Q. Which fight do you consider your greatest ever?
A. [George] Foreman in Zaire. It was predicted that he was going to kill me in the ring. They said I didn’t have a chance. I proved them wrong and regained my title.
Q. Do you still feel you were the greatest fighter of all time?
A. Yeah. I know I am!
Q. Over the history of the annual Celebrity Chair Auction in Chicago, you have helped generate more than $75,000 with signed auction items benefiting Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, the Illinois Arts Alliance Foundation and many other organizations. What charitable projects are you most involved in at this time?
A. I’m involved with the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville and the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Research Center in Phoenix. I’m also supportive of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Q. Does it surprise you that you remain perhaps the most recognizable figure on Earth?
A. No.
Q. Do you still enjoy performing magic tricks?
A. I enjoy showing people how easily they can be deceived. I always show people how to do them. My favorites are the disappearing scarf and levitating.
Q. When you refused military induction in 1967, you gained worldwide attention because you said you were standing up for your religious convictions as a Muslim. Did you think at the time that it would cause such an international stir?
A. No, I was doing what I believed. I wasn’t trying to cause anything.
Q. Which boxers today do you admire the most?
A. I don’t follow boxing anymore. Sugar Ray Robinson was my favorite.
Q. What do you think of Mike Tyson?
A. He was a good fighter, but he was not great.
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