RIP Muhammd Ali - The Greatest

[jerrym]

The greatest has fought his last fight, as always, whether in the ring or in civil rights, giving his all.

​Muhammad Ali, the magnificent heavyweight champion whose fast fists and irrepressible personality transcended sports and captivated the world, has died. He was 74.
Ali suffered for years from Parkinson's disease, which ravaged his body but could never dim his larger-than-life presence. A towering figure in his prime, he still travelled and made appearances in his later years despite being muted by the thousands of hits he took during his remarkable career.
He was hospitalised in Phoenix with respiratory problems earlier this week, and his family gathered around him. He died Friday night, according to a statement from the family.
Ali was a giant of his time — a furious and loud fighter whose influence was felt far beyond the ring. He engaged in some of the world's most iconic fights even though his career was interrupted for more than three years when he refused to be drafted for military service during the Vietnam War.
He beat the invincible Sonny Liston, fought a string of thrilling fights with Joe Frazier and stopped George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire. But he paid a terrible 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.
"I am the greatest," Ali thundered again and again.
Few would disagree.
Despite his debilitating illness, he travelled the world to rapturous receptions even as the once-bellowing voice was reduced to a whisper and he was left to communicate with a wink or a weak smile.
Revered — and reviled — by millions, Ali cut quite a figure in his prime, indeed, complete with an entourage nearly as colourful as he was urging him to "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." He finished with a record of 56-5 with 37 knockouts and was the first man to win heavyweight titles three times.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/su...dead-1.3615614

[jerrym]

I always admired him the most for refusing to be conscripted into the American army "Because no Viet Cong had ever called me a N-----". He did this even though he knew that, like world champion Joe Louis in WWII, he would never be sent into battle, and even though it cost him three years and many millions at the pinnacle of his career and skills. Furthermore, even though he could no longer talk and was nearing the end of his life, he still spoke out against Trump's proposed ban of all Muslims from the United States. A fighter to the end.
Few athletes in any sport are willing to sacrifice money or career for the principles they believe in. Ali did it when he was the most famous athlete in the world.

In 1967, three years after winning the heavyweight title, Ali refused to be conscripted into the U.S. military, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War. He was eventually arrested and found guilty on draft evasion charges and stripped of his boxing title. He did not fight again for nearly four years—losing a time of peak performance in an athlete's career. Ali's appeal worked its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court where, in 1971, his conviction was overturned. Ali's actions as a conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger counterculture generation.^[8][9]
Ali remains the only three-time lineal world heavyweight champion; he won the title in 1964, 1974, and 1978. Between February 25, 1964 and September 19, 1964 Muhammad Ali reigned as the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion.
Nicknamed "The Greatest", Ali was involved in several historic boxing matches.^[10] 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.
At a time when most fighters let their managers do the talking, Ali, inspired by professional wrestler "Gorgeous" George Wagner, thrived in—and indeed craved—the spotlight, where he was often provocative and outlandish.^[11][12][13] He controlled most press conferences and interviews, and spoke freely about issues unrelated to boxing.^[14][15] Ali transformed the role and image of the African American athlete in America by his embrace of racial pride and his willingness to antagonize the white establishment in doing so.^[16][17][18] In the words of writer Joyce Carol Oates, he was one of the few athletes in any sport to "define the terms of his public reputation".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali

[Golden Fleece]

It was a great moment joining the crowd to cheer for him when he came to the Argos game a few years back. An athlete who transcended his sport.

[argonaut11xx]

I always admired him the most for refusing to be conscripted into the American army "Because no Viet Cong had ever called me a N-----". He did this even though he knew that, like world champion Joe Louis in WWII, he would never be sent into battle, and even though it cost him three years and many millions at the pinnacle of his career and skills. Furthermore, even though he could no longer talk and was nearing the end of his life, he still spoke out against Trump's proposed ban of all Muslims from the United States. A fighter to the end.
Few athletes in any sport are willing to sacrifice money or career for the principles they believe in. Ali did it when he was the most famous athlete in the world.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali

NEVER liked the his politics, especially his connection with the muslim botherhood, and louis farakan (horribly racist folks), was able to put all that aside an admire him as a boxer. One of the best ive ever seen in my life.
Used to love the big fights on network TV.

[Will]

I never saw him box, but the impact he had on the sporting world and beyond is undeniable. RIP Champ!

