R.I.P 'The Greatest' Muhammad Ali
When one mentions the name of Muhammad Ali, even outside the boxing fraternity, the tag "The Greatest" is immediately attached to him or the quote "Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee".
He is generally considered to be the greatest heavyweight boxer in the history of the pugilistic sport.
Among the numerous accolades he has picked up, was the title of Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Century" and BBC "Sports Personality of the Century".
Originally known as Cassius Clay, he captured the world heavyweight championship at the age of just 22 in 1964 with a massive upset victory over Sonny Liston.
As much as he was brilliant between the ropes, with his flash quotes and outspoken political views, so too he was a controversial figure out of it.
He joined the Nation of Islam in 1965 and changed his name to Muhammad Ali, later converting to Sunni Islam in the 70's. He claimed at the time he was "relinquishing his slave name".
Due to his religious beliefs and strong opposition to America's involvement in the Vietnam War, Ali was classified as an Enemy of the State in 1967, as he refused to be conscripted into the US Army and was stripped of all his boxing titles.
His moral and religious stand against war cost him four years of his boxing career before a US Supreme Court overturned his conviction and Ali became the face of a generation of conscientious objectors.
He was the only three-time world heavyweight champion in history, reclaiming the holy grail of boxing in 1974 and again in 1978.
Ali was involved in classic boxing showdowns that are today repeated over and over by television networks worldwide.
He is best remembered for his unorthodox boxing style which coined the catchphrase "Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee".
He also became famous for winning fights on the back foot and relying on his instinct and lightening hand speed, exceptional reflexes and slick movement which gave opponents a false sense of dominance and the controversial "Rope a Dope" counter-punching strategy was born.
Three battles with long-time rival Joe Frazier, including their final match-up, the famous "Thriller in Manila" in 1975, which by trainer Angelo Dundee's admission "sapped every last ounce of energy out of Ali."
He had also regained the titles he had been stripped of in the often talked about "Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire, in 1974 against George Foreman.He also became famous for winning fights on the back foot and relying on his instinct and lightening hand speed to give opponents a false sense of dominance and the controversial "Rope a Dope" strategy was born.
Three battles with long-time rival Joe Frazier, including their final match-up, the famous "Thriller in Manila" in 1975, which by trainer Angelo Dundee's admission "sapped every last ounce of energy out of Ali."
He had also regained the titles he had been stripped of in the often talked about "Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire, in 1974 against George Foreman.
He also became famous for winning fights on the back foot and relying on his instinct and lightening hand speed to give opponents a false sense of dominance and the controversial "Rope a Dope" strategy was born.
Ali was outspoken and brash and could deliver a telling quote at the drop of a hat with his silver tongue and had the boxing media and the public eating out of his hands.
His brash behaviour evoked the ire of boxing fans and in some cases, the boxing clique, as he fired a barrage of insults and belittled his opponents.
Despite ongoing pleas by the medical fraternity and friends, family and trainers to quit boxing, Ali fought his last fight on December 11th 1981 in the Bahamas against Trevor Berbick, losing a 10 round points decision.
But Ali had by no means fought his last fight. He was diagnosed with the neurological condition Parkinson's syndrome in 1984.
In 1996, he had the honour of lighting the flame at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and cut a sad figure when carrying out the honour again in London in 2012.
Even as his health declined, Ali did not shy from politics or controversy, releasing a statement via his wife in December criticizing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States.
After a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali passed away at the age of 74.
Ali was married four times and had seven daughters and two sons.
R.I.P The Greatest
