Muhammad Ali first won the title (as Cassius Clay) over reigning champ Sonny Liston on February 25, 1964 in Miami Beach... He successfully defended the title 9 times before being indicted for refusal to serve in the Army, which resulted in his being subsequently stripped of his title and boxing license
He won the title for a second time on October 30, 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire (now known as Democratic Republic of Congo) by defeating reigning champion George Foreman. He successfully defended this title 10 times before losing it in a shock upset to 1976 Olympian Leon Spinks in February 1978.
He won the title for the third and final time in a rematch with Spinks on September 15, 1978 in New Orleans. He retired after the bout and made two ill-fated comebacks in the subsequent years (1980 and 1981)
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