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Mohamed Naeem Rahim is a citizen of Afghanistan who was held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camp, in Cuba.^[1] His Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 1104.^[2] The Department of Defense reports he was born in Ghazni. Guantanamo counter-terrorism analysts provided a date of birth, or an estimated year of birth for almost all the detainees. Mohamed Rahim is one of the few for whom there is no indication of his age.

Mohamed Rahim v. George W. Bush[link]

The unclassified dossier from Mohamed Rahim's Combatant Status Review Tribunal was released when his lawyers tried to submit a writ of habeas corpus on his behalf.^[3] The dossier was 17 pages long.

Legal Sufficiency Review[link]

Mohamed Rahim's Legal Sufficiency Review memo was part of the unclassified dossier.^[4] His Legal Sufficiency Review was drafted by Commander Karen N. Gibbs, an Assistant Legal Advisor to the Tribunals. Her memo recorded that Mohamed Rahim was going to attend his Tribunal, but changed his mind one hour before the Tribunal convened. Her memo dismissed marginal notations the intelligence analysts had left on the classified documents they sent to the Tribunal.

Most of her memo addressed the propriety of deeming three of the witness Mohamed Rahim requested as "not relevant", and dismissing the testimony of his boss, Mohammed Ibrahim, as not reasonably available. About Ibrahim she wrote:

"The Tribunal deemed relevant the proffered testimony of Mohammed Ibrahim, whom the detainee stated worked at the same company that bought and transported goods, which would support the detainee's case. The CSRT determined that the witness was relevant, and forwarded a request to produce the witness to Afghanistan through the U.S. Department of State. However, the Afghani government failed to respond to the initial request of 9 Nov 04, and to the follow-up requests of 22 and 30 November 04, to produce the requested witness."

Combatant Status Review Tribunal Decision Report Cover Sheet[link]

Mohamed Rahim's Combatant Status Review Tribunal Decision Report Cover Sheet records that his Tribunal was Tribunal panel 19, and that it convened on 2 December 2004.^[5]

Unclassified Summary of basis for Tribunal decision[link]

The Unclassified Summary of basis for Tribunal decision stated he changed his mind "just prior" and "moments prior" to the Tribunal convening, because he was ill.^[6] The Tribunal's President ruled that Mohamed Rahim had "knowingly declined" to attend his Tribunal. During a recess Mohamed Rahim's Personal Representative contacted the camp's Senior Medical Officer, who stated he had a medical examination on 10 November 2004, and he had no chronic medical conditions which would have precluded him attending his Tribunal.

The four witnesses he requested were:

The Tribunal based its decision on classified documents.

Combatant Status Review

Rahim's Personal Representative told his Tribunal that, after explaining the Tribunal process to him, Rahim told him that he did not understand the Tribunal process.^[10] But he agreed to answer some questions.

The recorder requested the Tribunal enter a closed session, to present some classified evidence. Following the closed session the Tribunal's President "was convinced Detainee was aware of his rights and had an understanding of the Tribunal Process."

The Tribunal proceeded without the presence of Rahim.

Summary of Evidence memo[link]

The Summary of Evidence memo prepared for Mohammed Rahim's Combatant Status Review Tribunal listed the following allegations against him^[11]:

The Detainee was a member of the Taliban:

1. The detainee was the chief of logistics for a company providing support directly to the Taliban government.
2. The detainee worked for the Taliban Intelligence Office.
3. The detainee controlled a large weapons cache including 122MM rockets, 11MM Artillery rounds and 140MM rockets.

Tribunal President's identity[link]

The identity of the officers who served on the Tribunals was supposed to be kept secret. But the redaction of secret material in Mohamed Rahim's transcript left the name of his Tribunal's President, Colonel Sharon D. Allen, of the United States Army in the clear.

[edit] Administrative Review Board

Detainees whose Combatant Status Review Tribunal labeled them "enemy combatants" were scheduled for annual Administrative Review Board hearings. These hearings were designed to assess the threat a detainee might pose if released or transferred, and whether there were other factors that warranted his continued detention.^[12]

Rahim chose to participate in his Administrative Review Board hearing.^[13]

First annual Administrative Review Board hearing[link]

A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for his first annual Administrative Review Board, on 8 August 2005.^[14] It listed the following factors for and against his continued detention:

The following primary factors favor continued detention

a. Commitment

1. The detainee claims he has four years of military service and was a Mujahedin foot soldier operating out of his home village.
2. The detainee was Chief of Logistics for a Cooperative Logistics Company located in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Taliban government owned the company and it was closely affiliated with Taliban intelligence. The company provided logistical support directly to the Taliban government.
3. The detainee was responsible for purchasing items as directed by Mohammad Ibrahim.
4. Mohammad Ibrahim worked for Taliban Central Intelligence.^[15]
5. After the detainee purchased the items he would resell them to company employees at a higher rate. The profits would then be deposited into Taliban controlled accounts.
6. The detainee was captured at his home with an AK-47 and Taliban related documents. These documents have been reported as financial records indicating large money transactions with a group called the "Afghan Islamic Movement".
7. The detainee was controlling a large cache, located in a nearby school, which contained 68 x 122 mm rockets; 1218 x 76 mm AT and HE rounds; 54 x 122 mm artillery rounds; 82 x 76 MNTN gun rounds; 44 x 100 mm tank rounds; 8 x mortar rounds; and 35 x 140 mm rockets.
8. The detainee kept the records for documentation of where money and supplies went in case of inquiry by the new government. He said he worked there for about 30 months until the day the Taliban fell from power.

b. Connections/Associations

1. Mullah Abrahim was appointed by an al Qaida Intelligence member, Mullah Wasiq, as the Deputy Minister of Intelligence.
2. Mullah Wasiq reported to Mullah Qari Ahmedullah, who ultimately reported to Mullah Omar.
3. Ammadullah was the Chief of Intelligence and he reported to the Deputy Chief of Security Services Mullah Omar in Kabul, Afghanistan.
4. The detainee is identifiable as a former companion of Bin Ladin during the jihad against the Russians. He was among a group protecting Bin Ladin at his last meeting at Tora Bora.
5. The detainee was entrusted by Bin Ladin to exfiltrate his guard forces from Afghanistan back to their countries of origin. Bin Ladin and his companions spent the night in a house belonging to an Afghan acquaintance of the detainee.
6. The detainee attended a meeting of Taliban members in Zabul Province, Afghanistan. Reports indicate that additional Taliban groups were formed and given commanders.
7. The detainee commanded one of the newly formed Taliban groups, which was composed of approximately 13 Taliban soldiers. His group is assessed to have possessed numerous weapons.
8. The detainee attempted to align himself with other Taliban to continue the anti-United States/Coalition Campaign.

c. Other Relevant Data

1. The detainee attempted to export gems from Afghanistan to Germany in order to raise revenue to finance al Qaida.
2. The detainee stated that the Taliban leaders from Pakistan gave him several satellite phones with long-range capability.
3. Reporting indicates that Taliban leaders planned to hold another meeting in March 2003 to form more groups and assign commanders to those groups. The additional groups were to be assigned tasks and given their agenda.
4. Taliban members were armed with mines when they traveled to the meetings.
5. According to a Foreign Government Service, members of the Afghan Islamic Movement were trained at Usama Bin Ladin's Khaldan Training Camp during period 1996-2001.
6. The Khaldan Camp was used to train Mujahedin and consisted of tunnels to house soldiers and supplies. The students at the camp were Arabs undergoing small arms training.

The following primary factors favor release or transfer

a. The detainee stated he did not even know the weapons were there. He then related the weapons belonged to the district and the district commissioner. He continued to deny that he owned even one bullet from the weapons cache.

b. The detainee denied any knowledge of the weapons in the schoolhouse in his town and blamed unknown enemies for saying they were his.

c. The detainee again denied that he was continuing to serve as a logistics officer for the Taliban and assisting them in obtaining weapons and supplies.

d. The detainee denied the allegation that he was continuing to run the cooperative for the Taliban by brokering deals for supplies and money into Afghanistan.

e. The detainee denied being part of the Taliban and said he did not like them and was forced to work for them. He denied any association with the "Afghan Islamic Movement" and that he was unaware of any such organization.

Second annual Administrative Review Board hearing[link]

A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for his second annual Administrative Review Board, on 11 August 2006.^[16] It listed the following allegations for and against his continued detention.

The following primary factors favor continued detention

a. Commitment

1. The detainee worked as a Mujahedin foot soldier from 1985 to 1989.

2. The cooperative logistics company the detainee worked at in Kabul, Afghanistan, was owned by the Taliban government and was closely associated with Taliban Intelligence. The company provided logistical support directly to the Taliban government. The detainee held the title of Chief of Logistics and there were approximately nine employees working in the Kabul office, including the detainee.

3. The detainee was responsible for purchasing items as directed by Mohammad Ibrahim. Ibrahim would have a list of items to purchase and would present the list to the detainee.

4. Mohammad Ibrahim was the Divisional Commander of the Logistic Division under the Taliban Ministry of Intelligence.

5. The detainee worked with an employee of the company who had authority to write checks for the company. The employee also worked directly for the Taliban Inteliigence in Kabul, Afghanistan.

6. The detainee said the records found in his possession, which detailed purchases, acquisitions, distribution of food supplies, warehouse information and distribution of money were records he kept when he worked for the Taliban as Chief of Cooperative Development. The detainee said he was responsible for these records and took them home after the fall of the Taliban so that he would never be accused of embezzling or misspending money.

7. The detainee attempted to export gems from Afghanistan to Germany. The revenue was to be used to finance al Qaida.

b. Connections/Associations

1. The detainee was a former companion of Usama bin Laden during the jihad against the Russians and was among a group protecting Usama bin Laden at his last meeting at Tora Bora.

2. The detainee was entrusted by Usama Bin Laden to exfiltrate his guard forces from Afghanistan back to their countries of origin. Shortly before Usama bin Laden's departure from Tora Bora on 16 January 2002, Usama bin Laden and his companions spent the night in a house belonging to an Afghan, an acquaintance of the detainee.

3. Near the end of February 2003, Taliban leaders held a meeting at a nomad camp site in the mountains between the town of Daychopan, Zabul Province, Afghanistan and Mian Hasheen. The meeting was attended by the detainee, referred to as Mullah Mohammad Rahim. Three new groups were formed and each group was assigned a commander during the meeting. One group was surprised of 13 Taliban soldiers and was commandeded by the detainee. The detainee's group had an unknown number of RPGs and AK-47 assault rifles.

4. Taliban members were armed with mines when they traveled to the meetings.

5. The detainee attempted to align himself with other Taliban to continue the anti-United States/Coalition/Islamic Transitional Government of Afghanistan campaign.

c. Other Relevant Data

The detainee stated that leaders from Quetta, Pakistan gave him several satellite phones with long-range capabilities.

The following primary factors favor release or transfer

a. The detainee stated that he has lived his whole life in the same house. Other than one trip to Pakistan during the jihad against Russia [sic], the year of travel unknown, the detainee stated that he has not traveled outside of his village.

b. The detainee stated that he has never purchased any weapons for himself or anyone else.

c. The detainee denies having any weapons other than the one Kalishnakov [sic] that was seized from his house. The detainee claimed that the Kalishnakov was the property of the government and legally in the possession of his brother from whom it was seized. His brother had the weapon because of his service as a soldier for the city. The Karzai government had said they would give 200 United States Dollars to those in Afghanistan who turned in their weapons to the government and the detainee's brother had planned to turn the Kalashnikov in and collet the 200 United States Dollars.

d.The detainee denied knowing any locations of weapons caches and/or Taliban or al Qaida personalities.

e. The detainee stated that his office did not have access to telephone lines and that he was not equipped with radios. The detainee stated that the Taliban used radios, but that his office did not have communications equipment.

f. The detainee gave a detailed account of extortion Taliban officials used against their employees and Taliban Intelligence officials that worked in the logistics office.

g. The detainee stated that he does not know anything about al Qaida.