[jerrym]

Video of Ali signing autographs upon arrival in Toronto for Argo game in 2002. The excitement of fans is almost unbelievable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K12wcWjyTqk

[jerrym]

There was a rare mix of professional sports, music and charity Sunday at the Skydome stadium to honour a boxing legend and help fight a degenerative brain disease.
The Toronto Argonauts paid tribute to Muhammad Ali by inviting him to their football game to raise money for research into Parkinson's disease.
The former heavyweight champion of the world has suffered from the disease for years. He was diagnosed with it after he retired from boxing.
Before the game, the team promoted a telethon, with proceeds going to the Parkinson Society of Canada and Parkinson's research at the University of Toronto.
During half-time, Canadian singer Tom Cochrane, whose father suffers from Parkinson's, entertained the crowd. ...
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton sent a video message calling Ali a "true hero for the whole world."
A number of prominent athletes came out to share in the tribute. They included figure skater Elvis Stojko, Toronto hockey star Mats Sundin, and one of Ali's first challengers, Canadian George Chuvalo.
Ali is now 60 years old and hasn't fought in more than 20 years, but he's still one of the most popular sports figures around.
"We're here to see Ali," said one fan. "I got to watch him box when I was young and I wanted my kids to see him as well.
The Argos brought Ali to Toronto in part because the team is looking to attract more people to their games. So far, they've had everything from musicians to skateboarders.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/argos-...d-ali-1.321117

[argonaut11xx]

The 1973 fight vs Ken Norton was one of the first Ali fights i remember watching. Norton beat Ali, yet Ali fought the final rounds with a broken jaw.

One of the other cool things about this fight it was on TV, (ABC), and Ali wore a robe given to him by the KING himself, Elvis.

[Argo57]

The 1973 fight vs Ken Norton was one of the first Ali fights i remember watching. Norton beat Ali, yet Ali fought the final rounds with a broken jaw.

One of the other cool things about this fight it was on TV, (ABC), and Ali wore a robe given to him by the KING himself, Elvis.

ABC carried a lot of championship fights back in the day, Ali and his biggest cheerleader Howard Cosell were classic together.
Agree or disagree with his viewpoint you had to respect him for standing up for his beliefs.
Another cultural icon gone.

[jerrym]

I listened to Ali's fights against Sonny Liston on the radio and saw his Leon Spinks fights on TV as well.
However, the one I remember most vividly is one that is rarely mentioned today, his TKO in eleven rounds over Al Lewis in Ireland in 1972.
I arrived at my uncle's farm in County Kerry Ireland, where my mother was born, on the eve of the fight. My uncle promptly told me we were going to his son's (my cousin's) place to watch Ali, as he didn't have a TV. When we got there I realized that we were not going to watch the fight, but an interview with Ali that night (although it was available on the Internet a couple of years ago, it's now blocked on copyright grounds). Ali soon began criticizing Whites for racism and many of the other problems of the world. At first, the audience was silent, but soon there was slight applause that kept building until it was deafening. Ali ignored the applause until the interviewer began to close the show. Ali then turned to the audience and said that while he knew nothing about the history of Ireland, he could see that they had had problems for hundreds of years and that they were the first Whites that he had ever met who understood what it was to be Black.
The next night we watched the fight. On the following day, everyone I met asked me what I thought of Ali. I soon realized that no one was referring to the fight, but to the interview and that everyone said 'he was grand'.
On my cousin's farm (which he inherited when my uncle died), you can still see rubble from the farmhouses of those who did not survive the Irish Famine of the 1840s. My great-great-great-grandmother was one of the few survivors of an Irish famine village, Cill Rialaig. In his book Three Famines, (Ireland, India in 1944-45 and Ethiopia in the 1980s) Irish Australian writer Thomas Keneally documents that famines are not simply the result of crop failure, pestilence, or drought, but depend to a large extent on government action or inaction and social attitudes towards the under-privileged. Even in England in the 1960s where my mother lived, there were signs on rental accommodation saying "No dogs, no Irish" until this was outlawed.
It is not surprising that in this context the Irish would understand where Ali was coming from. I also believe that their response to him began to change his attitudes towards Whites and mellow him.
Ali's willingness to be outspoken on race and other issues is what has made him a hero throughout the Third World.

[argonaut11xx]

ABC carried a lot of championship fights back in the day, Ali and his biggest cheerleader Howard Cosell were classic together.
Agree or disagree with his viewpoint you had to respect him for standing up for his beliefs.
Another cultural icon gone.

