Published 14:28 IST, January 17th 2020
Remembering when Muhammad Ali proved he was the King Of Boxing, on his birth anniversary
Muhammad Ali is undoubtedly the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He inspired millions with his words and actions. Take a look at his best moments.
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," when Muhammad Ali said those words, the entire world doubted his abilities and willpower. Everyone thought that George Foreman would take over Ali at ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’. No doubt, Foreman was one of the most dominant heavyweights at that time. His knockout power was scary for the entire boxing community.
However, Muhammad Ali proved all his critics wrong by knocking out ‘The Big George’ in front of the whole world. On his 78th birth anniversary, let us take a look at those moments where Muhammad Ali proved that he is the ultimate King of Boxing.
(Muhammad Ali record: Total fights: 61, Wins: 56, Loss: 5)
Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman (1974)
‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ is a historic event in boxing history. It took place on October 30, 1974. Two of the best heavyweight boxers of all time faced each other in one of the biggest fights of their career. No wonder, the result of the fight stunned everyone.
George Foreman, who was literally beating up Muhammad Ali for the first five rounds, felt a change in momentum as the fight progressed. In the eighth round, Ali made a massive statement by knocking out George Foreman with a final blow. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, George can’t hit what his eyes can’t see,” that’s what Muhammad Ali said before facing George Foreman. Take a look at the fight that made Muhammad Ali, the greatest of all time.
Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) vs Sonny Liston (1964)
“I shook up the world” - that’s what Muhammad Ali said after beating Sonny Liston in their original fight in 1964. Liston was one of the most intimidating heavyweight champions at that point of time. That did not help him overcome Muhammad Ali’s massive energy inside the ring.
Ali started to control the fight from the start as he threw some massive combinations over Sonny Liston. No wonder, Liston lost his boxing rhythm before losing the fight against Muhammad Ali.
Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier II (1974)
Joe Frazier stunned the entire world by handing Muhammad Ali his first-ever loss of boxing career in their original fight in 1971. However, Muhammad Ali bounced back like a king in their re-match on 1974. The mega-fight took place at MGM Grand and it was a war of 15 rounds. Ali dominated the entire fight and outboxed Joe Frazier before avenging his loss against him.
(Image courtesy: Official Instagram of Muhammad Ali)
Updated 14:28 IST, January 17th 2020