Muhammad Ali, the boxer called “The Greatest,” has died on Friday in a Phoenix, Arizona hospital after being admitted for respiratory complications. “After a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening,” Bob Gunnell, a family spokesperson, told NBC News.
Ali, whose given name is Cassius Clay, succumbed to the breathing difficulties he was struggling with; he died surrounded by family members. He had suffered for three decades from Parkinson’s Disease, a neurological condition hat deteriorated many aspects of his health. Prior to his death, doctors announced that he only had “a matter of hours.” His funeral will be held in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
Although Parkinson’s caused his health to suffer, he continued his path in life as not only a gifted athlete, but also as an eloquent, opinionated man. In December he released a statement criticizing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, saying, “We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda.”
During a fight with Sonny Liston in 1964, he proclaimed the phrase “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” After beating Liston, a feat few thought he would accomplish, Ali celebrated in the ring, repeating, “I am the greatest! I am the greatest! I am the king of the world.” Movies have been made about Ali and many of his fights have gone down in history as some of the greatest fights of all time. He successfully defended his title six times.
In 2009, barely able to speak, Ali wrote his personal philosophy to share with NPR: “I never thought of the possibility of failing— only of the fame and glory I was going to get when I won. I could see it. I could almost feel it. When I proclaimed that I was the ‘Greatest of All Time,’ I believed in myself. And I still do.”
