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Muhammad Ali

1942-01-17 (82 years old) in Louisville, Kentucky, USA

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.

Movies

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Beatles '64
65.31 %|Nov 28, 2024
Documentary, Music
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WWE Hall of Fame 2024
68 %|Apr 5, 2024
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Cassius X: Becoming Ali
100 %|Oct 13, 2023
Documentary
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Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child
60 %|Aug 1, 2023
Documentary
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Stand
60 %|Feb 3, 2023
Documentary
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STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie
77 %|Jan 20, 2023
Documentary
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My Father Muhammad Ali
20 %|Jan 13, 2023
Documentary
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Say Hey, Willie Mays!
62.220000000000006 %|Oct 27, 2022
Documentary
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McEnroe
60 %|Jul 15, 2022
Documentary
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The King of Miami Beach
0 %|May 3, 2022
Documentary
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Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali
74 %|Sep 8, 2021
Documentary, History
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Parkinson at 50
100 %|Aug 28, 2021
Documentary
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Untold: Deal with the Devil
70 %|Aug 17, 2021
Documentary
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City of Ali
0 %|Jun 4, 2021
Documentary
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Biography: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
77 %|Apr 25, 2021
Documentary
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Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
74 %|Apr 23, 2021
Documentary
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Mister Candid Camera
70 %|Mar 20, 2021
Documentary
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Pelé
72.97 %|Feb 23, 2021
Documentary
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Ron Lyle
0 %|Jan 1, 2021
Documentary
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Earnie Shavers
0 %|Jan 1, 2021
Documentary
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Da 5 Bloods
64.92 %|Jun 12, 2020
War, Drama
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Be Water
68 %|Jan 25, 2020
Documentary
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Ali's Comeback: The Untold Story
72 %|Jan 16, 2020
Documentary
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Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
75 %|Jun 21, 2019
Documentary
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Africa Rising
75 %|Jun 3, 2019
Documentary, History, Music
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Thrilla in Manila
0 %|Jun 1, 2019
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The Kennedy Who Changed The World
0 %|Mar 12, 2019
Documentary, History
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In Search of Greatness
67 %|Nov 2, 2018
Documentary
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The Champ and the King
0 %|Oct 11, 2018
Documentary
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Black Is Beltza
58 %|Oct 5, 2018
Animation, Drama, Thriller
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Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes
72 %|Aug 2, 2018
Documentary
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Andre the Giant
73.25999999999999 %|Apr 10, 2018
Documentary
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Europa: The Last Battle
0 %|Jul 12, 2017
Documentary, War, History
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Muhammad Ali - Rumble in the Jungle
0 %|Jun 4, 2016
Documentary, History
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O.J.: Made in America
84 %|May 20, 2016
Documentary, Crime, History
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Sticky: A (Self) Love Story
50 %|Feb 14, 2016
Documentary
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Les vendredis d'Apostrophes
60 %|Nov 6, 2015
Documentary
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I Am Ali
68 %|Oct 10, 2014
Documentary
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Muhammad Ali: The Greatest
100 %|Jan 1, 2014
Documentary
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Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
64 %|Oct 4, 2013
Drama, TV Movie
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Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
93 %|Sep 10, 2013
Action, Drama, Documentary
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The Trials of Muhammad Ali
71 %|Aug 23, 2013
Documentary
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WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
88 %|Jul 23, 2012
Documentary
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Norman Mailer: The American
70 %|May 18, 2012
Documentary
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The Real Rocky
59 %|Oct 25, 2011
Documentary
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Muhammad and Larry
66 %|Oct 27, 2009
Documentary
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Rumble in the Jungle
0 %|Sep 7, 2009
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Soul Power
63 %|Jun 10, 2009
Documentary, Music
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Facing Ali
74.46 %|May 29, 2009
Documentary
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When Ali Met Cathal
0 %|Jan 5, 2009
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Thrilla in Manila
78 %|Nov 11, 2008
Documentary
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Black Power Salute
0 %|Jul 9, 2008
Documentary, TV Movie
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Muhammad Ali: Made in Miami
10 %|Jun 1, 2008
TV Movie, Documentary
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Tyson
68 %|May 16, 2008
Documentary, Drama
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James Brown - The Night James Brown Saved Boston
66 %|Apr 5, 2008
Documentary, Music
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Ali's Dozen
70 %|Dec 9, 2006
Documentary
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WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
74 %|Oct 17, 2006
Documentary
actor
Darts Tarts – Welcome to my World
0 %|Oct 5, 2006
Documentary
actor
Ali Rap
60 %|Aug 6, 2006
actor
Legends Never Die
0 %|Jun 1, 2006
Documentary
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TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
40 %|Jan 1, 2004
Documentary
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Jack Paar: Smart Television
0 %|Nov 29, 2003
Documentary, Comedy
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The Last Round: Chuvalo vs. Ali
0 %|Apr 1, 2003
Documentary
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Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration
80 %|Nov 13, 2001
Music, Documentary
actor
Muhammad Ali, the Greatest
0 %|Jan 1, 2001
Documentary, History
actor
Ali-Frazier I: One Nation... Divisible
0 %|Aug 17, 2000
Documentary
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Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme
69 %|Apr 14, 2000
Documentary, Music
actor
Muhammad Ali - The Greatest Collection
0 %|Jun 15, 1999
Documentary
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B.B. King: Live In Africa '74
70 %|May 13, 1998
Documentary, Music
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When We Were Kings
76.96 %|Oct 25, 1996
Documentary, TV Movie, History, Music
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Muhammad Ali The Whole Story
80 %|Sep 3, 1996
Documentary
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The Journey of the African-American Athlete
100 %|Feb 12, 1996
Documentary, History, TV Movie
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Boxing's Greatest Champions
0 %|Mar 27, 1995
Documentary
actor
Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing
0 %|Jan 1, 1995
Documentary, TV Movie
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WCW Halloween Havoc 1994
0 %|Oct 23, 1994
Action
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Naked Sport: Welcome to the Sewer
0 %|May 1, 1993
Documentary
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Muhammad Ali: The Greatest
30 %|Jan 1, 1991
Documentary
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Night of 100 Stars III
40 %|May 21, 1990
Comedy, Music, TV Movie, Documentary
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Champions Forever
80 %|Nov 1, 1989
Documentary
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Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick
0 %|Nov 22, 1986
Action
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Doin' Time
45 %|May 19, 1985
Comedy
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WrestleMania
66 %|Mar 31, 1985
Action, Drama
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James Bond: The First 21 Years
50 %|May 27, 1983
Documentary, TV Movie
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Body and Soul
39 %|Oct 9, 1981
Drama
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Diana
0 %|Mar 2, 1981
TV Movie, Music
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Muhammad and Larry
0 %|Jan 1, 1980
Documentary
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Freedom Road
48 %|Oct 29, 1979
Drama
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The Greatest
56 %|May 17, 1977
Drama
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Ali the Man: Ali the Fighter
0 %|Sep 1, 1975
Documentary
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Funny Girl to Funny Lady
20 %|Mar 9, 1975
Music, TV Movie
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Muhammad Ali: The Greatest
60 %|Apr 9, 1974
Documentary
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Black Soul
0 %|Jan 1, 1974
Documentary
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The Fighters
0 %|Jan 1, 1974
Documentary
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The Fight
0 %|Jan 1, 1974
Documentary
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Money Talks
30 %|Aug 30, 1972
Comedy
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Malcolm X
64 %|May 24, 1972
Documentary
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Black Rodeo
0 %|May 1, 1972
Documentary
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Fight of the Century
0 %|Mar 8, 1971
Documentary, TV Movie
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a.k.a. Cassius Clay
75 %|Nov 3, 1970
Documentary
actor
The Super Fight
100 %|Jan 20, 1970
Drama, Fantasy
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Something's Happening
42 %|Dec 19, 1967
Documentary
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Cassius le grand
0 %|Dec 1, 1964
Documentary
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Requiem for a Heavyweight
72 %|Oct 16, 1962
Drama

