Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr.

Clay was born in Jefferson County, Kentucky, the son of Herman H. Clay (March 1876 – February 1, 1954) and Edith E. Greathouse (December 1889 December 30, 1972. He was named in honor of the 19th-century Republican politician and staunch abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay. He had a sister and four brothers, including Nathaniel Clay.

 Clay’s paternal grandparents were John Clay and Sallie Anne Clay. His sister Eva said that Sallie was a native of Madagascar.

According to DNA research, Muhammad Ali’s paternal grandmother was Archer Alexander’s (1815-1880) great-granddaughter.

Clay-painted billboards and signs. He also played the piano, took piano lessons, and wrote music. Around 1933, he married Odessa Lee O’Grady. He was a heavy drinker, leading to legal entanglements for reckless driving, disorderly conduct, assault, and battery. When asked in 1970 why he had not become a Muslim as his son had done, he said: “my religion is my talent, that which supports me.

Although Cassius Sr. was a Methodist, he allowed Odessa to bring up Cassius Jr. and his younger brother, Rudolph “Rudy” Clay (later renamed Rahaman Ali), as Baptists. Cassius Jr. attended Central High School in Louisville.

Odessa Grady Clay

Odessa Lee Clay (née O’Grady; February 12, 1917 – August 20, 1994) was the mother of three-time world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and Rahman Ali and the paternal grandmother of Laila Ali. She married Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., in the 1930s and worked for some time as a household domestic to help support her young children. She kept and inspired her son throughout his boxing career and was a ring-side regular at his bouts.

She was born in Hopkins County, Kentucky, one of six children of John Lewis O’Grady and Birdie B. Morehead. Her paternal grandfather was a white Irishman named Abe O’Grady. Who emigrated to the United States from Ennis, County Clare, soon after the Civil War and married the daughter of formerly enslaved people Lewis and Amanda J. “Mandy” Walker of Todd County, Kentucky.

 Her maternal grandfather, Tom Morehead (1837-1913), was the son of a white man whose surname was Morehead and a slave woman named Dinah. Morehead served in the 122nd United States Colored Troops during the war.

Clay’s parents separated when she was young, and her mother worked as a maid, taking care of the household chores and the young children of a white family. Clay was raised partly by her aunt.

 When she became an adolescent, she dropped out of school and found domestic work. Then, when she was sixteen, she met twenty-year-old Cassius, whom everyone called “Cash.” They soon married and settled into their own house in Louisville, Kentucky. However, the Clays’ marriage was troubled. Ali told boxing promoters, “She’s afraid of him.

Clay’s husband died in 1990. Odessa Clay died of heart failure on August 20, 1994, at Hurstbourne Health Center, a Louisville, Kentucky, nursing home. A stroke had disabled her since February 1994. Her body was buried alongside her husband in Green Meadows Memorial Cemetery in Louisville. She died at 77 years old.

Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, the first of Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay’s two sons. His father was a sign painter who loved acting, singing, and dancing; his mother worked as a cleaning lady when money was tight. Ali began boxing at the age of twelve.

 His bicycle had been stolen, and he reported the theft to a policeman named Joe Martin, who gave boxing lessons in a local youth center. Martin invited Ali to try boxing and soon saw that he had talent. Muhammad Ali was a black boxer and philanthropist who grew up in the segregated South. Meet Mohammad Ali and learn about his life and how he got into boxing. Witness his rise to fame and his conversion to Islam, and discover his philanthropy.

Childhood

Muhammad Ali was born with the name Cassius Clay in 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. He grew up when the South was segregated or separated by race and experienced some discrimination in his childhood.

Ali started boxing at the age of 12 in an unexpected way. His bike was stolen, and he told a police officer that he wanted to beat up the person who stole it.

 The police officer told him he should learn how to fight before he started telling people he would fight them, and this police officer just happened to train people in boxing at the local gym. So Ali started going there and learned how to fight. He began to compete soon after that and won several amateur competitions.

Clay started working with Martin to learn how to spar and soon began his boxing career. In his first amateur bout in 1954, he won the fight by a split decision. Clay went on to win the 1956 Golden Gloves tournament for novices in the light heavyweight class. Three years later, he won the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions and the Amateur Athletic Union’s national title for the lightweight heavyweight division.

In 1960, Clay won a spot on the U.S. Olympic boxing team and traveled to Rome, Italy, to compete. Clay was an imposing figure in the ring at six feet, three inches tall, but he also became known for his lightning speed and fancy footwork. After winning his first three bouts, Clay defeated Zbigniew Pietrzkowski of Poland to win the light-heavyweight Olympic gold medal. After his Olympic victory, Clay was heralded as an American hero. He soon turned professional with the backing of the Louisville Sponsoring Group and continued overwhelming all opponents in the ring.

Clay joined the Black Muslim group Nation of Islam in 1964. At first, he called himself Cassius X before settling on the name Muhammad Ali. The boxer eventually converted to orthodox Islam during the 1970s.

Vietnam and Supreme Court Case

Ali started a different fight with his outspoken views against the Vietnam War. 