Transcript[link]

There is no record that Mohamed Rahim chose to participate in his second Administrative Review Board hearing.

Repatriation[link]

Carol Rosenberg, writing in the Miami Herald reported that Mohamed Rahim [sic] was one of twelve men transferred from Guantanamo on December 19, 2009.^[17]

The other eleven men were: Ayman Batarfi, Jamal Alawi Mari, Farouq Ali Ahmed, Muhammaed Yasir Ahmed Taher, Fayad Yahya Ahmed al Rami, Riyad Atiq Ali Abdu al Haf, Abdul Hafiz, Sharifullah, Mohammed Hashim and Ismael Arale and Mohamed Suleiman Barre.^[17] Abdul Hafiz, Sharifullah and Mohammed Hashim were also Afghans. Asmael Arale was the other Somali. The other six men were Yemenis.

References[link]

Muhammad Ali
Ali in 1967
Statistics
Nickname(s)	The Greatest The People's Champion The Louisville Lip
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Reach	80 in (203 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	(1942-01-17) January 17, 1942 (age 70) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	61
Wins	56
Wins by KO	37
Losses	5
Draws	0
No contests	0
Medal record Men's boxing Competitor for the USA Summer Olympics Gold 1960 Rome Light heavyweight

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; January 17, 1942) is an American former professional boxer,^[1] philanthropist^[2] and social activist.^[2] Considered a cultural icon, Ali was both idolized and vilified.^[3][4]

Originally known as Cassius Clay, Ali changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964, subsequently converting to Sunni Islam in 1975, and more recently practicing Sufism.^{[clarification needed][5]} In 1967, three years after Ali had won the World Heavyweight Championship, he was publicly vilified for his refusal to be conscripted into the U.S. military, based on his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. Ali stated, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong... No Viet Cong ever called me nigger" – one of the more telling remarks of the era.^[6]

Widespread protests against the Vietnam War had not yet begun, but with that one phrase, Ali articulated the reason to oppose the war for a generation of young Americans, and his words served as a touchstone for the racial and antiwar upheavals that would rock the 1960s. Ali's example inspired Martin Luther King Jr. – who had been reluctant to alienate the Johnson Administration and its support of the civil rights agenda – to voice his own opposition to the war for the first time.^[7]

Ali was eventually arrested and found guilty on draft evasion charges; he was stripped of his boxing title, and his boxing license was suspended. He was not imprisoned, but did not fight again for nearly four years while his appeal worked its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was eventually successful.

Ali would go on to become the first and only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion.

Nicknamed "The Greatest," Ali was involved in several historic boxing matches.^[8] Notable among these were three with rival Joe Frazier, which are considered among the greatest in boxing history, and one with George Foreman, where he finally regained his stripped titles seven years later. Ali was well known for his unorthodox fighting style, which he described as "float[ing] like a butterfly, sting[ing] like a bee", and employing techniques such as the Ali Shuffle and the rope-a-dope.^[9] Ali had brought beauty and grace to the most uncompromising of sports and through the wonderful excesses of skill and character, he had become the most famous athlete in the world.^[10] He was also known for his pre-match hype, where he would "trash talk" opponents, often with rhymes.

In 1999, Ali was crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and "Sports Personality of the Century" by the BBC.^[11][12]

Biography[link]

Amateur career and Olympic gold[link]

Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky.^[13] The younger of two boys, he was named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., who was named after the 19th century abolitionist and politician of the same name. His father painted billboards and signs,^[13] and his mother, Odessa O'Grady Clay, was a household domestic. Although Cassius Sr. was a Methodist, he allowed Odessa to bring up both Cassius and his elder brother Rudolph "Rudy" Clay (later renamed Rahman Ali) as Baptists.^[14] He is a descendant of pre-Civil War era American slaves in the American South, and is predominantly of African-American descent, with some Irish ancestry.^[15]

Clay was first directed toward boxing by the white Louisville police officer and boxing coach Joe E. Martin,^[16] who encountered the 12-year-old fuming over a thief taking his bicycle. He told the officer he was going to "whup" the thief. The officer told him he better learn how to box first.^[17] For the last four years of Clay's amateur career he was trained by legendary boxing cutman Chuck Bodak.^[18]

Clay won six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, two national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union National Title, and the Light Heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.^[19][20] Clay's amateur record was 100 wins with five losses.

Ali states in his 1975 autobiography that he threw his Olympic gold medal into the Ohio River after being refused service at a 'whites-only' restaurant, and fighting with a white gang.^[21] Whether this is true is still debated, although he was given a replacement medal at a basketball intermission during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where he lit the torch to start the games.

Early professional career[link]

After his Olympic triumph, Clay returned to Louisville to begin his professional career. There, on October 29, 1960, he won his first professional fight, a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker, who was the police chief of Fayetteville, West Virginia.

Standing at 6'3" (1.91 m), Clay had a highly unorthodox style for a heavyweight boxer. Rather than the normal style of carrying the hands high to defend the face, he instead relied on foot speed and quickness to avoid punches, and carried his hands low.

From 1960 to 1963, the young fighter amassed a record of 19–0, with 15 knockouts. He defeated boxers such as Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, Lamar Clark (who had won his previous 40 bouts by knockout), Doug Jones and Henry Cooper.

Clay built a reputation by correctly predicting the round in which he would "finish" several opponents, and by boasting before his triumphs.^[13] Clay admitted he adopted the latter practice from "Gorgeous" George Wagner, a popular professional wrestling champion in the Los Angeles area who drew thousands of fans.^[13] Often referred to as "the man you loved to hate," George could incite the crowd with a few heated remarks, and Clay followed suit.

Among Clay's victims were Sonny Banks (who knocked him down during the bout), Alejandro Lavorante, and the aged Archie Moore (a boxing legend who had fought over 200 previous fights, and who had been Clay's trainer prior to Angelo Dundee). Clay had considered continuing using Moore as a trainer following the bout, but Moore had insisted that the cocky "Louisville Lip" perform training camp chores such as sweeping and dishwashing. He considered having his idol, Sugar Ray Robinson, as a manager, but instead hired Dundee.

Clay first met Dundee on February 19, 1957 when the latter was in Louisville the day before a fight with light heavyweight champ Willie Pastrano.^[22] The teenaged Golden Gloves winner traveled downtown to the fighter's hotel, called Dundee from the house phone, and was asked up to their room. He took advantage of the opportunity to query Dundee (who had worked with champions Sugar Ramos and Carmen Basilio) about what his fighters ate, how long they slept, how much roadwork (jogging) they did, and how long they sparred.

Following his bout with Moore, Clay won a disputed 10-round decision over Doug Jones in a matchup that was named "Fight of the Year" for 1963. Clay's next fight was against Henry Cooper, who knocked Clay down with a left hook near the end of the fourth round. The fight was stopped in the fifth due to deep cuts over Cooper's eyes.

Despite these close calls, Clay became the top contender for Sonny Liston's title. However, although he had an impressive record, he was not widely expected to defeat the champ. The fight was scheduled for February 25, 1964 in Miami, Florida, but was nearly canceled when the promoter, Bill Faversham, heard that Clay had been seen around Miami and in other cities with the controversial Malcolm X, a member of Nation of Islam. Because of this, news of this association was perceived as a potential gate-killer to a bout which, given Liston's overwhelming status as the favorite to win (7–1 odds),^[23] had Clay's colorful persona and nonstop braggadocio as its sole appeal.

Faversham confronted Clay about his association with Malcolm X (who, at the time, was actually under suspension by the Nation as a result of controversial comments made in the wake of President Kennedy's assassination). While stopping short of admitting he was a member of the Nation, Clay protested the suggested cancellation of the fight. As a compromise, Faversham asked the fighter to delay his announcement about his conversion to Islam until after the fight. The incident is described in the 1975 book The Greatest: My Own Story by Ali (with Richard Durham).

During the weigh-in on the day before the bout, the ever-boastful Clay, who frequently taunted Liston during the buildup by dubbing him "the big ugly bear" (among other things), declared that he would "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee," and, summarizing his strategy for avoiding Liston's assaults, said, "Your hands can't hit what your eyes can't see."

First title fight and aftermath[link]

At the pre-fight weigh-in, Clay's pulse rate was around 120, more than double his norm of 54.^[24] Liston, among others, misread this as nervousness. In the opening rounds, Clay's speed kept him away from Liston's powerful head and body shots, as he used his height advantage to beat Liston to the punch with his own lightning-quick jab.^[24]

By the third round, Clay was ahead on points and had opened a cut under Liston's eye.^[24] Liston regained some ground in the fourth, as Clay was blinded by a substance in his eyes.^[24] It is unconfirmed whether this was something used to close Liston's cuts, or deliberately applied to Liston's gloves;^[24] however, Bert Sugar has claimed that "in two of his previous fights, Liston's opponents had complained about their eyes 'burning,'"^[25] suggesting the possibility that the Liston corner deliberately attempted to cheat.

Liston began the fourth round looking to put away the challenger. As Clay struggled to recover his vision, he sought to escape Liston's offensive. He was able to keep out of range until his sweat and tears rinsed the substance from his eyes, responding with a flurry of combinations near the end of the fifth round. By the sixth, he was looking for a finish and dominated Liston. Then, Liston shocked the boxing world when he failed to answer the bell for the seventh round, stating he had a shoulder injury. At the end of the fight, Clay boasted to the press that doubted him before the match, proclaiming, "I shook up the world!"

When Clay beat Liston, he was the youngest boxer (age 22) ever to take the title from a reigning heavyweight champion, a mark that stood until Mike Tyson won the title (age 20) from Trevor Berbick on November 22, 1986. At the time, Floyd Patterson (dethroned by Liston) had been the youngest heavyweight champ ever (age 21), but he won the title during an elimination tournament following Rocky Marciano's retirement by defeating Archie Moore, the light-heavyweight champion at the time.

In the rematch with Liston, which was held in May 1965 in Lewiston, Maine, Ali (who had by then publicly converted to Islam and changed his name) won by knockout in the first round as a result of what came to be called the "phantom punch." Many believe that Liston, possibly as a result of threats from Nation of Islam extremists, or in an attempt to "throw" the fight to pay off debts, waited to be counted out (see Muhammad Ali versus Sonny Liston). Others, however, discount both scenarios and insist that it was a quick, chopping Ali punch to the side of the head that legitimately felled Liston. Ali was declared the winner after 1 minute and 52 seconds.^[26]

Early title defenses[link]

On November 22, 1965, Ali fought Floyd Patterson in his second title defense. Patterson lost by TKO at the end of the 12th round. As would later occur with Ernie Terrell, many sportswriters accused Ali of "carrying" Patterson so that he could physically punish him without knocking him out. Ali countered that Patterson, who said his punching prowess was limited when he strained his sacroiliac, was not as easy to down as may have appeared. During the fight Ali called out "What's my name?" to Patterson, a gesture he would later repeat during the Terrell fight.

