Muhammad Ali
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.
When We Were Kings
(Self)
City of Ali
Pariah: The Lives and Deaths of Sonny Liston
(Self (archive footage))
Ali's Comeback: The Untold Story
(Self (archive footage))
Soul Power
(Self (archive footage))
Black Soul
(Self)
Ron Lyle
(Self (archive footage))
Earnie Shavers
The King of Miami Beach
Untold: Deal with the Devil
(Self - Professional Boxer (archive footage))
Stand
(Self (archive footage))
Muhammad and Larry
Muhammad Ali, the Greatest
(Self)
Black Power Salute
(Self (archive footage))
In Search of Greatness
(Self (archive footage))
Behind the Shield: The Power and Politics of the NFL
(Self (archive footage))
The Fighters
(Self)
Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme
(Himself)
Fight of the Century
(Self)
The Greatest
(Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali)
Doin' Time
(Himself)
Malcolm X
(Self (archive footage))
Muhammad and Larry
(Himself)
Cassius Clay vs. Doug Jones
(Self)
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II
(Self)
Cassius Clay vs. Alonzo Johnson
(Self)
Larry Holmes vs. Muhammad Ali
(Self)
Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson II
(Self)
Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson I
(Self)
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier I
(Self)
The Rumble in the Jungle: George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali
(Self)
Say Hey, Willie Mays!
(Self (archive footage))
Muhammad Ali - Through The Eyes Of The World
(Himself)
The Documented Life and Times of Muhammad Ali - The Greatest
Ali Rap
(Himself)
Champions Forever - World Heavyweight Champs!
(Himself)
a.k.a. Cassius Clay
(Self)
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
(Self (archive footage))
Norman Mailer: The American
(Self)
Cassius le grand
The Best of ABC's Wide World of Sports: The 60's
(Self)
The Super Fight
(Himself)
Black Rodeo
(Self)
Out From Ali's Shadow: The Larry Holmes Story
(Self (Archival Footage))
O.J.: Made in America
(Self (archive footage))
Mike Tyson vs Larry Holmes
(Self)
Muhammad Ali vs. Trevor Berbick
(Self)
Mike Tyson vs Trevor Berbick
(Self)
Body and Soul
(Himself)
Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration
(Self)
Parkinson at 50
(Self (archive footage))
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
(Himself (archive footage))
The Trials of Muhammad Ali
(Himself)
Darts Tarts – Welcome to my World
(Self (archive footage))
Rumble in the Jungle
(Self)
Thrilla in Manila
(Self)
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
(Muhammad Ali)
Cassius X: Becoming Ali
(Self (archive footage))
Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child
(Self (archive footage))
Pelé
(Self (archive Footage))
The Real Rocky
(Self (archive footage))
McEnroe
(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))
Diana
(Self)
I Am Ali
(Self (archive footage))
Muhammad Ali The Whole Story
(Self)
Muhammad Ali - The Greatest Collection
Tribute to Chuck Wepner: The Legacy and Retirement of the Real Rocky Balboa
(Self (archive footage))
Night of 100 Stars III
(Self)
Mister Candid Camera
(Self (archive footage))
Requiem for a Heavyweight
(Himself (as Cassius Clay))
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
(Self (archive footage))
Muhammad Ali: The Greatest
Franz Klammer - The Ski "Kaiser" Will Be 70
(Self (archive footage))
70 Jahre Annemarie Moser-Pröll – Ein Leben als Wintermärchen
(Self (archive footage))
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III
(Self)
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
(Himself)
My Father Muhammad Ali
(Self (archive footage))
Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston II
(Self)
Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston I
(Self)
James Bond: The First 21 Years
(Self)
Andre the Giant
(Self (archive footage))
Thrilla in Manila
(Himself (archive footage))
WWE Hall of Fame 2024
(Muhammad Ali)
Sticky: A (Self) Love Story
(Self)
Something's Happening
Kings of the Ring: Four Legends of Heavyweight Boxing
(Himself)
Kings of The Ring - History of Heavyweight Boxing 1919-1990
(Himself (Archival Footage))
Freedom Road
(Gideon Jackson)
Sugar Ray Robinson: The Bright Lights and Dark Shadows of a Champion
(Himself)
Money Talks
(Self)
When Ali Met Cathal
(Muhammad Ali)
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
(Self (archive footage))
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes
(Self (archive footage))
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
(Self (archive footage))
Funny Girl to Funny Lady
(Self)
Facing Ali
(Self)
The Last Round: Chuvalo vs. Ali
(Himself)
Africa Rising
(Self - Boxer (archive footage))
Jack Paar: Smart Television
(Self)
Les vendredis d'Apostrophes
(Self (archive footage))
Tyson
(Self (archive footage))
Ali-Frazier I: One Nation... Divisible
(Self)
Leon Spinks vs Muhammad Ali II
Boxing's Greatest Champions
(Self)
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
(Self (archive footage))
Legends Never Die
(Self (archive footage))
Muhammad Ali: The Greatest
(Self (Archival Footage))
Muhammad Ali: Made in Miami
(Himself)
The Journey of the African-American Athlete
(Self (archive footage))
Muhammad Ali - Rumble in the Jungle
(Self (archive footage))
Champions Forever
(Self)
B.B. King: Live In Africa '74
(Self)
James Brown - The Night James Brown Saved Boston
(Self (archive footage))
Naked Sport: Welcome to the Sewer
(Self)
Da 5 Bloods
(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))
Ali's Dozen
(Self)
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
(Self - Roastee (archive footage))
WrestleMania
(Muhammad Ali (Enforcer))
WCW Halloween Havoc 1994
(Himself (Ringside))
The Fight
(Himself)
The Champ and the King
(Self (archive footage))
Black Is Beltza
(Self (voice) (archive footage))
Muhammad Ali, the Greatest
(Self (archive footage))
Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali
(Self (archive footage))
Muhammad Ali: Fighting Spirit
(himself)
Beatles '64
(Self (archive footage))
Wake Up and Apologise
(Self)
Monday Night Mayhem
(Self (archive footage))
When Ali Came to Britain
American Made
(Self (archive footage) (uncredited))
WrestleMania
Atlanta 1996: Games of the XXVI Olympiad - Opening Ceremony
(Self)
Pelé Forever
(Self (archive footage))
United We Stand: The Ali Summit
(archival footage)
Ali: The Mission
(Self (archive footage))
Best of Enemies
(Self (archival))
Robbed
(Self)
Kings of The Square Ring
70 Years of Youth Revolt
(Self (archive footage))
The Merv Griffin Show
(Self)
Bill Russell: Legend
(Self (archive footage))
Shut Up and Dribble
(Self (archive footage))
O.J.: Made in America
(Self (archive footage))
Ali's 65
Muhammad Ali
(Self (archive footage))
A Life in Ten Pictures
(Self (archive footage))
Explained
(Self (archive footage))
The Mike Douglas Show
(Self)
Die Muhammad Ali Story
(Muhammad Ali)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
(Self)
Wogan
(Self)
What's My Line?
(Self - Mystery Guest)
1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything
(Self (archive footage))
Touched by an Angel
(Self)
What's My Name | Muhammad Ali
(Self (archive footage))
Bambi
(Self (archive footage))
Apostrophes
(Self)
The Dick Cavett Show
(Self - Guest)
The Century of Icons
(Self (archive footage))
Der Sport-Spiegel
(Self)
The Seventies
(Self (archive footage))
Mid-South Wrestling
(Muhammad Ali (Fan - Archive Footage))
