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truly the greatest
Death of legendary boxer, iconic American Muhammad Ali
JUNE 4, 20164:17PM
'The Greatest': 1942 - 2016
news.com.au
LEGENDARY boxer Muhammad Ali has passed away after losing his battle with respiratory disease.
Ali was surrounded by his family in a Phoenix hospital.
He was 74 years old.
Family spokesman Bob Gunnell has released a statement announcing the death of the three-time heavyweight champion boxer.
“The Ali family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and support and asks for privacy at this time,” Gunnell said.
The funeral will take place in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
Ali was placed on a life-support machine earlier this week.
The Sun reported that four of the sporting legend’s nine children rushed to his bedside, with medics apparently telling them they feared he was “near the end.”
The boxing legend was rushed to hospital on Thursday after he suffered breathing problems, complicated by the Parkinson’s disease which he was diagnosed with in the 1980s.
According to a report from RadarOnline, the former boxing world champ’s vital organs were “terrible” and he was relying on medical help to continue breathing.
Earlier, Gunnell said Ali would only need to stay in hospital for a “brief” time.
“Ali, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, is being treated by his team of doctors and is in fair condition,” he said.
“A brief hospital stay is expected. At this time, the Muhammad Ali family respectfully requests privacy.”
The champ.Source:News Corp Australia
Ali was last seen in public in April at a Celebrity Fight Night charity event in Phoenix, Arizona, US.
He had been hospitalised several times in recent years and was too ill to visit London earlier this year after the opening of his ‘I am the Greatest’ exhibition at the O2 Arena in London.
The three-time heavyweight champ was taken to hospital in January last year after he was found in an “unresponsive state” by guests at his home.
He had looked increasingly weak in public appearances and wore sunglasses on April 9 and appeared uncomfortable at the annual Celebrity Fight Night dinner in Phoenix, which raises funds for treatment of Parkinson’s.
His previous formal public appearance before that was in October when he appeared at the ‘Sports Illustrated Tribute to Muhammad Ali’ at The Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, along with former opponents George Foreman and Larry Holmes.
Ali had suffered from Parkinson’s for three decades, famously trembling while lighting the Olympic torch in 1996 in Atlanta.
Doctors had frequently said the Parkinson’s likely was caused by the thousands of punches Ali took during a career in which he travelled the world for big fights.
Ali was crowned “Sportsman of the Century” by Sports Illustrated and “Sports Personality of the Century” by the BBC, after his iconic status helped him transcend boxing.
Ali had been living quietly with his fourth wife, Lonnie, who he married in 1986.
He retired from boxing in 1981 with a 56-5 record.
Ali’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s came about three years after he retired.
MUHAMMAD ALI TIMELINE
The greatest career boxing has seen.Source:News Corp Australia
January 17, 1942 - Born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky.
1960 - Wins Olympic gold medal in the light heavyweight division.
October 29, 1960 - Turns professional and beats Tunney Hunsaker in six rounds.
1964 - Beats Sonny Liston as a 22-year- old underdog to become the youngest ever
world heavyweight champion.
1964 - Converts to Nation of Islam and changes name to Muhammad Ali.
1967 - Publicly vilified and stripped of world title for opposing the Vietnam War
and refusing to be conscripted into the army.
1970 - Ali returns to the ring and beats Jerry Quarry in three rounds.
1971 - Loses bout dubbed the ‘fight of the century’ against Joe Frazier after being
knocked down in the 15th round.
1974 - Wins rematch against Frazier.
1974 - The ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ Beats George Foreman in the eighth round in a
fight no one expected him to win.
1975 - Takes on Joe Frazier a third time in the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ Ali won in 14 brutal
rounds.
1978 - Wins a rematch against Leon Spinks to become first heavyweight to win the
title three times.
1979 - Announces retirement from boxing but returns to fight Larry Holmes in 1980.
Begins experiencing vocal stutters and trembling hands.
December 21, 1981 - Ali fights for the last time, losing a 10-round decision against
Trevor Berbick. Finishes career with record of 56 wins (37 by knockout) and five
losses.
1984 - Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
1996 - Lights flame at Atlanta Olympic Games.
1998 - Designated as a UN Messenger of Peace, a role in which he will visit more than 100 during his tenure.
1999 - Named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Century.
2005 - Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his achievements throughout his life and “principled service to mankind”.
2012 - Is a titular bearer of the Olympic flag in London.
December 20, 2014 - Hospitalised for a few days with a mild case of pneumonia.
January 15, 2015 - Spends a day in hospital with a severe infection.
featured video
Thriller In Manila
MORE VIDEOS
The Thriller in Manila was the greatest fight of all time. It was the third and final confrontation between Joe Frazier and Mohammed Ali, two men who hated each other. It was a personal hatred born out of the explosive racial politics of 1970s America. Yet, eight years earlier, these two men had been friends.