Drafted into the military in April 1967, he refused to serve because he was a practicing Muslim minister with religious beliefs that prevented him from fighting. He was arrested for committing a felony and almost immediately stripped of his world title and boxing license.

The U.S. Department of Justice pursued a legal case against Ali, denying his claim for conscientious objector status. He was found guilty of violating Selective Service laws and sentenced to five years in prison in June 1967 but remained free while appealing his conviction.

Unable to compete professionally, Ali missed more than three prime years of his athletic career. Finally, Ali returned to the ring in 1970 with a win over Jerry Quarry, and the U.S. Supreme Court eventually overturned the conviction in June 1971.

Muhammad Ali: Record

Ali had a career record of 56 wins, five losses, and 37 knockouts before his retirement from boxing in 1981 at the age of 39.

Fights

Often referring to himself as “The Greatest,” Ali was not afraid to sing his praises. He was known for boasting about his skills before a fight and for his colorful descriptions and phrases.

In one of his more famously quoted descriptions, Ali told reporters that he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” in the boxing ring. A few of his more well-known matches include the following:

In 1971, Ali took on Joe Frazier in what has been called the “Fight of the Century.” Frazier and Ali went toe-to-toe for 14 rounds before Frazier dropped Ali with a vicious left hook in the 15th. Ali recovered quickly, but the judges awarded the decision to Frazier, handing Ali his first professional loss after 31 wins.

After suffering a loss to Ken Norton, Ali beat Frazier in a 1974 rematch.

In 1975, Ali and Frazier locked horns again for their grudge match in Quezon City, Philippines. Dubbed the “Thrilla in Manila,” the bout nearly went the distance, with both men delivering and absorbing tremendous punishment. However, Frazier’s trainer threw in the towel after the 14th round, giving the hard-fought victory to Ali.

George Foreman

Another legendary Ali fight took place in 1974 against undefeated heavyweight champion George Foreman. Billed as the “Rumble in the Jungle,” the bout was organized by promoter Don King and held in Kinshasa, Zaire.

For once, Ali was seen as the underdog to the younger, massive Foreman, but he silenced his critics with a masterful performance. First, he baited Foreman into throwing wild punches with his “rope-a-dope” technique before stunning his opponent with an eighth-round knockout to reclaim the heavyweight title.

Leon Spinks

After losing his title to Leon Spinks in February 1978, Ali defeated him in a September 1978 rematch, becoming the first boxer to win the heavyweight championship three times.

Larry Holmes

Following a brief retirement, Ali returned to the ring to face Larry Holmes in 1980 but was overmatched against the younger champion.

Following one final loss in 1981 to Trevor Berbick, the boxing great retired from the sport at the age of 39

Ali was married four times and had nine children, including two children he fathered outside of marriage. Ali married his second wife, 17-year-old Belinda Boyd, in 1967. Boyd and Ali had four children together: Maryum, born in 1969; Jamillah and Liban, both born in 1970; and Muhammad Ali Jr., born in 1972. Boyd and Ali divorced in 1976.

At the same time, Ali was married to Boyd; he traveled openly with Veronica Porche, who became his third wife in 1977. The pair had two daughters together, including Laila Ali, who followed in Ali’s footsteps by becoming a champion boxer. Porche and Ali divorced in 1986.

Ali married his fourth and final wife, Yolanda (“Lonnie”), in 1986. The pair had known each other since Lonnie was just six and Ali was 21; their mothers were best friends and raised their families on the same street. Ali and Lonnie remained married until death and had one son, Asaad.

Parkinson’s Diagnosis

In 1984, Ali announced that he had Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative neurological condition. Despite the progression of Parkinson’s and the onset of spinal stenosis, he remained active in public life. Ali raised funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona. And he was on hand to celebrate the inauguration of the first African American president in January 2009, when Barack Obama was sworn into office. 

The Ali

Clay was born in Jefferson County, Kentucky, the son of Herman H. Clay (March 1876 – February 1, 1954) and Edith E. Greathouse (December 1889 December 30, 1972. He was named in honor of the 19th-century Republican politician and staunch abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay. He had a sister and four brothers, including Nathaniel Clay.

 Clay’s paternal grandparents were John Clay and Sallie Anne Clay. His sister Eva said that Sallie was a native of Madagascar.

According to DNA research, Muhammad Ali’s paternal grandmother was Archer Alexander’s (1815-1880) great-granddaughter.

Clay-painted billboards and signs. He also played the piano, took piano lessons, and wrote music. Around 1933, he married Odessa Lee O’Grady. He was a heavy drinker, leading to legal entanglements for reckless driving, disorderly conduct, assault, and battery. When asked in 1970 why he had not become a Muslim as his son had done, he said: “my religion is my talent, that which supports me.

Although Cassius Sr. was a Methodist, he allowed Odessa to bring up Cassius Jr. and his younger brother, Rudolph “Rudy” Clay (later renamed Rahaman Ali), as Baptists. Cassius Jr. attended Central High School in Louisville.

