by Ali, becoming the champion.

On October 1, 1975, Ali had another fight, which also remained forever in the history of world boxing. They became a duel in which Muhammad Ali met Joe Frazier for the third time and again defeated him.

In 1976, Muhammad Ali successfully defended titles against Jean-Pierre Koopman, Jimmy Young and Richard Dunn. In 1977 he defeated Alfredo Evangelista and Ernie Shavers.

In 1978, Muhammad Ali decided to end his boxing career. Chosen for the final battle Olympic champion 1976 Leon Spinks, whom Ali lost to. The fight received the status of "Fight of the Year" according to the magazine "Ring".

Ali challenged Leon Spinks to a rematch, which took place on September 15, 1978. This time, Ali won by unanimous decision. Then he retired from boxing. Due to financial difficulties, he soon had to enter the ring again. But only to lose two fights - one in October 1980 against Larry Holmes and the second against Trevor Berbick in December 1981. After that, Ali finally retired from boxing.

Soon the athlete was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

In 1990, Ali was elected to the National Boxing Hall of Fame. In 1996, he carried the torch at the Atlanta Summer Olympics.

Muhammad Ali - Olympic champion in 1960, absolute world heavyweight champion (1964-1966, 1974-1978), world heavyweight champion according to WBC (1974-1978), WBA (1967, 1974-1978, 1978). The Ring magazine named him "Boxer of the Year" five times (1963, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978) and, in addition, "Boxer of the Decade" (1970s). In 1999, Sports Illustrated and the BBC named Ali