Ali was scheduled to fight WBA champion Ernie Terrell (the WBA stripped Ali of his title after his agreement to fight a rematch with Liston) on March 29, 1966, but the llinois Athletic Commission wouldn't approve the Terrell fight unless Ali went to Chicago and apologized for his remarks about the war.^[27] The fight destination continued to change venues and ultimately was delayed. Ali won a 15-round decision against substitute opponent George Chuvalo. He then went to England and defeated Henry Cooper by stoppage on cuts May 21, and knocked out Brian London in the third round in August. Ali's next defense was against German southpaw Karl Mildenberger, the first German to fight for the title since Max Schmeling. In one of the tougher fights of his life, Ali stopped his opponent in round 12.

Ali returned to the United States in November 1966 to fight Cleveland Williams in the Houston Astrodome. According to the Sports Illustrated account, the bout drew an indoor world record 35,460 fight fans. A year and a half before the fight, Williams had been shot in the stomach at point-blank range by a Texas policeman. As a result, Williams went into the fight missing one kidney and 10 feet (3.0 m) of his small intestine, and with a shriveled left leg from nerve damage from the bullet that was still lodged in his body. Ali beat Williams in three rounds. Bert Sugar wrote that it had been Ali's greatest performance in the ring.^[28]

On February 6, 1967, Ali returned to a Houston boxing ring to fight Terrell in what is regarded as one of the uglier fights in boxing. Terrell angered Ali by calling him Clay, and the champion vowed to punish him for this insult. During the fight, Ali kept shouting at his opponent, "What's my name, Uncle Tom ... What's my name?" Terrell suffered 15 rounds of brutal punishment, losing 13 rounds on two judges' scorecards, but Ali did not knock him out. Analysts, including several who spoke to ESPN on the sports channel's "Ali Rap" special, speculated that the fight continued only because Ali wanted to thoroughly punish and humiliate Terrell. After the fight, Tex Maule wrote, "It was a wonderful demonstration of boxing skill and a barbarous display of cruelty." When asked about this during a replay of the fight on ABC's popular "Wide World of Sports" by host Howard Cosell, Ali said he was not unduly cruel to Terrell- boxers are paid to punch their opponents into submission or defeat. He pointed out that if he had not hit and hurt Terrell, Terrell would have hit and hurt him, which is standard practice. Cosell's repeated reference to the topic surprised Ali. Following his final defense against Zora Folley in March 1967, Ali was stripped of his title the following month for refusing to be drafted into the Army^[13] and had his professional boxing license suspended.

Conversion to the Nation of Islam[link]

Ali at an address by Elijah Muhammad

After winning the championship from Liston in 1964, Clay revealed that he was a member of the Nation of Islam (often called the Black Muslims at the time) and the Nation gave Clay the name Cassius X, discarding his surname as a symbol of his ancestors' enslavement, as had been done by other Nation members. On Friday, March 6, 1964, Malcolm X took Clay on a guided tour of the UN building (for a second time). Malcolm X announced that Clay would be granted his "X." That same night, Elijah Muhammad recorded a statement over the phone to be played over the radio that Clay would be renamed Muhammad (one who is worthy of praise) Ali (fourth rightly guided caliph). Only a few journalists (most notably Howard Cosell) accepted it at that time. Venerable boxing announcer Don Dunphy addressed the champion by his adopted name, as did British reporters. The adoption of this name symbolized his new identity as a member of the Nation of Islam.

Many sportswriters of the early 1960s reported^[where?] that it was Ali's brother, Rudy Clay, who converted to Islam first (estimating the date as 1961). Others wrote^[where?] that Clay had been seen at Muslim rallies a few years before he fought Liston. Ali's own version^[where?] is that he would sneak into Nation of Islam meetings through the back door roughly three years before he fought Sonny Liston.

Aligning himself with the Nation of Islam made him a lightning rod for controversy, turning the outspoken but popular champion into one of that era's most recognizable and controversial figures. Appearing at rallies with Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad and declaring his allegiance to him at a time when mainstream America viewed them with suspicion—if not outright hostility—made Ali a target of outrage, as well as suspicion. Ali seemed at times to provoke such reactions, with viewpoints that wavered from support for civil rights to outright support of separatism. For example, Ali once stated, in relation to integration: "We who follow the teachings of Elijah Muhammad don't want to be forced to integrate. Integration is wrong. We don't want to live with the white man; that's all."^[29] And in relation to inter-racial marriage: "No intelligent black man or black woman in his or her right black mind wants white boys and white girls coming to their homes to marry their black sons and daughters."^[29] Indeed, Ali's religious beliefs at the time included the notion that the white man was "the devil" and that white people were not "righteous." Ali claimed that white people hated black people.

Ali converted from the Nation of Islam sect to mainstream Sunni Islam in 1975. In a 2004 autobiography, written with daughter Hana Yasmeen Ali, Muhammad Ali attributes his conversion to the shift toward Sunni Islam made by Warith Deen Muhammad after he gained control of the Nation of Islam upon the death of Elijah Muhammad in 1975. Later in 2005 he embraced spiritual practices of Sufism.^[30]

Vietnam War[link]

In 1964, Ali failed the U.S. Armed Forces qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were sub-par. However, in early 1966, the tests were revised and Ali was reclassified as 1A.^[13] This classification meant he was now eligible for the draft and induction into the U.S. Army during a time when the United States was involved in the Vietnam War. When notified of this status, he declared that he would refuse to serve in the United States Army and publicly considered himself a conscientious objector.^[13] Ali stated that "War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an. I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers." He famously said in 1966: "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong... They never called me nigger." Rare for a heavyweight boxing champion in those days, Ali spoke at Howard University, where he gave his popular "Black Is Best" speech to 4,000 cheering students and community intellectuals after he was invited to speak by sociology professor, Nathan Hare, on behalf of the Black Power Committee, a student protest group.^[31][32]

Appearing shortly thereafter for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28, 1967 in Houston, he refused three times to step forward at the call of his name. An officer warned him he was committing a felony punishable by five years in prison and a fine of $10,000. Once more, Ali refused to budge when his name was called. As a result, he was arrested and on the same day the New York State Athletic Commission suspended his boxing license and stripped him of his title. Other boxing commissions followed suit. Ali would not be able to obtain a license to box in any state for over three years.^[33]

At the trial on June 20, 1967, after only 21 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Ali guilty.^[13] After a Court of Appeals upheld the conviction, the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court. During this time, the public began turning against the war and support for Ali began to grow. Ali supported himself by speaking at colleges and universities across the country, where opposition to the war was especially strong. On June 28, 1971, the Supreme Court reversed his conviction for refusing induction by unanimous decision in Clay v. United States.^[13] The decision was not based on, nor did it address, the merits of Clay's/Ali's claims per se; rather, the Government's failure to specify which claims were rejected and which were sustained, constituted the grounds upon which the Court reversed the conviction.^[34]

Quotes about Vietnam war[link]

The Fight of the Century[link]

In 1970, while his case was still on appeal, Ali was allowed to fight again. On August 12, 1970, with the help of Leroy R. Johnson, a Georgia State Senator, he was granted a license to box by the City of Atlanta Athletic Commission.^[37] In Atlanta on October 26, 1970, he stopped Jerry Quarry on a cut after three rounds. Shortly after the Quarry fight, the New York State Supreme Court ruled that Ali had been unjustly denied a boxing license. Once again able to fight in New York, he fought Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden in December 1970. After a tough 14 rounds, Ali stopped Bonavena in the 15th, paving the way for a title fight against Joe Frazier, who was himself undefeated.

Ali and Frazier met in the ring on March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden. The fight, known as "The Fight of the Century," was one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts of all time and remains one of the most famous. It featured two skilled, undefeated fighters, both of whom had legitimate claims to the heavyweight crown. Frank Sinatra—unable to acquire a ringside seat—took photos of the match for Life magazine. Legendary boxing announcer Don Dunphy and actor and boxing aficionado Burt Lancaster called the action for the broadcast, which reached millions of people. The fight lived up to the hype, and Frazier punctuated his victory by flooring Ali with a hard, leaping left hook in the 15th and final round. Frazier retained the title on a unanimous decision, dealing Ali his first professional loss.

Ali rebounded with six victories in 1972, notching wins over Floyd Patterson and Jerry Quarry. In 1972 Muhammad Ali won six boxing matches including one over light-heavyweight champion of the world Bob Foster.

In 1973, Ali fought Ken Norton, who had broken Ali's jaw and won by split decision over 12 rounds in their first bout in 1972. Ali won the rematch, by split decision, on September 10, 1973, which set up Ali-Frazier II, a nontitle rematch with Joe Frazier, who had already lost his title to George Foreman. The bout was held on January 28, 1974, with Ali winning a unanimous 12-round decision.

The Rumble in the Jungle[link]

In one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, Ali regained his title on October 30, 1974 by defeating champion George Foreman in their bout in Kinshasa, Zaire. Hyped as "The Rumble in the Jungle", the fight was promoted by Don King.

Almost no one, not even Ali's long-time supporter Howard Cosell, gave the former champion a chance of winning. Analysts pointed out that Joe Frazier and Ken Norton had given Ali four tough battles in the ring and won two of them, while Foreman had knocked out both of them in the second round. As a matter of fact, so total was the domination that, in their bout, Foreman had knocked down Frazier an incredible six times in only four minutes and 25 seconds.

During the bout, Ali employed an unexpected strategy. Leading up to the fight, he had declared he was going to "dance" and use his speed to keep away from Foreman and outbox him. However, in the first round, Ali headed straight for the champion and began scoring with a right hand lead, clearly surprising Foreman. Ali caught Foreman nine times in the first round with this technique, but failed to knock him out. He then decided to take advantage of the young champion's weakness: staying power. Foreman had won 37 of his 40 bouts by knockout, mostly within three rounds. Eight of his previous bouts did not go past the second round. Ali saw an opportunity to outlast Foreman, and capitalized on it.

In the second round, the challenger retreated to the ropes—inviting Foreman to hit him, while counterpunching and verbally taunting the younger man. Ali's plan was to enrage Foreman and absorb his best blows to exhaust him mentally and physically. While Foreman threw wide shots to Ali's body, Ali countered with stinging straight punches to Foreman's head. Foreman threw hundreds of punches in seven rounds, but with decreasing technique and potency. Ali leaned on the ropes while covering up his body as Foreman threw punches that were deflected and didn't land squarely. The technique was later termed "The Rope-A-Dope".

By the end of the seventh round, Foreman was exhausted. In the eighth, Ali dropped Foreman with a combination at center ring and Foreman failed to make the count. Against the odds, Ali had regained the title.

The "Rumble in the Jungle" was the subject of a 1996 Academy Award winning documentary film, When We Were Kings. The fight and the events leading up to it are extensively depicted in both John Herzfeld's 1997 docudrama Don King: Only in America and Michael Mann's 2001 docudrama, Ali.

The Thrilla in Manila[link]

In March 1975, Ali faced Chuck Wepner in a bout that inspired the original Rocky. While it was largely thought that Ali would dominate, Wepner surprised everyone by not only knocking Ali down in the ninth round, but nearly going the distance. Ali eventually stopped Wepner in the fading minutes of the 15th round. Following a title defense with Ron Lyle, in July Ali faced Joe Bugner, winning a 15 round decision.

On October 1, 1975, Ali fought Joe Frazier for the third time.^[13] Taking place in the Philippines, the bout was promoted as the Thrilla in Manila^[13] by Don King, who had ascended to prominence following the Ali-Foreman fight. The anticipation was enormous for this final clash between two great heavyweights. Ali believed Frazier was "over the hill" by that point. Ali's frequent insults, slurs and demeaning poems increased the anticipation and excitement for the fight, but enraged a determined Frazier. Regarding the fight, Ali famously remarked, "It will be a killa... and a chilla... and a thrilla... when I get the gorilla in Manila."

