Muhammad Ali Spars With the Stars

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

AARP, June 6, 2016

AP Photo

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.

1 of 16
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

‘Timber,’ 1971

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

2 of 16
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

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.

3 of 16
AP Photo

Rocky Road, 1977

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

4 of 16
The Ring Magazine/Getty Images

Heavy-Handed, 1978

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

5 of 16
Jerry Watson/Camera Press/Redux

Dynamic Duo, 1979

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

6 of 16
Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

“What’chu Talkin’ ‘Bout, Ali?”, 1979

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

7 of 16
Reagan Library

Take One for the Gipper, 1983

President Ronald Reagan gives a poke in the Oval Office.

8 of 16
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

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.

9 of 16
Craig Ambrosio/Getty Images

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.

10 of 16
M. Caulfield/WireImage for PMK/HBH/Getty Images

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.

11 of 16
Matthew Peyton/Getty Images

Sparring Partners, 2004

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

12 of 16
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

Good Sport, 2005

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

13 of 16
M. Caulfield/WireImage for PMK/HBH/Getty Images

In a Clinch, 2005

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

14 of 16
M. Caulfield/WireImage for PMK/HBH/Getty Images

‘Why, I Oughta … ’ 2006

Robin Williams channels Popeye at Celebrity Fight Night XII.

15 of 16
Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Fight Night

In the Kisser, 2013

Singer Jennifer Lopez throws an uppercut at the 2013 Celebrity Fight Night XIX.

16 of 16