Top 10 Facts
Muhammad Ali
1. He Was Afraid Of Flying.
2. The gloves he wore to defeat Liston earned him more money than the victory itself.
he sold his gloves for 1.1 million.
3.Ali has Irish roots.
4. Ali was banned from boxing for three years.
"No, I am not going ten thousand miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over."
5.Ali starred in a Broadway musical.
6. Ali married 4 times
Veronica Porche (June 1977-January 1986, divorced)
Kalilah Tolona (Belinda Boyd) (August 1967-January 1977, divorced)
Sonji Roi (August 1964-January 1966, divorced)
7. A red-and-white Schwinn bicycle launched his boxing career.
at a young age, ali's red schwinn was stolen from him and when filing a police report he vowed to beat up the culprit. The police officer advised him he should learn to fight first, so he picked up boxing.
8. Before becoming known as Muhammad Ali, he changed his name to Cassius X
Born Cassius Clay, at the age of 22 he won the world heavyweight championship in 1964 from Sonny Liston in a stunning upset. Shortly after that bout, Ali joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name. He converted to Sunni Islam in 1975.
9. He’s An Active philanthropist
In his retirement, Ali has devoted much of his time to philanthropy. He announced that he has Parkinson's disease in 1984, a degenerative neurological condition, and has been involved in raising funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Over the years, Ali has also supported the Special Olympics and the Make a Wish Foundation among other organizations.