10 astonishing facts about Muhammad Ali you probably didn’t know

Before becoming known as Muhammad Ali, he changed his name to Cassius X
The morning after he defeated Liston, the new heavyweight champion confirmed the ongoing speculations that he had become a member of the Nation of Islam. Having Malcolm X on his side, the champion revealed he had renounced his surname, which he always used to refer his “slave name,” and would be known as “Cassius X” until Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad gave him a holy name. That name, Muhammad Ali, was actually bestowed on March 6, 1964.