RIP Muhammad Ali (1942-2016): Goodbye, the greatest

Phoenix US He was fast of fist and foot mdash lip too mdash a heavyweight champion who promised to shock the world and did He floated He stung Mostly he thrilled even after the punches had taken their toll and his voice barely rose above a whisper He was The GreatestMuhammad Ali knocks out his challenger Sonny Liston during the World Heavyweight Championship bout at Lewiston USA on May 25th 1965 PicAPMuhammad Ali died on Friday at age 74 according to a statement from the family He was hospitalised in the Phoenix area with respiratory problems earlier this week and his children gathered around him With a wit as sharp as the punches he used to whup opponents Ali dominated sports for two decades before time and Parkinsons Syndrome triggered by thousands of blows to the head ravaged his magnificent body muted his majestic voice and ended his storied career in 1981Champ off the ring tooBorn Cassius Marcellus Clay on Jan 17 1942 in Louisville Kentucky Ali won and defended the heavyweight championship in epic fights in exotic locations spoke loudly on behalf of blacks and famously refused to be drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War because of his Muslim beliefs Despite his debilitating illness he traveled the world to rapturous receptions even after his oncebellowing voice was quieted and he was left to communicate with a wink or a weak smileRevered by millions worldwide and reviled by millions more Ali cut quite a figure 6 feet 3 and 210 pounds in his prime Float like a butterfly sting like a bee his cornermen exhorted and he did just that in a way no heavyweight had ever fought before He fought in three different decades finished with a record of 565 with 37 knockouts and was the first man to win heavyweight titles three timesHe whipped the fearsome Sonny Liston twice toppled the mighty George Foreman with the ropeadope in Zaire and nearly fought to the death with Joe Frazier in thePhilippines Through it all he was always trailed by a colorful entourage who merely added to his growing legend Rumble young man rumble cornerman Bundini Brown would yell to him And rumble Ali did He fought anyone who meant anything and made millions of dollars with his lightningquick jab His fights were so memorable that they had names Rumble in the Jungle and Thrilla in ManilaBut it was as much his antics mdash and his mouth mdash outside the ring that transformed the man born Cassius Clay into a household name as Muhammad Ali I am the greatest Ali thundered again and again Few would disagree He defied the draft at the height of the Vietnam warmdash I aint got no quarrel with them Viet Cong mdash and lost threeandhalf years from the prime of his career He entertained world leaders once telling Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos I saw your wife Youre not as dumb as you lookHe later embarked on a second career as a missionary for Islam Boxing was my field mission the first part of my life he said in 1990 adding with typical braggadocio I will be the greatest evangelist ever Ali couldnt fulfill that goal because Parkinsons robbed him of his speech It took such a toll on his body that the sight of him in his later years mdash trembling his face frozen the man who invented the Ali Shuffle now barely able to walk mdash shocked and saddened those who remembered him in his prime The quiet of Alis later life was in contrast to the roar of a career that had breathtaking highs as well as terrible lows He exploded with a series of nationally televised fights that gave the public an exciting new champion and he entertained millions as he sparred verbally with the likes of sportscaster Howard CosellAli once calculated he had taken 29000 punches to the head and made 57 million in his pro career but the effect of the punches lingered long after most of the money was gone That didnt stop him from traveling to promote Islam meet with world leaders and champion legislation dubbed the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act Despised by some for his outspoken beliefs and refusal to serve in the US Army in the 1960s an aging Ali became a poignant figure whose mere presence at a sporting event would draw longstanding ovationsWith his hands trembling uncontrollably that the world held its breath he lit the Olympic torch for the 1996 Atlanta Games After he beat Sonny Liston to win the heavyweight title in1964 Ali shocked the boxing world by announcing he was a member of the Black Muslims mdash the Nation of Islam mdash and was rejecting his slave name Alis affiliation with the Nation of Islam outraged and disturbed many white Americans56Number of fights Ali won out of his 61 bouts37Number of wins by knockout5Number of defeats Ali suffered in his 21year career31His winning streak before he was beaten for the first time by Joe Frazier in The Fight of the Century14Number of rounds Ali and Frazier went toetotoe in their third and final fight the Thrilla in Manila3Number of World Heavyweight title victories