History UsefulNotes / MuhammadAli

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, generally regarded as the most significant heavyweight in the history of the sport (or, at worst, tied with the great Joe Louis). In his career, Ali was known for combining strength, skill, brilliant tactics, and elegant but incredible braggadocio. He was named "Sportsman of the Century" by ''Magazine/SportsIllustrated'' in 1999. He took up boxing as a teenager after a police officer and boxing coach advised the 12-year-old Clay to learn how to box before he tried to "whup" the guy who stole his bike. Fighting for several years as an amateur, he won gold at the 1960 Summer UsefulNotes/OlympicGames in UsefulNotes/{{Rome}} at the age of 18; he decided to leverage that medal into a professional career. He fought professionally for 18 years (with a three-year sabbatical when his license was suspended due to draft resistance. The U.S. Supreme Court would overturn his conviction) in 61 bouts, retiring with 56 wins, 37 by way of knockout. Three of his five losses came in the last three years of his career, when he was well past his prime and starting to show early symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

* A 1978 comic book by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, ''Superman vs. Muhammad Ali'' has him be TheRival of Franchise/{{Superman}}. Has become HarsherInHindsight as both men died in 2016 (''twice'' in [[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice Superman's]] [[ComicBook/TheNew52 case]]).

This was probably the point where Ali should have called it quits with boxing. He [[TenMinuteRetirement frequently announced his retirement]], but his ego and his ongoing need for money (years of profligate spending and a couple of costly divorces had eaten up the millions he earned in the ring) meant he carried on fighting. There was also an ill-advised and farcical fight against martial artist and wrestler Wrestling/AntonioInoki in UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}} in 1976[[note]]The event's rules severely restricted Inoki's move set and skewed it heavily in Ali's favor. So, Inoki spent most of the bout crawling on his back and [[SpamAttack repeatedly kicking at Ali's legs]]. This ended up having serious consequences for Ali, as it caused blood clots in one leg, which went untreated until he eventually had to be hospitalized. Although Ali downplayed the seriousness, the lingering effects were serious enough that doctors considered amputation and Ali suffered reduced mobility for the rest of his boxing career[[/note]]. By now Ali's speed and reflexes had noticeably diminished and he began to take more punishment. He nevertheless kept on winning fights thanks to his bravery and ring smarts, some careful matchmaking, and at times some questionable judging. He did make history in 1978 by becoming the first three-time heavyweight champion, after losing his title to the inexperienced Leon Spinks and then winning it back six months later. He retired once more, before mounting a misguided comeback attempt in 1980, this time against his [[TheApprentice former sparring partner]] (and now champion) Larry Holmes. It soon became obvious that Ali had nothing left and the result was a [[CurbStompBattle one-sided beating]] which ended when Ali's corner threw in the towel after the tenth round, the only time Ali was stopped in a fight. Ali finally retired in 1981 following a loss to journeyman Trevor Berbick.

There have been numerous books, movies, magazine articles, advertisements and video games that have featured Muhammad Ali or depicted him. He was even the star of a SaturdayMorningCartoon in the 1970s, and had [[Pinball/{{Ali}} his own pinball machine]] in the 80s. In one of his most famous pop culture appearances, he literally gave [[BoxingLessonsForSuperman Boxing Lessons]] to '''''Superman'''''! The most prominent work to feature Ali was an Creator/{{ESPN}} documentary about the buildup for his fight with Larry Holmes in the twilight of his career.

In the final years of his career, Ali was already showing early signs of Parkinson's disease. In retirement, Ali still made periodic appearances in public, but Parkinson's disease ravaged his body and repeated head trauma ravaged his mind. He was no longer the eloquent, witty speaker he once was (in fact, he couldn't speak at all anymore), and was largely restricted to a wheelchair. His most famous post-retirement appearances were the 1996 Olympic Torch lighting and holding the Olympic Flag for the 2012 games. Sadly, Ali went down for the count for the last time when he passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 3, 2016, after respiratory complications. He was 74 years old, having fought his battle against Parkinson's for ''32 years.'' (Perhaps the most famous other celebrity with the condition is Creator/MichaelJFox, who as of 2018 has battled the condition for 27 years.)

