Muhammad Ali: 10 lesser known stories about the boxing legend

Ali
Heavyweight Boxing: Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay ) victorious with his corner cut man Chickie Ferrara after winning fight vs Doug Jones at Madison Square Garden

#9 Ali was turned away by his idol Sugar Ray Robinson

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Ali signing autographs for his fans

To say a young Cassius Clay was a fan of Sugar Ray Robinson would be an understatement. Muhammad Ali called Sugar Ray "the king, the master, my idol." However, he got a rude shock when he was turned away by his idol on their first meeting in 1960.

Later, Ali reminisced “At that moment, I vowed never to turn a fan away.” And he remained the same throughout and later quipped, “I’m the people’s champion. You can walk up to me and say ‘hello’ without paying.”

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