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Sting like a bee Image Credit: Reuters

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed hails Ali as symbol of courage

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces has said in a tweet that Mohamed Ali was a model of forgiveness humanity and a symbol of courage 

 

 

 

President Obama hails Ali's civil rights work

US President Barack Obama, who said he keeps a pair of Ali's boxing gloves and a photo in his private study, hailed the late boxer for his civil rights work.

"His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing. It would earn him enemies on the left and the right, make him reviled, and nearly send him to jail. But Ali stood his ground. And his victory helped us get used to the America we recognize today."

He was, Obama said, "not just as skilled a poet on the mic as he was a fighter in the ring, but a man who fought for what was right. A man who fought for us."

India's celebrities pay their respects

Popular celebrities from Bollywood, the small screen and the music fraternity like Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan, A.R. Rahman, Rishi Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar have mourned the death of legendary former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali by calling him "legendary" and the "greatest" person.

Ali, who was hospitalised for a respiratory problem on Thursday, died on Friday at the age of 74.

One of the greatest boxers in the history of the sport, Ali retired in 1981 and soon found signs of sluggishness and neurological damage. He thereafter received treatment for Parkinson's disease.

Ali, known as Cassius Clay before he converted to Islam, started training for boxing at the age of 12.

He won the World heavyweight championship at the age of 22 in 1964. He won the title again in 1974 and 1978.

While Lata Mangeshkar got nostalgic and shared an old photograph of herself with Ali, Amitabh Bachchan revealed that late filmmaker Prakash Mehra once wished to make a film in which he wanted to showcase Ali and the "Piku" star.

Apart from them, many other celebrities took to various platforms to pay tribute to Ali.

Here is what the stars have to say:

Lata Mangeshkar: A legend no more - Muhammed Ali...Had the privilege of meeting him on a flight to London with my niece, Rachana. She is a big fan and insisted on this picture.

Anil Kapoor: His personality was as exemplary as his sportsmanship...his spirit will always dare us to dream bigger and soar higher! RIP Muhammad Ali.

Farhan Akhtar: Muhammad Ali Never before-Never again. RIP Champ.

John Abraham: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" sad sad sad day Muhammad Ali.

Ayushmann Khurrana: "I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark." - RIP Muhammad Ali.

Abhishek Bachchan: Crushed! Muhammad Ali was the first sportsman I was told about by Amitabh Bachchan. He was inspirational and an idol.

Mahesh Bhatt: It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that will wear you out; it's the pebble in the shoe. Muhammad Ali.

Shahid Kapoor: RIP Ali. You taught us to fight in the face of adversity. Legend.

Sonu Nigam: A life lead with greatness... Good bye Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., aka Mohammed Ali.

Sharad Malhotraa: I am shocked to know of his sudden demise. He was a living legend. We have grown up hearing his success story.

Shashank Vyas: He was a living legend. Not everyone can make it as big as he made. He was an institution in himself and his life story is quite inspiring on never giving up.

Ravi Dubey: We all have heard about him. His sudden death is like a shock. He will be forever remembered as he has left mark on all generations. 

Nelson Mandela called Muhammad Ali his 'hero'

The head of the Nelson Mandela Foundation says the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former South African president called Muhammad Ali his boxing hero.

"Madiba had great respect for his legacy and spoke with admiration of Ali's achievements," Sello Hatang, the foundation's CEO, said in a statement Saturday.

A photograph of Ali and Mandela together sat next to the former president's desk at his foundation, the statement said, and Mandela's favorite book at the office in his later years was an autographed copy of the Ali biography "Greatest of All Time."

The statement included a comment Mandela made at an event in Washington in 1990: "There is one regret I have had throughout my life: that I never became the boxing heavyweight champion of the world."

Ali’s life story was tailor-made for the movies

Muhammad Ali would almost seem unbelievable if he was created as a work of fiction for a movie script.

He was brash, bold, the best in the world – just ask him – and might have won an Oscar instead of heavyweight gold had he taken his A-list talents to Hollywood instead of the boxing ring.

Read the full article here.

Famous quotes

“I’m the best. I just haven’t played yet” — Muhammed Ali talking about golf.

More of Muhammad Ali's most memorable quotes.

Gulf News editorial 

The uplifting exuberance of Muhammad Ali will endure long after his passing, ensuring that the lasting political achievements of one of 20th Century’s greatest sports superstars will remain a vital part of the history of the turbulence that changed the world in the 1960s and 1970s.

Read the full article here.

Boxer Oscar De  La  Hoya reaction

Filipinos pay tribute

Filipinos in this boxing-crazy nation are grieving the passing of Muhammad Ali, which brought fond memories of the 1975 epic “Thrilla in Manila” fight between Ali and Joe Frazier. Sports commentator Ronnie Nathanielsz, who was assigned by then-dictator Ferdinand Marcos to act as government liaison to Ali for the bout, said Saturday: “We lost a hero, a peacemaker and a truly charismatic human being.”