Ali had originally been declared ineligible for military service after failing an army IQ test in 1964. The military subsequently lowered their standards and Ali was now considered eligible. Ali declared that he would refuse to join the Army and serve in UsefulNotes/{{Vietnam}} (although in all likelihood, he would have served his time entertaining troops in exhibition matches like Joe Louis did in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII), and referred to himself as a 'conscientious objector'. He was convicted of draft evasion, fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in prison (suspended pending his appeal). His boxing license was revoked and almost all boxing authorities withdrew recognition of him as world champion.[[note]]A notable exception was ''Ring Magazine'', whose editor Nat Fleischer insisted that Ali could only lose his title if he was beaten in the ring or retired[[/note]] Ali launched an appeal, and in 1971 the US Supreme Court would overturn his conviction.

This was probably the point where Ali should have called it quits with boxing. He [[TenMinuteRetirement frequently announced his retirement]], but his ego and his ongoing need for money (years of profligate spending and a couple of costly divorces had eaten up the millions he earned in the ring) meant he carried on fighting. There was also an ill-advised and farcical fight against martial artist and wrestler Wrestling/AntonioInoki in Tokyo in 1976[[note]]The event's rules severely restricted Inoki's move set and skewed it heavily in Ali's favor. So, Inoki spent most of the bout crawling on his back and [[SpamAttack repeatedly kicking at Ali's legs]]. This ended up having serious consequences for Ali, as it caused blood clots in one leg, which went untreated until he eventually had to be hospitalized. Although Ali downplayed the seriousness, the lingering effects were serious enough that doctors considered amputation and Ali suffered reduced mobility for the rest of his boxing career[[/note]]. By now Ali's speed and reflexes had noticeably diminished and he began to take more punishment. He nevertheless kept on winning fights thanks to his bravery and ring smarts, some careful matchmaking, and at times some questionable judging. He did make history in 1978 by becoming the first three-time heavyweight champion, after losing his title to the inexperienced Leon Spinks and then winning it back six months later. He retired once more, before mounting a misguided comeback attempt in 1980, this time against his [[TheApprentice former sparring partner]] (and now champion) Larry Holmes. It soon became obvious that Ali had nothing left and the result was a [[CurbStompBattle one-sided beating]] which ended when Ali's corner threw in the towel after the tenth round, the only time Ali was stopped in a fight. Ali finally retired in 1981 following a loss to journeyman Trevor Berbick.

* Ali (as Clay) released a spoken word album of his own, ''I Am the Greatest'', in 1963.

-->There is some fella in London, England named Brian Clough. Some soccer player or something. I heard all the way in Indonesia that this fella talks too much. They say he's another Muhammad Ali. There is just one Muhammad Ali. I'm the talker. Now Clough, I've had enough, stop it!

In case anyone is curious, there is no connection between this man and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali_of_Egypt the Albano-Ottoman general]] that became an effectively independent viceroy of UsefulNotes/{{Egypt}} in 1805.

With his appeal still ongoing, Ali finally regained his licence to box in 1970 and returned to the ring with comeback victories over contenders Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena before facing off against new champion Joe Frazier in an event billed as the "Fight of the Century". The epic fight lived up to its billing and Frazier won a hard-fought 15 round decision, handing Ali his first loss. On the comeback trail, Ali suffered a setback when he lost to the previously unheralded Ken Norton in 1973, but he beat Norton in a tough rematch to get another chance to reclaim the title in 1974. This time his opponent was [[TheDreaded George Foreman]], who had easily dispatched Frazier and Norton in two rounds apiece, in a bout staged in Zaire that Ali nicknamed "The Rumble in the Jungle." In that fight, depicted in the [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]]-winning documentary, ''WhenWeWereKings'', showed that although Ali had slowed down, he was able to outwit the younger challenger with his famous rope-a-dope strategy to wear Foreman until Ali downed him like a oak tree. A year later Ali faced his old rival Frazier for a third time, the so-called "Thrilla in Manila". Fought in tropical conditions, the fight was among the most brutal in boxing history. The action went back and forth, and Ali would later say he felt as if he was close to death. He eventually won when Frazier's corner refused to let their man come out for the final round.

