2-991-259 - Heritage Imagined/Heritage Images

AI IMAGE - Portrait of Muhammad Ali standing in a boxing ring, 1960s, (2023). Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. (1942-2016), was an African-American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed 'the Greatest', he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, and is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. In 1966, Ali refused to be drafted into the military owing to his religious beliefs and ethical opposition to the Vietnam War, and was found guilty of draft evasion and stripped of his boxing titles. His conviction was overturned in 1971. In 1999, Ali was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated, and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.