“The Greatest” dies at 74

Dubbed “The Greatest”, boxing legend Muhammad Ali passed away last June 3 (June 4 in Manila) at a hospital in Phoenix, AZ. He was 74.

 

LEGENDS IN ONE PHOTO. The Beatles take a punch from then-heavyweight contender Cassius Clay, the man who would later be known as Muhammad Ali. Photo courtesy of Autore Sconosciuto via Wikimedia Commons.

 

In a report from NBC News, family spokesman Bob Gunnell said the boxing legend died because of septic shock “due to unspecified natural causes.” Ali has been battling Parkinson’s disease for 32 years prior to his passing.

Tributes came in waves over social media from all over the world, especially from the Philippines, who bore witness to Ali during the “Thrilla in Manila”, his third and final fight with Joe Frazier.

 

THE PHILIPPINE’S GREATEST PAYS tribute to the boxer they call the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time). (Screengrab from Manny Pacquiao’s Twitter account.)

 

Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. in Jan. 17, 1942. He won gold in the 1960 Summer Olympics as a light heavyweight and turned pro upon his return. Four years into his professional boxing career, he would stun the world by knocking out Sonny Liston in the seventh round of their World Heavyweight title fight. Ali finished his career in 1981 with 56 wins and 5 loses, 37 of which were knock-outs, and three World Heavyweight titles under his belt.

He was very vocal towards his opponents as well as the US government at a time when racial discrimination was at an all-time high. He was stripped of his world title and had his license boxing revoked in 1967, and was sentenced to five years in prison for refusing to be drafted into service for the Vietnam War.

One of his most popular fights was with Joe Fraiser in Oct. 1, 1975. Dubbed the “Thrilla in Manila”, the fight lasted for 14 rounds in the sweltering heat of the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

A year after his victory over Fraiser, a mall would be put up in his name: the Ali Mall. It stands today as the oldest mall in the Philippines. His fight with Fraiser also resonates throughout boxing history as one of the sport’s greatest fights.

His remains were taken back to his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, were memorial services will be held all week. His funeral is scheduled for Friday, June 10, with a public procession to be held prior to his burial.

 

Source: ESPN, CNN Philippines, Rappler, NBC News