Death of legendary boxer, iconic American Muhammad Ali
JUNE 4, 20164:17PM
'The Greatest': 1942 - 2016
news.com.au
LEGENDARY boxer Muhammad Ali has passed away after losing his battle with respiratory disease.
Ali was surrounded by his family in a Phoenix hospital.
He was 74 years old.
Family spokesman Bob Gunnell has released a statement announcing the death of the three-time heavyweight champion boxer.
“The Ali family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and support and asks for privacy at this time,” Gunnell said.
The funeral will take place in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
Ali was placed on a life-support machine earlier this week.
The Sun reported that four of the sporting legend’s nine children rushed to his bedside, with medics apparently telling them they feared he was “near the end.”
The boxing legend was rushed to hospital on Thursday after he suffered breathing problems, complicated by the Parkinson’s disease which he was diagnosed with in the 1980s.
According to a report from RadarOnline, the former boxing world champ’s vital organs were “terrible” and he was relying on medical help to continue breathing.
Earlier, Gunnell said Ali would only need to stay in hospital for a “brief” time.
“Ali, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, is being treated by his team of doctors and is in fair condition,” he said.
“A brief hospital stay is expected. At this time, the Muhammad Ali family respectfully requests privacy.”
The champ.Source:News Corp Australia
Ali was last seen in public in April at a Celebrity Fight Night charity event in Phoenix, Arizona, US.
He had been hospitalised several times in recent years and was too ill to visit London earlier this year after the opening of his ‘I am the Greatest’ exhibition at the O2 Arena in London.
The three-time heavyweight champ was taken to hospital in January last year after he was found in an “unresponsive state” by guests at his home.
He had looked increasingly weak in public appearances and wore sunglasses on April 9 and appeared uncomfortable at the annual Celebrity Fight Night dinner in Phoenix, which raises funds for treatment of Parkinson’s.
His previous formal public appearance before that was in October when he appeared at the ‘Sports Illustrated Tribute to Muhammad Ali’ at The Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, along with former opponents George Foreman and Larry Holmes.
Ali had suffered from Parkinson’s for three decades, famously trembling while lighting the Olympic torch in 1996 in Atlanta.
Doctors had frequently said the Parkinson’s likely was caused by the thousands of punches Ali took during a career in which he travelled the world for big fights.
Ali was crowned “Sportsman of the Century” by Sports Illustrated and “Sports Personality of the Century” by the BBC, after his iconic status helped him transcend boxing.
Ali had been living quietly with his fourth wife, Lonnie, who he married in 1986.
He retired from boxing in 1981 with a 56-5 record.
Ali’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s came about three years after he retired.
MUHAMMAD ALI TIMELINE
The greatest career boxing has seen.Source:News Corp Australia
January 17, 1942 - Born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky.
1960 - Wins Olympic gold medal in the light heavyweight division.
October 29, 1960 - Turns professional and beats Tunney Hunsaker in six rounds.
1964 - Beats Sonny Liston as a 22-year- old underdog to become the youngest ever
world heavyweight champion.
1964 - Converts to Nation of Islam and changes name to Muhammad Ali.
1967 - Publicly vilified and stripped of world title for opposing the Vietnam War
and refusing to be conscripted into the army.
1970 - Ali returns to the ring and beats Jerry Quarry in three rounds.
1971 - Loses bout dubbed the ‘fight of the century’ against Joe Frazier after being
knocked down in the 15th round.
1974 - Wins rematch against Frazier.
1974 - The ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ Beats George Foreman in the eighth round in a
fight no one expected him to win.
1975 - Takes on Joe Frazier a third time in the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ Ali won in 14 brutal
rounds.
1978 - Wins a rematch against Leon Spinks to become first heavyweight to win the
title three times.
1979 - Announces retirement from boxing but returns to fight Larry Holmes in 1980.
Begins experiencing vocal stutters and trembling hands.
December 21, 1981 - Ali fights for the last time, losing a 10-round decision against
Trevor Berbick. Finishes career with record of 56 wins (37 by knockout) and five
losses.
1984 - Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
1996 - Lights flame at Atlanta Olympic Games.
1998 - Designated as a UN Messenger of Peace, a role in which he will visit more than 100 during his tenure.
1999 - Named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Century.
2005 - Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his achievements throughout his life and “principled service to mankind”.
2012 - Is a titular bearer of the Olympic flag in London.
December 20, 2014 - Hospitalised for a few days with a mild case of pneumonia.
January 15, 2015 - Spends a day in hospital with a severe infection.
featured video
Thriller In Manila
MORE VIDEOS
The Thriller in Manila was the greatest fight of all time. It was the third and final confrontation between Joe Frazier and Mohammed Ali, two men who hated each other. It was a personal hatred born out of the explosive racial politics of 1970s America. Yet, eight years earlier, these two men had been friends.