Odessa Grady Clay

Odessa Lee Clay (née O’Grady; February 12, 1917 – August 20, 1994) was the mother of three-time world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and Rahman Ali and the paternal grandmother of Laila Ali. She married Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., in the 1930s and worked for some time as a household domestic to help support her young children. She kept and inspired her son throughout his boxing career and was a ring-side regular at his bouts.

She was born in Hopkins County, Kentucky, one of six children of John Lewis O’Grady and Birdie B. Morehead. Her paternal grandfather was a white Irishman named Abe O’Grady. Who emigrated to the United States from Ennis, County Clare, soon after the Civil War and married the daughter of formerly enslaved people Lewis and Amanda J. “Mandy” Walker of Todd County, Kentucky.

 Her maternal grandfather, Tom Morehead (1837-1913), was the son of a white man whose surname was Morehead and a slave woman named Dinah. Morehead served in the 122nd United States Colored Troops during the war.

Clay’s parents separated when she was young, and her mother worked as a maid, taking care of the household chores and the young children of a white family. Clay was raised partly by her aunt.

 When she became an adolescent, she dropped out of school and found domestic work. Then, when she was sixteen, she met twenty-year-old Cassius, whom everyone called “Cash.” They soon married and settled into their own house in Louisville, Kentucky. However, the Clays’ marriage was troubled. Ali told boxing promoters, “She’s afraid of him.

Clay’s husband died in 1990. Odessa Clay died of heart failure on August 20, 1994, at Hurstbourne Health Center, a Louisville, Kentucky, nursing home. A stroke had disabled her since February 1994. Her body was buried alongside her husband in Green Meadows Memorial Cemetery in Louisville. She died at 77 years old.

Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, the first of Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay’s two sons. His father was a sign painter who loved acting, singing, and dancing; his mother worked as a cleaning lady when money was tight. Ali began boxing at the age of twelve.

 His bicycle had been stolen, and he reported the theft to a policeman named Joe Martin, who gave boxing lessons in a local youth center. Martin invited Ali to try boxing and soon saw that he had talent. Muhammad Ali was a black boxer and philanthropist who grew up in the segregated South. Meet Mohammad Ali and learn about his life and how he got into boxing. Witness his rise to fame and his conversion to Islam, and discover his philanthropy.

Childhood

Muhammad Ali was born with the name Cassius Clay in 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. He grew up when the South was segregated or separated by race and experienced some discrimination in his childhood.

Ali started boxing at the age of 12 in an unexpected way. His bike was stolen, and he told a police officer that he wanted to beat up the person who stole it.

 The police officer told him he should learn how to fight before he started telling people he would fight them, and this police officer just happened to train people in boxing at the local gym. So Ali started going there and learned how to fight. He began to compete soon after that and won several amateur competitions.

Clay started working with Martin to learn how to spar and soon began his boxing career. In his first amateur bout in 1954, he won the fight by a split decision. Clay went on to win the 1956 Golden Gloves tournament for novices in the light heavyweight class. Three years later, he won the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions and the Amateur Athletic Union’s national title for the lightweight heavyweight division.

In 1960, Clay won a spot on the U.S. Olympic boxing team and traveled to Rome, Italy, to compete. Clay was an imposing figure in the ring at six feet, three inches tall, but he also became known for his lightning speed and fancy footwork. After winning his first three bouts, Clay defeated Zbigniew Pietrzkowski of Poland to win the light-heavyweight Olympic gold medal. After his Olympic victory, Clay was heralded as an American hero. He soon turned professional with the backing of the Louisville Sponsoring Group and continued overwhelming all opponents in the ring.

Clay joined the Black Muslim group Nation of Islam in 1964. At first, he called himself Cassius X before settling on the name Muhammad Ali. The boxer eventually converted to orthodox Islam during the 1970s.

Vietnam and Supreme Court Case

Ali started a different fight with his outspoken views against the Vietnam War. 

Drafted into the military in April 1967, he refused to serve because he was a practicing Muslim minister with religious beliefs that prevented him from fighting. He was arrested for committing a felony and almost immediately stripped of his world title and boxing license.

The U.S. Department of Justice pursued a legal case against Ali, denying his claim for conscientious objector status. He was found guilty of violating Selective Service laws and sentenced to five years in prison in June 1967 but remained free while appealing his conviction.

Unable to compete professionally, Ali missed more than three prime years of his athletic career. Finally, Ali returned to the ring in 1970 with a win over Jerry Quarry, and the U.S. Supreme Court eventually overturned the conviction in June 1971.

Muhammad Ali: Record

Ali had a career record of 56 wins, five losses, and 37 knockouts before his retirement from boxing in 1981 at the age of 39.

Fights

Often referring to himself as “The Greatest,” Ali was not afraid to sing his praises. He was known for boasting about his skills before a fight and for his colorful descriptions and phrases.

In one of his more famously quoted descriptions, Ali told reporters that he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” in the boxing ring. A few of his more well-known matches include the following:

In 1971, Ali took on Joe Frazier in what has been called the “Fight of the Century.” Frazier and Ali went toe-to-toe for 14 rounds before Frazier dropped Ali with a vicious left hook in the 15th. Ali recovered quickly, but the judges awarded the decision to Frazier, handing Ali his first professional loss after 31 wins.