Series

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Bill Russell: Legend
70 %|Feb 8, 2023
Documentary
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Le Siècle des icônes
70 %|Dec 27, 2022
Documentary, War & Politics
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Muhammad Ali
85 %|Sep 19, 2021
Documentary
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A Life in Ten Pictures
80 %|Apr 3, 2021
Documentary
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70 Years of Youth Revolt
73 %|Nov 21, 2020
Documentary, War & Politics
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What's My Name | Muhammad Ali
74.47 %|May 14, 2019
Documentary
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Shut Up and Dribble
0 %|Nov 3, 2018
Documentary
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Explained
75 %|May 23, 2018
Documentary
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O.J.: Made in America
80 %|Jun 11, 2016
Documentary
actor
Ali's 65
70 %|Jan 3, 2007
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Die Muhammad Ali Story
0 %|Jan 1, 1996
Documentary
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Touched by an Angel
72 %|Sep 21, 1994
Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama, Family
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Wogan
45 %|May 4, 1982
Talk
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Apostrophes
85 %|Jan 10, 1975
Talk
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The Dick Cavett Show
66.58 %|Jun 6, 1968
Talk
actor
Der Sport-Spiegel
60 %|Apr 2, 1963
News
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The Merv Griffin Show
56 %|Oct 1, 1962
Talk
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The Mike Douglas Show
51 %|Dec 11, 1961
Comedy, Talk
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What's My Line?
67 %|Feb 2, 1950
Family, Comedy
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Bambi Awards
90 %|Jan 1, 1948
Reality