ASK ANYONE in the street, who is Muhammad Ali. There is a 90 per cent chance that a prompt reply would come your way ‘a boxer’, even though the person may not have ever seen him in his single bout ever. The popularity of the boxer is unparallel to none in the field of boxing. He is a living legend and a role model for boxers. Today, it is his 70th birthday. Mirror.co.uk reports, some even consider him to be the greatest sportsperson of the last century.

An American boxer, his original name was Cassius Clay, who enjoyed one of the best careers in the sport. His record speaks volumes about him, he won a majority of his matches through the knockout punch, which had Ali’s stamp of authority and power, where his opponents would fail to get up after his punches. In his 56 victories during his professional career, he knocked out his opponent 37 times. He only lost 5 matches in his illustrious professional career.

During his career too, it was not an easy life for him, as he also threw his 1960 Olympic Gold medal in a river, after he was not allowed to enter into a whites-only restaurant, even after earning so much of laurels for the US through his game. He was also stripped of his boxing license along with his title, as he was arrested for draft evasion charges too, lending a negative image to him.

He cannot be considered as one of the favourite sons of America, as he was a boxer, who looked straight into every one’s eyes and was never afraid in expressing his opinion through his words. He was also well known for his ‘trash talk’, which had been characteristic of him before the match day.

His rivalry against another great boxer, Joe Frazier would be remembered for a very long time, due to the quality of action that took place between the two. Though, there are boxers such as Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lewis, who may be considered as the great boxers of the modern era, but still, it would be difficult to replace Ali as one of the greatest boxer of all time.

The Greatest, The People's Champion, The Louisville Lip are some of the nicknames by which he is known all over the world. He still rules in many a hearts for the fighter he was on and off the boxing ring.