After suffering a loss to Ken Norton, Ali beat Frazier in a 1974 rematch.

In 1975, Ali and Frazier locked horns again for their grudge match in Quezon City, Philippines. Dubbed the “Thrilla in Manila,” the bout nearly went the distance, with both men delivering and absorbing tremendous punishment. However, Frazier’s trainer threw in the towel after the 14th round, giving the hard-fought victory to Ali.

George Foreman

Another legendary Ali fight took place in 1974 against undefeated heavyweight champion George Foreman. Billed as the “Rumble in the Jungle,” the bout was organized by promoter Don King and held in Kinshasa, Zaire.

For once, Ali was seen as the underdog to the younger, massive Foreman, but he silenced his critics with a masterful performance. First, he baited Foreman into throwing wild punches with his “rope-a-dope” technique before stunning his opponent with an eighth-round knockout to reclaim the heavyweight title.

Leon Spinks

After losing his title to Leon Spinks in February 1978, Ali defeated him in a September 1978 rematch, becoming the first boxer to win the heavyweight championship three times.

Larry Holmes

Following a brief retirement, Ali returned to the ring to face Larry Holmes in 1980 but was overmatched against the younger champion.

Following one final loss in 1981 to Trevor Berbick, the boxing great retired from the sport at the age of 39

Ali was married four times and had nine children, including two children he fathered outside of marriage. Ali married his second wife, 17-year-old Belinda Boyd, in 1967. Boyd and Ali had four children together: Maryum, born in 1969; Jamillah and Liban, both born in 1970; and Muhammad Ali Jr., born in 1972. Boyd and Ali divorced in 1976.

At the same time, Ali was married to Boyd; he traveled openly with Veronica Porche, who became his third wife in 1977. The pair had two daughters together, including Laila Ali, who followed in Ali’s footsteps by becoming a champion boxer. Porche and Ali divorced in 1986.

Ali married his fourth and final wife, Yolanda (“Lonnie”), in 1986. The pair had known each other since Lonnie was just six and Ali was 21; their mothers were best friends and raised their families on the same street. Ali and Lonnie remained married until death and had one son, Asaad.

Parkinson’s Diagnosis

In 1984, Ali announced that he had Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative neurological condition. Despite the progression of Parkinson’s and the onset of spinal stenosis, he remained active in public life. Ali raised funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona. And he was on hand to celebrate the inauguration of the first African American president in January 2009, when Barack Obama was sworn into office. 

A few years before his death, Ali underwent surgery for spinal stenosis, a condition causing the narrowing of the spine, which limited his mobility and ability to communicate.

Philanthropy

In his retirement, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy. Over the years, Ali supported the Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, among other organizations. Then, in 1996, he lit the Olympic cauldron at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, an emotional moment in sports history.

Ali traveled to numerous countries, including Mexico and Morocco, to help those in need. In 1998, he was chosen to be a United Nations Messenger of Peace because of his work in developing nations.

Awards

In 2005, Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush.

Soon after Obama’s 2009 inauguration, Ali received the President’s Award from the NAACP for his public service efforts.

Muhammad Ali Center

Ali opened the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, in 2005. 

“I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given,” he said. “Many fans wanted to build a museum to acknowledge my achievements. But I wanted more than a building to house my memorabilia. I wanted a place that would inspire people to be the best they could be at whatever they chose to do and encourage them to respect one another.

Death

Ali died on June 3, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona, after being hospitalized for a respiratory issue. He was 74 years old.

The boxing legend had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease and spinal stenosis. Then, in early 2015, the athlete battled pneumonia and was hospitalized for a severe urinary tract infection.

Funeral and Memorial Service

Years before his passing, Ali had planned his memorial services, saying he wanted to be “inclusive of everyone, where we give as many people an opportunity that wants to pay their respects to me,” according to a family spokesman.

 The three-day event, which took place in Ali’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, included an “I Am Ali” festival of public arts, entertainment, and educational offerings sponsored by the city, an Islamic prayer program, and a memorial service.

Before the memorial service, a funeral procession traveled 20 miles through Louisville, past Ali’s childhood home, his high school, the first boxing gym where he trained, and along Ali Boulevard as tens of thousands of fans tossed flowers on his hearse and cheered his name. 

The champ’s memorial service was held at the KFC Yum Center arena, with close to 20,000 people in attendance. Speakers included religious leaders from various faiths, Attallah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s eldest daughter, broadcaster Bryant Gumbel, former President Bill Clinton, comedian Billy Crystal, Ali’s daughters Maryum and Rasheda, and his widow Lonnie.

“Muhammad indicated that when the end came for him, he wanted us to use his life and death as a teaching moment for young people, his country, and the world,” Lonnie said. “In effect, he wanted us to remind people suffering that he had seen the face of injustice. Ali grew up during segregation, and during his early life, he was not free to be whom he wanted to be. But he never became embittered enough to quit or to engage in violence.

