I am the astronaut of boxing. Joe Louis and Dempsey were just jet pilots. I'm in a world of my own.
Muhammad AliI am grateful for all my victories, but I am especially grateful for my losses, because they only made me work harder.
Muhammad AliI make predictions about what I'm going to do before a fight, that makes me nervous because I've gotten so good at it until people really look for me to do it.If I say the man's going to fall in round five, like your man Henry Cooper here, he was stopped in round five but it was on a cut - it wasn't because he was out. But usually 'm on the spot with my predictions and some people really gamble and bet money on the rounds I say.
Muhammad AliThe woman is the fiber of the nation. She is the producer of life. A nation is only as good as its women.
Muhammad AliNow I had won the gold medal. But it didn't mean anything, because I didn't have the right color skin.
Muhammad AliA rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in the dark and he'll never crow. I have seen the light and I'm crowing.
Muhammad AliI always asked my mother, I said, 'Momma, how come is everything white?' I said, 'Why is Jesus white with blond hair and blue eyes? Why is the Lord's supper all white men? Angels are white, the Pope, Mary, and even the angels.' I said, 'Mother, when we die, do we go to Heaven?' She said, 'Naturally we go to Heaven.' I said, 'Well, what happened to all the black angels?'
Muhammad AliI'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark.
Muhammad AliI got nothing against no Viet Cong. No Vietnamese ever called me a << racial epithet >>.
Muhammad AliIf we were second class citizens we'd be driving old Cadillacs and living good. If we were first class we'd be driving a Rolls Royce.
Muhammad AliThe real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality.… If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.
Muhammad AliIf you look at the world the same way when you're 50 that you did when you were 20, then you wasted 30 years.
Muhammad AliThe Prophet introduced a system of prayer in that it was interwoven into man's daily work: a prayer in the morning when he arose from his bed; a prayer at lunch time, as an indication that if his body needed a diet, so did his spirit; a prayer in the afternoon when he retired from his daily work; a prayer at sunset and a prayer when going to bed.
Muhammad AliTolerance and understanding won't 'trickle down' in our society any more than wealth does.
Muhammad AliI don't see no black and white couples in England or America walking around proud holding their children and going out.
Muhammad AliI'm not the greatest; I'm the double greatest. Not only do I knock 'em out, I pick the round.
Muhammad AliI would like to say that whites jumped right behind Malcolm X. They’re makin’ a book about him, it’s required readin’ in all colleges now, and they’re makin’ a movie about him, and projectin’ him as the leader and if you read his book and see the movie that’s comin’ out, it’ll make you hate Elijah Mohammed and the Muslims. Mainly, this is done to turn the black people against the real leader and I’d like to say that this is the way white people rule.
Muhammad AliFriendship is definitely the most difficult detail on the globe to elucidate. It is really not something you understand at school. But if you have not realized the which means of friendship, you truly have not realized anything.
Muhammad AliEvery day is different, and some days are better than others, but no matter how challenging the day, I get up and live it.
Muhammad AliWhatever the challenge was, however unattainable the goal may have seemed, I never let anyone talk me out of believing in myself.
Muhammad AliHating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong.
Muhammad AliThe greatest victory in life is to rise above the material things that we once valued most
Muhammad AliI have more fans and more followers and more supporters. Because the people who actually saw the Joe Frazier Muhammad Ali fight, they saw me win at least nine rounds - the people who know boxing.
Muhammad AliWhat I will remember most about Mr Mandela is that he was a man whose heart, soul and spirit could not be contained or restrained by racial and economic injustices, metal bars or the burden of hate and revenge.
Muhammad AliI've never really resented hard work because I've always liked it. Up every morning for roadwork. Going to the gymnasium every day at 12 o'clock. I never change my pattern.
Muhammad AliFrazier soaked it all up like a sponge. When they arrived in Manila it was the same story. Ali poured scorn on his opponent. Humiliated him. Joe had the heart of a lion but verbally he was out of his depth when Ali got going. One time, as fight day approached, Ali spotted Frazier on a hotel balcony, grabbed a security guard's gun and fired some rounds at him. Everybody knew it wasn't live ammo but it still startled the hell out of Joe.] Go back in your hole, Gorilla, You gonna scare the people! Come out again and I'm gonna kill ya before time!”
Muhammad AliEverything I got comes from Elijah Mohammed. He taught me who I was, he made me proud, he made me fearless, he made me love my own, I’ve turned down millions to keep from selling out my people, the beautiful name Mohammed Ali. And white people cannot destroy me like they have other big ministers of his in the past by telling us oh, you speak good, you should be the leader.White people make me thinkin' that I'm smart, and as soon as I leave Elijah you can get me. But as long as I stay with the Honorable Elijah Mohammed I'm safe.
Muhammad AliWhy are they picking on boxing? It's because the black men are so superior in boxing that they want to stop it. Well, the black man's so hungry he's got to fight.
Muhammad AliInside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong.
Muhammad AliIt's ain't sad that I want my child to look like me? Every intelligent person wants their child to look like him.
Muhammad Ali