Muhammad Ali remains the most recognized sports figure in history – more than Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods and even Michael Jordan. He may or may not have been “The Greatest” fighter of all time, but Ali transcended boxing. He was a showman with the gift of gab, and his antics inside and outside the ring made him a cultural icon alongside the likes of his contemporaries, Elvis Presley and the Beatles. When Ali died in 2016 at the age of 74, people around the globe grieved and paid tribute to the beloved icon. And we’re paying tribute to him today with this Pop Quiz. See how well you score!
1. What is Muhammad Ali’s hometown?
A. Louisville, Kentucky
B. Brooklyn, New York
C. Atlanta, Georgia
2. Who first encouraged Ali to take up boxing?
A. His brother Randolph
B. His P.E. teacher, Jack Fisher
C. Police officer Joe Martin
3. Where did Ali win an Olympic gold medal?
A. Tokyo
B. Rome
C. Paris
4. Who was Ali’s very first professional opponent?
A. Tony Esperti
B. Tunney Hunsaker
C. Alonzo Johnson
5. What U.S. city hosted the first Sonny Liston-Cassius Clay title fight?
A. Miami
B. Los Angeles
C. New York City
6. Who was Ali’s opponent in the infamous “What’s my name?” fight, in which the champion Ali tortured his challenger for 15 full rounds?
A. Henry Cooper
B. Cleveland Williams
C. Ernie Terrell
7. In 1967, Ali was stripped of his heavyweight title and lost his boxing license after evading the draft. Who was his first opponent after he was reinstated in 1970?
A. Oscar Bonavena
B. Jerry Quarry
C. George Chuvalo
8. Who was scheduled to fight Ali on July 26, 1971, but was later convinced to drop out of the match?
A. Wilt Chamberlain
B. Jim Brown
C. Ernie “The Cat” Ladd
9. Who famously broke Ali’s jaw in their first of three fights?
A. Ken Norton
B. Joe Frazier
C. Ernie Shavers
10. In what round did Ali KO George Foreman to regain the heavyweight championship?
A. Round 6
B. Round 7
C. Round 8
11. Ali’s fight with what opponent inspired Sylvester Stallone to write “Rocky”?
A. Ron Lyle
B. Chuck Wepner
C. Joe Bugner
12. Who was Joe Frazier’s cornerman for the legendary “Thrilla in Manila” fight?
A. Angelo Dundee
B. Emanuel Steward
C. Eddie Futch
13. Who did Ali beat in 1978 to capture the world heavyweight title for a record third time?
A. Leon Spinks
B. Ernie Shavers
C. Scott LeDoux
14. Who was Ali’s final opponent before retiring for good?
A. Larry Holmes
B. Trevor Berbick
C. Richard Dunn
15. Which U.S. President presented Ali with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States?
A. Bill Clinton
B. George W. Bush
C. Barack Obama
ANSWERS:
1. A – Louisville, Kentucky
2. C – Then 12-year-old Cassius Clay went to Martin after his bicycle had been stolen.
3. B – He captured gold in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
4. B – Ali won via 6-round unanimous decision.
5. A – The fight took place in Miami. Clay won via 6th-round TKO.
6. C – Before the fight, Terrell refused to acknowledge Ali’s name change; instead, he continually referred to him as “Cassius Clay.”
7. B – Ali stopped Quarry in the third round.
8. A – Chamberlain backed out of the fight and Ali’s childhood friend and former sparring partner, Jimmy Ellis, replaced him on the fight card.
9. A – Norton broke Ali’s jaw and won the fight via split decision
10. C – Ali KO’ed Foreman is the eighth round. Ali was a 4-1 underdog for this fight.
11. B – Wepner famously knocked down Ali in the ninth round.
12. C – Futch threw in the towel before the 15th and final round, telling Frazier, “It’s all over. No one will forget what you did here today.”
13. A – Ali beat Spinks in their rematch via unanimous decision.
14. B – Berbick won via unanimous decision.
15. B – President Bush presented the award to Ali in November 2005.
SO HOW DID YOU SCORE?
0 to 2 correct: Time to hang up the gloves. You’re done.
3 to 6 correct: You’re still in the preliminaries, but you have potential.
7 to 11 correct: You’re definitely a contender.
12 to 14 correct: Championship material.
All 15 correct: YOU are the greatest!
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