He is honored as one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century
One of the major accomplishments of Muhammad Ali is that he is honored as one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century. Ali is the only three-time lineal heavyweight champion in history. He is the only boxer to have been chosen The Ring magazine's Fighter of the Year six times, and he has participated in more Ring "Fight of the Year" contests than any other fighter. Muhammad Ali was admitted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in its first year and possessed victories over seven other Hall of Fame entrants during the so-called golden age of heavyweight boxing. According to the Associated Press, he was the second-best boxer and heavyweight of the twentieth century. For 35 years, his combined records of beating 21 boxers for the world heavyweight title and winning 14 title match stood.
In 1990, Life magazine named Ali one of the 100 most important Americans of the twentieth century. The Associated Press reported in 1993 that Ali was tied with Babe Ruth as the best-recognized athlete in America, out of nearly 800 dead or live athletes. According to the poll, more than 97 percent of Americans over the age of 12 recognized both Ali and Ruth. He received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 1997.
He was towards the top of most lists of the century's greatest athletes by the end of the twentieth century. Sports Illustrated named him Sportsman of the Century. He garnered more votes than the other five finalists combined to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Century. He was awarded USA Today's Athlete of the Century and ESPN Sports Century's third greatest athlete of the twentieth century. In festivities at the Galt House East, Ali was honored "Kentucky Athlete of the Century" by the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame.
