17.01.08 – Matthew Hurley: Today marks the 66th birthday of former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. According to a release from the official Ali website, the iconic figure is resting comfortably at his winter home in Arizona with friends and family. The site also announced that to celebrate his birthday the first-ever official Muhammad Ali online store is now available at www.ALI.com. The store will feature authentic autographed items and licensed products, including art prints and books.
“We are transforming our website into a platform offering even more original content about Muhammad,” said Ronald A. DiNicola, president and CEO of Muhammad Ali Enterprises. “We will be creating an online global community of Ali fans and we want everyone to be a part of it. The website will evolve over time, as we will be changing and expanding our offerings based on feedback from Ali fans..”
Fans of the fighter will also be able to chat online today with Howard Bingham, longtime friend and official photographer for ‘The Greatest.’ You can log on to www.ALI.com/chat at 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time today, January 17th, 2008.
Ali, still one of the most recognizable figures in the world, won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and captured the world heavyweight championship three times, in 1964 against Sonny Liston (RTD 7), in 1974 against George Foreman (KO 8) and in 1978 against Leon Spinks (UD 15). Among the accolades and awards he has received over the years include being named Sports Illustrated’s ‘Sportsman of the Century’, the BBC’s ‘Sports Personality of the Century’ and the World Sports Award’s ‘World Sportsman of the Century.’ In 2005 Ali received the highest civil honor given by the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2005 the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky was opened. Along with countless memorabilia the center promotes social responsibility, peace and personal growth and is active in the community. In the years since it first opened the Muhammad Ali Center has become an important source of information for fans, scholars and writers through the use of multimedia presentations and interactive exhibits.
Muhammad Ali retired with a record of 56-5 with 37 KOs. The fighter now suffers from the effects of Parkinson’s syndrome but his spirit and humanity remain unblemished.
ESPN Classic will be airing Ali – Foreman ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ tonight at 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.