Muhammed Ali, the boxing legend who told everyone he was the ‘greatest” as he set about proving it, has died at the age of 74.
But the three-time heavyweight champion of the world was much more than just a boxer. With his wit, eloquence and infectious bravado, he charmed the world and proved an inspiration to many; and, proving his courage was not just physical, he established himself as a signficant figure in the civil rights movement.
Conscientiously objecting to the Vietnam War made him unpopular at the time and earned him a three-and-a-half-year ban from his sport. Similarly, when he changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali after joining the Nation of Islam, he became America's highest profile Muslim in what was still a deeply Christian country.
Ali's death was confirmed by his family in a statement who said the family "would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and support" and asked for privacy,
He had battled Parkinson's disease for more than 30 years and was admitted to hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, with a respiratory condition earlier in the week.
The funeral will take place in Ali's home town of Louisville, Kentucky.
Ali, hailed as “The Greatest”, is survived by his fourth wife Lonnie - whom he married in 1986 - and multiple children, many of whom were reported to have flown to their father's bedside on Thursday and Friday.
Ali was admired by millions for his courage and bravery both inside and outside of the ring, which was reflected in the speed with which tributes began to stream in.
“A part of me slipped away, the greatest piece,” George Foreman, a former heavyweight boxer and one of Ali's most formidable opponents in the ring, said on Twitter.
Roy Jones Jr., a former champion boxer who grew up during Ali's prime, also said in a Tweet: “My heart is deeply saddened yet both appreciative and relieved that the greatest is now resting in the greatest place.”
Known as the Louisville Lip, he made a habit of standing up to authority. Away from boxing Ali spoke out against racism in the 1960s, as well as the Vietnam War. He would later go on to meet dozens of world leaders and become of the most recognisable faces on the planet.
Once asked about his preferred legacy, Ali said: “I would like to be remembered as a man who won the heavyweight title three times, who was humorous and who treated everyone right. As a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him ... who stood up for his beliefs ... who tried to unite all humankind through faith and love.
“And if all that's too much, then I guess I'd settle for being remembered only as a great boxer who became a leader and a champion of his people. And I wouldn't even mind if folks forgot how pretty I was.”
Ali has suffered from Parkinson's for three decades and trembled badly while lighting the Olympic torch in 1996 in Atlanta. At his last public appearances, he looked increasingly frail, including on 9 Apil when he wore sunglasses and was hunched over at the annual Celebrity Fight Night dinner in Phoenix, which raises funds for Parkinson's treatment.
Reuters contributed to this report
