Answer: Zbigniew Pietrzykowski
Clay won the gold medal bout by a 5-0 scoreline. Pietrzykowski never made it in the professional game, but did win a bronze in the 1964 Summer Olympics to add to his silver in 1960. Madigan lost in the semi-finals to Clay, and went on to win two Commonwealth Games gold medals, taking the top prize in 1958 and 1962. Shatkov was beaten by Clay in the quarter-finals, but had previously won the gold medal in the 1956 Summer Olympics at middleweight. Hunsaker was Clay's first professional opponent on 29th October 1960, losing to the future world champion in a six round decision.
From Quiz: The Life and Times of Muhammad Ali
Answer: Jimmy Ellis
This fight was a strange one for Ali as Ellis was one of the few boxers that he knew from his own stable (26th July 1971). Ellis lived in the shadow of Ali as both were from Louisville and both had sparred thousands of hours together, if anyone knew how Ali boxed it was Ellis. What made it even stranger was that Angelo Dundee was in the Ellis corner and not Ali's. Priot to the match the Supreme Court quashed his five year prison sentence and overturned the draft conviction, and at last Ali felt he was free. Ellis came out strong, but Ali was in no danger at any stage and in the fourth gave a right jab that shook Ellis. The rest of the fight was like a sparring contest for Ali, who ended it in the twelfth. Both embraced, Ali showed a sign of care for one of his rivals.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali Quotes: Pt 2
Answer: Tunney Hunsaker
This was the first pro fight for Clay and it took place at the Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky (Clay's home town) on 29th October 1960. The fight lasted six rounds and Clay won it on an easy points decision.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali Quotes: Pt 1
Answer: 7
By October 1974, seven years had passed since Ali was stripped of his title for refusing induction into the U.S. Army on April 28, 1967.
From Quiz: The Rumble in the Jungle
Answer: Ali's blood pressure at the weigh-in was very high.
When Ali's blood pressure was taken by the fight doctor during the weigh-in, it was found to be almost twice the normal amount. The doctor threatened to call off the fight there and then. Later in the day, Angelo Dundee had Ali's pressure taken again and it was found to be normal.
From Quiz: The Greatest of All Time
Answer: Italy
Louisville's Cassius Clay, fighting in the light heavyweight class, won a gold medal at the Rome Olympics.
From Quiz: Boxing Great Muhammad Ali
Answer: Louisville, Kentucky
Early in his career the loquacious boxer became known as the 'Louisville Lip'.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali - The Greatest
Answer: Willi Besmanoff
A Jewish German, Besmanoff was a survivor of Buchenwald concentration camp before becoming a contender in the 1950s. Clay beat Besmanoff on 29 November 1961 for his tenth professional victory. Clay fought Sabedong in June 1961 for his seventh win, but he was an American. Clay beat Miteff in October 1961, but Miteff was an Argentinian citizen. His first fight against Cooper came in June 1963, with Clay defeating the Brit via a fifth round technical knockout.
From Quiz: The Life and Times of Muhammad Ali
Answer: Jerry Quarry
The first fight between the two had ended with Quarry gaining a cut in what was the Ali comeback fight. Quarry stood little chance as Ali was feeling mean and mocked his rival "Your punches don't hurt me and I have no respect for you". Quarry huffed and puffed but Ali was in no mood to lessen his grip on this fight and by the fifth he was in full Louisville Lip mode with "this is an easy way to make a livin'" The fight ended in round seven. Chuvalo's second bout saw Ali win on a point's decision after twelve rounds (1st May 1972). Patterson fought Ali for the second time and like the first fight was beaten this time in the seventh (20th Sep 1972). Lewis fought Ali once and was knocked out in the eleventh (19th July 1972).
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali Quotes: Pt 2
Answer: Donnie Fleeman
Prior to this fight, Clay took to sparring with the big Swedish fighter Ingemar Johansson. There are conflicting stories on how Clay humilated the world champion during a sparring contest. Johansson was in the Fifth Street Gym where Clay was training, Clay shouted across, "I'll go dancing, with Johansson". The pair took to the ring and Clay jabbed Johansson so many times that the Swede lost his cool, threw a punch, missed, and had Clay mocking him with the line "You shouldn't be fighting Patterson (the world title bout was Johansson vs. Floyd Patterson), I should."