The fight lasted 14 grueling rounds in temperatures approaching 100 °F (38 °C). Ali won many of the early rounds, but Frazier staged a comeback in the middle rounds, while Ali lay on the ropes. By the late rounds, however, Ali regained control and the fight was stopped when Frazier was unable to answer the bell for the 15th and final round (his eyes were swollen shut). Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, refused to allow Frazier to continue.

Subsequent bouts and retirement[link]

Ali being interviewed by WBAL-TV's Curt Anderson, 1978, Baltimore, Maryland

In February 1976, Ali easily beat Jean-Pierre Coopman. In April 1976, he defeated Jimmy Young and then Richard Dunn the following month, which would turn out to be Ali's last knockout victory.

Following that fight, he staged an exhibition match with professional wrestler and martial artist Antonio Inoki.^[38] Although widely perceived as a publicity stunt, the match against Inoki would have a long-term detrimental effect on Ali's mobility. Inoki spent much of the fight on the ground trying to damage Ali’s legs, while Ali spent most of the fight dodging the kicks or staying on the ropes.^[39] At the end of 15 rounds, the bout was called a draw. Ali's legs, however, were bleeding, leading to an infection. He suffered two blood clots in his legs as well.^[38]

In September 1976, at Yankee Stadium, Ali faced Ken Norton in their third fight, with Ali winning a close but unanimous 15-round decision. Soon after the fight, Ali temporarily quit boxing to spread the faith of Islam.^[40]

In May 1977, Ali defended his title against Alfredo Evangelista. In September of that year he faced a battering 15 rounds with Earnie Shavers. Fight doctor Ferdie Pacheco left Ali's camp following the Shavers fight after being rebuffed for advising Ali to retire.

In February 1978, Ali lost the heavyweight title to 1976 Olympic Light-Heavyweight Champion Leon Spinks. On September 15, 1978, Ali fought a rematch in the New Orleans Louisiana Superdome against Spinks for the WBA version of the Heavyweight title, winning it for a record third time. Ali retired following this victory on June 27, 1979, but returned in 1980 to face current champion Larry Holmes in an attempt to win a heavyweight title an unprecedented four times. Angelo Dundee refused to let his man come out for the 11th round, in what became Ali's only loss by anything other than a decision. The fight has been cited as a contributing factor in Ali's development of Parkinson's Disease.^[41] Ali's final fight, a loss by unanimous decision after 10 rounds, was to up-and-coming challenger Trevor Berbick in 1981.

Ali's legacy[link]

Muhammad Ali defeated every top heavyweight in his era, which has been called the golden age of heavyweight boxing. Ali was named "Fighter of the Year" by Ring Magazine more times than any other fighter, and was involved in more Ring Magazine "Fight of the Year" bouts than any other fighter. He is an inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and holds wins over seven other Hall of Fame inductees. He is one of only three boxers to be named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated.

In 1978, three years before Ali's permanent retirement, the Board of Aldermen in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, voted 6–5 to rename Walnut Street to Muhammad Ali Boulevard. This was controversial at the time, as within a week 12 of the 70 street signs were stolen. Earlier that year, a committee of the Jefferson County Public Schools considered renaming Central High School in his honor, but the motion failed to pass. At any rate, in time, Muhammad Ali Boulevard—and Ali himself—came to be well accepted in his hometown.^[42]

In 1993, the Associated Press reported that Ali was tied with Babe Ruth as the most recognized athlete, out of over 800 dead or alive athletes, in America. The study found that over 97% of Americans over 12 years of age identified both Ali and Ruth.^[43]

He was the recipient of the 1997 Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

In retirement[link]

Muhammad Ali in retirement

Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome in 1984,^[44][45] a disease to which those subject to severe head trauma, such as boxers, are many times more susceptible than average.^[46] Despite the disability, he remains a beloved and active public figure. In 1985, he served as a guest referee at the inaugural WrestleMania event.^[47][48] In 1987 he was selected by the California Bicentennial Foundation for the U.S. Constitution to personify the vitality of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights in various high profile activities. Ali rode on a float at the 1988 Tournament of Roses Parade, launching the U.S. Constitution's 200th birthday commemoration. He published an oral history, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times by Thomas Hauser, in 1991. That same year Ali traveled to Iraq during the Gulf War and met with Saddam Hussein in an attempt to negotiate the release of American hostages.^[49] Ali received a Spirit of America Award calling him the most recognized American in the world. In 1996, he had the honor of lighting the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Muhammad Ali Center, alongside Interstate 64 on Louisville's riverfront

He appeared at the 1998 AFL (Australian Football League) Grand Final, where Anthony Pratt invited him to watch the game. He greets runners at the start line of the Los Angeles Marathon every year. Since 1994, Ali has hosted an annual charity event in Phoenix, Arizona called "Celebrity Fight Night", which has raised more than $70 million for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center and other charities.^[50]

In 1999, the BBC produced a special version of its annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award ceremony, and Ali was voted their Sports Personality of the Century,^[51] receiving more votes than the other four contenders combined. His daughter Laila Ali became a boxer in 1999,^[52] despite her father's earlier comments against female boxing in 1978: "Women are not made to be hit in the breast, and face like that... the body's not made to be punched right here [patting his chest]. Get hit in the breast... hard... and all that."^[53]

On September 13, 1999, Ali was named "Kentucky Athlete of the Century" by the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies at the Galt House East.^[54]

Ali's Presidential Medal of Freedom on display at the Ali Center

In 2001, a biographical film, entitled Ali, was made, directed by Michael Mann, with Will Smith starring as Ali. The film received mixed reviews, with the positives generally attributed to the acting, as Smith and supporting actor Jon Voight earned Academy Award nominations. Prior to making the Ali movie, Will Smith had continually rejected the role of Ali until Muhammad Ali personally requested that he accept the role. According to Smith, the first thing Ali said about the subject to him was: "Man, you're almost pretty enough to play me."^[55]

On November 17, 2002, Muhammad Ali went to Afghanistan as "U.N. Messenger of Peace".^[56] He was in Kabul for a three-day goodwill mission as a special guest of the UN.^[57]

On January 8, 2005, Muhammad Ali was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President George W. Bush.

He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony on November 9, 2005,^[58][59] and the "Otto Hahn Peace Medal in Gold" of the UN Association of Germany (DGVN) in Berlin for his work with the US civil rights movement and the United Nations (December 17, 2005).

As Mrs. Lonnie Ali looks on, President George W. Bush embraces Muhammad Ali after presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 9, 2005, during ceremonies at the White House.

On November 19, 2005 (Ali's 19th wedding anniversary), the $60 million non-profit Muhammad Ali Center opened in downtown Louisville. In addition to displaying his boxing memorabilia, the center focuses on core themes of peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal growth.

According to the Ali Center website, "Since he retired from boxing, Ali has devoted himself to humanitarian endeavors around the globe. He is a devout Muslim, and travels the world over, lending his name and presence to hunger and poverty relief, supporting education efforts of all kinds, promoting adoption and encouraging people to respect and better understand one another. It is estimated that he has helped to provide more than 22 million meals to feed the hungry. Ali travels, on average, more than 200 days per year."

At the FedEx Orange Bowl on January 2, 2007, Ali was an honorary captain for the Louisville Cardinals wearing their white jersey, number 19. Ali was accompanied by golf legend Arnold Palmer, who was the honorary captain for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade.

A youth club in Ali's hometown and a species of rose (Rosa ali) have been named after him. On June 5, 2007, he received an honorary doctorate of humanities at Princeton University's 260th graduation ceremony.^[60]

Ali lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with his fourth wife, Yolanda "Lonnie" Ali.^[61] They own a house in Berrien Springs, Michigan, which is for sale. On January 9, 2007, they purchased a house in eastern Jefferson County, Kentucky for $1,875,000.^[62] Lonnie converted to Islam from Catholicism in her late 20s.^[63]

On August 17, 2009, it was voted unanimously by the town council of Ennis, Co Clare, Ireland to make Ali the first Freeman of Ennis. Ennis was the birthplace of Ali's great grandfather before he emigrated to the U.S. in the 1860s, before eventually settling in Kentucky.^[64] On September 1, 2009, Ali visited the town of Ennis and at a civic reception he received the honour of the freedom of the town.^[65]

Ranking in heavyweight history[link]

Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves are preserved in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History

Ali is generally considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time by boxing commentators and historians. Ring Magazine, a prominent boxing magazine, named him number 1 in a 1998 ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras.^[66]

Ali was named the second greatest fighter in boxing history by ESPN.com behind only welterweight and middleweight great Sugar Ray Robinson.^[67] In December 2007, ESPN listed Ali second in its choice of the greatest heavyweights of all time, behind Joe Louis.^[68]

The Associated Press voted Ali the No. 1 heavyweight of the 20th century in 1999.^[69]

Personal life[link]

Muhammad Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons. Ali met his first wife, cocktail waitress Sonji Roi, approximately one month before they married on August 14, 1964.^{[citation needed]} Roi's objections to certain Muslim customs in regard to dress for women contributed to the breakup of their marriage. They divorced on January 10, 1966.

On August 17, 1967, Ali married Belinda Boyd. After the wedding, she, like Ali, converted to Islam and more recently to Sufism,^[70] changed her name to Khalilah Ali, though she was still called Belinda by old friends and family. They had four children: Maryum (b. 1968), Jamillah and Rasheda (b. 1970), and Muhammad Ali Jr. (b. 1972).^[71] Maryam has a career as an author and rapper.^[72]

In 1975, Ali began an affair with Veronica Porsche, an actress and model. By the summer of 1977, Ali's second marriage was over and he had married Veronica.^[73] At the time of their marriage, they had a baby girl, Hana, and Veronica was pregnant with their second child. Their second daughter, Laila, was born in December 1977. By 1986, Ali and Veronica were divorced.

