The most famous boxer of all times, Muhammad Ali, died on June 1, 2016 in Arizona. Ali, who had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease for 3 decades died of breathing issues, as a spokesperson for his family announced.
Muhammad Ali was actually the most talked about athlete in boxing history. He could “float like a butterfly” in the ring and suddenly “sting like a bee”, delivering quick, decisive punches to his opponent. The Ali Shuffle became great in most of his fights . Before and after fights he showcased his talents as a famous and entertaining orator.
Born in Louisville Kentucky on January 17, 1942 as Cassius Clay, he quickly got interested in boxing. As a youth he won 6 Kentucky State championships. At the age of 18 Clay won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
After the Olympics Clay turned professional and became world heavyweight champion after winning the title from Sonny Liston in 1964. In a series of fights he not only defended his title but won many of his battles through knockouts.
In 1965 he converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. In 1967 Ali was banned from professional boxing after he had refused to go to the military.
When Ali came back to the ring three years after he was not the same as he had been before. He was very slow in his movements and could not deliver punches as clearly as in his early career.
In 1971 Muhammad Ali ensured He regained his title from Joe Frazier, but lost the first fight in his professional career. After winning the rematch against Frazier Ali went on to fight world champion George Foreman in what was called the Rumble in the Jungle in Kinshasa, Zaire. Ali won by knockout in the 8th round and became world heavyweight champion once again.
Muhammad Ali maintained his title several times but in 1978 lost to Leon Spinks. After winning the second fight against Spinks he regained the title for a record third time. In 1981, Muhammad Ali resigned from boxing for good, winning 56 professional fights, 37 of them by knockout.
In the years that proceeded Ali started suffering from Parkinson’s disease. He was still a public figure who advocated for peace and did charity work around the world. In 1996, Ali lit the Olympic torch at the 1996 games in Atlanta.