Former President Clinton spoke about how Ali found self-empowerment: “I think he decided before he could have worked it all out. Before fate and time could work their will on him, Ali decided he would never be disempowered. He agreed that neither his race nor his place nor the expectations of others, positive, negative, or otherwise, would strip him of the power to write his own story.

When he became friends with Ali, crystal, a struggling comedian, said of the boxing legend: “Ultimately, he became a silent messenger for peace, who taught us that life is best when you build bridges between people, not walls.”

“You have inspired us and the world to be the best version of ourselves,’” Rasheda Ali told her father. ‘May you live in paradise free from suffering? You shook up the world in life now you’re shaking up the world in death. Now you are free to be with your creator. We love you so much, Daddy. Until we meet again, fly butterfly, fly.

Pallbearers included Will Smith and former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. Ali was buried at the Cave Hill National Cemetery in Louisville.

Ali’s stature as a legend continues to grow even after his death. He is celebrated for his remarkable athletic skills, willingness to speak his mind, and courage to challenge the status quo.

Laila Amaria Ali (born December 30, 1977) is an American television personality and retired professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2007. During her career, from which she retired undefeated, she held the WBC, WIBA, IWBF, and IBA female super middleweight titles and the IWBF light heavyweight title.

 Many widely regarded Ali within the sport as one of the greatest female boxers of all time. She is the daughter of iconic boxer Muhammad Ali. Ali grew up in Southern California with her parents and her older sister, Hana.

 After a troubled period in her teens, including time in a juvenile detention center, she earned a degree in business management at Santa Monica College. While attending school, she worked as a manicurist and then owned a nail salon. She later recalled that she had been inspired to train as a boxer by watching a televised fight between women boxers Christy Martin and Deirdre Gogarty in 1996.

Career Highlights

Ali made her professional boxing debut at 21, on October 8, 1999, in a bout against April Fowler. She knocked out her opponent 31 seconds into the first round. Over the next eight years, she faced off against many leading names in women’s boxing. Finally, in 2001, she defeated Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, daughter of boxer Joe Frazier.

 In a nod to the longstanding competition between the two women’s fathers, the fight was publicized as “Ali vs. Frazier IV.”

In 2002, Ali was named Super Middleweight Champion by the International Boxing Association, the Women’s International Boxing Association, and the International Women’s Boxing Federation. Two years later, she added the International Women’s Boxing Federation’s Light Heavyweight title to her resume.

Ali’s final fight occurred on February 3, 2007, in Johannesburg, South Africa. She knocked out opponent Gwendolyn O’Neil in the first round, finishing her career with a 24-0 record with 21 knockouts.

Other Projects

Ali has also established herself as a multimedia personality. In 2002 she published the motivational memoir Reach!: Finding Strength, Spirit, and Personal Power. She released a series of workout videos with famed boxer Sugar Ray Leonard in 2007 and has appeared as a health and fitness correspondent on The Early Show on CBS. Her highest-profile television appearance occurred during ABC’s 2007 Dancing with the Stars season.

 In 2008 she began co-hosting NBC’s American Gladiators with wrestler Hulk Hogan. She competed in Stars Earn Stripes on NBC (2012) and currently co-hosts the Everyday Health program on ABC. She also serves as president of the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Ali has been married twice. Her first marriage to boxing promoter Johnny “Yahya” McClain in 2000 ended in divorce in 2005. In 2007, Ali married retired National Football League player Curtis Conway. Ali and Conway have two children, a son Curtis Muhammad (born in 2010), and a daughter Sydney (born in 2011). Conway also has twin sons and a daughter from a previous marriage. Ali and Conway reside in Los Angeles.

Laila Ali is a world-class athlete, fitness and wellness advocate, T.V. host, home chef, founder of the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand, and mother of two.

The daughter of the late beloved global icon and humanitarian Muhammad Ali is a four-time undefeated boxing world champion whose stellar record includes 24 wins (21 of which were “knockouts”) and zero losses. Laila is heralded as the most successful female in the history of women’s boxing.

In 2012 when women’s boxing was included in the Olympics, Laila was the first to provide expert commentary for NBC Sports.

For two consecutive years since its conception in 2015, she was selected as host of the first-ever televised ESPN Sports Humanitarian Awards.

In January 2017, millions of viewers watched Laila showcase how much of a savvy business “knockout” she is in the boardroom as she competed on the all-new “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Laila was also a regular panelist and contributor for the CBS Sports Network’s all-female sports commentary program, “We Need to Talk,” the first of its kind in sports broadcasting history.

Laila is a past President of the Women’s Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization supported by some of the most prominent athletes in the world. Through WSF, Laila promotes equality for women in professional sports and pushes programs that encourage young women to be confident, healthy, and strong through sports.

She was also a significant voice for the 40th anniversary of Title IX, which protects women’s rights to be included and treated equally in collegiate sports.

A home chef, Laila previously appeared twice on Food Network’s celebrity edition of “Chopped” and emerged victorious as the champion. Continuing her passion in the cooking space, Laila was the host of “Late Night Chef Fight,” an exciting food truck cooking competition show aired on the FYI Network for multiple seasons. She has also appeared in various cooking segments on Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz, and The Chew and cooked her famous “oven-baked fried chicken” on Steve Harvey’s hit daytime talk show.