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, generally regarded as the most significant heavyweight in the history of the sport (or, at worst, tied with the great Joe Louis). In his career, Ali was known for combining strength, skill, brilliant tactics, and elegant but incredible braggadocio. He was named "Sportsman of the Century" by ''Magazine/SportsIllustrated'' in 1999. He took up boxing as a teenager after a police officer and boxing coach advised the 12-year-old Clay to learn how to box before he tried to "whup" the guy who stole his bike. Fighting for several years as an amateur, he won gold at the 1960 Summer UsefulNotes/OlympicGames in Rome at the age of 18; he decided to leverage that medal into a professional career. He fought professionally for 18 years (with a three-year sabbatical when his license was suspended due to draft resistance. The U.S. Supreme Court would overturn his conviction) in 61 bouts, retiring with 56 wins, 37 by way of knockout. Three of his five losses came in the last three years of his career, when he was well past his prime and starting to show early symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Ali had originally been declared ineligible for military service after failing an army IQ test in 1964. The military subsequently lowered their standards and Ali was now considered eligible. Ali declared that he would refuse to join the army and serve in Vietnam (although in all likelihood, he would have served his time entertaining troops in exhibition matches like Joe Louis did in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII), and referred to himself as a 'conscientious objector'. He was convicted of draft evasion, fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in prison (suspended pending his appeal). His boxing license was revoked and almost all boxing authorities withdrew recognition of him as world champion.[[note]]A notable exception was ''Ring Magazine'', whose editor Nat Fleischer insisted that Ali could only lose his title if he was beaten in the ring or retired[[/note]] Ali launched an appeal, and in 1971 the US Supreme Court would overturn his conviction.

With his appeal still ongoing, Ali finally regained his licence to box in 1970 and returned to the ring with comeback victories over contenders Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena before facing off against new champion Joe Frazier in an event billed as the "Fight of the Century". The epic fight lived up to its billing and Frazier won a hard-fought 15 round decision, handing Ali his first loss. On the comeback trail, Ali suffered a setback when he lost to the previously unheralded Ken Norton in 1973, but he beat Norton in a tough rematch to get another chance to reclaim the title in 1974. This time his opponent was [[TheDreaded George Foreman]], who had easily dispatched Frazier and Norton in two rounds apiece, in a bout staged in Zaire that Ali nicknamed "The Rumble in the Jungle." In that fight, depicted in the Oscar winning documentary, ''When We Were Kings'', showed that although Ali had slowed down, he was able to outwit the younger challenger with his famous rope-a-dope strategy to wear Foreman until Ali downed him like a oak tree. A year later Ali faced his old rival Frazier for a third time, the so-called "Thrilla in Manila". Fought in tropical conditions, the fight was among the most brutal in boxing history. The action went back and forth, and Ali would later say he felt as if he was close to death. He eventually won when Frazier's corner refused to let their man come out for the final round.

In the final years of his career, Ali was already showing early signs of Parkinson's syndrome. In retirement, Ali still made periodic appearances in public, but Parkinson's disease ravaged his body and repeated head trauma ravaged his mind. He was no longer the eloquent, witty speaker he once was (in fact, he couldn't speak at all anymore), and was largely restricted to a wheelchair. His most famous post-retirement appearances were the 1996 Olympic Torch lighting and holding the Olympic Flag for the 2012 games. Sadly, Ali went down for the count for the last time when he passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 3, 2016, after respiratory complications. He was 74 years old, having fought his battle against Parkinson's for ''32 years.'' (Perhaps the most famous other celebrity with the condition is Creator/MichaelJFox, who as of 2018 has battled the condition for 27 years.)

* ''Film/WhenWeWereKings'' is an Oscar-winning documentary of the Ali-Foreman fight.

-->There is some fella in London England named Brian Clough. Some soccer player or something. I heard all the way in Indonesia that this fella talks too much. They say he's another Muhammad Ali. There is just one Muhammad Ali. I'm the talker. Now Clough, I've had enough, stop it!

