Muhammad Ali – “The Greatest” – has died aged 74.
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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.
“And now he has gone home to God”. “He is the greatest of all time”.
“His spirit was solid as ever”, King said.
That policeman’s decision would lead to the discovery of a fighter who transcended the sport. Laila Ali said in a post to Facebook Friday. Thanks for all the love and well wishes. “I feel your love and appreciate it!!” Notable among these were the first Liston fight, three with rival Joe Frazier, and one with George Foreman, in which he regained titles he had been stripped of seven years earlier. (N)o (it was) his beauty that beat me. But he paid a bad price for the estimated 29,000 punches he took to his head during a career that made him perhaps the most recognized person on earth.
Mike Tyson, the youngest heavyweight champion in history, said, “God came for his champion”. So long great one.
In recent years, Ali has largely stayed out of the limelight.
Ali has looked increasingly frail in public appearances, including April 9 when he wore sunglasses and was hunched over at the annual Celebrity Fight Night dinner in Phoenix, which raises funds for treatment of Parkinson’s.
Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., he started boxing at 12 and made his professional debut at 18, establishing a 19-0 record.
Ali, who famously joined the Nation of Islam in 1964, asked for more understanding. He was sentenced to prison for draft-dodging, but the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction on appeal.
“He stood his ground on who he was”.
“To take it upon yourself and say, “I’m the greatest”, you put yourself in a position for people to take pot shots at you”. “He’d rather go to jail than break what he believed in”.
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.
INDIANAPOLIS – MAY 25: Boxing legend Muhammad Ali sits aboard a pace vehicle before the start of the IRL (Indy Racing League)IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 on May 25, 2003 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. “I may be 7’2″ but I never felt taller than when standing in his shadow”.
“It could be more than a couple of hours, but it’s not going to be much more”.
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The boxing legend was previously hospitalized for several days in December 2014 and January 2015 after suffering a severe urinary tract infection initially thought to be pneumonia.
