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