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali Quotes: Pt 1
Answer: Kinshasa, Zaire, on October 30, 1974
The fact that the bout took place in such an exotic region added an extra layer of interest. Never before had such an important fight been staged in Africa.
From Quiz: The Rumble in the Jungle
Answer: Sonny Liston
Ali fought Liston again in a rematch for the title which was also Ali's first defence. It had a controversial ending when Liston was downed by a so-called 'phantom punch' at 1.42 in the first round. Many thought Liston had thrown the fight and he never again was to challenge for the title.
From Quiz: The Greatest of All Time
Answer: Someone stole his bike and he wanted to beat them up
He complained about the stolen bike to the police officer in question and said he wanted to find the thief and 'whip' him. The cop told him he better learn to fight first.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali - Heavyweight Champion
Answer: Rome
Ali fought as a Light Heavyweight in the Olympics.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali - The Greatest
Answer: 1961
Clay attended his first meeting with the Nation of Islam in 1961, but decided to keep this hidden from the media. Leaders of the Nation of Islam had been sceptical about welcoming him due to his boxing career, but were much more receptive to him after becoming world champion.
He first met Malcolm X, his spiritual mentor, in 1962. However, Clay lost contact with him when the Nation of Islam parted ways with him. The Nation's leader Elijah Muhammad bestowed the name "Muhammad Ali" upon Clay, and Clay announced the permanent name change in March 1964.
From Quiz: The Life and Times of Muhammad Ali
Answer: Ken Norton
Norton had been paid just $300 in his previous fight and no one saw his talents coming until this famous night in San Diego (31st March 1973). Round two saw Norton, trained by Eddie Futch (the man who engineered the Frazier victory over Ali), throw a right hand jab that broke Ali's jaw. Angelo Dundee wanted the fight stopped immediately and asked Ali to stop the fight, "No I can beat this sucker, he won't touch my jaw". Dundee was impressed with Ali's courage but Norton held firm and won the fight on a narrow points decision, to inflict Ali's second pro fight defeat.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali Quotes: Pt 2
Answer: Bill McMurray
A week before the fight, originally scheduled for September 24, 1974, Foreman was cut over his eye in the last round of his sparring session. The fight had to be pushed back to October 30, 1974. Bill McMurray was a part time truck driver and George Foreman's sparring partner for this fight. Originally, McMurray claimed a punch caused the cut, but later changed his mind and said it was an errant elbow.
From Quiz: The Rumble in the Jungle
Answer: George Chuvalo
George Chuvalo put up a game performance against Ali but he was outgunned. He lasted the full fifteen rounds and went on to retain his record of never being knocked down in his career.
From Quiz: The Greatest of All Time
Answer: Cassius X
Following the lead of Malcolm X, Clay dismissed his 'slave name' and adopted the surname 'X'. When Elijah Mohammed granted him a Muslim name, he adopted it instead.
From Quiz: Ali: Activist, and Humanitarian
Answer: Archie Moore
Moore was soon released as he proved too strict for the free-spirited Clay. Two years later he was also the victim of a fourth round knockout at the hands of Clay.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali - Heavyweight Champion
Answer: Three and a half years
Ali did not box from 1967 until 1970 due to being banned and stripped of his titles for refusing military service. His license was also suspended. He lost his licence in April 1967 and it was re-instated in October 1970.
His last fight was against Zora Folley in March 1967, and his first was against Jerry Quarry in October 1970.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali - The Greatest
Answer: Ken Norton
Ali's words got better, "Is he still the faster and most beautiful man in the world? or is he growing old or slow? I took a nobody and created a monster. Now I have to punish him bad..." Ali prepared for this fight with great care; he was in the best shape of his life. He wanted to show the world that his best was still to come. The opening rounds saw Ali pick Norton off at will and he held a big point's lead, but Norton was no quitter and by the last round of twelve the cards were level. Ali won on points which Norton felt was an injustice, but he never questioned Ali's greatness, "Ali was a man who knew the ins and outs of boxing totally, he could psyche you out mentally, he could psyche you out physically, and while you were doing certain things, he was master of boxing and he would counter that".
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali Quotes: Pt 2
Answer: Zack Clayton
Clayton was the first black man to referee a world heavyweight championship fight. His first active refereeing job was the second Walcott- Charles fight, on June 5, 1952.