On November 19, 1986, Ali married Yolanda ("Lonnie") Williams. They had been friends since 1964 in Louisville. They have one son, Asaad Amin, who they adopted when Amin was five.^{[71][74][75][76][77]}

Ali was a resident of Cherry Hill, New Jersey in the early 1970s.^[78] Ali has two other daughters, Miya and Khaliah, from extramarital relationships.^[71][79]

In the media and popular culture[link]

As a world champion boxer and social activist, Ali has been the subject of numerous books, films and other creative works. In 1963, he released an album of spoken word on Columbia Records titled I am the Greatest! He has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated on 37 different occasions, second only to Michael Jordan.^[80] He appeared in the documentary film Black Rodeo (1972) riding both a horse and a bull. His autobiography The Greatest: My Own Story, written with Richard Durham, was published in 1975.^[81] In 1977 the book was adapted into a film called The Greatest, in which Ali played himself and Ernest Borgnine played Angelo Dundee. When We Were Kings, a 1996 documentary about the Rumble in the Jungle, won an Academy Award,^[82] and the 2001 biopic Ali garnered an Oscar nomination for Will Smith's portrayal of the lead role.^[83]

For contributions to the entertainment industry, Ali was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.^[84]

The Muhammad Ali Effect[link]

The Muhammad Ali Effect is a term used in psychology that was named after him when he stated, "I only said I was the greatest, not the smartest" in his autobiography The Greatest: My Own Story.^[81] According to this effect, when people are asked to rate their intelligence and moral behavior in comparison to others, people will rate themselves as more moral, but not more intelligent than others.^[85][86]

Professional boxing record[link]

56 Wins (37 knockouts, 19 decisions), 5 Losses (4 decisions, 1 TKO), 0 Draws[1]
Res.	Opponent	Type	Round, Time	Date	Age	Location	Notes
Loss	Trevor Berbick	Decision (unanimous)	10 (10)	01981-12-11December 11, 1981	&1000000000000003900000039 years, &10000000000000328000000328 days	Nassau, Bahamas	"Drama in the Bahamas"[87]
Loss	Larry Holmes	TKO (Corner Stoppage)	10 (15)	01980-10-02October 2, 1980	&1000000000000003800000038 years, &10000000000000259000000259 days	Las Vegas, NV	Lost The Ring World Heavyweight title. For WBC World Heavyweight title.
Win	Leon Spinks	Decision (unanimous)	15 (15)	01978-09-15September 15, 1978	&1000000000000003600000036 years, &10000000000000241000000241 days	New Orleans, LA	Won The Ring & WBA World Heavyweight titles; Vacated WBA title on 1979-09-06.
Loss	Leon Spinks	Decision (split)	15 (15)	01978-02-15February 15, 1978	&1000000000000003600000036 years, &1000000000000002900000029 days	Las Vegas, NV	Lost The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Earnie Shavers	Decision (unanimous)	15 (15)	01977-09-29September 29, 1977	&1000000000000003500000035 years, &10000000000000255000000255 days	New York City	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Alfredo Evangelista	Decision (unanimous)	15 (15)	01977-05-16May 16, 1977	&1000000000000003500000035 years, &10000000000000119000000119 days	Landover, MD	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Ken Norton	Decision (unanimous)	15 (15)	01976-09-28September 28, 1976	&1000000000000003400000034 years, &10000000000000255000000255 days	The Bronx, New York	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Richard Dunn	TKO	5 (15)	01976-05-24May 24, 1976	&1000000000000003400000034 years, &10000000000000128000000128 days	Munich, West Germany	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Jimmy Young	Decision (unanimous)	15 (15)	01976-04-30April 30, 1976	&1000000000000003400000034 years, &10000000000000104000000104 days	Landover, MD	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Jean-Pierre Coopman	KO	5 (15)	01976-02-20February 20, 1976	&1000000000000003400000034 years, &1000000000000003400000034 days	San Juan, Puerto Rico	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Joe Frazier	TKO	14 (15), 0:59	01975-10-01October 1, 1975	&1000000000000003300000033 years, &10000000000000257000000257 days	Quezon City, Philippines	"The Thrilla in Manila"; Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Joe Bugner	Decision (unanimous)	15 (15)	01975-06-30June 30, 1975	&1000000000000003300000033 years, &10000000000000164000000164 days	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Ron Lyle	TKO	11 (15)	01975-05-16May 16, 1975	&1000000000000003300000033 years, &10000000000000119000000119 days	Las Vegas, NV	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Chuck Wepner	TKO	15 (15), 2:41	01975-03-24March 24, 1975	&1000000000000003300000033 years, &1000000000000006600000066 days	Richfield, OH	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	George Foreman	KO	8 (15), 2:58	01974-10-30October 30, 1974	&1000000000000003200000032 years, &10000000000000286000000286 days	Kinshasa, Zaire	"The Rumble in the Jungle"; Won The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Joe Frazier	Decision (unanimous)	12 (12)	01974-01-28January 28, 1974	&1000000000000003200000032 years, &1000000000000001100000011 days	New York City, NY	Retained NABF Heavyweight title; Vacated title later in 1974.
Win	Rudi Lubbers	Decision (unanimous)	12 (12)	01973-10-20October 20, 1973	&1000000000000003100000031 years, &10000000000000276000000276 days	Jakarta, Indonesia
Win	Ken Norton	Decision (split)	12 (12)	01973-09-10September 10, 1973	&1000000000000003100000031 years, &10000000000000236000000236 days	Inglewood, CA	Won NABF Heavyweight title.
Loss	Ken Norton	Decision (split)	12 (12)	01973-03-31March 31, 1973	&1000000000000003100000031 years, &1000000000000007300000073 days	San Diego, CA	Lost NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	Joe Bugner	Decision (unanimous)	12 (12)	01973-02-14February 14, 1973	&1000000000000003100000031 years, &1000000000000002800000028 days	Las Vegas, NV
Win	Bob Foster	KO	7 (12)	01972-11-21November 21, 1972	&1000000000000003000000030 years, &10000000000000309000000309 days	Stateline, NV	Retained NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	Floyd Patterson	TKO	7 (12)	01972-09-20September 20, 1972	&1000000000000003000000030 years, &10000000000000247000000247 days	New York City, NY	Retained NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	Alvin Lewis	TKO	11 (12), 1:15	01972-07-19July 19, 1972	&1000000000000003000000030 years, &10000000000000184000000184 days	Dublin, Ireland
Win	Jerry Quarry	TKO	7 (12), 0:19	01972-06-27June 27, 1972	&1000000000000003000000030 years, &10000000000000162000000162 days	Las Vegas, NV	Retained NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	George Chuvalo	Decision (unanimous)	12 (12)	01972-05-01May 1, 1972	&1000000000000003000000030 years, &10000000000000105000000105 days	Vancouver, Canada	Retained NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	Mac Foster	Decision (unanimous)	15 (15)	01972-04-01April 1, 1972	&1000000000000003000000030 years, &1000000000000007500000075 days	Tokyo, Japan
Win	Jürgen Blin	KO	7 (12), 2:12	01971-12-26December 26, 1971	&1000000000000002900000029 years, &10000000000000343000000343 days	Zurich, Switzerland
Win	Buster Mathis	Decision (unanimous)	12 (12)	01971-11-17November 17, 1971	&1000000000000002900000029 years, &10000000000000304000000304 days	Houston, TX	Retained NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	Jimmy Ellis	TKO	12 (12), 2:10	01971-07-26July 26, 1971	&1000000000000002900000029 years, &10000000000000190000000190 days	Houston, TX	Won vacant NABF Heavyweight title.
Loss	Joe Frazier	Decision (unanimous)	15 (15)	01971-03-08March 8, 1971	&1000000000000002900000029 years, &1000000000000005000000050 days	New York City, NY	"The Fight of the Century"; Lost The Ring World Heavyweight title. For WBA & WBC World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Oscar Bonavena	TKO	15 (15), 2:03	01970-12-07December 7, 1970	&1000000000000002800000028 years, &10000000000000324000000324 days	New York City, NY	Retained The Ring World Heavyweight title.
Win	Jerry Quarry	TKO	3 (15)	01970-10-26October 26, 1970	&1000000000000002800000028 years, &10000000000000282000000282 days	Atlanta, GA	Retained The Ring World Heavyweight title.
Win	Zora Folley	KO	7 (15), 1:48	01967-03-22March 22, 1967	&1000000000000002500000025 years, &1000000000000006400000064 days	New York City, NY	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles; Stripped of titles on 1967-04-28.
Win	Ernie Terrell	Decision (unanimous)	15 (15)	01967-02-06February 6, 1967	&1000000000000002500000025 years, &1000000000000002000000020 days	Houston, TX	Retained The Ring WBC & won WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Cleveland Williams	TKO	3 (15)	01966-11-14November 14, 1966	&1000000000000002400000024 years, &10000000000000301000000301 days	Houston, TX	Retained The Ring & WBC World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Karl Mildenberger	TKO	12 (15)	01966-09-10September 10, 1966	&1000000000000002400000024 years, &10000000000000236000000236 days	Frankfurt, West Germany	Retained The Ring & WBC World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Brian London	KO	3 (15)	01966-08-06August 6, 1966	&1000000000000002400000024 years, &10000000000000201000000201 days	London, England	Retained The Ring & WBC World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Henry Cooper	TKO	6 (15), 1:38	01966-05-21May 21, 1966	&1000000000000002400000024 years, &10000000000000124000000124 days	London, England	Retained The Ring & WBC World Heavyweight titles.
Win	George Chuvalo	Decision (unanimous)	15 (15)	01966-03-29March 29, 1966	&1000000000000002400000024 years, &1000000000000007100000071 days	Toronto, Canada	Retained The Ring & WBC World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Floyd Patterson	TKO	12 (15), 2:18	01965-11-22November 22, 1965	&1000000000000002300000023 years, &10000000000000309000000309 days	Las Vegas, NV	Retained The Ring & WBC World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Sonny Liston	KO	1 (15), 2:12	01965-05-25May 25, 1965	&1000000000000002300000023 years, &10000000000000128000000128 days	Lewiston, ME	Retained The Ring & WBC World Heavyweight titles.
Win	Sonny Liston	TKO	7 (15)	01964-02-25February 25, 1964	&1000000000000002200000022 years, &1000000000000003900000039 days	Miami Beach, FL	Won The Ring, WBA & WBC World Heavyweight titles; Stripped of WBA title on 1964-06-19.
Win	Henry Cooper	TKO	5 (10), 2:15	01963-06-18June 18, 1963	&1000000000000002100000021 years, &10000000000000152000000152 days	London, England
Win	Doug Jones	Decision (unanimous)	10 (10)	01963-03-13March 13, 1963	&1000000000000002100000021 years, &1000000000000005500000055 days	New York City, NY
Win	Charley Powell	KO	3, 2:04	01963-01-24January 24, 1963	&1000000000000002100000021 years, &100000000000000070000007 days	Pittsburgh, PA
Win	Archie Moore	TKO	4 (10), 1:35	01962-11-15November 15, 1962	&1000000000000002000000020 years, &10000000000000302000000302 days	Los Angeles, CA
Win	Alejandro Lavorante	KO	5 (10), 1:48	01962-07-20July 20, 1962	&1000000000000002000000020 years, &10000000000000184000000184 days	Los Angeles, CA
Win	Billy Daniels	TKO	7 (10), 2:21	01962-05-19May 19, 1962	&1000000000000002000000020 years, &10000000000000122000000122 days	New York City, NY
Win	George Logan	TKO	4 (10), 1:34	01962-04-23April 23, 1962	&1000000000000002000000020 years, &1000000000000009600000096 days	New York City, NY
Win	Don Warner	TKO	4, 0:34	01962-03-28March 28, 1962	&1000000000000002000000020 years, &1000000000000007000000070 days	Miami Beach, FL
Win	Sonny Banks	TKO	4 (10), 0:26	01962-02-10February 10, 1962	&1000000000000002000000020 years, &1000000000000002400000024 days	New York City, NY
Win	Willi Besmanoff	TKO	7 (10), 1:55	01961-11-29November 29, 1961	&1000000000000001900000019 years, &10000000000000316000000316 days	Louisville, KY
Win	Alex Miteff	TKO	6 (10), 1:45	01961-10-07October 7, 1961	&1000000000000001900000019 years, &10000000000000263000000263 days	Louisville, KY
Win	Alonzo Johnson	Decision (unanimous)	10 (10)	01961-07-22July 22, 1961	&1000000000000001900000019 years, &10000000000000186000000186 days	Louisville, KY
Win	Duke Sabedong	Decision (unanimous)	10 (10)	01961-06-26June 26, 1961	&1000000000000001900000019 years, &10000000000000160000000160 days	Las Vegas, NV
Win	LaMar Clark	KO	2 (10), 1:27	01961-04-19April 19, 1961	&1000000000000001900000019 years, &1000000000000009200000092 days	Louisville, KY
Win	Donnie Fleeman	TKO	7 (8)	01961-02-21February 21, 1961	&1000000000000001900000019 years, &1000000000000003500000035 days	Miami Beach, FL
Win	Jim Robinson	KO	1 (8), 1:34	01961-02-07February 7, 1961	&1000000000000001900000019 years, &1000000000000002100000021 days	Miami Beach, FL
Win	Tony Esperti	TKO	3 (8), 1:30	01961-01-17January 17, 1961	&1000000000000001900000019 years, &100000000000000000000000 days	Miami Beach, FL
Win	Herb Siler	KO	4 (8)	01960-12-27December 27, 1960	&1000000000000001800000018 years, &10000000000000345000000345 days	Miami Beach, FL
Win	Tunney Hunsaker	Decision (unanimous)	6 (6)	01960-10-29October 29, 1960	&1000000000000001800000018 years, &10000000000000286000000286 days	Louisville, KY

See also[link]

	African American portal
	Biography portal

• List of heavyweight boxing champions
• List of North American Muslims
• List of people from Louisville, Kentucky
• List of WBA world champions
• List of WBC world champions
• Notable boxing families
• Conscientious Objector

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Hauser, Thomas (October 21, 2004). Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times. Robson Books. ISBN 978-1-86105-738-9. OCLC 56645513. http://books.google.com/?id=UkFxgibeS1AC. 
• Schulke, Flip; Matt Schudel (2000). Muhammad Ali: The Birth of a Legend, Miami, 1961–1964. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-20340-5. http://books.google.com/?id=5h2JHAAACAAJ. 

