Mohammad Ali: "If My Mind Can Conceive It and My Heart Ca Believe It-Then I Can Achieve It"

Mohammad Ali
“If my mind can conceive it and my heart ca believe it—then I can achieve it”
Who Was Muhammad Ali?
Born as Cassius Clay, He is a boxer, a philanthropist and a social activist. Ali was
universally recognized as the 20th Century's greatest athlete. In 1960 Ali was an Olympic gold
medalist, and in 1964 he became world champion of heavyweight boxing.
Ali was married four times and had nine children, including two children he fathered
outside of marriage.
Ali reclaimed the heavyweight title two more times during the 1970s, winning famed
bouts against Joe Frazier and George Foreman along the way. Diagnosed with Parkinson's
disease in 1984, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy, earning the Presidential Medal of
Freedom in 2005. Ali died on June 3, 2016.
Muhammad Ali’s Record

Muhammad Ali had a career record of 56 wins, five losses and 37 knockouts before his
retirement from boxing in 1981 at the age of 39.
Death
Muhammad Ali passed away on June 3, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona, after being
hospitalized for what was reportedly a respiratory issue. The boxing legend had been suffering
from Parkinson’s disease and had in recent years undergone surgery for spinal stenosis. In early
2015, the athlete battled pneumonia and was hospitalized for a severe urinary tract infection.
Fights
Often referring to himself as "the greatest," Ali was not afraid to sing his own praises. He
was known for boasting about his skills before a fight and for his colorful descriptions and
phrases.
After winning gold at the 1960 Olympics, Ali took out British heavyweight champion
Henry Cooper in 1963. He then knocked out Sonny Liston in 1964 to become the heavyweight
champion of the world.
In 1971, Muhammad Ali took on Joe Frazier in what has been called the "Fight of the
Century." Frazier and Ali went toe-to-toe for 14 rounds before Frazier dropped Ali with a vicious
left hook in the 15th. Ali recovered quickly, but the judges awarded the decision to Frazier,
handing Ali his first professional loss after 31 wins. After suffering a loss to Ken Norton, Ali
beat Frazier in a 1974 rematch.
Losses
1. March 8, 1971: 15-round unanimous-decision pts loss v Joe Frazier (WBA/WBC world
heavyweight titles; Madison Square Garden, New York)
Dubbed the ‘Fight of the Century’, two undefeated fighters clashed for the heavyweight
title for the first time as both men lay claim to the crown of undisputed champion.
2. March 31, 1973: 12-round split-decision loss v Ken Norton (NABF heavyweight title;
Sports Arena, San Diego)
A broken jaw was Ali’s reward, believed to be caused by a Norton right hand in the
second round. Ali heroically managed to last the distance but Norton took control in the last
round of a close fight to claim a shock win.
3. February 15, 1978: 15-round split-decision loss v Leon Spinks (WBA/WBC
heavyweight titles Las Vegas
An Olympic gold medalist at the 1976 Montreal Games, Spinks (another ex-Marine) took
on Ali for the world title in his eighth pro fight – a then record – becoming the only challenger to
take the title off Ali in the ring. Spinks trained judiciously, while Ali reportedly sparred less than
two dozen rounds according to his biographer Thomas Hauser.
4. October 2, 1980: Retired after 10 rds v Larry Holmes (WBC world heavyweight title;
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas)
Already showing obvious signs of Parkinson’s – clearly visible in the ESPN ‘30 for 30’
documentary ‘Muhammad and Larry’ - Ali was somehow licensed to fight in a tragic effort to
become a four-time champion, earning a reported career-best $8million purse to fight his former
sparring partner and friend Holmes.
5. December 11, 1981: 10-round unanimous-decision points loss v Trevor Berbick (non-
title fight; Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, Nassau, Bahamas)
By the time of this fight, even the US boxing commissions wouldn’t licence Ali, whose
medical condition was worse than ‘shot’. The Bahamas tax haven of Nassau complied, however,
for a shambles of a bout and promotion where undercard fighters shared gloves and a cowbell
was hastily produced to signal the beginning and end of rounds.
Prepared by:
Panela, El Dave G.
BSRM 2-1

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Mohammad Ali

Who Was Muhammad Ali?

Muhammad Ali’s Record

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