Float like a butterfly…Sting like a bee: Muhammad Ali’s Boxing Career
Muhammad Ali (January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was one of the most celebrated-and often controversial-sports figures of the 20th century.
1960 Summer Olympics
Muhammad Ali’s Olympic gold medal in the Light heavyweight class firmly positioned him on the global boxing map. The boxing matches took place in the Palazzetto dello Sport during the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.
“These were the Games where one of the all-time sporting greats took his first steps on the international stage. A young boxer called Cassius Clay came to Rome intent on winning a gold medal, and left having taken a huge step towards becoming one of the most iconic figures in the history of sport.”
Professional Boxing Record
In his professional career, Muhammad Ali fought in 61 matches, winning 56 and losing 5 (92%). His career took him to bouts all around the world from 1960-1981.
Click on each boxing glove to learn about each fight, including Ali’s opponent, the number of rounds, and the outcome.
Opponents
In his 61 professional fights, Muhammad Ali faced 50 unique opponents from eight different countries.
United States – 35
United Kingdom – 4
Argentina – 3
Germany – 3
Canada – 2
Belgium – 1
Netherlands – 1
Uruguay – 1
In his 61 professional bouts, Muhammad Ali boxed in 548 rounds, averaging 9 rounds per bout. He had two first-round knockouts, and nearly 40% of his matches “went the distance”. *
The pie chart below shows the outcomes of his 56 professional wins.
TKO – Technical Knockout
KO – Knockout
RTD – Referee Technical Decision (Knockout)
UD – Unanimous Decision
SD – Split Decision
Notable Career Moments
Muhammad Ali had a legendary boxing career. Here are nine of his most historic moments.
Green map points indicate wins, red map points indicate losses.
PHOTO Credits for the thumbnails:
1 – National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
2 – Library of Congress
3 – Galaxy fm
4 – Wikimedia
5 – Boxing Channel
6 – Galaxy fm
7 – National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
8 – National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
9 – Galaxy fm