Roel Velasco, who won the bronze medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, thanked Ali for helping inspire him to become a boxer, saying “it’s sad to see one of the world’s greatest boxers go.”

Life in focus

1981: Pleas to stay retired didn't stop Ali from fighting Trevor Berbick. Ali lost a 10-round decision in his final fight on Dec. 11. Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome in 1984.

Lennox Lewis reaction

Ali's goading poem ahead of their 1964 clash

Part of a poem before his upset title victory over Sonny Liston February 25, 1964.

"Now Clay swings with a right, what a beautiful swing.

And the punch raises the Bear clear out of the ring.

Liston is still rising, and the ref wears a frown.

For he can't start counting 'til Sonny comes down.

Now Liston disappears from view.

The crowd is getting frantic,

But our radar stations have picked him up. He's somewhere over the Atlantic.

Who would have thought when they came to the fight

That they'd witness the launching of a human satellite.

Yes, the crowd did not dream when they lay down their money

That they would see a total eclipse of the Sonny.

I am the greatest."

Life in focus

1980: Instead of staying retired, the 38-year-old Ali fought WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, Ali's former sparring partner. Ali was dominated during the Oct. 2, bout in Las Vegas. Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee, stopped the fight before the 11th round. It was Ali's only loss by a knockout.

Boxing promoter Don King reaction

"Without question his legacy is one that he defied the odds because he stood up for what he believed in and when he was put to the test he took personal harm rather than go against his beliefs and what he stood for." 

- Don King, promoter of "Rumble in the Jungle" and "Thrilla in Manilla."

Famous quotes

“If you dream of beating me, you’d better wake up and apologise.”

More of Muhammad Ali's most memorable quotes.

Amitabh Bachchan had hoped for a film

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has mourned the death of legendary former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali by calling him the "greatest ever". He said that late filmmaker Prakash Mehra wished to make a film with them.

Ali, who was hospitalised for a respiratory problem on June 2, passed away at the age of 74 on Friday.

"Muhammad Ali the greatest ever! A gentleman and learned mind! He not just fought in the ring but outside it as well! And won," Amitabh posted on Twitter on Saturday.

The "Piku" star later posted a black-and-white photograph of himself with Ali.

"With the 'greatest' Muhammed Ali at his home in Los Angeles. Prakash Mehra had wished to make film with him and me," he wrote alongside the image.

One of the greatest boxers in history, Ali retired in 1981 and soon found signs of sluggishness and neurological damage. He thereafter received treatment for Parkinson's disease.

Ali, known as Cassius Clay before he converted to Islam, began boxing training at the age of 12 years.

He won the World heavyweight championship at the age of 22 in 1964. He won the title again in 1974 and 1978.

Life in focus

1978: An unprepared Ali lost his title by a split decision in February to Leon Spinks, who entered the ring with just seven professional fights. Ali won the rematch in September, becoming the first heavyweight champion to win the belt three times.

Memorial service in Louisville

A memorial service is scheduled for 10am (UTC) in Louisville, Kentucky, Ali's hometown.

Clinton reaction

Reaction came in from around the world of sports, entertainment and politics. President Bill Clinton who awarded Ali the Presidential Citizens Medal, mourned the death of the three-time heavyweight champion.

"Hillary and I are saddened by the passing of Muhammad Ali," Clinton said in a statement. "From the day he claimed the Olympic gold medal in 1960, boxing fans across the world knew they were seeing a blend of beauty and grace, speed and strength that may never be matched again."

British boxing legend Frank Bruno reacts

Famous quotes

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion’.”

More of Muhammad Ali's most memorable quotes.

Life in focus

1975: Ali beat Frazier by decision in a non-title bout in 1974. After Ali regained his title he fought Frazier for the final time on Oct. 1. Called the "Thrilla in Manila," Ali won by a technical knockout after Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, refused to let Frazier answer the bell for the 15th round. After the fight, Ali said it "was the closest thing to dying that I know."

Amir Khan: What he believed in, he did

British boxer Amir Khan has paid tribute to Ali in a video message from his family's native Rawalpindi in Pakistan.

"Muhammad Ali was my hero. I'm so happy that I got to meet the guy," said Khan, who admired every aspect of Ali's game: his unique skillset, his confidence and his faith.

"He was one of the only fighters who predicted what round he was going to win and then knock his opponent out in that round. That's something you hardly ever see."

"He used to beat opponents with his mouth before he ever got into the boxing ring. He would win the fight before the fight even happened."

Khan, a British-born Muslim, said Ali showed courage for converting to Islam in 1960s America. "What he believed in, he did."