Laila Ali is a world-class athlete, fitness and wellness advocate, T.V. host, home chef, founder of the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand, and mother of two.

The daughter of the late beloved global icon and humanitarian Muhammad Ali is a four-time undefeated boxing world champion whose stellar record includes 24 wins (21 of which were “knockouts”) and zero losses. Laila is heralded as the most successful female in the history of women’s boxing.

In 2012 when women’s boxing was included in the Olympics, Laila was the first to provide expert commentary for NBC Sports.

For two consecutive years since its conception in 2015, she was selected as host of the first-ever televised ESPN Sports Humanitarian Awards.

In Jan 2017, millions of viewers watched Laila showcase how much of a savvy business “knockout” she is in the boardroom as she competed on the all-new “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Laila was also a regular panelist and contributor for the CBS Sports Network’s all-female sports commentary program, “We Need to Talk,” the first of its kind in sports broadcasting history.

Laila is a past President of the Women’s Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization supported by some of the most prominent athletes in the world. Through WSF, Laila promotes equality for women in professional sports and pushes programs that encourage young women to be confident, healthy, and strong through sports. She was also a significant voice for the 40th anniversary of Title IX, which protects women’s rights to be included and treated equally in collegiate sports.

A home chef, Laila previously appeared twice on Food Network’s celebrity edition of “Chopped” and emerged victorious as the champion. Continuing her passion in the cooking space, Laila was the host of “Late Night Chef Fight,” an exciting food truck cooking competition show aired on the FYI Network for multiple seasons. She has also appeared in various cooking segments on Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz, and The Chew and cooked her famous “oven-baked fried chicken” on Steve Harvey’s hit daytime talk show.

For multiple seasons she hosted “Everyday Health,” airing in national syndication on ABC, in addition to being the previous co-host of “American Gladiators” and former host of “All-In With Laila Ali,” which aired in weekend syndication on CBS.

Laila hosted Emmy Award-Winning show Home Made Simple, which airs every Saturday on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) for three seasons.

She is excited about her cookbook, “Food For Life,” available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Staying true to her entrepreneurial spirit, Laila has also created her line of organic seasonings called Laila Ali Spice Blends, YouPlenish nutrition supplements, Skin Care, and Apparel. In addition, she recently launched Laila Ali Home Decor with At Home.

Laila tickled America’s funny bone with multiple hilarious roles as Kevin Hart’s boxing nemesis on the hit comedic series, “Real Husbands of Hollywood. In 2014 she made her feature film acting debut as the co-star of the action movie, “Falcon Rising,” opposite martial arts star Michael Jai White.

Never one to turn down a good challenge, she captured the hearts of millions and made it to the final round of the fourth season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” in 2007. She’sIn addition, she’s appeared as a guest star on the popular fitness show, “Biggest Loser.”

A recognizable and trusted figure whose name and likeness pack a powerful punch, Laila has been endorsing significant brands such as Subway, Kohl’s, and T.J. Maxx.

Carefully building a successful branding and licensing empire (a former owner and operator of a successful nail salon in southern California), Laila rolled out a signature line of hair styling tools with Hot Tools, a brand subsidiary of hair care powerhouse Helen of Troy.

She is also a significant supporter of charitable organizations such as Feeding America and Peace 4 Kids. She is also quite proud of her work on behalf of the American Dental Association to create oral health awareness for children.

Laila’s idealism and independence are challenged when she decides to marry Rasheed to give her unborn child, Tariq, a father. Upon becoming a mother, Laila puts her children first and finds she is willing to accept limitations she once would have openly mocked.

Ms. Butterfly Genesis

A few years before his death, Ali underwent surgery for spinal stenosis, a condition causing the narrowing of the spine, which limited his mobility and ability to communicate.

Philanthropy

In his retirement, Ali devoted much of his time to philanthropy. Over the years, Ali supported the Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, among other organizations. Then, in 1996, he lit the Olympic cauldron at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, an emotional moment in sports history.

Ali traveled to numerous countries, including Mexico and Morocco, to help those in need. In 1998, he was chosen to be a United Nations Messenger of Peace because of his work in developing nations.

Awards

In 2005, Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush.

Soon after Obama’s 2009 inauguration, Ali received the President’s Award from the NAACP for his public service efforts.

Muhammad Ali Center

Ali opened the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, in 2005. 

“I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given,” he said. “Many fans wanted to build a museum to acknowledge my achievements. But I wanted more than a building to house my memorabilia. I wanted a place that would inspire people to be the best they could be at whatever they chose to do and encourage them to respect one another.

Death

Ali died on June 3, 2016, in Phoenix, Arizona, after being hospitalized for a respiratory issue. He was 74 years old.

The boxing legend had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease and spinal stenosis. Then, in early 2015, the athlete battled pneumonia and was hospitalized for a severe urinary tract infection.

