Muhammad Ali Dies: 'The Greatest' Boxer Dead at 74

[Tahuyaman]

You are a real wit. Nit type.

That was horrible.

[AZ Jim]

That was horrible.

It's late...

[waltky]

Fought his last fight with Parkinson's...

Muhammad Ali, boxing great and cultural symbol, dead at age 74
Sat Jun 4, 2016 - Former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, whose record-setting boxing career, unprecedented flair for showmanship, and controversial stands made him one of the best-known figures of the 20th century, died on Friday aged 74.

Ali's death was confirmed in a statement issued by family spokesman Bob Gunnell late Friday evening, a day after he was admitted to a Phoenix-area hospital with a respiratory ailment. The cause of death or the name of the hospital where he died were not immediately disclosed. Ali had long suffered from Parkinson's syndrome, which impaired his speech and made the once-graceful athlete almost a prisoner in his own body. Even so, Ali's youthful proclamation of himself as "the greatest" rang true until the end for the millions of people worldwide who admired him for his courage both inside and outside the ring. "A part of me slipped away, the greatest piece," George Foreman, a former heavyweight boxer and one of Ali's most formidable opponents in the ring, said on Twitter after the news of Ali's death.

Roy Jones Jr., a former champion boxer who grew up during Ali's prime, also said in a Tweet: "My heart is deeply saddened yet both appreciative and relieved that the greatest is now resting in the greatest place." Few could argue with his athletic prowess at his peak in the 1960s. With his dancing feet and quick fists, he could - as he put it - float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. He was the first person to win the heavyweight championship three times. But Ali became much more than a colorful and interesting athlete. He spoke boldly against racism in the '60s, as well as the Vietnam War. During and after his championship reign, Ali met scores of world leaders and for a time he was considered the most recognizable person on earth, known even in remote villages far from the United States.

Muhammad Ali poses with his boxing gloves.

Ali's diagnosis of Parkinson's came about three years after he retired from boxing in 1981. His influence extended far beyond boxing. He became the unofficial spokesman for millions of blacks and oppressed people around the world because of his refusal to compromise his opinions and stand up to white authorities. In a realm where athletes often battle inarticulateness as well as their opponents, Ali was known as the Louisville Lip and loved to talk, especially about himself. "Humble people, I've found, don't get very far," he once told a reporter. His taunts could be brutal. "Joe Frazier is so ugly that when he cries, the tears turn around and go down the back of his head," he once said. He also dubbed Frazier a 'gorilla' but later apologized and said it was all to promote the fight.

Once asked about his preferred legacy, Ali said: "I would like to be remembered as a man who won the heavyweight title three times, who was humorous and who treated everyone right. As a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him ... who stood up for his beliefs ... who tried to unite all humankind through faith and love. "And if all that's too much, then I guess I'd settle for being remembered only as a great boxer who became a leader and a champion of his people. And I wouldn't even mind if folks forgot how pretty I was." Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on Jan. 17, 1942, as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., a name shared with a 19th century slavery abolitionist. He changed his name after his conversion to Islam. Ali is survived by his wife, the former Lonnie Williams, who knew him when she was a child in Louisville, along with his nine children.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bo...-idUSKCN0YQ00M

See also:

Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali Dies at 74
June 04, 2016 | WASHINGTON — Born Cassius Clay, former world heavyweight champion died late Friday after a more than 30-year battle with Parkinson's disease; he was 74

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has passed away after a more than 30-year battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 74. The former world heavyweight boxing champion had been admitted to a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, and was fighting respiratory issues that were complicated by the Parkinson's disease. Doctors say the Parkinson's likely was caused by the thousands of punches Ali took during his career as a boxer. Ali, both beloved and controversial, so dominated professional boxing that Sports Illustrated magazine named him Sportsman of the 20th Century. Known for his boasting, passion and way with words, he famously said he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." The son of a Kentucky painter took up boxing after neighborhood bullies stole his bicycle. His trainer said the boy, then known as Cassius Clay, grew to mix raw talent with determination. In 1964, Clay shocked overwhelming favorite Sonny Liston to win his first world heavyweight title.

