Boxing legend Mohammed Ali succumbs to respiratory illness and passes away aged 74

FORMER world heavyweight boxing champion Mohammed Ali has passed away at the age of 74 at a hospital in Phoenix Arizona last night after finally succumbing to a respiratory ailment that he has been suffering from for a while.

 

Ali, one of the most flambouyant sportsmen ever, was a former Olympic boxing gold medallist and was also a three time world boxing heavyweight champion. He proclaimed himself The Greatest, defied the US government over the Vietnam war and was highly revered for his charisma.

 

Yesterday, Ali died and a family spokesperson Bob Gunnell said his funeral will take place in his home town of Louisville, Kentucky. On Thursday, Ali was admitted to hospital with a respiratory problem, which was described at the time as a precaution but reports emerged 24 hours later that he had been placed on a life support machine and his family feared the worst.

 

Ali had become increasingly frail since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 1984, aged 42 and in recent years had made limited his public appearances. Earlier this month his brother Rahman revealed that the condition was so advanced he could barely speak or leave his house.

 

As a sportsman he will be remembered for many classic fights, in particular beating the fearsome Sonny Liston to become champion. He was also famous for the Fight of the Century and the Thrilla in Manilla against Joe Frazier and the Rumble in the Jungle in 1974 when at the age of 32, he surprised everyone bar himself by cutting down George Foreman in Kinshasa to regain back his title.

 

Paying tribute after his death, Foreman wrote: “Ali, Fraser and Foreman we were one guy. A part of me slipped away.

 

“Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest human beings I have ever met. No doubt he was one of the best people to have lived in this day and age.”

 

Another former world heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, added: “God came for his champion. So long great one.”

 

Tributes flooded in from the world of boxing, the wider sporting community and well beyond with former US president Bill Clinton describing him as courageous in the ring, inspiring to the young, compassionate to those in need and strong and good-humoured in bearing the burden of his own health challenges.  Having appalled white America by converting to the Nation of Islam and changing his name from Cassius Clay to Cassius X and then to Muhammad Ali, he later refused to be drafted into the army.