Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, activist, entertainer and philanthropist. Nicknamed The Greatest, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time. Ali was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He began training as an amateur boxer at age 12. At 18, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics and turned professional later that year. He became a Muslim after 1961. He won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston in a major upset on February 25, 1964, at age 22. On March 6, 1964, he announced that he no longer would be known as Cassius Clay but as Muhammad Ali. In 1966, Ali refused to be drafted into the military, citing his religious beliefs and ethical opposition to the Vietnam War. He was found guilty of draft evasion so he faced 5 years in prison and was stripped of his boxing titles. He stayed out of prison as he appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which overturned his conviction in 1971, but he had not fought for nearly four years and lost a period of peak performance as an athlete. Ali's actions as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War made him an icon for the larger counterculture generation, and he was a very high-profile figure of racial pride for African Americans during the civil rights movement and throughout his career. As a Muslim, Ali was initially affiliated with Elijah Muhammad's Nation of Islam (NOI). He later disavowed the NOI, adhering to Sunni Islam, and supporting racial integration like his former mentor Malcolm X. Ali was a leading heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, and he remains the only three-time lineal champion of that division. His joint records of beating 21 boxers for the world heavyweight title and winning 14 unified title bouts stood for 35 years. He is the only fighter to have been ranked as the world's best heavyweight by BoxRec twelve times. He has been ranked among BoxRec's ten best heavyweights seventeen times, the third most in history. He won 8 fights that were rated by BoxRec as 5-Star, the third most in the history of the heavyweight division. Ali is the only boxer to be named The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year six times. He has been ranked the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, and as the greatest athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated, the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC, and the third greatest athlete of the 20th century by ESPN SportsCentury. He was involved in several historic boxing matches and feuds, most notably his fights with Joe Frazier, such as the Fight of the Century and the Thrilla in Manila, and his fight with George Foreman, known as The Rumble in the Jungle, which has been called "arguably the greatest sporting event of the 20th century" and was watched by a record estimated television audience of 1 billion viewers worldwide, becoming the world's most-watched live television broadcast at the time. Ali thrived in the spotlight at a time when many fighters let their managers do the talking, and he was often provocative and outlandish. He was known for trash-talking, and often free-styled with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry, anticipating elements of hip hop.
Movie | My Father Muhammad Ali | Self (archive footage) | 2023-01-13 |
Movie | Animal | Indian Pilot (UK Cast) | 2023-12-01 |
Movie | STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2023-01-20 |
Movie | Stand | Self (archive footage) | 2023-02-03 |
Movie | Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child | Self (archive footage) | 2023-08-01 |
Movie | McEnroe | Self (archive Footage) | 2022-07-15 |
Movie | Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL | Self (archive footage) | 2022-09-23 |
Movie | Say Hey, Willie Mays! | Self (archive footage) | 2022-10-27 |
Movie | Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street | Self (archive footage) | 2021-04-23 |
Movie | Mister Candid Camera | Self (archive footage) | 2021-03-20 |
Movie | Ron Lyle | Self (archive footage) | 2021-01-01 |
Movie | City of Ali | 2021-06-04 | |
Movie | Pelé | Self (archive Footage) | 2021-02-23 |
Series | A Life in Ten Pictures | Unknown | 2021-04-03 |
Series | Muhammad Ali | Self (archive footage) | 2021-09-19 |
Movie | Untold: Deal with the Devil | Self - Professional Boxer (archive footage) | 2021-08-17 |
Movie | Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali | Self | 2021-09-09 |
Movie | Parkinson at 50 | Self (archive footage) | 2021-08-28 |
Movie | P FKN R | Unknown | 2021-12-10 |
Movie | Be Water | Self (archive footage) | 2020-01-25 |
Movie | Ali's Comeback: The Untold Story | Self (archive footage) | 2020-01-16 |
Movie | Da 5 Bloods | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2020-06-12 |
Series | 70 Years of Youth Revolt | Self (archive footage) | 2020-11-21 |
Movie | Thrilla in Manilla | Self | 2019-06-01 |
Movie | The Kennedy Who Changed The World | Self (archive footage) | 2019-03-12 |
Series | What's My Name | Muhammad Ali | Self (archive footage) | 2019-05-14 |
Movie | Rumble in the Jungle | Self | 2019-06-01 |
Movie | Africa Rising | Self - Boxer (archive footage) | 2019-06-03 |
Movie | Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston | Self (archive footage) | 2019-11-15 |
Movie | Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am | Self (archive footage) | 2019-06-21 |
Movie | Andre the Giant | Self (archive footage) | 2018-04-10 |
Movie | Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes | Self (archive footage) | 2018-08-02 |
Movie | In Search of Greatness | Self (archive footage) | 2018-11-02 |
Movie | Black Is Beltza | Self (voice) (archive footage) | 2018-10-05 |
Movie | The Champ and the King | Himself | 2018-10-11 |
Movie | Sticky: A (Self) Love Story | Self | 2016-02-14 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali - Rumble in the Jungle | Self (archive footage) | 2016-06-04 |
