MUHAMMAD ALI
60TH ANNIVERSAY
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MUHAMMAD ALI
The Washington Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) is set to host a landmark tribute event honoring the unparalleled legacy of Muhammad Ali, commemorating the 60th anniversary of his historic victory over Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964.
Experience the life-changing history and timeline of Muhammad Ali as we celebrate the pivotal moments that catapulted Ali into becoming a global icon.
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Why Washington Ave?
Washington Avenue holds a unique place in the history of Muhammad Ali's illustrious career. Home to the renowned 5th Street Gym, where Ali honed his skills, it was also the location where he secured his first heavyweight title at 17th and Washington.
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MUHAMMAD ALI
HISTORICAL TIMELINE EXHIBITION OPEN
UNTIL MAY 1, 2024
555 WASHINGTON AVENUE
HOURS 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM 7 DAYS A WEEK
ALI
Muhammad Ali (born January 17, 1942, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.—died June 3, 2016, Scottsdale, Arizona) was an American professional boxer and social activist. Ali was the first fighter to win the world heavyweight championship on three separate occasions; he successfully defended this title 19 times.
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Ali's journey from his Miami childhood to his legendary bouts like the Rumble in the Jungle and the Thrilla in Manila is commemorated in the Historical Timeline and Tribute located at 555 Washington Avenue, situated in the vicinity of the renowned Angelo Dundee 5th Street Gym. Countless individuals harbor personal anecdotes of encounters with Ali, moments that provoked profound thought or catalyzed life-altering changes.
These cherished memories can be revisited and honored at the Historical Timeline and Tribute, serving as a poignant reminder of Ali's enduring impact on our lives and perspectives.
When Clay was 12 years old, he took up boxingunder the tutelage of Louisville policeman Joe Martin. After advancing through the amateur ranks, he won a gold medal in the 175-pound division at the 1960 Olympic Games in Romeand began a professional career under the guidance of the Louisville Sponsoring Group, a syndicate composed of 11 wealthy white men.
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In his early bouts as a professional, Clay was more highly regarded for his charm and personality than for his ring skills. He sought to raise public interest in his fights by reading childlike poetry and spouting self-descriptive phrases such as “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” He told the world that he was “the Greatest,” but the hard realities of boxing seemed to indicate otherwise. Clay infuriated devotees of the sport as much as he impressed them. He held his hands unconventionally low, backed away from punches rather than bobbing and weaving out of danger, and appeared to lack true knockout power. The opponents he was besting were a mixture of veterans who were long past their prime and fighters who had never been more than mediocre. Thus, purists cringed when Clay predicted the round in which he intended to knock out an opponent, and they grimaced when he did so and bragged about each new conquest.
On February 25, 1964, Clay challenged Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship of the world. Liston was widely regarded as the most intimidating, powerful fighter of his era. Clay was a decided underdog. But in one of the most stunning upsets in sports history, Liston retired to his corner after six rounds, and Clay became the new champion. Two days later Clay shocked the boxing establishment again by announcing that he had accepted the teachings of the Nation of Islam. On March 6, 1964, he took the name Muhammad Ali, which was given to him by his spiritual mentor, Elijah Muhammad.
For the next three years, Ali dominated boxing as thoroughly and magnificently as any fighter ever had. In a May 25, 1965, rematch against Liston, he emerged with a first-round knockout victory. Triumphs over Floyd Patterson, George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper, Brian London, and Karl Mildenberger followed. On November 14, 1966, Ali fought Cleveland Williams. Over the course of three rounds, Ali landed more than 100 punches, scored four knockdowns, and was hit a total of three times. Ali’s triumph over Williams was succeeded by victories over Ernie Terrell and Zora Folley.
Then, on April 28, 1967, citing his religious beliefs, Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army at the height of the war in Vietnam. This refusal followed a blunt statement voiced by Ali 14 months earlier: “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong.” Many Americans vehemently condemned Ali’s stand, though one of Ali’s earliest defenders was famed sports broadcaster Howard Cosell, who had covered and praised the fighter since the beginning of his career as Cassius Clay. Ali’s position was especially controversial because it came at a time when most people in the United States still supported the war in Southeast Asia. Moreover, although exemptions from military service on religious grounds were available to qualifying conscientious objectors who were opposed to war in any form, Ali was not eligible for such an exemption, because he acknowledged that he would be willing to participate in an Islamic holy war.
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Ali was stripped of his championship and precluded from fighting by every state athletic commission in the United States for three and a half years. In addition, he was criminally indicted and, on June 20, 1967, convicted of refusing induction into the U.S. armed forces and sentenced to five years in prison. Although he remained free on bail, four years passed before his conviction was unanimously overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court on a narrow procedural ground.
Meanwhile, as the 1960s grew more tumultuous, Ali’s impact upon American society was growing, and he became a lightning rod for dissent. Ali’s message of Black pride and Black resistance to white domination was on the cutting edge of the civil rights movement. Having refused induction into the U.S. Army, he also stood for the proposition that “unless you have a very good reason to kill, war is wrong.” As Black activist Julian Bond later observed, “When a figure as heroic and beloved as Muhammad Ali stood up and said, ‘No, I won’t go,’ it reverberated through the whole society.”
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CONGRATULATIONS TO STEVE ADKINS!
SOUTH FLORIDA TOURISM PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
A WASHINGTON AVENUE BUSINESS
This week the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOHT) voted Steve Adkins as the South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year award. Mr. Adkins is the President of the Miami-Dade Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. The award represents a cross-section of the local hospitality and tourism industry who have contributed to elevating Greater Miami and Miami Beach’s travel and tourism industry to one of the most admired and successful in the world. Additionally, they enthusiastically supported programs to create an educated, professional industry workforce for the future.
STEVE ADKINS HOLDING THE TROPHY
WASHINGTON AVENUE HISTORY:
There’s no denying that Muhammad and The Beatles were all skilled at delivering powerful hits in their own rights. It wasn’t until February 18, 1964, however, that their paths eventually crossed at Miami Beach’s 5th Street Gym on Washington Avenue. more
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5TH & WASHINGTON
Photo: Express Newspapers via AP Images
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WASHINGTON AVENUE
ON WASHINGTON
Seawell Fish N' Oyster
Located within Kimpton Angler's Hotel in famed South Beach, Seawell Fish N' Oyster lures you with local ocean bounty. Our menu approaches regional favorites with a modern take in dishes like his low country boil, fish dip smoked in house and lobster bisque en croute.
6TH & WASHINGTON