Fists and words

Washington Post newspaper sports columnist Mike Wise said the confident boxing great continued to dominate, fighting with both his fists and his words. "He was probably the first guy, the first athlete in America, to brag about something and back it up. Nobody boasted in those days," Wise said. After that fight, Clay, who had joined the nation of Islam, changed his name to one that is revered around the world -- Muhammad Ali. Three years later, he was vilified for refusing the U.S. Army draft based on his religious beliefs and his opposition to the Vietnam War. Ali was convicted of draft evasion and stripped of his title, keeping him out of the ring for three years until the Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 1970. Just months after returning to the ring, new heavyweight champ Smokin' Joe Frazier dealt Ali his first professional loss. But Ali later took his revenge against Frazier and won their second fight. Another classic bout for Ali was against George Foreman. Ali and Foreman took their 1974 championship fight to the former Zaire, in a remote part of central Africa.

'Rumble,' 'Thrilla'

It was a boxing match immortalized as the "Rumble in the Jungle." "I have wrestled with an alligator. I have tussled with a whale, handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail. Bad, ain't I?" Ali said. "Only last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. I'm so mean I make medicine sick. Bad, fast!" The Post's Wise said, "... And for him to employ what people still think today was one of the most amazing strategies -- act like you're tired, let the big guy punch himself out -- and then all of a sudden galvanize yourself and find a way to knock him out in the eighth round. That was still probably the most triumphant moment in boxing history." Ali then met Frazier in their third and final clash. It was late 1975 in the Philippines, dubbed "The Thrilla in Manila." Ali endured 14 brutal rounds before emerging victorious. The athlete retired from boxing in 1981 with a 56-5 record, including 37 knockouts.

Raised money for treatment

Ali's last public appearance was in April at the "Celebrity Fight Night" dinner in Phoenix, which raises funds for the treatment of Parkinson's. The boxer has kept a low profile recently, and has not spoken in public for years. Ali, who lived in Phoenix until his death late Friday, had been hospitalized several times in recent years, most recently in early 2015 after suffering from a severe urinary tract infection. The athlete lit the Olympic torch in Atlanta in 1996, despite trembling from Parkinson's disease. In 2005, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian honor. News of Ali's hospitalization brought concern from friends and admirers, including fellow boxer Sugar Ray Leonard. "Prayers & blessings to my idol, my friend, & without question, the Greatest of All Time!" Leonard tweeted. A funeral will be held in Ali's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Ali, married four times, had nine children. "Muhammad Ali was beloved. There was a heart component that I don't think anybody will ever touch," Wise said.

http://www.voanews.com/content/muham...r/3361547.html

[Common]

Ali boxed in an era of a long line of heavyweights, to name a few.

Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Sonny Liston, Gerrie Coetzee, Jimmy Ellis, George Chuvalo, Ernie Terrell, Jerry Quarry, Oscar Bonavena

Those are just the few. I remember, he was truly a boxing wonder.

RIP

[sachem]

Rest in peace.

[FindersKeepers]

Rest in peace, big guy. You earned it.

[FindersKeepers]

I wonder if got his 72 virgins.

You posted three derogatory posts in this thread.

Typically, "memorial" threads are places where posters can leave condolences and kind words about the life of the deceased. They are usually respectful and quietly observant.

If you didn't like the guy -- that's cool -- but out of respect for the person who started the OP, you could just "scroll over" and not post. Memorial threads are not really the place to start religious/political wars.

[Ethereal]

Condolences to the family.

Somehow I doubt they will notice your condolences.

[Ethereal]

The guy was a coward and refused to serve his country.

Only if you think being a slave to the US government's evil wars of aggression is a service to the country.

[Mac-7]

Only if you think being a slave to the US government's evil wars of aggression is a service to the country.

You seem to think any conflict involving America is a war of aggression.