Boxing’s ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali Dies At Age 74

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Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74 following a 30-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.

The former heavyweight champion was hospitalized for respiratory issues on Thursday, but family members close to the sports star told AP on Friday that his condition was more serious than previously thought.

Ali is survived by his wife Lonnie Williams and nine children, two sons, and seven daughters, from three of his four marriages.

The three-time world champion won his first heavyweight title in 1964 at the age of 22.

As one of the most famous boxing figures in the world, Ali’s incredible 21-year fighting career earned him the nickname “The Greatest.”

In 1984, at the age of 44, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome, a degenerative brain condition. His boxing career is believed to have played a significant role in bringing on the disease.

Alongside his successes in the ring, Ali became famous as a champion of the Black community, as well as for his motivational speeches and sharp wit. Some of his most well-known and quoted lines include “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” and “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life”.

Born Cassius Clay Jr., Ali changed his name when he converted to Islam in 1975.

Ali’s achievements in the ring made him an icon, but the fleet-footed boxer was known as much for his quick witted putdowns as the speed of his fists.

The boxer became notorious for his sharp one-liners, often predicting which round his opponent would fall in.

The Kentucky-born fighter also came up against one of the most powerful opponents of all in the late 1960s – “Big power America.”

When US legislators desperate to cast a wider recruitment net for the Vietnam War relaxed draft eligibility standards, it pulled Ali (still known as Clay) towards the frontline of a conflict he didn’t believe in.

Never one to waver in his beliefs, the then 25-year-old stood up and refused to be inducted into the army on religious grounds in 1967.

“My conscience won’t let me shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big power America,” Ali said at the time.

“And shoot them for what? They never called me n****r, they never lynched me, they didn’t put no dogs on me, they didn’t rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father… How can I shoot them poor people? Just take me to jail,” Ali said in an interview broadcast on television.

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2 thoughts on “Boxing’s ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali Dies At Age 74

  • June 4, 2016 at 5:33 pm
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    The Greatest Muhammed Ali was anti-imperialism and rejected American wars. About the Vietnam War he indicated that the purpose was just to kill innocent people for profits. He convinced Dr. King about the goals of American wars. Dr. King listened and took the advice seriously. Later Dr. King stated that the Vietnam War “has torn up the Geneva Accord” and benefited “the military-industrial complex.” He also said that the U.S. is “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world.” This is still the truth even under the African-American president. Basically, Ali’s impact has been significant, because more than a billion of people have realized the goals behind US imperialist wars. The greatest Ali shocked the world and America in particular when he converted to Islam and changed his slave name. Islam has become more popular because the late Ali. The Late Ali served humanity by helping people and was symbol for all disable people in Atlanta Olympic 1996. Even he brought several individuals from Iraq when he went to Saddam Husain and asked him to release those innocent people. The Greatest Ali was a man of principles and US imperialism hates a person of principles. The Greatest Muhammed Ali will be missed and may Allah put mercy on his sole.

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  • June 5, 2016 at 11:09 am
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    Mr. Adil Mouhammed – You appreciate Ali looking from one angle talk high about him from that point of view and talking high about your religion.But have you ever heard Ali talking about killing innocent people by ISIS in Syria and Iraq and many Muslim States? You too applying icing on the cake with only one vision. All terrific ideas of you people that they are killing innocents in the name of Great Allah to to have 100 or thousands of Virgins in heaven. Perhaps if your belief is that Ali also must be enjoying that comfort in heaven right now. If Allah is blessing all the murderers of innocent people including women and small kids, God Bless you all!

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