Muhammad Ali (1942-)
Size: 8x10 inches

Signed: 'Muhammad Ali'

Colour 8x10 Autographed photo, The Epic Battle

Muhammad Ali (b.January 17, 1942) was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. in Louisville, Kentucky, and is a retired American boxer. In 1999, Ali was crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated. He is widely regarded to be the greatest heavyweight champion of all time and is one of the most heavily promoted athletes ever.

Named Junior after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., who was named for the 19th century abolitionist and politician Cassius Clay. Ali later changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam and subsequently converted to orthodox Sunni Islam in 1975.

Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. changes his name to Muhammad Ali.
Following his ascension to champion, he also became famous for other reasons: he revealed that he was a member of the Nation of Islam (often called the Black Muslims at the time) and changed his name to Cassius X, discarding his surname as a symbol of his ancestors' enslavement, as had been done by other Nation members such as Malcolm X. He was soon given the name Muhammad Ali by the leader of the Nation, Elijah Muhammad, who revealed the name to Ali as "his true name," although only a few journalists (most notably Howard Cosell) accepted it at that time. The adoption of this name symbolized his new identity as a Black Muslim, and he retained the name even after he later became a Sunni Muslim.