Absolutely, Ali didnt just talk, he lived what he believed in, and for that i have always respected him.

Sadly these days most folks are far to rabid in their beliefs to listen to an opposing viewpoint, and respect another person(s) for having it.

[jerrym]

Rest in Peace to the greatest! Me being a kid from KY you were an inspiration! Thank you for the legacy you left! pic.twitter.com/8dbW7D0C37

— Bryan Hall (@BryanHall95) June 4, 2016

[Double Dare]

The greatest! Watched ALL the Clay/Ali fights (even when he was doing the "rope-a-dope" and the time Canadian, George Chuvalo stood up to him, but Ali got the decision : ( ).

[jerrym]

The greatest! Watched ALL the Clay/Ali fights (even when he was doing the "rope-a-dope" and the time Canadian, George Chuvalo stood up to him, but Ali got the decision : ( ).

Here's a video documentary on the fight.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...FC05&FORM=VIRE

[jerrym]

Ali and Chuvalo formed a friendship after the fight. The fight itself was in part a political event because he could not find a site for a fight in the US.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/video/al...214924016.html

[1argoholic]

Very lucky to be of an age to remember the likes of Ali and Bobby Orr. I still recall as a kid hearing the hype about upcoming Ali fights on my parents radio while listening to CFRB. The Rumble In The Jungle and The Thrilla In Manila.

Not sure about his political beliefs but the man was a showman.

[jerrym]

Ottawa Redblack's Damaso Munoz talks about how Ali influenced him.

When Damaso Munoz was a kid, his dad would pull the boxing VHS tapes off the shelf and slide them into the VCR. Every day.
Munoz says, “It was boxing, boxing, boxing and more boxing.”
He became a student of the sweet science, watching the tapes over and over, learning about Roberto Duran, Mike Tyson and others.
One fighter stood out, though. The tapes were loaded with fights from Muhammad Ali. The young Munoz came to appreciate the pizzazz, the charisma, the aura and the things that Ali stood for. So it hit Munoz hard when he got the news Saturday morning on Twitter that the boxing legend was dead at age 74.
The former Cassius Clay was an ambassador who broke down racial and religious barriers and, let’s face it, you’ve got to be good at what you to do be labelled The Greatest.
“Muhammad Ali was so courageous, he was outside of the box if I can say that,” said Munoz, a 29-year-old linebacker for the Redblacks. “He was one of those guys, one of those pioneers who had something to say and people gravitated toward him. He was a special type of guy. He definitely left a legacy.”
Munoz said there’s a parallel between football and boxing, one he has drawn on.
“The boxing mentality is you’re going to get knocked down,” Munoz said. “You may get knocked down, but it’s about how many times you get back up. Never quit. Never give up. Adversity’s going to come whether you like it or not. What are you going to do, get up or lay down? I love the ‘mano a mano’ type of competition. There are no excuses. Boxers are modern-day gladiators.”
Ali is a particular inspiration.
Said Munoz: “Me being a defensive player, it’s kind of like the rope a dope: You might fall, but you have to get back up. You might get hit once or twice, but you have to be able to move your head and think defensively.”
Said Redblacks coach Rick Campbell: “When you think of global sports stars, the Wayne Gretzkys, the Michael Jordans … (Ali’s) going to be one of those Top 10 athletes people know.”

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sport...493/story.html

[AngeloV]

It made me said to hear of this, and even sadder when I was watching some TV tributes, even though it wasn't a big surprise. Parkinson's is a terrible disease.

[jerrym]

At the memorial service today for Muhammed Ali, Imam Zaid Shakir said

"In a political climate in which Islamophobia is front and centre, his funeral will counterpunch the ridiculous notion that being a good Muslim and a good American are at odds", he said.
Imam Zaid Shakir led the service, which featured several speakers who delivered prayers and heartfelt remembrances of the man who many have said was the most recognized person on the planet.
Muhammad Ali, who long ago began crafting the plan for his final tribute, insisted the tickets for his memorial service be free.

http://hqcomoxvalley.com/2016/06/tho...-muhammad-ali/

[jerrym]

The ceremony was held a day before 15,000 people are expected to gather at an interfaith service for the three-time world heavyweight champion.
Former US President Bill Clinton, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and comedian Billy Crystal are expected to speak during Friday's memorial at a sports arena.
Actor Will Smith, who portrayed Ali in a 2001 film, and British former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis will be among pallbearers.

http://news.sky.com/story/1709506/mu...s-muhammad-ali