Boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies at 74 Video player from: Dailymotion (Privacy Policy) Muhammad Ali, widely hailed as the greatest heavyweight boxer in the sport’s history, died late Friday night after being hospitalized in Arizona Thursday with a respiratory issue. Ali, 74, had suffered from Parkinson’s disease since the 1980s. “After a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening,” family spokesperson Bob Gunnell said in a statement. Ali's prowess in the ring and his personality and social activism make him one of the most recognizable sports figures of the last century. He secured an Olympic gold medal in the 1960 Summer Games and became one of the youngest heavyweight champions of all time, stunning the boxing world with a knockout of Sonny Liston to claim the title in 1964 at 22. It marked the first of three times Ali would win the heavyweight title. please log in to view this image © Rex Features Boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies at 74 Shortly after the native of Louisville defeated Liston, Ali became a cog in both the civil rights and anti-war movement. Ali changed his name from Cassius Clay after he joined the Nation of Islam, and he was convicted of draft evasion in 1967 after he refused to fight in the Vietnam War because of religious beliefs. His opposition to the Vietnam War cost him the belt and led to a three-year ban from boxing. His conviction for dodging the Vietnam War draft was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1971. Ali returned to the ring in 1970 and suffered his first pro loss a year later in a title bout against Joe Frazier, who won via unanimous decision. It was the first of three memorable fights against Frazier – with Ali winning the last two. Ali reclaimed the heavyweight belt against George Foreman in one of the most storied events in sports history, "The Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974. Ali employed the "rope-a-dope," in which he allowed Foreman to tire himself out as Ali absorbed punch after punch, before he claimed the bout in Zaire -- now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- with a knockout. In 1978, a clearly overweight Ali lost his title to Leon Spinks but won it back in a rematch six months later, making him the first fighter to win the heavyweight title three times. Ali retired from boxing in 1981 with a 56-5 record, three of the losses coming in his final four fights. He had 37 knockouts. Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years after his retirement. Family members believed his years of boxing contributed to the disease. After his retirement, he concentrated on philanthropy and social activism. He was admitted for medical treatment several times in recent years, including to treat pneumonia in December 2014.
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies aged 74 32 minutes ago From the section US & Canada please log in to view this image Image copyright PA Image caption The former heavyweight champion was widely regarded as the greatest boxer of all time Muhammad Ali has died at the age of 74, a family spokesman has said. The former world heavyweight boxing champion, one of the world's best-known sportsmen, died at a hospital in the US city of Phoenix, Arizona, after being admitted on Thursday. He was suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson's disease. The funeral will take place in Ali's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, his family said in a statement. Ali dies: Live reaction Obituary: Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali in his own words Jump media player Media player help Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Ali shot to fame by winning light-heavyweight gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Nicknamed "The Greatest", the American beat Sonny Liston in 1964 to win his first world title and became the first boxer to capture a world heavyweight title on three separate occasions. He eventually retired in 1981, having won 56 of his 61 fights. Crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and "Sports Personality of the Century" by the BBC, Ali was noted for his pre- and post-fight talk and bold fight predictions just as much as his boxing skills inside the ring. But he was also a civil rights campaigner and poet who transcended the bounds of sport, race and nationality. Asked how he would like to be remembered, he once said: "As a man who never sold out his people. But if that's too much, then just a good boxer. I won't even mind if you don't mention how pretty I was." . Media captionAli speaks to the BBC before the Rumble in the Jungle Ali turned professional immediately after the Rome Olympics and rose through the heavyweight ranks, delighting crowds with his showboating, shuffling feet and lightning reflexes. British champion Henry Cooper came close to stopping Clay, as he was still known, when they met in a non-title bout in London in 1963. Cooper floored the American with a left hook, but Clay picked himself up off the canvas and won the fight in the next round when a severe cut around Cooper's left eye forced the Englishman to retire. Ali's boxing career please log in to view this image Image copyright AP Image caption Ali (r) knocked down George Foreman in the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" Won Olympic light-heavyweight gold in 1960 Turned professional that year and was world heavyweight champion from 1964 to 1967, 1974 to 1978 and 1978 to 1979 Had 61 professional bouts, winning 56 (37 knockouts, 19 decisions), and losing five (4 decisions, 1 retirement) In February the following year, Clay stunned the boxing world by winning his first world heavyweight title at the age of 22. He predicted he would beat Liston, who had never lost, but few believed he could do it. Yet, after six stunning rounds, Liston quit on his stool, unable to cope with his brash, young opponent. At the time of his first fight with Liston, Clay was already involved with the Nation of Islam, a religious movement whose stated goals were to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African Americans in the United States. But in contrast to the inclusive approach favoured by civil rights leaders like Dr Martin Luther King, the Nation of Islam called for separate black development and was treated by suspicion by the American public. Ali eventually converted to Islam, ditching what he perceived was his "slave name" and becoming Cassius X and then Muhammad Ali. Tributes to Ali please log in to view this image Image copyright Reuters "It's a sad day for life, man. I loved Muhammad Ali, he was my friend. Ali will never die. Like Martin Luther King his spirit will live on, he stood