External links[link]

	Book: Muhammad Ali
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Muhammad Ali

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Muhammad Ali

• Official website
• Muhammad Ali at the Internet Movie Database
• Barrow Neurological Institute: Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center
• Professional boxing record for Muhammad Ali from BoxRec
• WLRN: Muhammad Ali: Made in Miami
• Life Magazine: Cassius Clay: Before He Was Ali (photo essay)
• BoxRec: list of world heavyweight champions?
• BoxRec: list of world P4P champions?
• William Addams Reitwiesner Genealogical Services: Ancestry of Muhammad Ali

v t e Muhammad Ali Fights Boxing at the 1960 Summer Olympics · Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston · Fight of the Century (Ali-Frazier I) · Ali-Frazier II · The Rumble in the Jungle (Ali-Foreman) · Thrilla in Manila (Ali-Frazier III) Media a.k.a. Cassius Clay (film) · I Am the Greatest: The Adventures of Muhammad Ali (animated series) · Superman vs. Muhammad Ali (comic book) · The Greatest (film) · Muhammad Ali Heavyweight Boxing (video game) · Foes of Ali (video game) · When We Were Kings (film) · King of the World (TV movie) · Ali: An American Hero (TV movie) · Muhammad Ali (song) · Ali (film) · Facing Ali (film) People Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr. (father) · Odessa Grady Clay (mother) · Rahman Ali (brother) · Veronica Porsche Ali (wife) · Laila Ali (daughter) · Chuck Bodak (trainer and cutman) · Angelo Dundee (cornerman) · Drew Bundini Brown (trainer and cornerman) · Ferdie Pacheco (personal physician and cornerman) · Joe E. Martin (first trainer) · Archie Moore (trainer) Other Clay v. United States · Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki · Muhammad Ali Center · Sufism · Malcolm X

George Foreman
Foreman in 2009
Statistics
Real name	George Edward Foreman
Nickname(s)	Big George The Heywood Giant[1]
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Reach	82 in (208 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	(1949-01-10) January 10, 1949 (age 63) Marshall, Texas, United States
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	81
Wins	76
Wins by KO	68
Losses	5
Draws	0
No contests	0
Medal record Men's boxing Competitor for the  United States Gold 1968 Mexico City Heavyweight

George Edward Foreman (nicknamed "Big George"^[2]) (born January 10, 1949) is a retired American professional boxer, former two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur.

A gold medalist at the 1968 Olympics, Foreman won the World Heavyweight title with a second round knockout of then-undefeated Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica in 1973. He made two successful title defenses before losing to Muhammad Ali in "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974. He fought on but was unable to secure another title shot and retired following a loss to Jimmy Young in 1977 and became an ordained Christian minister. Ten years later Foreman announced a comeback, and in November 1994, at age 45, he regained the Heavyweight Championship by knocking out Michael Moorer. He remains the oldest Heavyweight Champion in history. He retired in 1997 at the age of 48, with a final record of 76–5, including 68 knockouts.

Foreman has been inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame and the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) currently rates Foreman as the eighth greatest heavyweight of all-time.^[3] In 2002, he was named one of the 25 greatest fighters of the past eighty years by The Ring magazine.^[4] The Ring also ranked him as the 9th greatest puncher of all-time.^[5] He was a ringside analyst for HBO's boxing coverage for twelve years, leaving in 2004.^[6] Outside of boxing, he is a successful entrepreneur and is known for his promotion of the George Foreman Grill, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide.^[7] In 1999 he sold the naming rights to the grill for $138 million.^[8]

Early life[link]

George Foreman was born in Marshall, Texas. He grew up in the Fifth Ward, Houston, Texas, with six siblings.^[9] Although reared by J.D. Foreman, whom his mother had married when George was a small child, his biological father was Leroy Moorehead. Foreman was interested in football and idolized Jim Brown, but gave it up for boxing. He won a gold medal in the boxing/heavyweight division at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. By his own admission in his autobiography, George was a troubled youth.

Professional career[link]

Foreman had an amateur record of 22–4, losing twice to Clay Hodges (also defeated by Max Briggs in his first ever fight). Foreman turned professional in 1969 with a three-round knockout of Donald Walheim in New York. He had a total of 13 fights that year, winning all of them (11 by knockout).

In 1970, Foreman continued his march toward the undisputed heavyweight title, winning all 12 of his bouts (11 by knockout). Among the opponents he defeated were Gregorio Peralta, whom he decisioned at Madison Square Garden although Peralta gave a very good account of himself and showed George was vulnerable to fast counter punching mixed with an assertive boxing style. But the boxing world shuddered when George Chuvalo was defeated by technical knockout (TKO) in three rounds. After this impressive win, Foreman defeated Charlie Polite in four rounds and Boone Kirkman in three.

In 1971, Foreman won seven more fights, winning all of them by knockout, including a rematch with Peralta, whom he defeated by knockout in the tenth and final round in Oakland, California, and a win over Leroy Caldwell, who was knocked out in the second round. After amassing a record of 32–0 (29 KO), Foreman was ranked as the number one challenger by the WBA and WBC.

The Sunshine Showdown vs. Joe Frazier[link]

In 1972, still undefeated, and with an impressive knockout record, Foreman was set to challenge undefeated and Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier. Despite boycotting a title elimination caused by the vacancy resulting from the championship being stripped from Muhammad Ali, Frazier had won the title from Jimmy Ellis and defended his title four times since, including a 15-round unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Ali in 1971 after Ali had beaten Oscar Bonavena and Jerry Quarry. Despite Foreman's superior size and reach, he was not expected to beat Frazier^[10] and was a 3:1 underdog going into the fight.

The Sunshine Showdown took place on January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica, with Foreman dominating the fight to win the championship by technical knockout. In HBO Boxing's first broadcast, the call made by Howard Cosell became one of the most memorable in all of sports: "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!" Before the fight Frazier was 29–0 (25 KO) and Foreman was 37–0 (34 KO). Frazier was knocked down six times by Foreman within two rounds, with the three knockdowns rule being waived for this bout. After the second knockdown, Frazier's balance and mobility were impaired to the extent that he was unable to evade Foreman's combinations. Frazier managed to get to his feet for all six knockdowns, but referee Arthur Mercante eventually called an end to the one-sided bout.

Foreman was sometimes characterized by the media as an aloof and antisocial champion.^[11] According to them, he always seemed to wear a sneer and was not often available to the press. Foreman would later attribute his demeanor during this time as an emulation of Sonny Liston, for whom he had been an occasional sparring partner.

Nevertheless, Foreman went on to defend his title successfully twice during his initial reign as champion. His first defense, in Tokyo, pitted him against Puerto Rican Heavyweight Champion José Roman. Roman was not regarded as a top contender and it took Foreman only 2 minutes to end the fight, one of the fastest knockouts in a Heavyweight Championship bout.

Title defense versus Ken Norton[link]

Foreman's next defense was against a much tougher opponent. In 1974, in Caracas, Venezuela, he faced the highly regarded hall-of-famer Ken Norton who was 30–2, a boxer notorious for his awkward crossed-arm boxing style with crab-like defense plus heavy punch (a style Foreman would emulate in his second comeback), who had broken the jaw of Muhammad Ali while defeating Ali on points a year earlier. Norton had a good chin, never in trouble as such against Ali in two matches. He'd nearly won the second. Although nerves were known to make his determination suspect at times against really heavy hitters. But in an astonishing display of controlled aggression and punching power, Foreman picked his moment after staying out of range of a long offense and decked Ken with more or less his first real big punch he threw near the end of the first round. Norton rose on wobbly legs but clearly wasn't recovered for round two whereby he was down three times and stopped. "Ken was awesome when he got going. I didn't want him to get into the fight," George said when interviewed years later.

George had cruised past two of the top names in the rankings. The stunning win made Foreman an impressive 40–0 with 37 knockouts.

Rumble in the Jungle[link]

This article appears to contradict the article The Rumble in the Jungle. Please see discussion on the linked talk page. Please do not remove this message until the contradictions are resolved. (April 2010)

Foreman's next title defense, against Muhammad Ali, was historic. During the summer of 1974, Foreman traveled to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to defend his title against Ali. The bout was promoted as "The Rumble in the Jungle."

During training in Zaire, Foreman suffered a cut above his eye, forcing postponement of the match for a month. The injury affected Foreman's training regimen, as it meant he couldn't spar in the build-up to the fight and risk the cut being re-opened. He later commented: "That was the best thing that happened to Ali when we were in Africa—the fact that I had to get ready for the fight without being able to box."^[12] Foreman would later also claim he was drugged by his trainer prior to the bout.^[13] Ali used this time to tour Zaire, endearing himself to the public while taunting Foreman at every opportunity. Foreman was favored, having knocked out both Joe Frazier and Ken Norton within two rounds.

When Foreman and Ali finally met in the ring, Ali began more aggressively than expected, outscoring Foreman with superior punching speed. However, he quickly realized that this approach required him to move much more than Foreman and would cause him to tire. In the second round, Ali retreated to the ropes, shielding his head and hitting Foreman in the face at every opportunity. Foreman dug vicious body punches into Ali's sides; however, Foreman was unable to land many big punches to Ali's head. The ring ropes, being much looser than usual (Foreman would later charge that Angelo Dundee had loosened them), allowed Ali to lean back and away from Foreman's wild swings and then grab Foreman behind the head, forcing Foreman to expend much extra energy untangling himself. Ali also constantly pushed down on Foreman's neck, but was never warned about doing so. To this day, it is unclear whether Ali's pre-fight talk of using speed and movement against Foreman had been just a diversionary tactic, or whether his use of what became known as the "Rope-a-dope" tactic was an improvisation necessitated by Foreman's constant pressure.

In either case, Ali was able to occasionally counter off the ropes with blows to the face and was able to penetrate Foreman's defense. Ali continued to take heavy punishment to the body, and occasionally a hard jolt to the head. Ali would later say he was "out on his feet" twice during the bout. Eventually, Foreman began to tire and his punches became increasingly wild, losing power in the process. An increasingly confident Ali taunted Foreman throughout the bout. Late in the eighth round, Foreman was left off balance by a haymaker and Ali sprang off the ropes with a flurry to Foreman's head, punctuated by a hard right cross that landed flush on Foreman's jaw putting Foreman down for the first time in his career. He managed to regain his feet by the count of 8 but the fight was nonetheless waved off by the referee.^{[citation needed]}. It was Foreman's first defeat, and Muhammad Ali remains the only boxer ever to defeat him by knockout.