Boxing legend Julio César Chávez reacts

Life in focus

1974: Dubbed "The Rumble in the Jungle," Ali took on the intimidating and hard-punching champion George Foreman for the heavyweight title in Kinshasa, Zaire, on Oct. 30. Ali was 32, didn't have the same speed or reflexes as in his '20s. But his "Rope-A-Dope" strategy tired out Foreman and Ali regained the title with an eight-round knockout.

David Cameron reacts

Ireland's president describes Ali as a man of "wit, grace and beauty"

Irish President Michael D. Higgins says the people of Ireland have awoken to news of Ali's passing "with the greatest sadness."

Ireland's ceremonial head of state called Ali a man of "wit, grace and beauty" who "brought his message of freedom and respect for people of all races to all the continents of the world."

Referring to Ali's long fight against Parkinson's disease, Higgins said the boxer inspired untold millions by displaying "courage in the face of great difficulties. He was intent on communicating right to the very end."

Ireland, a nation that long has punched above its weight in the ring, has harboured a love for Ali since his July 1972 fight in Dublin's Croke Park stadium against Al "Blue" Lewis. The western town of Ennis in 2009 named him its first-ever "freeman," an honour Ali accepted in person - nearly 150 years after Ali's great-great-grandfather Abe O'Grady emigrated from Ennis to America.

Life in focus

1973: Ali was handed the second loss of his career to little-known Ken Norton, who broke Ali's jaw during their March fight. Ali narrowly won the rematch, by decision, against Norton in September.

Famous quotes

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them, a desire, a dream, a vision.”

More of Muhammad Ali's most memorable quotes.

Donald Trump reacts

Life in focus

1971: On March 8, in what was billed as the "Fight of the Century," undefeated heavyweight champions Ali and Joe Frazier fought at Madison Square Garden. Before the fight Ali called Frazier a "dumb tool of the white establishment." Ali was knocked down by Frazier's vicious left hook in the 15th round, as Ali lost his first fight in a unanimous decision.

The life and times of Muhammad Ali

"Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky, Muhammad Ali is one of sport’s true icons.

Named after his father Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. who in turn was named after the 19th Century abolitionist, Clay was a direct descendent of pre-Civil War slavery. His rise to global stardom coincided with the African-American Civil Rights Movement and became a symbol of inspiration and achievement for America’s black community.

Ali was 12 years old when he first donned a pair of boxing gloves, and it would start a 10-year journey that would lead him to his first title."

Read the full article here.

Famous quotes

“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything.”

More of Muhammad Ali's most memorable quotes.

Framed: Ali in pictures during his visit to the UAE

Life in focus

1967-70: Ali didn't fight from March 1967 until October 1970, his prime boxing years taken away. In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Ali's conviction for evading the draft in an 8-0 ruling.

Historic Liston fight gave birth to Ali legend

Cassius Clay had just beaten world champion Sonny Liston when he turned his wrath on the ringside reporters who had written him off as an underdog, shouting: “Eat your words!”

Liston, nagged by a shoulder injury, threw in the towel before the seventh round at Miami’s Convention Hall, surrendering his heavyweight championship belt to the loose-lipped 22-year-old on February 25, 1964.

Clay embraced Islam soon, thereafter, and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Decades later, the legend of Ali still commanded the sports world.

Read the full article here.

Fighting talk

Never one to shy away from camera, here are some classic Muhammed Ali on-camera moments.

Life in focus

1967: Ali was criticised again for his antics against Ernie Terrell in a February title fight. Between punches, Ali taunted Terrell, saying, "What's my name, Uncle Tom? What's my name?" Ali, who won a lopsided 15-round decision, was upset that before the fight Terrell called him Clay, instead of Ali.

Ali was stripped of his boxing title in 1967 for his opposition to the Vietnam War. He was drafted but refused to enter the armed services, saying, "I ain't got no quarrel with the Vietcong. No Vietcong ever called me n*****."

A poet as well as a boxer

Muhammad Ali enlivened many of his news conference and training sessions with poems. They caused many people to laugh, some to cringe.

Ali could be Robert Frost in a robe" Maya Angelou with a championship belt, though his sometimes simplistic stanzas sometimes leaned more toward something out of a Dr. Seuss book. He was a true beat poet - as in, he loved having a rhyme to have a reason to thump his latest rival.

These helped make Ali one of the poet laureates of boxing.

"Everyone knew when I stepped in town,

I was the greatest fighter around.

A lot of people called me a clown,

But I am the one who called the round.

The people came to see a great fight,

But all I did was put out the light.

Never put your money against Cassius Clay,

For you will never have a lucky day."

- In 1962, when Ali was still Cassius Clay.

 

Lionel Richie reaction

Life in focus

1965: In the Ali-Liston rematch in May, Ali won a controversial fight with a first-round knockout in what was deemed a "phantom punch."

