FN: Muhammad Ali reportedly on life support - Now Deceased

[jobberone]

 

[Sarge]

The Greatest.

RIP.

 

[mrmojo]

RIP. Thanks for all the great moments and inspiration inside and outside the ring.

 

[mrmojo]

Ali and Staubach my greatest heroes.

 

[Shunpike]

Part of my childhood also died. RIP Champ

 

[Biggems]

His mama called him Cassius, I'm gonna call him Cassius.......

As a boxer, he grew racial tension with his stance against the draft and conversion to Islam......both because racist whites grew even angrier and oppressed blacks rose up to make their voices be heard. But, post-career, the divide that grew earlier, seemed to be patched up quite a bit.....has his work in the community and across the world brought people together. He basically had the same message as Jesus, Gandhi, and King Jr......he spoke of hard work, generosity, kindness, being true to yourself, raising your voice for your convictions, taking a stand, and pushing yourself past the point of exhaustion now so you can be successful in the future......

I was too young to see him box live, so I was never a big fan of him as a boxer. Also, with my Dad being a Vietnam War veteran, I kind of grew up resenting Ali for being a draft dodger. However, as I grew older, I have grown to understand his stance and his choice. I really don't blame him for not giving in to those fat, lazy Washington, D.C. politicians, who try to throw their weight around......while getting fatter off screwing over us regular citizens.

He was a very polarizing figure. He brought the world together, the way very few have ever been able to. His death will be mourned all over. It is a sad day in boxing, the US, the world of Islam (though I am a Christian), and in the Ali household.

Rest in Peace......Cassius

 

[RS12]

There are many reasons boxing has lost popularity over the years, but his retirement was a big one. When he fought it was like the Super Bowl, every thing just stopped and all attention was focused on that. I think the first fight versus Frazier might have been the most anticipated sporting event of all time for many reasons.

 

[JoeKing]

Great boxer, draft dodger, philanthropist... these are his deeds. Now God will sort it out.

 

[JJB500]

Was my idol growing up, was fortunate to meet and talk with him twice. Was an awesome guy and the most famous man in the world, but had time to talk with everyone. He got blow off by Sugar Ray Robinson as a young fighter and never forgot that, and he never let Sugar Ray either!!! He never wanted anyone to feel the way he did and would gladly spend his time chatting and signing autographs. Will never be another like him....RIP Muhammad.

 

[Doomsday101]

 

[KJJ]

Surprised there's only 2 pages of discussion on Ali apparently too much talk about politics and religion. I was a huge boxing fan during the 70s up until the mid 90s when I lost interest. I actually started following boxing before the Cowboys and football. Got all wrapped up in the hype leading up to the Ali/Fraizer first fight in March of 71. I attended a lot of fights during the late 70s, 80's and 90s. Fortunately I was able to attend one Ali fight vs Larry Holmes in 1980 but unfortunately Ali was a shell of his former self.

 

[KJJ]

There are many reasons boxing has lost popularity over the years, but his retirement was a big one. When he fought it was like the Super Bowl, every thing just stopped and all attention was focused on that. I think the first fight versus Frazier might have been the most anticipated sporting event of all time for many reasons.

The 70s and early 80's were the best years for boxing in my opinion. Ali got many turned onto boxing his fights were an event plus you had a lot of terrific fighters during that period with some great match ups. You had Ali, Joe Fraizer, Ken Norton, Jimmy Young, Larry Holmes, Earnie Shavers, Ron Lyle and Jerry Quarry just to name a few in the heavyweight ranks. In the lighter weight divisions you had Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler and several others. Pay per view hadn't reached the homes yet so they showed a lot of real good fights on free TV which drew more fans to boxing.

A fight had to be HUGE like the first Ali/Fraizer fight to be only available for pay on closed circuit. The first 2 Ali/Norton fights were on free TV. Even Ali's 2 battles with Leon Spinks were on free TV. George Forman's classic battle with Ron Lyle was on free TV as was the Forman/ Jimmy Young fight that sent Forman into a 10 year retirement. Once Ali and all those other fighters faded away along with Mike Tyson boxing started losing it's popularity. Most boxing fans got tired of having to pay for every good fight and most of the fights weren't very good.

 

[Doomsday101]

There will never be another like Muhammad Ali.

 

[gambit187]

This one really hurts. So many great memories of me being a kid in the 70's and watching ABC boxing sitting at my step fathers sit while he lounged in his easy chair. R.I.P The Greatest.

 

[gambit187]

I was 14. The fight was on radio.....just AM then. We drove over 30 miles until we found a spot reliable to hear. It was on the levy of a dam. Clay beat Liston badly just as he said he would. I still remember it vividly. It was the sound of history.

Thank you for sharing....

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Float like a Butterfly....

The guy was awesome!

Go to YouTube.... Watch him throw that short right hand. The power from throwing it from his chest. Just awesome!

I wonder if there is a way to do a timeline to see when things started to change.
I mean you can point to so many fights and massive blows he took.
Frazier, Norton, cooper, wepner (dirty bs fight) wasn't a knockdown either.

I did see him slowing down during tv show with him and wepner before their fight (but that was after foreman).

Frazier once said that he did that to Ali. Expressed pleasure about it too.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Thought this thread could use a tribute

 

[Doomsday101]

Ali and Howard what a pair they made.