Foreman would later reflect that "it just wasn't my night." Though he sought one, he was unable to secure a rematch with Ali. It has been suggested in some quarters that Ali was ducking Foreman, as he had rematches Joe Frazier and Ken Norton and also fought low ranked opponents such as Chuck Wepner, Richard Dunn and Jean Pierre Coopman.^[14] Ali, on the other hand, would never commit to a rematch, preferring to talk about retirement or make fights with lowly ranked fighters like Richard Dunn or Alfredo Evaneglista.

First comeback[link]

Foreman remained inactive during 1975. In 1976, he announced a comeback and stated his intention of securing a rematch with Ali. His first opponent was to be Ron Lyle, who had been defeated by Muhammad Ali in 1975, via 11-th round TKO. At the end of the first round, Lyle landed a hard left that sent Foreman staggering across the ring. In the second round, Foreman pounded Lyle against the ropes and might have scored a KO, but due to a timekeeping error the bell rang with a minute still remaining in the round and Lyle survived. In the third, Foreman pressed forward, with Lyle waiting to counter off the ropes. In the fourth, a brutal slugfest erupted. A cluster of power punches from Lyle sent Foreman to the canvas. When Foreman got up, Lyle staggered him again, but just as Foreman seemed finished he retaliated with a hard right to the side of the head, knocking down Lyle. Lyle beat the count, then landed another brutal combination, knocking Foreman down for the second time. Again, Foreman beat the count. Foreman said later that he had never been hit so hard in a fight and remembered looking down at the canvas and seeing blood. In the fifth round, both fighters continued to ignore defense and traded their hardest punches looking crude. Each man staggered the other and each seemed almost out on his feet. Then, as if finally tired, Lyle stopped punching and Foreman delivered a dozen unanswered blows until Lyle collapsed. Lyle remained on the canvas and was counted out giving Foreman the KO victory. The fight was named by The Ring as "The Fight Of The Year."

For his next bout, Foreman chose to face Joe Frazier in a rematch. Because of the one-sided Foreman victory in their first fight, and the fact that Frazier had taken a tremendous amount of punishment from Ali in Manila a year earlier, few expected him to win. Frazier at this point was 32–3 and Foreman was 41–1. Surprisingly, the 2nd Foreman-Frazier fight was fairly competitive for its duration, as Frazier used quick head movements to make Foreman miss with his hardest punches. Frazier's health was deteriorating at this point and was wearing a contact lens for his vision which was knocked loose during the bout. After being unable to mount a significant offense, however, Frazier was eventually floored twice by Foreman in the fifth round and the fight was stopped. Next, Foreman knocked out Scott Ledoux in three and Dino Dennis in four to finish the year.

Retirement and rebirth[link]

1977 would prove to be a life changing year for Foreman. After knocking out Pedro Agosto in four rounds at Pensacola, Florida, Foreman flew to Puerto Rico a day before the fight without giving himself time to acclimatise. His opponent was the skilled boxer Jimmy Young, who had beaten Ron Lyle and lost a very controversial decision to Muhammad Ali the previous year. Foreman fought cautiously early on, allowing Young to settle into the fight. Young constantly complained about Foreman pushing him, for which Foreman eventually had a point deducted by the referee, although Young was never warned for his persistent holding. Foreman badly hurt Young in round 7 but was unable to land a finishing blow. Foreman tired during the second half of the fight and even suffered a flash knockdown in round 12 en route to losing a decision.

Foreman became ill in his dressing room after the fight. He was suffering from exhaustion and heatstroke and believed he had a near death experience. He claimed he found himself in a hellish, frightening place of nothingness and despair. He began to plead with God to help him. He explained that he sensed God asking him to change his life and ways. After this experience, Foreman became a born-again Christian, dedicating his life for the next decade to God. Although he did not formally retire from boxing, Foreman stopped fighting, became an ordained minister of a church^[15] in Houston, Texas, and devoted himself to his family and his congregation. He also opened a youth center^[16] that bears his name. Foreman continues to share his conversion experience on Christian television broadcasts such as The 700 Club and the Trinity Broadcasting Network and would later joke that Young had knocked the devil out of him.

Second comeback[link]

In 1987, after 10 years away from the ring, Foreman surprised the boxing world by announcing a comeback at the age of 38. In his autobiography, he stated that his primary motive was to raise money to fund the youth center he had created. His stated ambition was to fight Mike Tyson.^[17] For his first fight, he went to Sacramento, California, where he beat journeyman Steve Zouski by a knockout in four rounds. Foreman weighed 267 lb (121 kg) for the fight and looked badly out of shape. Although many thought his decision to return to the ring was a mistake, Foreman countered that he had returned to prove that age was not a barrier to people achieving their goals (as he would say later, he wanted to show that age 40 is not a "death sentence"). He won four more bouts that year, gradually slimming down and improving his fitness. In 1988, he won nine times. Perhaps his most notable win during this period was a seventh round knockout of former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight Champion Dwight Muhammad Qawi.

Having always been a deliberate fighter, Foreman had not lost much mobility in the ring since his first "retirement," although he found it harder to keep his balance after throwing big punches and could no longer throw rapid combinations. He was still capable of landing heavy, single blows, however. Ironically, the late-rounds fatigue that had plagued him in the ring as a young man now seemed to be gone, and he could comfortably compete for 12 rounds. Foreman attributed this to his new, relaxed fighting style (he has spoken of how, earlier in his career, his lack of stamina came from an enormous amount of nervous tension).

By 1989, while continuing his comeback, Foreman had sold his name and face for the advertising of various products, selling everything from grills to mufflers on TV. For this purpose his public persona was reinvented and the formerly aloof, ominous Foreman had been replaced by a smiling, friendly George. He and Ali had become friends, and he followed in Ali's footsteps by making himself a celebrity outside the boundaries of boxing.

Foreman continued his string of victories, winning five more fights, the most impressive being a three-round win over Bert Cooper, who would go on to contest the Undisputed Heavyweight title against Evander Holyfield.

In 1990, Foreman met former title challenger Gerry Cooney in Atlantic City. Cooney was coming off a long period of inactivity, but was well regarded for his punching power. Cooney wobbled Foreman in the first round, but Foreman landed several powerful punches in the second round. Cooney was knocked down twice and Foreman had scored a devastating KO. Foreman went on to win four more fights that year.

Then, in 1991, Foreman was given the opportunity to challenge Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield, who was in tremendous shape at 208 pounds, for the world title in a Pay Per View boxing event. Very few boxing experts gave the 42-year-old Foreman a chance of winning. Foreman, who weighed in at 257 pounds, began the contest by marching forward, absorbing several of Holyfield's best combinations and occasionally landing a powerful swing of his own. Holyfield proved too tough and agile to knock down and was well ahead on points throughout the fight, but Foreman surprised many by lasting the full 12 rounds, losing his challenge on points. Round 7, in which Foreman knocked Holyfield off balance before being staggered by a powerful combination, was Ring Magazine's "Round of the Year."

A year later, Foreman fought journeyman Alex Stewart, who had previously been stopped in the first round by Mike Tyson. Foreman knocked down Stewart twice in the second round, but expended a lot of energy in doing so. He subsequently tired, and Stewart rebounded. By the end of the 10th and final round, Foreman's face was bloodied and swollen, but the judges awarded him a majority decision win.

In 1993, Foreman received another title shot, although this was for the vacant WBO Championship, which most fans at the time saw as a second-tier version of the "real" Heavyweight title, then being contested between Holyfield and Riddick Bowe. Foreman's opponent was Tommy Morrison, a young prospect known for his punching power. To the frustration of Foreman and the disappointment of the booing crowd, Morrison retreated throughout the fight, refusing to trade toe-to-toe,and sometimes even turned his back on Foreman. The strategy paid off, however, as he outboxed Foreman from long range. Foreman was competitive throughout the match, but after 12 rounds, Morrison won a unanimous decision. Though it seemed unlikely at the time, one more chance at the legitimate heavyweight crown was just around the corner for Foreman.

Regaining the Title[link]

In 1994, Foreman once again sought to challenge for the world championship after Michael Moorer had beaten Holyfield for the IBF and WBA titles.

Having lost his last fight against Morrison, Foreman was unranked and in no position to demand another title shot. However, his relatively high profile made a title defense against Foreman, who was 19 years older than Moorer, a lucrative prospect at seemingly little risk for champion Moorer.

Foreman's title challenge against Moorer took place on November 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Foreman wearing the same red trunks he had worn in his title loss to Ali 20 years earlier. This time, however, Foreman was a substantial underdog. For nine rounds, Moorer easily outboxed him, hitting and moving away, while Foreman chugged forward, seemingly unable to "pull the trigger" on his punches. Entering the tenth round, Foreman was trailing on all scorecards. However, Foreman launched a comeback in the tenth round and hit Moorer with a number of punches. Then a short right hand caught Moorer on the tip of his chin, gashing open his bottom lip and he collapsed to the canvas. He lay flat on his back as the referee counted him out.

In an instant, Foreman had regained the title he had lost to Muhammad Ali two decades before. He went back to his corner and knelt in prayer as the arena erupted in cheers. With this historic victory, Foreman broke three records: he became, at age 45, the oldest fighter ever to win the World Heavyweight Championship; and, 20 years after losing his title for the first time, he broke the record for the fighter with the longest interval between his first and second world championships. The age spread of 19 years between the champion and challenger was also the largest of any heavweight boxing championship fight.

Shortly after the Moorer fight, Foreman began talking about a potential superfight against Mike Tyson (the youngest ever heavyweight champ). The WBA organization, however, demanded he fight their No. 1 challenger, who at the time was the competent but aging Tony Tucker. For reasons not clearly known, Foreman refused to fight Tucker and allowed the WBA to strip him of that belt. He then went on to fight mid-level prospect Axel Schulz of Germany in defense of his remaining IBF title. Schulz was a major underdog. Schulz jabbed strongly from long range and grew increasingly confident as the fight progressed. Foreman finished the fight with a swelling over one eye, but was awarded a controversial majority decision (two judges scored for Foreman, one called it even). The IBF ordered an immediate rematch to be held in Germany, but Foreman refused the terms and found himself stripped of his remaining title. However, Foreman continued to be recognized as the Lineal Heavyweight Champion.

In 1996, Foreman returned to Tokyo, scoring an easy win over the unrated Crawford Grimsley by a 12-round decision. In 1997, he faced contender Lou Savarese, winning a close decision in a grueling, competitive encounter. Then, yet another opportunity came Foreman's way as the WBC decided to match him against Shannon Briggs in a 1997 "eliminator bout" for the right to face WBC champion Lennox Lewis. After 12 rounds, in which Foreman consistently rocked Briggs with power punches, almost everyone at ringside saw Foreman as the clear winner.^[18] Once again there was a controversial decision—but this time it went in favor of Foreman's opponent, with Briggs awarded a points win. Foreman had fought for the last time, at the age of 48.

Second retirement[link]

Foreman was gracious and philosophical in his loss to Briggs, but announced his "final" retirement shortly afterward. However, he did plan a return bout against Larry Holmes in 1999, scheduled to take place at the Houston Astrodome on pay per view. The fight was to be billed as "The Birthday Bash" due to both fighters' upcoming birthdays. Foreman was set to make $10 million and Holmes was to make $4 million, but negotiations fell through and the fight was cancelled. With a continuing affinity for the sport, Foreman became a respected boxing analyst for HBO.

