Ali declared his retirement from fighting in June 1979. On October 2, 1980, he returned to the ring and faced heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, who knocked him out in the 11th round. Ali retired from boxing with a 56-5 record after losing to Trevor Berbick on December 11, 1981. He said afterward that he had been given his "walking papers" by sportscasters who believed he was done for good.
Back in April 1975, just months before his death, Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman in Zaire. The fight is often called the "Zaire Memorial Prize Fight". It is a Boxing event that was held on May 6, 1975, in Kinshasa, Zaire (now known as Democratic Republic of the Congo). At the time, it was considered an unofficial title bout because Ali had already announced his intention to retire at the end of the year. However, after retiring from boxing, Ali came back to fight Joe Frazier in the Philippines on January 17, 1977. Even though this was also an unofficial match, it is still referred to as the "Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier Second Coming".
In conclusion, Muhammad Ali stopped boxing in 1979 but continued to train until his death in 2016 at the age of 74.
39. After a brief hiatus, Ali returned to the ring in 1980 to face Larry Holmes, but was outmatched by the younger champion. Following one last defeat against Trevor Berbick in 1981, the boxing legend retired from the sport at the age of 39. He had 76 victories and just as many defeats during his career.
Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay on January 17th1941 in Louisville, Kentucky. He turned pro in 1964 at the age of 24. In 1965 he won the WBC heavyweight title after defeating Sonny Liston. He lost it two years later to Bob Foster, but regained it in 1970 with a victory over Joe Frazier. In 1974 he became the first boxer to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1978 he refused to be drafted into the United States Army due to his opposition to the Vietnam War. The same year he was stripped of his title for refusing to serve. In 1984 he founded the nonprofit organization called the Muhammad Ali Foundation with the goal of helping underprivileged children. In 1992 he was convicted of draft evasion and spent three months in prison. In 1996 he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and a few years later he died in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 56.
He remains one of the most important figures in American history. His influence on both civil rights and social justice is undeniable.
Finally, Ali retired from professional boxing on June 26, 1979, at the age of 37. His retirement was short-lived. Ali had become accustomed to a luxury lifestyle, and his riches had diminished within a few years.
Muhammad Ali, 74, passed away on June 3, 2016. In the time of his death, he was being treated for respiratory difficulties at a Scottsdale hospital. Ali has suffered from Parkinson's illness for 32 years.
The Holmes bout is alleged to have exacerbated Ali's Parkinson's disease. Ali fought one last time on December 11, 1981, in Nassau, Bahamas, against Trevor Berbick, losing a ten-round decision. Ali had taken 200,000 punches at the conclusion of his fighting career.
His life following his profession, however, was a downward fight with his health. Muhammad Ali's physical ability in the ring began to deteriorate at the conclusion of his boxing career. Ali began to exhibit delayed responses, occasional stuttering, and other voice difficulties.
On April 29, 1967, both the World Boxing Association and the World Boxing Council revoked his title as champion. Despite this, Ali remained the lineal champion, as acknowledged by The Ring magazine and the majority of boxing purists until his defeat in 1970.
Ali first won the WBA title in 1964 after dethroning Sonny Liston. He defended it against several opponents before losing it to Tony Jacksons in an event known as the Liston-Tyson fight. After three years out of the ring, Ali returned in 1969 and defeated Jerry Quarry to regain the title he had lost. In between these two fights, Ali had traveled to India where he performed religious rituals that were popular in those days. This upset many American sports fans who saw him as a traitor because he had converted to Islam.
After winning the title back from Jackson, Ali successfully defended it seven times before losing it to George Foreman in an event called the "Rumble in the Jungle". At the time of their fight, both men were ranked number one by The Ring magazine. It was one of the most anticipated events in sporting history. However, despite being declared the winner by many judges, Foreman was disqualified for hitting below the belt. This is when Ali lost his title for the first time. He decided not to fight anymore and moved to Saudi Arabia where he lived a quiet life until he died in 2016 at the age of 74.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc.