Funeral and Memorial Service

Years before his passing, Ali had planned his memorial services, saying he wanted to be “inclusive of everyone, where we give as many people an opportunity that wants to pay their respects to me,” according to a family spokesman.

 The three-day event, which took place in Ali’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, included an “I Am Ali” festival of public arts, entertainment, and educational offerings sponsored by the city, an Islamic prayer program, and a memorial service.

Before the memorial service, a funeral procession traveled 20 miles through Louisville, past Ali’s childhood home, his high school, the first boxing gym where he trained, and along Ali Boulevard as tens of thousands of fans tossed flowers on his hearse and cheered his name. 

The champ’s memorial service was held at the KFC Yum Center arena, with close to 20,000 people in attendance. Speakers included religious leaders from various faiths, Attallah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s eldest daughter, broadcaster Bryant Gumbel, former President Bill Clinton, comedian Billy Crystal, Ali’s daughters Maryum and Rasheda, and his widow Lonnie.

“Muhammad indicated that when the end came for him, he wanted us to use his life and death as a teaching moment for young people, his country, and the world,” Lonnie said. “In effect, he wanted us to remind people suffering that he had seen the face of injustice. Ali grew up during segregation, and during his early life, he was not free to be whom he wanted to be. But he never became embittered enough to quit or to engage in violence.

Former President Clinton spoke about how Ali found self-empowerment: “I think he decided before he could have worked it all out. Before fate and time could work their will on him, Ali decided he would never be disempowered. He agreed that neither his race nor his place nor the expectations of others, positive, negative, or otherwise, would strip him of the power to write his own story.

When he became friends with Ali, crystal, a struggling comedian, said of the boxing legend: “Ultimately, he became a silent messenger for peace, who taught us that life is best when you build bridges between people, not walls.”

“You have inspired us and the world to be the best version of ourselves,’” Rasheda Ali told her father. ‘May you live in paradise free from suffering? You shook up the world in life now you’re shaking up the world in death. Now you are free to be with your creator. We love you so much, Daddy. Until we meet again, fly butterfly, fly.

Pallbearers included Will Smith and former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. Ali was buried at the Cave Hill National Cemetery in Louisville.

Ali’s stature as a legend continues to grow even after his death. He is celebrated for his remarkable athletic skills, willingness to speak his mind, and courage to challenge the status quo.

Laila Amaria Ali (born December 30, 1977) is an American television personality and retired professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2007. During her career, from which she retired undefeated, she held the WBC, WIBA, IWBF, and IBA female super middleweight titles and the IWBF light heavyweight title.

 Many widely regarded Ali within the sport as one of the greatest female boxers of all time. She is the daughter of iconic boxer Muhammad Ali. Ali grew up in Southern California with her parents and her older sister, Hana.

 After a troubled period in her teens, including time in a juvenile detention center, she earned a degree in business management at Santa Monica College. While attending school, she worked as a manicurist and then owned a nail salon. She later recalled that she had been inspired to train as a boxer by watching a televised fight between women boxers Christy Martin and Deirdre Gogarty in 1996.

Career Highlights

Ali made her professional boxing debut at 21, on October 8, 1999, in a bout against April Fowler. She knocked out her opponent 31 seconds into the first round. Over the next eight years, she faced off against many leading names in women’s boxing. Finally, in 2001, she defeated Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, daughter of boxer Joe Frazier.

 In a nod to the longstanding competition between the two women’s fathers, the fight was publicized as “Ali vs. Frazier IV.”

In 2002, Ali was named Super Middleweight Champion by the International Boxing Association, the Women’s International Boxing Association, and the International Women’s Boxing Federation. Two years later, she added the International Women’s Boxing Federation’s Light Heavyweight title to her resume.

Ali’s final fight occurred on February 3, 2007, in Johannesburg, South Africa. She knocked out opponent Gwendolyn O’Neil in the first round, finishing her career with a 24-0 record with 21 knockouts.

Other Projects

Ali has also established herself as a multimedia personality. In 2002 she published the motivational memoir Reach!: Finding Strength, Spirit, and Personal Power. She released a series of workout videos with famed boxer Sugar Ray Leonard in 2007 and has appeared as a health and fitness correspondent on The Early Show on CBS. Her highest-profile television appearance occurred during ABC’s 2007 Dancing with the Stars season.

 In 2008 she began co-hosting NBC’s American Gladiators with wrestler Hulk Hogan. She competed in Stars Earn Stripes on NBC (2012) and currently co-hosts the Everyday Health program on ABC. She also serves as president of the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Ali has been married twice. Her first marriage to boxing promoter Johnny “Yahya” McClain in 2000 ended in divorce in 2005. In 2007, Ali married retired National Football League player Curtis Conway. Ali and Conway have two children, a son Curtis Muhammad (born in 2010), and a daughter Sydney (born in 2011). Conway also has twin sons and a daughter from a previous marriage. Ali and Conway reside in Los Angeles.

Laila Ali is a world-class athlete, fitness and wellness advocate, T.V. host, home chef, founder of the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand, and mother of two.

