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Who is Muhammad Ali?
Muhammad Ali is a professional boxer, activist, and philanthropist. Muhammad Ali was a heavyweight boxer who was regarded as one of the greatest in the world at the time. Furthermore, he is widely recognized as a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
The boxer was well-liked by the general public. He enjoyed meeting his fans and hearing how he had influenced or helped them overcome their anxieties or insecurities.
Early Years, Family, And Education
Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky to Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. and Odessa Lee Clay.
Ali’s father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, was named after abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay.
Ali’s father worked as a sign painter and his mother as a domestic worker.
Rahman Ali, the activist’s brother, is also an activist. His brother and he both went to Central High School.
Cassius Jr. was dyslexic, which meant he had trouble reading and writing.
Ali grew up in a racist and segregated environment. Because of his skin hue, he was not allowed to drink water as a child.
When Ali was just 12 years old, a police officer named Joe Martin, who was also a boxing coach, saw his potential and offered to teach him the sport.
He didn’t like it at first, but he finally changed his mind and was trained by Fred Stoner, to whom he attributes his stamina and style.
He also won six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, two National Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union National Title, and a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.
Height, Weight, and Age
Muhammad Ali was 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed around 107 kg.
At the time of his death, he was 74 years old.
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Facts of Muhammad Ali
Full Name | Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr |
Birth Date | January 17, 1942 |
Birth Place | Louisville, Kentucky, US |
Death Date | June 3, 2016 |
Death Place | Scottsdale, Arizona, US |
Nick Name | The Greatest |
Religion | Islam |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Mixed |
Education | Central High School |
Mother’s Name | Odessa Lee Clay |
Father’s Name | Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. |
Horoscope | Capricorn |
Siblings | Rahman Ali |
Age (At the time of death) | 80 Years Old |
Height | 6 ft 3 in |
Weight | 107 kg |
Hair Color | Black |
Eye Color | Black |
Build | Athletic |
Profession | Boxer, Activist, Philanthropist |
Marital Status | Married |
Wife | Yolanda Williams |
Kids | Nine |
Salary | Not Available |
Net Worth | $50 million |
Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
Merch | Posters, Book, Autographs |
Last Update | April 2022 |
Salary And Net Worth
At the time of his death in 2016, Muhammad Ali had a net worth of $50 million.
He was one of the highest-paid athletes in the world at the time. While fighting, he made a lot of money; his maximum pay was $7.9 million, which roughly translates to $22 million in 2020.
He was also a talented singer, having gotten two Grammy nominations.
In addition, he had made cameos and appearances in films, as well as starred in his own biopic. Ali also self-published two autobiographies.
In addition, he has had a rapping career that has been quite successful. He is well-liked in the hip-hop community and has influenced a number of well-known rappers, including LL Cool J, Jay Z, Eminem, Diddy, and others.
Career as a Professional Boxer
The boxer returned to his hometown after his Olympic victory in Rome to begin his professional boxing career.
Not to add that he was exceptional at what he did; the athlete went three years undefeated and won the majority of his contests by knockout.
Ali was also well-known for his trash-talking in the ring. He also had a knack for predicting when his opponent would give up around, and he was usually correct.
He even fought a heavyweight champion, becoming the youngest boxer in history to do so.
When he converted to Islam in 1964, the activist changed his name from Cassius Jr. to Muhammad.
He declined to fight in the Vietnam War and condemned it because of his Islamic faith. He was caught right away, accused of draft-dodging, and his championship title was removed from him.
Muhammad was later found guilty by the court and faced conviction. After four years, he took his case to the Supreme Court, which overturned the conviction.
Several civil rights groups recognized and appreciated his case and bravery. The courageous combatant received the Martin Luther King Award.
A few months later, in Madison Square Garden, the undefeated player faced another undefeated player, Joe Frazier. The contest was extremely popular and, indeed, lived up to its moniker, but Ali was unable to win.
Despite this, he fought Frazier twice more, and to everyone’s amazement, he defeated the undefeated and won the heavyweight championship.
Marriages and Children
Muhammad Ali had four marriages under his belt. He is the father of nine children, seven daughters, and two sons.
Roi Sonji
Roi, the cocktail waitress, was introduced to the boxer by a mutual friend.
He was so enamored with her attractiveness that he asked her to marry him on their first date. In 1964, the couple married a month later.
Things swiftly deteriorated when she refused to adhere to Islamic norms and clothing requirements.
They began to fight practically often and eventually divorced in 1996. According to Ali, she wore lipstick, provocative clothing, and went to a bar, all of which were inappropriate.
Furthermore, he wrote her a note that read, “You swapped heaven for hell, sweetie.” During their marriage, the couple did not have any children.
Belinda Boyd
He married Belinda, who was born into a family that had converted to Islam, after his divorce.
Ali was the mother of four children, three daughters, and a son.
Their first child, Maryum “May May” Ali, was born in 1968; they then had twins Jamillah and Rasheda in 1970, and Ali Jr. in 1972.
Aside from that, he has a daughter named Khalila Ali, whom he had an adulterous romance with when she was 16 years old and converted to Aisha Ali.
He finally married her, despite the fact that it was never legally recognized.
He also had another daughter, Miya Ali, from a previous adulterous affair with Patricia Harvell.
Veronica Porché
While she was pregnant with his second child, the boxer married her. Hana Ali, born in 1976, and Laila Ali, born in 1977, are his two daughters. They split up in 1986.
Laila Ali went on to become a professional boxer, which her father initially despised, claiming that “women are not supposed to be hit in the breast, and the face, that’s it,” but subsequently changed his mind.
He even expressed regret to his daughter for his remarks.
Yolanda “Lonnie” Williams
In 1986, the father of nine married Lonnie Ali, a long-time acquaintance, and his last wife. Asaad Amin, a five-month-old infant boy, was adopted by the couple.
Death
In 1984, at the age of 42, the heavyweight boxer was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
He suffered from tremors, rigidity, delayed movement in general, and the difficulty to maintain his posture or balance as a result of his disease. Despite this, he battled the sickness like the warrior he is.
However, on June 4, 2016, the benefactor died of a septic shock that proved fatal, and he was 74 years old at the time.
His funeral was watched by over a billion people throughout the world, and he has nine children to carry on his legacy.
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Social Media Presence
Muhammad is on Instagram, with almost 4 million followers.
The account pays tribute to the legend boxer and activist.
It contains several photos of him boxing, saying motivational quotes, and giving activism speeches.
His account beams motivation and hard work, and the result it can provide.
The athlete is also on Twitter, with over 870 thousand followers.
Well-known celebrities, including The Rock, a former wrestler, and TV personality, Ellen DeGeneres, follow him.