Muhammad Ali: A Tragic Hero
The heavyweight champion greatest-of-all-time Muhammad Ali died early Saturday morning at age 74 after he was reportedly hospitalized with respiratory problems earlier this week.
A spokesperson initially said Ali was expecting a “brief stay” when news broke he had been hospitalized in Phoenix Thursday, but reports began circulating late Friday night that his condition had become “grave.”
As a boxer, Ali won dozens of championships, three heavyweight titles and an Olympic gold medal. It was during his first heavyweight championship against Sonny Liston in 1964 that he declared himself “the greatest,” a nickname that outlasted his boxing career. His personality was as much a draw as his bouts and he remained a prominent voice for civil rights
A spokesperson initially said Ali was expecting a “brief stay” when news broke he had been hospitalized in Phoenix Thursday, but reports began circulating late Friday night that his condition had become “grave.”
As a boxer, Ali won dozens of championships, three heavyweight titles and an Olympic gold medal. It was during his first heavyweight championship against Sonny Liston in 1964 that he declared himself “the greatest,” a nickname that outlasted his boxing career. His personality was as much a draw as his bouts and he remained a prominent voice for civil rights