Muhammad Ali Spars With the Stars

Muhammad Ali Spars With the Stars

For the camera celebrities always wanted to mix it up with the boxing legend

Bop the Beatles 1964

Paul, John, Ringo and George absorb a shot the day before Ali, then named Cassius Clay, won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston.

Timber 1971

A proposed boxing match between Ali and 7-foot 1-inch basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain fell through – but not before much posturing.

John John Jabs 1974

John Kennedy Jr. lands one on Ali’s honker hours before “The Greatest” defeats Joe Frazier in a non-title fight.

Rocky Road 1977

Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) and Ali (The Greatest) clown it up back stage after the Oscars awards.

Heavy-Handed 1978

Olympic Russian weightlifter Vasily Alexeyev drops the hammer at Ali’s training camp.

Dynamic Duo 1979

Playing a former slave elected to the U.S. Senate, Ali starred with Kris Kristofferson in the TV miniseries Freedom Road.

What chu Talkin Bout Ali 1979

Gary Coleman and Ali, who made a guest appearance on the TV show Diff'rent Strokes, have fun.

Take One for the Gipper 1983

President Ronald Reagan gives a poke in the Oval Office.

Common Cause 2002

Michael J. Fox and Ali appeal to a Senate subcommittee for more funding to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease, which afflicted both of them.

Rock On 2003

Ali and comedian Chris Rock ham it up at the launch party of the book GOAT: Greatest Of All Time, A Tribute to Muhammad Ali.

Seeing Stars 2004

Singer Celine Dion lands one during Celebrity Fight Night X, an annual fund-raiser for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center at Barrow Neurological Institute.

Sparring Partners 2004

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Ali go at it backstage during an MTV programming promotion event.

Good Sport 2005

The Rev. Jesse Jackson takes his turn at the 20th Annual Midsummer Night's Magic Awards Dinner in Los Angeles.

In a Clinch 2005

Singers Gloria Estefan and Donna Summer mug with Ali at Celebrity Fight Night XI.

Why I Oughta … 2006

Robin Williams channels Popeye at Celebrity Fight Night XII.

In the Kisser 2013

Singer Jennifer Lopez throws an uppercut at the 2013 Celebrity Fight Night XIX. Video: Lonnie Ali on Caregiving
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