Ferdie Pacheco – Ali’s longtime fight doctor and friend- once said, “Cassius Clay was born in Louisville, but Muhammad Ali was born in Miami.” Cassius Clay arrived in Miami in the winter of 1960, fresh from winning a gold medal at the Rome Olympics. He trained at the legendary Fifth Street Gym for his heavyweight championship bout with Sonny Liston at the Miami Beach Convention Center.  Miami was also the place where he adopted the ideals of the Nation of Islam, and officially announced to the world, in the days following the Liston fight, that his name was Muhammad Ali.

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2/25/1964, John Pineda, Miami Herald Staff -- (Miami Beach) The first fight, Clay/Liston. Camera #2 shows the punch landing clearly on Listons left eye...A point scored for this judges angle..The fact is, judges see the fight differntly from opposite sides of the ring. In close matches this is a factor in controversial decisions. Liston did not answer for the 8th round, and Clay became the heavyweight champ of the world. In this case the judges were off the hook, as boxing entered a new era of great heavyweight bouts---Photos by John Pineda 2/25/64-

12/15/1968, Joe Schuppe/Miami Herald Staff: Cassius Clay enters Miami Dade County jail with attorney to serve his ten day sentence for being caught driving without a license months earlier.

10/5/1992, Jeffery A. Salter/Miami Herald Staff: Former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali signs an autograph Monday for Cynthia Stevens, a staff member at the Youth Hall at 3300 NW 27th Ave. Ali was participating in a program called Muhammad Ali Role Models for Youth, designed to help troubled kids.

7/30/1991, Chuck Fadely/Miami Herald Staff: Lisa Donelly, from Liverpool, England, poses for a snapshot with Muhammad Ali during a book-signing Tuesday. "It's the best day of my life," she said. She was among hundreds who queued up inside the store and down the block to get Ali to sign the new book "Muhammad Ali - His Life and Times" by Thomas Hausen

7/30/1991, Chuck Fadely/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali lifts aloft 14-month-old Valerie Ragone as her mom, Connie, laughs. Ali patiently signed copies of "Muhammad Ali - His Life and Times" for two hours at the bookstore, while a line of fans snaked through the store and down the block outside.

7/29/1991, Marice Cohn Band/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali at the dedication of Hall C to him with current heavy weight champ Evander Holyfield.

7/29/1991, Marice Cohn Band/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali with Miami Beach police explorers, Patrick Huber (left)and Nohelia Taylor, 16 years old. After a dedication at the Miami Beach Convention Hall C.

9/9/1980, John PIneda/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali with Angelo Dundee.

10/6/1976, John Pineda/Miami Herald Staff: Ali in actor chair.

11/5/1993, Tim Chapman/Miami Herald Staff: Ali at the opener for the Heat at Miami Arena (man at right is not identified).

1977, Albert Coya/Miami Herald Staff: Producer John Marshall, Muhammad Ali and actor John Marley in a press conference for the movie "The Greatest". The biopic was based on the book "The Greatest: My Own Story" by Ali.

10/5/1976, Albert Coya/Miami Herald Staff: Ali arriving at Miami airport

3/15/1986, Bill Frakes/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali, left, spars with 7 year old Thaddeus Ambrose.

Muhammad Ali

Undated, Bruce Gilbert/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali gives a big kiss and hug to Michelle Willimas a Killian High student. Ali visited the school on the day of their homecoming.

1/18/1978, John Pineda/Miami Herald Staff: Miami Beach Mayor, Leonard Haber and Muhammad Ali at the Fifth Street Gym celebrating the champion's 36th birthday.

2/25/1964, John Pineda, Miami Herald Staff -- Miami Beach, Florida; The then Cassius Clay won the heavyweight championship of the world on February 25, 1964, after the champ Sonny Liston failed to answer he bell in the 8th round. In many way, this event changed boxing history as Clay became Muhammad Ali after joining the Black Muslims. Ali has become a world figure to this day.. Photo by John Pineda

1/18/1978, John Pineda/Miami Herald Staff: Miami Beach Mayor, Leonard Haber and Muhammad Ali at the Fifth Street Gym celebrating the champion's 36th birthday.

1/18/1978, John Pineda/Miami Herald Staff: Miami Beach Mayor, Leonard Haber and Muhammad Ali at the Fifth Street Gym celebrating the champion's 36th birthday.

1/20/1978, George Kochaniec/Miami Herald Staff: Angelo Dundee, Muhammad Ali and Willie Fry.

1/20/1978, George Kochaniec/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali in Miami Beach.

1/20/1978, George Kochaniec/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali.

1/20/1978, George Kochaniec/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali.

1/20/1978, George Kochaniec/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali.

1/20/1978, John Pineda/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali sparks with Dokes

Muhammad Ali

10/25/1976, Joe Rimkus Jr./Miami Herald Staff: Ali at Christian hospital with patient Edward Fosto.

10/25/1976, Joe Rimkus Jr./Miami Herald Staff: Ali at Christian hospital with Mary Byars.

8/28/1970, Martin Levinson/Miami Herald Staff: Profile of Muhammad Ali.

9/19/1987, Jon Kral/Miami Herald Staff: Muhammad Ali promoting his new line of chocolate chip cookies. The cookies, called Champ Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookies, retail for $2.39 to $2.79. They were introduced in July and will be sold in supermarkets, gourmet shops and specialty shops. Ali's appearances are part of the nationwide rollout, which has included stops in Chicago, Indianapolis and Tampa. Ali's face is on the package.

John Doman/Miami Herald Staff: Tired Muhammad Ali at end of a workout shows his cut lip.

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