Muhammad Ali was the greatest boxer of all time. He was the greatest athlete-advocate of all time, too—a relentlessly outspoken figure in the battle for peace and racial justice. He was, simply stated, the most significant sports figure of the 20th century. And he never backed down from a fight. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of his first heavyweight title—a shocking upset of the great Sonny Liston on Feb. 25, 1964—we remember the bouts, in and out of the ring, of a person who defined what it means to be the Greatest of All Time.
THE LIFE OF A CHAMPION • ALI TOOK ON THE BIGGEST FIGHTS—AND USUALLY WON
ALI VS. THE WORLD • FROM THE TIME HE LEARNED TO FIGHT, ALI WAS OBSESSED WITH BOXING—AND THE SPOTLIGHT
ALI VS. PREJUDICE • ALI CONFRONTED RACIAL INJUSTICE WITH PRIDE AND DIGNITY DURING HIS RISE 1960s
ALI VS. LISTON • IN ALI’S FIRST HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP BOUT, HE WAS A HEFTY UNDERDOG
ALI VS. THE VIETNAM WAR • ALI’S STANCE COST HIM MORE THAN THREE YEARS IN THE RING, BUT DEFINED HIS LEGACY
ALI VS. FRAZIER • WHILE ON A QUEST TO REGAIN HIS CHAMPIONSHIP CROWN, ALI HAD TO CONFRONT HIS FIERCEST RIVAL
ALI VS. FOREMAN • ALI BECAME THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMP FOR THE SECOND TIME
ALI VS. SPINKS • AT AGE 36, ALI WON THE WORLD HEAVY WEIGHT TITLE FOR THE THIRD AND FINAL TIME
ALI’S LEGACY • LATE IN HIS LIFE, ALI BECAME A UNIVERSAL ICON OF SPIRITUALITY, TRIUMPH AND NOBILITY
Muhammad Ali - 60th Anniversary Celebration
PHOTO CREDITS