Series | O.J.: Made in America | Self (archive footage) | 2016-06-11 |
Movie | Les vendredis d'Apostrophes | Self (archive footage) | 2015-11-06 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali: The Greatest | Self (Archival Footage) | 2014-01-01 |
Movie | I Am Ali | Self (archive footage) | 2014-10-10 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight | Himself (archive footage) | 2013-10-04 |
Movie | The Trials of Muhammad Ali | Himself | 2013-08-23 |
Movie | Legends of Mid-South Wrestling | Himself | 2013-09-10 |
Movie | Norman Mailer: The American | Self | 2012-05-18 |
Movie | WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak | Self (archive footage) | 2012-07-23 |
Movie | The Real Rocky | Self (archive footage) | 2011-10-25 |
Movie | Muhammad and Larry | Himself | 2009-10-27 |
Movie | Facing Ali | Himself | 2009-05-29 |
Movie | When Ali Met Cathal | Muhammad Ali | 2009-01-05 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali: Fighting Spirit | himself | 2009-10-10 |
Movie | Tyson | Self (archive footage) | 2008-05-16 |
Movie | James Brown - The Night James Brown Saved Boston | Self (archive footage) | 2008-04-05 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali: Made in Miami | Himself | 2008-06-01 |
Movie | Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson | Self | 2008-07-18 |
Movie | Black Power Salute | Self (archive footage) | 2008-07-09 |
Movie | Thrilla in Manila | Himself (archive footage) | 2008-11-11 |
Movie | Soul Power | Self (archive footage) | 2008-09-04 |
Series | Ali's 65 | 2007-01-03 | |
Movie | Ali Rap | Himself | 2006-08-06 |
Movie | Legends Never Die | Self (archive footage) | 2006-06-01 |
Movie | Darts Tarts – Welcome to my World | Self (archive footage) | 2006-10-05 |
Movie | WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology | Muhammad Ali | 2006-10-17 |
Movie | Ali's Dozen | Self | 2006-12-09 |
Movie | TV in Black: The First Fifty Years | Self (archive footage) | 2004-01-01 |
Movie | The Last Round: Chuvalo vs. Ali | Himself | 2003-04-01 |
Movie | Jack Paar: Smart Television | Self | 2003-11-29 |
Movie | The Documented Life and Times of Muhammad Ali - The Greatest | 2002-05-17 | |
Movie | America: A Tribute to Heroes | Self | 2001-09-21 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali - Through The Eyes Of The World | Himself | 2001-11-19 |
Movie | Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration | Self | 2001-11-13 |
Movie | Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme | Himself | 2000-04-14 |
Movie | Champions Forever - World Heavyweight Champs! | Himself | 2000-05-17 |
Movie | Ali-Frazier I: One Nation... Divisible | Self | 2000-08-17 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali - The Greatest Collection | 1999-06-15 | |
Movie | The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts | Self - Roastee (archive footage) | 1998-01-01 |
Movie | B.B. King: Live In Africa '74 | Self | 1998-05-13 |
Movie | Sugar Ray Robinson: The Bright Lights and Dark Shadows of a Champion | Himself | 1998-12-08 |
Series | Die Muhammad Ali Story | Muhammad Ali | 1996-01-01 |
Movie | The Journey of the African-American Athlete | Self (archive footage) | 1996-02-12 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali The Whole Story | Self | 1996-09-03 |
Movie | When We Were Kings | Self | 1996-10-25 |
Movie | Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing | Himself | 1995-01-01 |
Movie | Kings of The Ring - History of Heavyweight Boxing 1919-1990 | Himself (Archival Footage) | 1995-01-01 |
Movie | Boxing's Greatest Champions | Unknown | 1995-03-27 |
Movie | WCW Halloween Havoc 1994 | Himself (Ringside) | 1994-10-23 |
Movie | Naked Sport: Welcome to the Sewer | Self | 1993-05-01 |
Movie | Malcolm X | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1992-11-18 |
Movie | Night of 100 Stars III | Self | 1990-05-21 |
Movie | Champions Forever | Self | 1989-11-01 |
Movie | Mike Tyson vs Larry Holmes | Self | 1988-01-22 |
Movie | Best of the WWF Volume 1 | Self | 1985-01-01 |
Movie | WrestleMania | Referee | 1985-03-31 |
Movie | Doin' Time | Himself | 1985-05-19 |
Movie | James Bond: The First 21 Years | Self | 1983-05-27 |
Series | Wogan | Self | 1982-05-04 |
Movie | Body and Soul | Himself | 1981-10-09 |
Movie | Muhammad and Larry | 1980-01-01 | |
Movie | Freedom Road | Gideon Jackson | 1979-10-29 |
Movie | Leon Spinks vs Muhammad Ali II | Unknown | 1978-09-15 |
Movie | The Greatest | Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali | 1977-05-17 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III | Self | 1975-10-01 |
Movie | Funny Girl to Funny Lady | Self | 1975-03-09 |
Movie | Ali the Man: Ali the Fighter | Self | 1975-09-01 |
Movie | The Fighters | Self | 1974-01-01 |
Movie | The Fight | Himself | 1974-01-01 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali: The Greatest | Self | 1974-04-09 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II | Self | 1974-01-28 |
Movie | Black Rodeo | Self | 1972-05-01 |
Movie | Money Talks | Self | 1972-08-30 |
Movie | Malcolm X | Self (archive footage) | 1972-05-24 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier I | Self | 1971-03-08 |
Movie | Fight of the Century | Self | 1971-03-08 |
Movie | The Super Fight | Himself | 1970-01-20 |
Movie | a.k.a. Cassius Clay | Himself | 1970-11-03 |
Series | The Dick Cavett Show | Self - Guest | 1968-06-06 |
Movie | Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston II | Self | 1965-05-25 |
Movie | Cassius le grand | 1964-12-01 | |
Movie | Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston I | Self | 1964-02-25 |
Series | Der Sport-Spiegel | Self | 1963-04-02 |
Series | The Merv Griffin Show | Self | 1962-10-01 |
Movie | Requiem for a Heavyweight | Himself (as Cassius Clay) | 1962-10-16 |
Series | What's My Line? | Self - Mystery Guest | 1950-02-02 |
Series | Bambi Awards | Self (archive) | 1948-01-01 |