Out From Ali's Shadow: The Larry Holmes Story

Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer widely regarded by many boxing historians as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. The Ring magazine rated him number one in a ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras in 1998. In 1999, the Associated Press voted Ali the number one heavyweight and second-greatest fighter of the 20th century. That same year, ESPN ranked him third on its list of the Top North American Athletes of the Century, and an ESPN poll named him the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time. Ali is the only three-time lineal and undisputed world heavyweight champion. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class in 1990. As an amateur, Ali won the Kentucky Golden Gloves six times, the Chicago Golden Gloves twice, the Intercity Golden Gloves twice, the AAU National Championships twice, and the gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. In 1964, Ali, listed as an 8-to-1 underdog, defeated reigning World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston to win his first world title. After losing to Joe Frazier in the Fight of the Century, he reclaimed his titles by knocking out the previously undefeated George Foreman in the eighth round of The Rumble in the Jungle, despite entering as a 4-to-1 underdog. Following his defeat to Leon Spinks, Ali regained the heavyweight title in their September 15, 1978 rematch, becoming the first boxer to win the championship three times. Ali received the Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year award a joint-record three times (1965, 1974, 1975). He was named The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year a record six times (1963, 1966, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978), and his bouts were recognized as The Ring's Fight of the Year a record six times (1963, 1964, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1978). He also claimed The Ring magazine Round of the Year distinction a record six times (1965, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978) and was named the magazine's Fighter of the Decade for the 1960s. In 1999, Ali was named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Century and BBC Sports Personality of the Century. BoxRec ranks him as the tenth greatest boxer of all time, pound-for-pound, and the second-greatest heavyweight.