This was probably the point where Ali should have called it quits with boxing. He [[TenMinuteRetirement frequently announced his retirement]], but his ego and his ongoing need for money (years of profligate spending and a couple of costly divorces had eaten up the millions he earned in the ring) meant he carried on fighting. There was also an ill-advised and farcical fight against martial artist and wrestler Wrestling/AntonioInoki in Tokyo in 1976[[note]]The event's rules severely restricted Inoki's move set and skewed it heavily in Ali's favor. So, Inoki spent most of the bout crawling on his back and [[SpamAttack repeatedly kicking at Ali's legs]]. This ended up having serious consequences for Ali, as it caused blood clots in one leg, which went untreated until he eventually had to be hospitalized. Although Ali downplayed the seriousness, the lingering effects were serious enough that doctors considered amputation and Ali suffered reduced mobility for the rest of his boxing career[[/note]]. By now Ali's speed and reflexes had noticeably diminished and he began to take more punishment. He nevertheless kept on winning fights thanks to his bravery and ring smarts, some careful matchmaking, and at times some questionable judging. He did make history in 1978 by becoming the first three-time heavyweight champion, after losing his title to the inexperienced Leon Spinks and then winning it back six months later. He retired once more, before mounting a misguided comeback attempt in 1980, this time against his [[TheApprentice former sparring partner]] (and now champion) Larry Holmes. It soon became obvious that Ali had nothing left and the result was a [[CurbStompBattle one-sided beating]] which ended when Ali's corner threw in the towel after the tenth round, the only the time Ali was stopped in a fight. Ali finally retired in 1981 following a loss to journeyman Trevor Berbick.

This was probably the point where Ali should have called it quits with boxing. However, his ego and his ongoing need for money (years of profligate spending and costly divorces had eaten up the millions he earned in the ring) meant he carried on fighting. There was also an ill-advised and farcical fight against martial artist and wrestler Wrestling/AntonioInoki in Tokyo in 1976[[note]]The event's rules severely restricted Inoki's move set and skewed it heavily in Ali's favor. So, Inoki spent most of the bout crawling on his back and [[SpamAttack repeatedly kicking at Ali's legs]]. This ended up having serious consequences for Ali, as it caused blood clots in one leg, which went untreated until he eventually had to be hospitalized. Although Ali downplayed the seriousness, the lingering effects were serious enough that doctors considered amputation and Ali suffered reduced mobility for the rest of his boxing career[[/note]]. By now Ali's speed and reflexes had noticeably diminished and he began to take more punishment. He nevertheless kept on winning fights thanks to his bravery and ring smarts, some careful matchmaking, and at times some questionable judging. He did make history in 1978 by becoming the first three-time heavyweight champion, after losing his title to the inexperienced Leon Spinks and then winning it back six months later. This was followed by a misguided comeback attempt in 1980, this time against his [[TheApprentice former sparring partner]] (and now champion) Larry Holmes. It soon became obvious that Ali had nothing left and the result was a [[CurbStompBattle one-sided beating]] which ended when Ali's corner threw in the towel after the tenth round, the only the time Ali was stopped in a fight. Ali finally retired in 1981 following a loss to journeyman Trevor Berbick.

With his appeal still ongoing, Ali finally regained his licence to box in 1970 and returned to the ring with comeback victories over contenders Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena before facing off against new champion Joe Frazier in an event billed as the "Fight of the Century". The epic fight lived up to its billing and Frazier won a hard-fought 15 round decision, handing Ali his first loss. Ali got another chance to reclaim the title in 1974 when he took on [[TheDreaded George Foreman]], who had easily knocked out Ali's two conquerors Frazier and Ken Norton in two rounds apiece, in a championship bout staged in Zaire that Ali nicknamed "The Rumble in the Jungle." In that fight, depicted in the Oscar winning documentary, ''When We Were Kings'', showed that although Ali had slowed down, he was able to outwit the younger challenger with his famous rope-a-dope strategy to wear Foreman until Ali downed him like a oak tree. A year later Ali faced his old rival Frazier for a third time, the so-called "Thrilla in Manila". Fought in tropical conditions, the fight was among the most brutal in boxing history. The action went back and forth, and Ali would later say he felt as if he was close to death. He eventually won when Frazier's cornerman refused to let their man come out for the final round.

