10 Lesser Known Things About The Muhammad Ali

The brash 22-year-old boxer Cassius Clay had stunned the sports world on February 25, 1964, by defeating the reigning heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach, Florida. The 7-1 underdog, who would become known as Muhammad Ali, fulfilled his promise to "float like a butterfly, Sting like a bee". 

The Legendary boxer, who passed way at the age of 74,  has left behind him plenty of memories which his fan will cherish forever.

Here the 10 interesting things you must know about his life:

10. Muhammad Ali first stepped into ring at the age of 12 in his hometown of Louisville, Ky., after his bicycle was stolen, the police officer suggested him to learn how to box.

9. At the age of 22, he had made a name for himself and won the World Heavyweight Championship in 1964 by defeating Sonny Liston in seven rounds, in what is believed to be one of the biggest sporting upsets ever.

8. After that stunning win, Muhammad Ali, who was originally known as Cassius Clay, joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name.

7. Muhammad Ali won 100 out of 108 amateur fights and also won a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. There were several reports later that he allegedly chucked the medal into a river after a waitress at a soda fountain in Louisville refused to serve him because he was black.

6. In 1967 when he was at his peak, at the age of 32, Ali had been banned from the sport for three years and stripped of his boxing title due to his refusal to be drafted to Vietnam for religious reasons.

5. Ali is a three-time heavyweight champion (1964, 1974, 1978).

4. Ali retired in 1981 after losing to Trevor Berbick in his 61st career bout.

3. He finished his career in 1981 with a record of 56 wins (including 37 by knockout) and five losses.

2. Three years later, he was diagnosed with Parkinson disease.

1. Ali, who called himself "The Greatest," was married four times and had nine children, including daughter Laila, who also became a professional boxer. Ali and his fourth wife, Yolanda "Lonnie" Williams, had been married since 1986.