Boxing great Muhammad Ali will be remembered in a four-part documentary by Ken Burns. Here’s a look back at Ali’s five greatest moments in the ring.
Muhammad Ali is nicknamed ‘The Greatest’ for a reason. He was electric in the boxing ring and transformative and world-changing outside of it. On Sunday, Sept. 19 at 8/7c filmmaker Ken Burns debuts a new four-part documentary titled Muhammad Ali on PBS.
The documentary takes a deep dive into Ali’s life in and out of the boxing ring. Ali passed away on June 3, 2016, but his legacy will never be forgotten. He was a boxing and human rights icon who used his position as a great athlete as a platform to fight against numerous causes, including the Vietnam War and racism in the U.S.
To celebrate the upcoming documentary, FanSided highlighted five of Ali’s greatest boxing career moments.
1. Ali wins gold at the 1960 Olympics
Ali’s first big introduction to the world came at the 1960 Rome Olympics. A young 18-year-old Ali, then named Cassius Clay, stormed the light heavyweight division. He flashed his brilliance at the Olympics and came back to the U.S. thinking that his gold-medal performance would change things for him.
It did in some ways as investors in his home state of Kentucky came together to provide financial backing for Ali’s professional career. In terms of human rights, Ali still had racism thrown in his face in the deep south.
There’s a famous story that Ali threw his gold medal into the river after being kicked out of a segregated restaurant. That story of the medal is widely dismissed as a myth, but Ali was deeply impacted by the racial inequality that surrounded him, which is why he did something about it once becoming a sports star.
2. Ali becomes the youngest heavyweight champion in history
On Feb. 25, 1964, Ali, still named Cassius Clay, famously “shocked the world.” He was a massive underdog going up against champion Sonny Liston, but Ali stopped Liston in round 6 to become the new champion at 22 years old.
Ali’s talking before the fight was eye-catching, to say the least. He taunted and jeered Liston at press conferences berating him in a sort of psychological warfare that Ali would employ throughout his career.
He used his fleet feet and fast hands to confuse and frustrate the powerful but slower Liston. Liston refused to fight on citing a shoulder injury giving Ali the TKO victory. It’s unknown if Liston’s shoulder or pride was hurt the most.
3. Ali avenges his loss to Joe Frazier
Ali’s first reign as heavyweight champion was going smoothly until he was stripped of the title for refusing induction into the armed forces. He took a stand against the Vietnam War, which he and millions of Americans viewed as unethical.
Ali refused induction on religious grounds but was arrested and prosecuted by the United States. The Supreme Court sided with Ali, allowing him to resume his boxing career after a three-year absence.
Ali’s first loss came against Joe Frazier in 1971. The ring rust was apparent, but he avenged that defeat on Jan. 28, 1974. He and Frazier fought 12 hard rounds at Madison Square Garden, but Ali was the winner this time by unanimous decision.
4. Ali regains the heavyweight crown in the “Rumble in the Jungle”
After defeating Frazier, Ali moved on to his greatest test against heavyweight champion George Foreman. Foreman was also an Olympic gold medalist and was significantly bigger and stronger than Ali.
Not many were giving Ali a chance, but he won over the people of Zaire, where the fight was held. Promoter Don King marketed the fight as the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Ali’s ability to talk and charm won over the country. He became the hometown favorite despite being thousands of miles from home.
The press thought Foreman would destroy Ali, especially after Foreman wiped out Frazier in two rounds, knocking him down six times. He also stopped Ken Norton in two rounds. Norton also owned a win against Ali.
In the fight, Ali’s ring intelligence defeated Foreman’s brawn. He employed his ‘”rope-a-dope” strategy as he laid on the ropes and allowed Foreman to punch himself out. Ali took some brutal punches from Foreman but knew that he could tire out his bigger opponent.
Foreman gassed himself out by round 8, and Ali seized the moment. He sent Foreman to the canvas with a right hand, and the stunned and exhausted Foreman couldn’t rise from the canvas. Ali scored the round 8 KO to regain his world title.
5. Ali defeats Frazier in the “Thrilla in Manilla”
Frazier was the greatest antagonist in Ali’s career. Their styles complimented each other, and the two brought out the best in each other. They met for the third and final time at Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines.
According to boxing lore, the indoor arena had no air conditioning, and temperatures in the ring exceeded 100 degrees. Ali and Frazier traded furious punches throughout the fight, with each man refusing to succumb to the other’s will.
In the later rounds, Ali and Frazier were exhausted and dehydrated and were running on pride alone. At the end of round 14, Frazier’s eyes were swollen shut, and he was taking a lot of punishment.
Frazier’s corner feared for his wellbeing and stopped the fight. He wanted to fight on, but his corner wouldn’t allow it. Ali won the fight by round 14 TKO but said that experience was the closest he has ever come to death. Many regard the “Thrilla in Manilla” as one of the greatest fights in boxing history.