Rahaman Ali
Template:Short description Template:For Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox boxer
Rahaman AliTemplate:Efn (born Rudolph Arnett Clay; July 18, 1943 – August 1, 2025) was an American heavyweight boxer. He was the younger brother of Muhammad Ali.
Biography
Rahaman Ali, initially named Rudolph Arnett Clay but later rechristened to Rudolph Valentino Clay,<ref name="SI 1966"/> was born to Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay on July 18, 1943, 18 months after his brother Cassius Jr., who would become Muhammad Ali.<ref name="autobiography">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="SI 1966">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Muhammad started boxing in a Louisville, Kentucky, amateur boxing league. While Muhammad went to the 1960 Olympics, Rahaman was not selected and remained amateur until February 25, 1964, the night his brother won one of his heavyweight titles over Sonny Liston.
His professional career would last from 1964 to 1972.<ref name=careerandtraining />
As a professional boxer, Rahaman Ali won 14 bouts, lost 3, and had one draw. In his career, he knocked out seven opponents and was himself knocked out once. He retired from professional boxing after back-to-back losses, the second of which saw him being knocked out by future Superman film series actor Jack O'Halloran in what would also be his only stoppage defeat.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="BoxRec" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
After his career ended, Rahaman would travel, and also train, with Muhammad.<ref name=careerandtraining /> He would later appear as himself in his brother's 1977 biopic The Greatest.
In 2014, Ali released his autobiography, That's Muhammad Ali's Brother! My Life on the Undercard, which was co-authored by H. Ron Brashear and the foreword written by Gene Kilroy – the longtime business manager of Muhammad Ali. In 2019, Rahaman released his second book titled My Brother, Muhammad Ali - The Definitive Biography. It was co-authored by Fiaz Rafiq, with the foreword written by NFL legend Jim Brown. In 2021, he appeared in the documentary Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The same year, he appeared in three episodes of his brother's documentary miniseries Muhammad Ali.
Death
Rahaman Ali died on August 1, 2025, two weeks after his 82nd birthday.<ref name=careerandtraining>Template:Cite web</ref> Ali's funeral was held on August 16, 2025, and involved a funeral procession where he made a stop at his childhood home before he had a Janazah funeral service, which is given for people of Muslim faith, at the Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.<ref name=funeralandburial>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ali would then be buried at the Cave Hill Cemetery.<ref name=funeralandburial />
Professional boxing record
Template:S-start |- |style="text-align:center;" colspan=8|14 wins (7 knockouts, 7 decisions), 3 losses (1 knockout, 2 decisions), 1 draw<ref name="BoxRec">Template:Cite web</ref> |-style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" | style="border-style: none none solid solid;" | Result | style="border-style: none none solid solid;" | Record | style="border-style: none none solid solid;" | Opponent | style="border-style: none none solid solid;" | Type | style="border-style: none none solid solid;" | Round | style="border-style: none none solid solid;" | Date | style="border-style: none none solid solid;" | Location |- align=center | Template:No2Loss | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Jack O'Halloran | KO | 8 | Template:Nowrap | align=left | Template:Flagicon San Diego, California |- align=center | Template:No2Loss | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Roy Wallace | PTS | 10 | 1972-05-08 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Niles, Ohio |- align=center | Template:DrawDraw | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Jasper Evans | PTS | 10 | 1972-01-22 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Denver, Colorado |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Joe Byrd | TKO | 4 | 1971-12-16 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Kalamazoo, Michigan |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Harold Carter | TKO | 3 | 1971-10-27 | align=left | Template:Flagicon O'Hare Port Hotel, Chicago, Illinois |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Larry Beilfuss | TKO | 2 | 1971-09-13 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Carl Baker | MD | 10 | 1971-04-30 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Port of Spain |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Peter Robinson | TKO | 2 | 1971-04-23 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Port of Spain |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Stamford Harris | PTS | 10 | 1971-04-16 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Port of Spain |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Clement Greenidge | PTS | 10 | 1971-04-09 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Port of Spain |- align=center | Template:No2Loss | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Danny McAlinden | PTS | 6 | 1971-03-08 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Madison Square Garden, New York City |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Howard Darlington | PTS | 4 |1970-12-07 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Madison Square Garden, New York City |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Hurricane Grant | KO | 3 | 1970-10-26 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Atlanta City Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Tommy Howard | UD | 10 | 1970-08-11 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Fairchild Hope | TKO | 2 | 1966-02-11 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Nassau |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Buster Reed | KO | 2 | 1965-05-25 | align=left | Template:Flagicon St. Dominic's Hall, Lewiston, Maine |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Levi Forte | UD | 10 | 1965-04-28 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida |- align=center | Template:Yes2Win | Template:Small | align=left | Template:Flagicon Chip Johnson | PTS | 4 | 1964-02-25 | align=left | Template:Flagicon Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida Template:S-end
Exhibition boxing record
| Template:Abbr | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template:N/A | 0–0 Template:Small | Template:Flagicon Muhammad Ali | Template:N/A | 2 | Jul 1, 1972 | Template:Flagicon Template:Small | Template:Small |
Notes
References
External links
- 1943 births
- 2025 deaths
- 20th-century Muslims
- 21st-century Muslims
- African-American boxers
- African-American Muslims
- American male boxers
- American people of English descent
- American people of Irish descent
- American people of Malagasy descent
- Boxers from Louisville, Kentucky
- Burials at Cave Hill Cemetery
- Converts to Sunni Islam from Protestantism
- Family of Muhammad Ali
- Heavyweight boxers
- Muslims from Kentucky
- Sportspeople of English descent
- Sportspeople of Irish descent