Foreman said he had no plans to resume his career as a boxer, but then announced in February 2004 that he was training for one more comeback fight to demonstrate that the age of 55, like 40, is not a "death sentence." The bout, against an unspecified opponent (rumored to be the now late Trevor Berbick), never materialized (it was widely thought that Foreman's wife had been a major factor in the change of plans). Having severed his relationship with HBO to pursue other opportunities, George Foreman and the sport of boxing finally went their separate ways.

Family[link]

Foreman speaking in Houston, Texas in September 2009

Foreman has 11 children, and each of his five sons is named George: George Jr., George III, George IV, George V and George VI. His four younger sons are distinguished from one another by the nicknames "Monk," "Big Wheel," "Red" and "Little Joey." Also of issue in his marriage are two daughters named Natalia and Leola. He also has three daughters from a separate relationship: Michi, Freeda and Georgetta. He also adopted a daughter, Isabella Brandie Lilja (Foreman), in 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Entrepreneurship[link]

When Foreman came back from retirement he argued that his success was due to his healthy eating, which made him a perfect fit for Russell Hobbs Inc., who were looking for a spokesperson for their fat-reducing grill.

The George Foreman Grill has resulted in sales of over 100 million units since it was first launched, a feat that was achieved in a little over 15 years. Although Foreman has never confirmed exactly how much he has earned from the endorsement, what is known is that Salton Inc paid him $137 million in 1999 in order to buy out the right to use his name. Previous to that he was being paid about 40% of the profits on each grill sold (earning him $4.5 million a month in payouts at its peak) so it is estimated he has made a total of over $200 million from the endorsement, a sum that is substantially more than he earned as a boxer.^[19]

[edit] Amateur accomplishments^[20]

• Won his first amateur fight on January 26, 1967 by a first-round knockout in the Parks Diamond Belt Tournament.
• Won the San Francisco Examiner's Golden Gloves Tournament in the Junior Division in February 1967.
• February 1967: Knocked out Thomas Cook to win the Las Vegas Golden Gloves in the Senior Division.
• February 1968: Knocked out L.C. Brown to win the San Francisco Examiner's Senior Title in San Francisco.
• March 1968: Won the National AAU Heavyweight title in Toledo, Ohio vs. Henry Crump of Philadelphia, PA in the final.
• July 1968: Sparred 5 rounds on two different occasions with former World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston.
• September 21, 1968: Won his second decision over Otis Evans to make the U.S. boxing team for the Mexico City Olympic Games.
• Foreman had a 16-4 amateur boxing record going into the Olympics. He knocked out Russia's Ionas Chepulis to win the Olympic Games Heavyweight Gold Medal. He was trained for the Olympic Games by Robert (Pappy) Gault.
• Amateur Record: 22-4^[21]

Professional boxing record[link]

76 Wins (68 knockouts, 8 decisions), 5 Losses (1 knockout, 4 decisions), 0 Draws[22]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	76–5	Shannon Briggs	MD	12	22/11/1997	Taj Majal Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Lost Lineal Heavyweight title.
Win	76–4	Lou Savarese	SD	12	26/04/1997	Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Retained Lineal Heavyweight title.
Win	75–4	Crawford Grimsley	UD	12	03/11/1996	Tokyo Bay NK Hall, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan	Retained Lineal Heavyweight title.
Win	74–4	Axel Schulz	MD	12	22/04/1995	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained Lineal, & IBF Heavyweight titles.
Win	73–4	Michael Moorer	KO	10 (12)	05/11/1994	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Won Lineal, WBA, & IBF Heavyweight titles.
Loss	72–4	Tommy Morrison	UD	12	07/06/1993	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	For vacant WBO Heavyweight title.
Win	72–3	Pierre Coetzer	TKO	8 (10)	16/01/1993	Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nevada, United States
Win	71–3	Alex Stewart	MD	10	11/04/1992	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	70–3	Jimmy Ellis	TKO	3 (10)	07/12/1991	Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nevada, United States
Loss	69–3	Evander Holyfield	UD	12	19/04/1991	Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	For Lineal, WBC, WBA, & IBF Heavyweight titles.
Win	69–2	Terry Anderson	KO	1 (10)	25/09/1990	New London Arena, Millwall, London, England, United Kingdom
Win	68–2	Ken Lakusta	KO	3 (10)	31/07/1990	New London Arena, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Win	67–2	Adilson Rodrigues	KO	2 (10)	16/06/1990	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	66–2	Mike Jameson	TKO	4 (10)	17/04/1990	Caesars Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada, United States
Win	65–2	Gerry Cooney	TKO	2 (10)	15/01/1990	Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win	64–2	Everett Martin	UD	10	20/07/1989	Convention Center, Tucson, Arizona, United States
Win	63–2	Bert Cooper	RTD	2 (10)	01/06/1989	Pride Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win	62–2	J. B. Williamson	TKO	5 (10)	30/04/1989	Moody Center, Galveston, Texas, United States
Win	61–2	Manoel De Almeida	TKO	3 (10)	16/02/1989	Atlantis Theater, Orlando, Florida, United States
Win	60–2	Mark Young	TKO	7 (10)	26/01/1989	War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, New York, United States
Win	59–2	David Jaco	TKO	1 (10)	28/12/1988	Casa Royal Hotel, Bakersfield, California, United States
Win	58–2	Tony Fulilangi	TKO	2 (10)	27/10/1988	Civic Center, Marshall, Texas, United States
Win	57–2	Bobby Hitz	TKO	1 (10)	10/09/1988	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States
Win	56–2	Ladislao Mijangos	TKO	2 (10)	25/08/1988	Lee Civic Center, Fort Myers, Florida, United States
Win	55–2	Carlos Hernandez	TKO	4 (10)	26/06/1988	Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win	54–2	Frank Lux	TKO	3 (10)	21/05/1988	Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Win	53–2	Dwight Muhammad Qawi	TKO	7 (10)	19/03/1988	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	52–2	Guido Trane	TKO	5 (10)	05/02/1988	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	51–2	Tom Trimm	KO	1 (10)	23/01/1988	Sheraton Twin Towers, Orlando, Florida, United States
Win	50–2	Rocky Sekorski	TKO	3 (10)	18/12/1987	Bally's Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	49–2	Tim Anderson	TKO	4 (10)	21/11/1987	Sports Complex, Orlando, Florida, United States
Win	48–2	Bobby Crabtree	TKO	6 (10)	15/09/1987	Springfield, Missouri, United States
Win	47–2	Charles Hostetter	KO	3 (10)	09/07/1987	Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California, United States
Win	46–2	Steve Zouski	TKO	4 (10)	09/03/1987	Arco Arena, Sacramento, California, United States
Loss	45–2	Jimmy Young	UD	12	17/03/1977	Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico	1977 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win	45–1	Pedro Agosto	TKO	4 (10)	22/01/1977	Civic Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida, United States
Win	44–1	John Dino Denis	TKO	4 (10)	15/10/1976	Sportatorium, Hollywood, Florida, United States
Win	43–1	Scott LeDoux	TKO	3 (10)	14/08/1976	Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, New York, United States
Win	42–1	Joe Frazier	TKO	5 (12)	15/06/1976	Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, United States	Retained NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	41–1	Ron Lyle	KO	5 (12)	24/01/1976	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Won vacant NABF Heavyweight title. 1976 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Loss	40–1	Muhammad Ali	KO	8 (15)	30/10/1974	Stade du 20 Mai, Kinshasa, Zaire	Lost The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles. 1974 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win	40–0	Ken Norton	TKO	2 (15)	26/03/1974	El Poliedro, Caracas, Venezuela	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	39–0	Jose Roman	KO	1 (15)	01/09/1973	Nihon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan	Retained The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles.
Win	38–0	Joe Frazier	TKO	2 (15)	22/01/1973	National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica	Won The Ring, WBC & WBA World Heavyweight titles. 1973 Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine.
Win	37–0	Terry Sorrell	KO	2 (10)	10/10/1972	Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Win	36–0	Miguel Angel Paez	KO	2 (10)	11/05/1972	Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California, United States	Won Pan American Heavyweight title.
Win	35–0	Ted Gullick	KO	2 (10)	10/04/1972	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win	34–0	Clarence Boone	KO	2 (10)	07/03/1972	Beaumont, Texas, United States
Win	33–0	Joe Murphy Goodwin	KO	2 (10)	29/02/1972	Austin, Texas, United States
Win	32–0	Luis Faustino Pires	TKO	5 (10)	29/10/1971	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	31–0	Ollie Wilson	KO	2 (10)	07/10/1971	Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, Texas, United States
Win	30–0	Leroy Caldwell	KO	2 (10)	21/09/1971	Beaumont, Texas, United States
Win	29–0	Vic Scott	KO	1 (10)	14/09/1971	El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas, United States
Win	28–0	Gregorio Peralta	TKO	10 (15)	10/05/1971	Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California, United States	Won vacant NABF Heavyweight title.
Win	27–0	Stamford Harris	KO	2 (10)	03/04/1971	Playboy Club Hotel, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, United States
Win	26–0	Charlie Boston	KO	1 (10)	08/02/1971	Auditorium, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
Win	25–0	Mel Turnbow	TKO	1 (10)	18/12/1970	Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, Washington, United States
Win	24–0	Boone Kirkman	TKO	2 (10)	18/11/1970	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	23–0	Lou Bailey	TKO	3 (10)	03/11/1970	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Win	22–0	George Chuvalo	TKO	3 (10)	04/08/1970	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	21–0	Roger Russell	KO	1 (10)	20/07/1970	Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	20–0	George Johnson	TKO	7 (10)	16/05/1970	Forum, Inglewood, California, United States
Win	19–0	Aaron Eastling	TKO	4 (10)	29/04/1970	Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Win	18–0	James J. Woody	TKO	3 (10)	17/04/1970	Felt Forum, New York, New York, United States
Win	17–0	Rufus Brassell	TKO	1 (10)	31/03/1970	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
Win	16–0	Gregorio Peralta	UD	10	16/02/1970	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	15–0	Jack O'Halloran	KO	5 (10)	26/01/1970	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	14–0	Charley Polite	KO	4 (10)	06/01/1970	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
Win	13–0	Gary Hobo Wiler	TKO	1 (10)	18/12/1969	Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington, United States
Win	12–0	Levi Forte	UD	10	16/12/1969	Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win	11–0	Bob Hazelton	TKO	1 (6)	06/12/1969	International Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	10–0	Max Martinez	KO	2 (10)	18/11/1969	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
Win	9–0	Leo Peterson	KO	4 (8)	05/11/1969	Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	8–0	Roberto Davila	UD	8	31/10/1969	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	7–0	Vernon Clay	TKO	2 (6)	07/10/1969	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
Win	6–0	Roy Wallace	KO	2 (6)	23/09/1969	Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
Win	5–0	Johnny Carroll	KO	1 (8)	18/09/1969	Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington, United States
Win	4–0	Chuck Wepner	TKO	3 (10)	18/08/1969	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States
Win	3–0	Sylvester Dullaire	TKO	1 (6)	14/07/1969	Rosecroft Raceway, Oxon Hill, Maryland, United States
Win	2–0	Fred Askew	KO	1 (6)	01/07/1969	Houston, Texas, United States
Win	1–0	Don Waldheim	TKO	3 (6)	23/06/1969	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Foreman's professional debut.