From Quiz: The Rumble in the Jungle
Answer: Enry's Hammer
Henry Cooper remains a much loved British sporting hero. Now Sir Henry, he was renowned for being the only man to win three Lonsdale Belts outright.
From Quiz: The Greatest of All Time
Answer: Tunney Hunsaker
On October 29th, 1960, Clay made his professional debut against Tunney Hunsaker and won a six round decision.
From Quiz: Boxing Great Muhammad Ali
Answer: The 'Elvis' of boxing
Just an interesting quote Ali made in 1966...
From Quiz: Ali: Activist, and Humanitarian
Answer: Doug Jones
Despite giving Clay such a good fight, Jones was never really an important contender to the heavyweight title. The other three boxers (Henry Cooper, Charlie Powell, and Bill Daniels) were all knocked out by Clay around the same time as the Jones fight.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali - Heavyweight Champion
Answer: George Foreman
Ali beat Foreman in 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali - The Greatest
Answer: Henry Cooper
The fight with Cooper was the first one of Clay's career to see him put down on the canvas. The fight was to spark life and controversy when the London born fighter hit Clay with 'Enery's Ammer'. Clay was knocked so hard that Dundee could see his protege had been hurt. The bell came to Clay's rescue and what followed some say was one of the worst acts of sportsmanship to have ever been seen in the ring.
To buy some time for Clay, Dundee asked to change the glove that so happened to have a small tear in it, this was allowed and it gave Clay the extra minute to get his thoughts together. Clay came out in the fifth and set about making Cooper's face look a total mess, the Londoner could not hold on and hit the floor to lose by knockout.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali Quotes: Pt 1
Answer: Jerry Quarry
Ali's comeback fight occured in, of all places, Atlanta, Georgia, on October 25, 1970. He then fought Oscar Bonavena, a tough fighter from Argentina, before challenging for the title.
From Quiz: The Greatest of All Time
Answer: New Orleans
On September 15th, 1978, Ali defeated Leon Spinks at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
From Quiz: Boxing Great Muhammad Ali
Answer: Travelling Bishop
Ali was considered within the Nation of Islam to be a bishop, whose responsibilities are to carry the word of Allah to others.
From Quiz: Ali: Activist, and Humanitarian
Answer: 22
As he said in the ring following the fight, 'I don't have a mark on my face, I upset Sonny Liston, and I just turned 22 years old. I must be The Greatest!'
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali - Heavyweight Champion
Answer: Joe Frazier
Ali beat Frazier in the legendary 1975 Philippine bout.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali - The Greatest
Answer: 37
George Foreman had knocked out 37 of his 40 opponents prior to facing Ali. Like most knockout artists, Foreman believed his awesome punching power could overcome any obstacle.
From Quiz: The Rumble in the Jungle
Answer: He didn't stop him, he won on points.
Although Joe knocked down Ali in the 15th round, Ali was able to hold on until the final bell. However, Joe's ability to get in under Ali's jab and hook to the body had established too big a lead in the latter stages of the fight. The knockdown had only added to Joe's lead. Joe won unanimously.
From Quiz: The Greatest of All Time
Answer: Scott Ledoux
In October of 1977, Leon Spinks fought to a draw with a no-name heavyweight named Scott Ledoux.
From Quiz: Boxing Great Muhammad Ali
Answer: He failed the intelligence tests
Never a very strong reader as a young man, Ali failed the draft board's intelligence tests. Publicly humiliated, Ali told reporters, 'I said I was the Greatest, not the smartest.'
From Quiz: Ali: Activist, and Humanitarian
Answer: George Foreman
Ali used Rope-a-Dope against the hard-punching Foreman in their 1974 Zaire fight.
From Quiz: Muhammad Ali - The Greatest
Answer: 2
In August 1970, Ali was given a license to fight in the city of Atlanta, thanks to Georgia senator Leroy R. Johnson. On October 26, Ali fought Jerry Quarry in Atlanta's Municipal Auditorium, and won after Quarry did not answer the bell after the third round. Two months later, he battled with Argentinian Oscar "Ringo" Bonavena at Madison Square Garden. Ali put in a sluggish performance, winning by technical knockout in the 15th round.
From Quiz: The Life and Times of Muhammad Ali
