Muhammad Ali, perhaps the greatest heavyweight boxer the world has ever known and a cultural icon, died Friday, June 3, in Phoenix. He was 74.
He died from respiratory complications, reports NBC News. He suffered from Parkinson’s disease. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome (a similar condition often caused by trauma to the head) in 1984, but was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease proper when his conditions persisted.
Born Cassius Clay in 1942, Ali won his first 31 fights before suffering a loss and was named the world heavyweight champion by the World Boxing Association three different times, in 1964, 1974, and 1978. He was an Olympic gold medalist and a quick-footed dancer in the ring, lithe and smart and ready with trash talk to throw off his opponents.
But he was also a global celebrity who wasn’t afraid to speak his mind at a time when black men who spoke their minds often paid dearly. His gleeful boasting about his abilities made him tremendously fun to watch on camera. But his unapologetic, outspoken politics made him a figure of tremendous significance.
In particular, Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War caused him to be suspended from boxing for almost four years, at the prime of his physical prowess.
Here are some of his famous quotes!
“When will they ever have another fighter who writes poems, predicts rounds, beats everybody, makes people laugh, makes people cry, and is as tall and extra pretty as me? In the history of the world and from the beginning of time, there’s never been another fighter like me. Eat your words! Eat your words! I am the greatest.”
“Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn’t choose it, and I didn’t want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name – it means beloved of God – and I insist people use it when speaking to me and of me.'”
“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.”