The daughter of the late beloved global icon and humanitarian Muhammad Ali is a four-time undefeated boxing world champion whose stellar record includes 24 wins (21 of which were “knockouts”) and zero losses. Laila is heralded as the most successful female in the history of women’s boxing.

In 2012 when women’s boxing was included in the Olympics, Laila was the first to provide expert commentary for NBC Sports.

For two consecutive years since its conception in 2015, she was selected as host of the first-ever televised ESPN Sports Humanitarian Awards.

In January 2017, millions of viewers watched Laila showcase how much of a savvy business “knockout” she is in the boardroom as she competed on the all-new “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Laila was also a regular panelist and contributor for the CBS Sports Network’s all-female sports commentary program, “We Need to Talk,” the first of its kind in sports broadcasting history.

Laila is a past President of the Women’s Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization supported by some of the most prominent athletes in the world. Through WSF, Laila promotes equality for women in professional sports and pushes programs that encourage young women to be confident, healthy, and strong through sports.

She was also a significant voice for the 40th anniversary of Title IX, which protects women’s rights to be included and treated equally in collegiate sports.

A home chef, Laila previously appeared twice on Food Network’s celebrity edition of “Chopped” and emerged victorious as the champion. Continuing her passion in the cooking space, Laila was the host of “Late Night Chef Fight,” an exciting food truck cooking competition show aired on the FYI Network for multiple seasons. She has also appeared in various cooking segments on Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz, and The Chew and cooked her famous “oven-baked fried chicken” on Steve Harvey’s hit daytime talk show.

Laila Ali is a world-class athlete, fitness and wellness advocate, T.V. host, home chef, founder of the Laila Ali Lifestyle Brand, and mother of two.

The daughter of the late beloved global icon and humanitarian Muhammad Ali is a four-time undefeated boxing world champion whose stellar record includes 24 wins (21 of which were “knockouts”) and zero losses. Laila is heralded as the most successful female in the history of women’s boxing.

In 2012 when women’s boxing was included in the Olympics, Laila was the first to provide expert commentary for NBC Sports.

For two consecutive years since its conception in 2015, she was selected as host of the first-ever televised ESPN Sports Humanitarian Awards.

In Jan 2017, millions of viewers watched Laila showcase how much of a savvy business “knockout” she is in the boardroom as she competed on the all-new “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Laila was also a regular panelist and contributor for the CBS Sports Network’s all-female sports commentary program, “We Need to Talk,” the first of its kind in sports broadcasting history.

Laila is a past President of the Women’s Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization supported by some of the most prominent athletes in the world. Through WSF, Laila promotes equality for women in professional sports and pushes programs that encourage young women to be confident, healthy, and strong through sports. She was also a significant voice for the 40th anniversary of Title IX, which protects women’s rights to be included and treated equally in collegiate sports.

A home chef, Laila previously appeared twice on Food Network’s celebrity edition of “Chopped” and emerged victorious as the champion. Continuing her passion in the cooking space, Laila was the host of “Late Night Chef Fight,” an exciting food truck cooking competition show aired on the FYI Network for multiple seasons. She has also appeared in various cooking segments on Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz, and The Chew and cooked her famous “oven-baked fried chicken” on Steve Harvey’s hit daytime talk show.

For multiple seasons she hosted “Everyday Health,” airing in national syndication on ABC, in addition to being the previous co-host of “American Gladiators” and former host of “All-In With Laila Ali,” which aired in weekend syndication on CBS.

Laila hosted Emmy Award-Winning show Home Made Simple, which airs every Saturday on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) for three seasons.

She is excited about her cookbook, “Food For Life,” available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Staying true to her entrepreneurial spirit, Laila has also created her line of organic seasonings called Laila Ali Spice Blends, YouPlenish nutrition supplements, Skin Care, and Apparel. In addition, she recently launched Laila Ali Home Decor with At Home.

Laila tickled America’s funny bone with multiple hilarious roles as Kevin Hart’s boxing nemesis on the hit comedic series, “Real Husbands of Hollywood. In 2014 she made her feature film acting debut as the co-star of the action movie, “Falcon Rising,” opposite martial arts star Michael Jai White.

Never one to turn down a good challenge, she captured the hearts of millions and made it to the final round of the fourth season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” in 2007. She’sIn addition, she’s appeared as a guest star on the popular fitness show, “Biggest Loser.”

A recognizable and trusted figure whose name and likeness pack a powerful punch, Laila has been endorsing significant brands such as Subway, Kohl’s, and T.J. Maxx.

Carefully building a successful branding and licensing empire (a former owner and operator of a successful nail salon in southern California), Laila rolled out a signature line of hair styling tools with Hot Tools, a brand subsidiary of hair care powerhouse Helen of Troy.

She is also a significant supporter of charitable organizations such as Feeding America and Peace 4 Kids. She is also quite proud of her work on behalf of the American Dental Association to create oral health awareness for children.

Laila’s idealism and independence are challenged when she decides to marry Rasheed to give her unborn child, Tariq, a father. Upon becoming a mother, Laila puts her children first and finds she is willing to accept limitations she once would have openly mocked.

Ms. Butterfly Genesis