Muhammad Ali, the boxing legend

Muhammad Ali was the first man in the boxing history who secured the magnificent heavyweight championship three times and was one of the greatest sporting icons of the 20th century.
For years Ali had been suffering from Parkinson's disease and he was hospitalised and after spending 5 days at an Arizona hospital, Ali died at 9-10 pm on June 3, 2016. The official cause of his death was septic shock. He was 74.
The boxing career made Ali enormously famous in the world, but he gave a terrible price for it. He received an estimated 29,000 punches to his head, even though he finished with a record of 56 wins, 5 losses and 37 knockouts!
Ali was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky as an elder son of Cassius Clay Sr (1912-1990) and Odessa Grady Clay (1917-1996).
At the age of 12, Ali kicked off his boxing career after his new beloved bicycle was stolen. Ali, the tearful youngster reported it to Louisville police officer Joe Martin (1916-1996) and vowed to him that he would "whup" the thief.
Martin was also a boxing trainer and suggested that the upset Ali first  need to learn how to fight and took him to his boxing gym for training. After the beginning of a 6-year amateur boxing career and high school graduation, Ali participated in the 1960 Summer Olympics and won the light heavyweight gold medal in Rome.    
On October 29, 1960, Ali began his professional boxing debut. He was then known as the "Louisville Lip."
The first ever heavyweight championship came to Ali's life on February 25, 1964 in Miami after defeating fearsome Sonny Liston (1932-1970) by his prediction knockout "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" in seven rounds. The world was stunned! The new heavyweight champ roared, "I am the greatest."
After Liston fight, Ali changed his family name Clay to Muhammad Ali upon converting to Islam and became affiliated with the nations of Islam. On May 25, 1965 in Maine, a rematch was held between Ali and Liston for the world heavyweight championship title. What a surprise! Ali knocked down Liston again in the first round within 2:12 minutes. Ali then dominated in the heavyweight ranks until 1967.
On April 29, 1967, Ali showed up for his scheduled induction at the US armed forces. Due to his religious beliefs, he refused to serve at the Vietnam War and said, "I am not going to quarrel with Viet Cong." As a result, Ali was arrested. The New York Athletic Commission suspended his boxing licence and revoked his heavyweight belt. In 1970, the New York State Supreme Court ordered Ali's boxing licence to be reinstated and in 1971 the US Supreme Court overturned his conviction in a unanimous 8-0 ruling. It caused public sympathy to Ali and against the Vietnam War. Thus Ali became a public figure.
Ali lost his three and a half years during the prime time of his boxing career. It was not easy to get back the world's heavyweight championship again! Ali made his impossible dreams a reality. That is why he earned global popularity enormously.
On October 30, 1974, Ali gained his second world heavyweight championship after knocking out George Foreman using his rope-a-dope strategy in an eight-round bout which was held in Kinshasa, Zaire. The fight was known as the "Rumble in the Jungle."
On October 1, 1975, Ali secured his third world heavyweight championship after technical knocking out his bitter rival Joe Frazier (1944-2011) in a fourteen-round match. The fight was memorable with the name Thrilla of Manila.
On January 28, 1974, a rematch was held between Ali and Frazier for the world heavyweight title in New York.  Ali was able to defeat Frazier in a unanimous decision in a twelve-round tie.
Ali got his first defeat in the world heavyweight championship to Frazier on March 8, 1971 in a unanimous decision in a fifteen-round match. The fight was the "Fight of the Century."
Ali got married four times and was father of 7 daughters and 2 sons.
Despite Parkinson's disease Ali remained in the public spotlight, travelling the world to make humanitarian, goodwill and charitable appearances.
In 1990, Ali met with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussain (1937-2006) to negotiate the release of American hostages and in 2002, as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, he travelled to Afghanistan.
In 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Ali made an appearance and in 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Ali lit the opening torch.     
In 1999, Ali was voted the BBC's "Sporting personality of the Century;" he was named "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated; presented Presidential Citizen Medal by President Bill Clinton in 2001; Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W Bush in 2005; and received an honorary doctor of humanities at the Princeton University.
Ali visited Bangladesh on February 19, 1978. He himself opened the Muhammad Ali Boxing Stadium. He was awarded the Honorary Citizenship of Bangladesh alongside Bangladesh passport and a key. Ali was delighted in getting such rare honour in Bangladesh.  

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