1. ALI'S BIRTH NAME CAME FROM A WHITE ABOLITIONIST

2. ALI WAS DYSLEXIC
A small yet interesting fact about Ali is that he suffered from dyslexia. One interesting event related to his dyslexia was when Ali, who had previously registered for conscription on his 18th birthday, was reclassified as Class 1-Y instead of 1-A due to sub-standard spelling and writing skills. Ali spoke of the whole incident stating that “I said I was the greatest, not the smartest!”.

3. ALI OLYMPIC MEDAL WAS NOT ENOUGH TO SPARE HIM FROM RACISM
In the 1960 Summer Olympics, 18-year-old Ali traveled to Rome representing the United States. He would go on to win the light heavyweight gold medal and return to the United States as a champion. This, however, would not be enough to spare him from racism, as he would be refused service at a Kentucky diner, even by wearing his recently won medal, solely on the fact that he was black. It is said that Ali threw the medal into the Ohio River after quickly becoming frustrated with the whole incident.

4. ALI HAD SOME IRISH BLOOD
Ali’s great-grandfather, Abe Grady, was an Irishman that settled in Kentucky in the 1860s. He married a freed slave and eventually had a family

5.ALIS DRAFT EVASION CASE WENT AS FAR AS THE U.S SUPREME COURT
A recently converted Muslim, Ali was subject to conscription during the Vietnam War. He declared himself a conscientious objector and refused to fight in the war. Ali would be arrested for committing a felony by refusing his induction into the U.S. Armed Forces. He was found guilty and convicted yet he remained free. In 1971, the Supreme Court received his case and decided to overturn his conviction unanimously. The whole issue made Muhammad Ali an icon within the counterculture generation, who sympathized with his anti-war and anti-draft sentiments.

5. ALI STARRED IN A BROADWAY SHOW
Ali’s 43-month forced exile from the boxing ring would lead the renowned boxer to have his own adventure within the arts. The Broadway musical, “Buck White”, would see Ali as the title role of a militant black lecturer. It saw a total of seven performances, resulting in a significantly brief stage career for Ali. The reviews noted that Ali had an overall good performance.

6. ALI RECORDED A SPOKEN WORD VERSE
Ali was known for his various poetic verses taunting his opponents and praising his own feats. In fact, Ali’s verses were so popular that Columbia Records felt the need to have its own share on the whole deal. In 1963, the label released a spoken word album titled “I Am the Greatest”, featuring Ali’s sole poetic performance with musical accompaniment.

7.ALI'S GLOVES EARNED MORE THAN HE DID AFTER HIS FIGHT WITH LISTON
The legendary fight between Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali made more than just Ali famous, his gloves became iconic too. That night, after Ali’s triumph over Liston, would earn him some $630,000, while 50 years later, the selling of his gloves would go up to
$836,000.

8. ALI INFLUENCE ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Muhammad Ali’s influence on the black organisers who formed the backbone of the Civil Rights Movement was distinctly positive and remarkably broad-based. His power as a heroic symbol bridged the entire span of the movement’s ideological spectrum. In ways that nobody else could, Ali appealed simultaneously to people and organisations who otherwise agreed on little politically. In the words of one organiser, Bob Moses, “Muhammad Ali galvanised the Civil Rights Movement.”

9.1964 ALI CHANGED HIS NAME
"I didn't choose it and I don't want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name — it means beloved of God, and I insist people use it when people speak to me."

10. AFTER A FEW YEARS OF RETIRING FROM BOXING HE ANNOUNCES AT 42 HE HAD PARKINSONS
"We all remember the incredible moment in 1996 when Muhammad held that burning torch in his trembling hand and lit the Olympic flame in Atlanta."And now, he has passed his torch to us. I remember the 1st time I got jumped in middle school by a group of girls. I came home with slices and bruises on my face and body. That was the 1st day I was introduced to Muhammad Ali. My adopted father said to me “Silvia , you have to learn to move like a butterfly and sting like a bee” I said “What?” He laughed and then sat me down to tell me about his hero Muhammed Ali . My adopted father Ronald Leary was also against the Vietnam War. I later took on boxing during my teenage years to learn to defend myself and have continued the lessons and physical condition in boxing.

It was my deepest honor to paint Mohammed Ali. I remember a little girl watching him shake as he carried the Olympic torch. Painting him was not only a great honor but was very emotional for me and at times I cried. I hope I have made his legacy proud by painting him the way I envisioned him.

Mediums| Canvas/Acrylic/Metal Letters/Wood/Spray Paint/Wood/Epoxy

Prints available in brushed aluminum
Dimensions: 30"x30" and 40"x40"