* Ali is one of the protagonists of ''Film/OneNightInMiami'', played by Eli Goree. The film explores his friendship with fellow black icons and their roles in the fight for civil rights.

* He had a cameo in ''Series/TouchedByAnAngel'' where he gave words of encouragement to a bullied young boy from a broken home. Due to his physical deterioration, Della Reese had to provide translate Ali's mumbled words.

* Ali is one of the protagonists of ''Film/OneNightInMiami'', played by Creator/EliGoree. The film explores his friendship with fellow black icons and their roles in the fight for civil rights.

* A 1978 comic book by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, ''ComicBook/SupermanVsMuhammadAli'' has him be TheRival of Franchise/{{Superman}}. Has become HarsherInHindsight as both men died in 2016 (''twice'' in [[Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice Superman's]] [[ComicBook/TheNew52 case]]).

* Music/{{Faithless}} named the track "Muhammed Ali" (2001) after him.

Ali was also quite TheCasanova with a [[AnythingThatMoves legendary appetite]] for women. He was married four times: to Sonji Roi (1964-66), Belinda Boyd (1967-77), Veronica Porché (1977-86) and Lonnie Williams (1986-2016) and also had [[YourCheatingHeart countless extra-marital affairs]]. He once notoriously introduced his mistress (and future wife) Veronica as his wife to UsefulNotes/FerdinandMarcos, prompting a very public row with his actual wife Belinda. His marriages and affairs produced at least eight children (seven daughters and one son).[[note]]Belinda suspected there were more[[/note]] He later adopted another son with Lonnie. His daughter, Laila Ali, also became a professional boxer (against her father's wishes) and once fought Joe Frazier's daughter Jackie.

* The Will Power stage play ''Fetch Clay, Make Man'' explores Cassius Clay's friendship with Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, better known as "Stepin Fetchit". Creator/RayFisher inaugurated the role in 2013.

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, generally regarded as the most significant heavyweight in the history of the sport. In his career, Ali was known for combining strength, skill, brilliant tactics, and elegant but incredible braggadocio. He was named "Sportsman of the Century" by ''Magazine/SportsIllustrated'' in 1999. He took up boxing as a teenager after a police officer and boxing coach advised the 12-year-old Clay to learn how to box before he tried to "whup" the guy who stole his bike. Fighting for several years as an amateur, he won gold at the 1960 Summer UsefulNotes/OlympicGames in Rome at the age of 18; he decided to leverage that medal into a professional career. He fought professionally for 18 years (with a three-year sabbatical when his license was suspended due to draft resistance. The U.S. Supreme Court would overturn his conviction) in 61 bouts, retiring with 56 wins, 37 by way of knockout. Three of his five losses came in the last three years of his career, when he was well past his prime and starting to show early symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

** He had a cameo in ''Series/TouchedByAnAngel'' where he gave words of encouragement to a bullied young boy from a broken home. Due to his physical deterioration, Della Reese had to provide translate Ali's mumbled words.

This was probably the point where Ali should have called it quits with boxing. However, his ego and his ongoing need for money (years of profligate spending and costly divorces had eaten up the millions he earned in the ring) meant he carried on fighting. There was also an ill-advised and farcical fight against martial artist and wrestler Wrestling/AntonioInoki in Tokyo in 1976.[[note]]The event's rules severely restricted Inoki's move set and skewed it heavily in Ali's favor. So, Inoki spent most of the bout crawling on his back and [[SpamAttack repeatedly kicking at Ali's legs]]. This ended up having serious consequences for Ali, as it caused several blood clots, which went untreated until he eventually had to be hospitalized[[/note]] By now Ali's speed and reflexes had noticeably diminished and he began to take more punishment. He nevertheless kept on winning fights thanks to his bravery and ring smarts, some careful matchmaking, and at times some questionable judging. He did make history in 1978 by becoming the first three-time heavyweight champion, after losing his title to the inexperienced Leon Spinks and then winning it back six months later. This was followed by a misguided comeback attempt in 1980, this time against his [[TheApprentice former sparring partner]] (and now champion) Larry Holmes. It soon became obvious that Ali had nothing left and the result was a [[CurbStompBattle one-sided beating]] which ended when Ali's corner threw in the towel after the tenth round, the only the time Ali was stopped in a fight. Ali finally retired in 1981 following a loss to journeyman Trevor Berbick.