for the world.'' - Don King, who promoted many of Ali's fights, including the Rumble in the Jungle "Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest human beings I have ever met. No doubt he was one of the best people to have lived in this day and age." - George Foreman, Ali's friend and rival in the Rumble in the Jungle "There will never be another Muhammad Ali. The black community all around the world, black people all around the world, needed him. He was the voice for us. He's the voice for me to be where I'm at today." - Floyd Mayweather, world champion boxer across five divisions In 1967, Ali took the momentous decision of opposing the US war in Vietnam, a move that was widely criticised by his fellow Americans. He refused to be drafted into the US military and was subsequently stripped of his world title and boxing licence. He would not fight again for nearly four years. After his conviction for refusing the draft was overturned in 1971, Ali returned to the ring and fought in three of the most iconic contests in boxing history, helping restore his reputation with the public. He was handed his first professional defeat by Joe Frazier in the "Fight of the Century" in New York on 8 March 1971, only to regain his title with an eighth-round knockout of George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) on 30 October 1974. please log in to view this image Image copyright AP Image caption Muhammad Ali was crowned Sportman of the Century in 1999 Ali fought Frazier for a third and final time in the Philippines on 1 October 1975, coming out on top in the "Thrilla in Manila" when Frazier failed to emerge for the 15th and final round. Six defences of his title followed before Ali lost on points to Leon Spinks in February 1978, although he regained the world title by the end of the year, avenging his defeat at the hands of the 1976 Olympic light-heavyweight champion. Ali's career ended with one-sided defeats by Larry Holmes in 1980 and Trevor Berbick in 1981, many thinking he should have retired long before. He fought a total of 61 times as a professional, losing five times and winning 37 bouts by knockout. Soon after retiring, rumours began to circulate about the state of Ali's health. His speech had become slurred, he shuffled and he was often drowsy. Parkinson's Syndrome was eventually diagnosed but Ali continued to make public appearances, receiving warm welcomes wherever he travelled. He lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Games in Atlanta and carried the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony for the 2012 Games in London
this will shake up the world. The greatest sportsman of our times and a human being loved by all. Rest in Peace Ali
Devastatingly sad, but also inevitable as he had been so ill for so long. In an era when media celebrity is shoved down your throat every hour, he transcended the mediocre and stood out as a true legend, both in and out of the ring : RIP Ali, you were the greatest
He was before my time (I love When We Were Kings) but absolutely everyone knows his name and nobody seemed to have anything against him. Even through his illness he still had a grace, wit and charisma, a special something that did electrify you. An absolute legend. RIP
He was a hero. Unfortunately a lot of people did have an enormous amount against him for refusing to be drafted to Vietnam, converting to Islam and expressing support for black power. Boxers, especially black ones, we're not meant to be eloquent and charismatic, and have real opinions about anything other than boxing. Full of courage, in and out of the ring.
what a fantastic guy ,factomondo had 86 amatuer fights and fought for the brittish light heavyweight championship do he knew his boxing and he made him the greatest boxer of all time but from my side of the coin i know nothing about boxing but i found ali had so much comic tallent he really was funny GOD BLESS YOU ALI THANKS FOR BLESSING ALL OF OUR LIVES
Huge Legend. RIP. I see that for sports personally of the century, he got more votes than all.the other candidates put together! Fitting. Having said that and agreeing with the above, it's a pity Henry's left didn't finish the job!!
What a man! Not many put their principles & believes above their ambition. Ali did. RIP to the greatest.
I don't think I wrote a very clear obit. I never heard a word said against him in my life but obviously appreciate that he faced huge pressures to use his fame from within the Nation of Islam (which wasn't a universally liked group even amongst other Civil Rights Movement groups) and he ended up frustrated at the treatment he received because of his conscientious objection. Poorly written. Sorry.
What Cassius Clay seemed to do in the 1960's was to make boxing interesting to everyone. His charisma in and out of the ring, good humour, good looks, the way he danced around his plodding opponent, striking at will, was as much art as sport. He was at the height of his powers then. These were terrible days of apartheid in the US, so who can criticise him for his stance on refusing the Vietnam call up and move towards Islam? But it was a darker period, and in the ring, he started to take heavy hits and be known for his resilience. Clearly it took its toll and it was tragic to see this explosive life force be taken low with Parkinson's disease. RIP Cassius Clay and Muhammad Ali.
The passing of the greatest sportsman of all time,and one of the true legends of any time.A genius in the ring with dancing feet,an explosive mouth and tons of unbridled courage.Outside of the ring he was just as important,fighting tooth and nail with the establishment over far more important issues than normal sportsmen even comprehend.Purely on boxing,i personally rated Joe Louis as the greatest Heavyweight of all time,and Sugar Ray Robinson as the greatest pound for pound fighter of all time,but as a complete package Ali was undoubtedly the 'Greatest' ! RIP.
Amongst the lines and lines of memorable Ali quotes a couple really stand out for me: "Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn't choose it, and I didn't want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name, and I insist people use it when speaking to me and of me." "Man, I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong. No Viet Cong ever called me ******." "A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”
Probably the best sportsman I've ever seen (not live unfortunately) and a great political figure. I find it hard to forget the Nation of Islam stuff though - the way to fight racism is not more racism. His ban in 1967 cut off his career when it was just coming to its height. Here's the man approaching what would have been his prime - just awesome.....
