Muhammad Ali - Cassius Clay, Boxing Champion

Born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky, Muhammad Ali began boxing at the age of 12 and never stopped. At 22, he stunned the world by defeating Sonny Liston to claim the heavyweight championship — and then shocked it again by joining the Nation of Islam and renouncing his "slave name."

In 1967, at the height of his fame, Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army on religious and moral grounds. He was stripped of his title and banned from boxing for three years. The Supreme Court ultimately overturned his conviction in 1971, and Ali returned to the ring — and to glory.

The only three-time lineal world heavyweight champion, Ali won the title in 1964, 1974, and 1978. Outside the ring, he was equally formidable: a poet, a provocateur, and a civil rights icon whose courage extended far beyond the ropes.

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

Printed on premium luster photo paper using museum-quality giclee printing for exceptional detail and lasting color.