5. He Was a 3-Time World Champion
Ali somehow recovered from “The Thrilla In Manila” and continued his reign as World Champion for the next two and a half years. Ali defended his title against a number of worthy challengers, and always managed to summarily best his foes by knockout or unanimous decision. In 1978, Ali lost the World Heavyweight title to Leon Spinks. He was immediately granted a rematch, which made a record amount of money for a boxing match, and found an audience of millions on television. Ali defeated Spinks by unanimous decision and became the first boxer in history to win the Heavyweight title three times. Ali announced his retirement shortly after the bout, leaving the sport as World Heavyweight champion. Desperate for money, he returned for two more fights, but lost them both due to his advanced age and declining health.
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