This was probably the point where Ali should have called it quits with boxing. However, his ego and his ongoing need for money (years of profligate spending and costly divorces had eaten up the millions he earned in the ring) meant he carried on fighting. There was also an ill-advised and farcical fight against martial artist and wrestler Wrestling/AntonioInoki in Tokyo in 1976.[[note]]The event's severely restricted Inoki's move set and skewed it heavily in Ali's favor. So, Inoki spent most of the bout crawling on his back and [[SpamAttack repeatedly kicking at Ali's legs]]. This ended up having serious consequences for Ali, as it caused several blood clots, which went untreated until he eventually had to be hospitalized[[/note]] By now Ali's speed and reflexes had noticeably diminished and he began to take more punishment. He nevertheless kept on winning fights thanks to his bravery and ring smarts, some careful matchmaking, and at times some questionable judging. He did make history in 1978 by becoming the first three-time heavyweight champion, after losing his title to the inexperienced Leon Spinks and then winning it back six months later. This was followed by a misguided comeback attempt in 1980, this time against his [[TheApprentice former sparring partner]] (and now champion) Larry Holmes. It soon became obvious that Ali had nothing left and the result was a [[CurbStompBattle one-sided beating]] which ended when Ali's corner threw in the towel after the tenth round, the only the time Ali was stopped in a fight. Ali finally retired in 1981 following a loss to journeyman Trevor Berbick.

This was probably the point where Ali should have called it quits with boxing. However, his ego and his ongoing need for money (years of profligate spending and costly divorces had eaten up the millions he earned in the ring) meant he carried on fighting. There was also an ill-advised and farcical fight against martial artist and wrestler Wrestling/AntonioInoki in Tokyo in 1976.[[note]]The contest did have more serious consequences for Ali; Inoki spent the entire bout on his back kicking Ali's legs, leaving Ali with several blood clots, which went untreated until he eventually had to be hospitalized[[/note]] By now Ali's speed and reflexes had noticeably diminished and he began to take more punishment. He nevertheless kept on winning fights thanks to his bravery and ring smarts, some careful matchmaking, and at times some questionable judging. He did make history in 1978 by becoming the first three-time heavyweight champion, after losing his title to the inexperienced Leon Spinks and then winning it back six months later. This was followed by a misguided comeback attempt in 1980, this time against his [[TheApprentice former sparring partner]] (and now champion) Larry Holmes. It soon became obvious that Ali had nothing left and the result was a [[CurbStompBattle one-sided beating]] which ended when Ali's corner threw in the towel after the tenth round, the only the time Ali was stopped in a fight. Ali finally retired in 1981 following a loss to journeyman Trevor Berbick.

Along the way, Ali won the heavyweight championship three times, defeated every top heavyweight contender from 1964 to 1975, and is often regarded as one of the greatest (if not ''the'' greatest) boxers (if not ''athlete'') of all time. Although he fought with an orthodox (right-handed) stance, Ali's style of fighting was very ''unorthodox'', relying on his agility to [[DeadlyDodging dodge punches]], rather than blocking them outright. He also had a potent combination of incredible hand speed, prodigious reach, boundless stamina, and one of the best chins in boxing history (which meant even if you ''could'' touch him, he could still take the punch). Ali was also a master of the [[IShallTauntYou psychological elements of boxing]], frequently taunting his opponents and 'calling' his knockouts (by stating the round he believed the KO would happen before the fight).

Along the way, Ali won the heavyweight championship three times, defeated every top heavyweight contender from 1964 to 1975, and is often regarded as one of the greatest (if not ''the'' greatest) boxers of all time. Although he fought with an orthodox (right-handed) stance, Ali's style of fighting was very ''unorthodox'', relying on his agility to dodge punches, rather than blocking them outright, and he possessed incredible hand speed and stamina. He also had one of the best chins in boxing history. Ali was a master of the psychological elements of boxing, frequently taunting his opponents and 'calling' his knockouts (by stating the round he believed the KO would happen before the fight).