Muhammad Ali was not only a professional boxer, but he was also a spirited activist. While he was one of the most celebrated sports figures of the 20th century, he was regarded as inspiring, controversial, and polarizing- both inside and outside the ring.
An Olympic gold medalist and first boxer to win the heavyweight title three times, Ali had 56 wins under his belt in his 21-year professional career. Born Cassius Clay Jr., he changed his name in 1964 after becoming a member of the Nation of Islam. Parkinson’s syndrome eventually impaired his motor skills and speech, but he still remained a goodwill ambassador until his death in 2016.
Here are 10 of the best pictures of Ali:
1. Muhammad Ali kissing his newborn baby daughter. This 7-pound, 10-ounce little angel born on December 30, 1977 in Miami Beach, Florida was Ali’s fifth daughter. Ali was married four times and had seven daughters and two sons.
2. Ali showing off his unique talents in the boxing ring against his opponent, Joe Frazier in what was considered to be “The Fight of the Century.” Held at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971, the fight lived up to all its hoopla and pre-fight theatrics.While Ali appears to be untouchable in this photo, Frazier ended up knocking Ali down with a vicious left hook in the final round, which was Ali’s first professional defeat.
3.This incredible photo demonstrates the extraordinary power of Ali’s punch. In February 1978, Ali faced Leon Spinks at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. While Ali lost the title by a split decision, a rematch followed shortly after in New Orleans, breaking attendance records. Ali won in a unanimous decision, making him the first heavy weight champion to win the belt three times.
4. Ali famously taping his mouth shut after being criticized for speaking too much. At a time when most fighters let their managers do all the talking, Ali craved the spotlight. He was very provocative, and loved to trash talk. He also had a unique way of incorporating rhyme schemes and poetry into his trash talk.
5. Ali talking a suicidal man off of a ledge of a building. In 1981, Ali was passing a high-rise building when he noticed a commotion; a troubled man was threatening to commit suicide by jumping from the ninth floor. Ali asked police officers if he could help with the situation. He ended up coaxing the man from the ledge to safety.
6. Ali clowning around with President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office (1983). In 1984, he announced his support for President Reagan telling reporters, “He’s keeping God in schools and that’s enough.”
7. Ali hanging out with pop culture icon, Prince. Ali was an influential figure in the world of pop and hip-hop music. As a “rhyming trickster,” he was noted for his “funky delivery,” and “comical trash talk,” according to Rolling Stone. He was known to inspire artists such as LL Cool J, Eminem, Sean Combs, Slick Rick, and Will Smith.
8. “Thrilla in Manila”: the third and final boxing match between Ali and Joe Frazier. It was contested in 1975 for the heavyweight championship of the world. Ali won by a technical knockout after Frazier’s chief second, Eddie Futch, conceded the fight prior to the 15th round. The contest’s name derived from Ali’s rhyming boasts that the fight would be a “killa and a thrilla and a chilla when I get that gorilla in Manila.”
9. Ali wins the 1960 Olympic Gold Medal in Rome, Italy. Ali claimed in his 1975 biography that shortly after his return from the Rome Olympics, he threw his gold medal into the Ohio River after he and a friend were refused service at a “white only” restaurant. The story was later disputed.
10. Ali training with his children. In this photo, Ali is training to fight with his daughters in tow.
11. Ali kissing his daughter Laila after she won a fight in 2005. Laila was a professional boxer from 1999 to 2007, despite her father’s comments against female boxing: “Women are not made to be hit in the breast and face like that…the body’s not made to be punched right here (punching his chest). Get hit in the breast…hard…and all that.” You can tell by this photo that he was a very proud daddy that day.