Muhammad Ali watches George Foreman head for the canvas after being knocked out in the eighth round of their fight in Kinshasa, Zaire, in 1974. AP Photo
Muhammed Ali is known as the “athlete of the century” for good reason. He was an international superstar and anti-establishment before anti-establishment was cool.
Ali did more than just defeat some of boxing’s toughest foes: Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman. Ali also battled the most powerful government in the world, becoming one of the greatest contributors to political dialogue in the 20th century.
In 1967, during his prime athletic years, he lost his boxing license, had his heavyweight title belt revoked, and was sentenced to five years in prison for refusing be drafted into the Vietnam War. But his title was reinstated after the Supreme Court unanimously overturned his conviction in Clay v. United States.
After being banned from boxing for three years, Ali lost his first fight as a pro in 1971, to Frazier, in the 15-round “Fight of the Century.” Three years later, Ali battled back to beat Foreman in the infamous “Rumble in the Jungle” to reclaim the title. He remained in the public spotlight following his days in the ring, even traveling to Iraq in 1990 to negotiate the release of American hostages.
Muhammed Ali was the greatest master of reinvention and got back up after every single one of life’s knockouts.