Later that year Ali fought Floyd Patterson, a former heavyweight champion. Ali believed Patterson had made disparaging remarks about his religion, and many felt Ali intentionally prolonged the lopsided fight before stopping Patterson with a 12-round technical knockout. Ali had called Patterson a "white man's champion."

Famous quotes

“Live everyday as if it were your last because someday you’re going to be right.”

More of Muhammad Ali's most memorable quotes.

Tribute from Congo's president

Congo was the venue for the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" when Muhammad Ali famaously beat George Foreman.

"This is someone who built a bridge between African-Americans and Africans," President Mende said. "He will always have an important place in the hearts of the Congolese."

Read the full tribute here.

Ricky Hatton reacts

Life in focus

1964: Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, stunned the boxing world in February by upsetting seemingly invincible champion Sonny Liston. At 22, Clay was the youngest boxer to take a title from a reigning heavyweight champion.

Shortly after, he announced that he had joined the Nation of Islam and had changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Ali famously said "Cassius Clay is my slave name."

‘Preserving Muhammad Ali’s legacy is key’

Lonnie Ali, widow to the late boxing legend, spoke to Gulf News' Euan Reedie exclusively in 2014 about preserving his legacy.

“Preserving his legacy is key to the Centre’s mission, but that mission also includes everything that goes along with his legacy. Muhammad is an exceptional human being, who instinctively became a role model, an inspiration and a catalyst for individual self-transformation."

Read the full interview here.

Famous quotes

“Hating people because of their colour is wrong. And it doesn’t matter which colour does the hating. It’s just plain wrong.”

More of Muhammad Ali's most memorable quotes.

Reaction from the Philippines: Pacquiao and President Aquino

Manila: Manny Pacquiao, one of the greatest boxers of his generation, led Philippine tributes to Muhammad Ali on Saturday, as he joined his fellow countrymen in mourning the American legend's death.

"We lost a giant today," Pacquiao, the only man in boxing history to win world titles in eight different weight divisions, said in a statement.

"Boxing benefited from Muhammad Ali's talents but not nearly as much as mankind benefited from his humanity. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Ali family," Pacquiao added.

The boxing-crazy Asian nation was the scene of one of Ali's greatest triumphs, the epic "Thrilla in Manila" on October 1, 1975, when he scored a 14th round technical knockout of Joe Frazier in their third and last fight.

A Manila shopping mall, built near the coliseum that hosted the bout, unfurled a large poster of Ali on Saturday in tribute.

Hours before the family announced Ali's death, Pacquiao, who won a seat in the country's Senate in last month's elections, posted Ali's picture in his Instagram account and urged fans to "keep Muhammad Ali in your thoughts and prayers".

President Benigno Aquino's spokesman Herminio Coloma told AFP: "Muhammad Ali is a legendary athlete who touched the lives of people from all over the world, including Filipinos who witnessed the 'Thrilla in Manila'."

"We mourn the passing of 'the greatest' who floated like a butterfly but stung like a bee," Philippine Olympic Committee spokesman Joey Romasanta - who keeps a poster of the "Thrilla in Manila" fight in his office - told AFP in a statement.

"He was an icon and an idol to several generations," said Ed Picson, the executive director of the Philippines' amateur boxing federation, who cheered for Ali more than 40 years ago at the Manila bout.

"As a boxer he dazzled, mesmerised and inspired awe. There will never be anyone like him. He was, is and will always be the greatest," Picson told AFP.

Mike Tyson reaction

Famous quotes

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”

More of Muhammad Ali's most memorable quotes.

Ali fights in Dubai

Muhammad Ali fighting exhibition boxing match with Reiner Hartman at Al Nasr Stadium in Dubai on March 3, 1982. Photo credit: Gulf News

Evans: Ali was truly the greatest

Los Angeles: Janet Evans, the athlete who passed the Olympic torch to Muhammad Ali in the 1996 Atlanta Games, has mourned the death of the legendary boxer.

"Muhammad Ali was truly the greatest - an athlete who transcended sports to become a global icon," four-time Olympic swimming gold medallist Evans was quoted as saying by Xinhua on Friday.

"He inspired me, and millions of others around the world, to be the best version of ourselves. Passing the Olympic torch to Muhammad to light the cauldron at the Atlanta Games in 1996 was the defining moment of my career, and a memory I will treasure forever, as much as any of the medals I won."

The 74-year-old sports icon, who had battled Parkinson's disease for decades, died Friday in a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.

"As Olympians, our role is to inspire others to achieve their dreams, and no person has ever lived that role more than Muhammad Ali," said Evans, vice chair of the Los Angeles 2024 Olympic bid.

"On behalf of all of us at LA 2024, we offer our deepest condolences to Muhammad's family and friends. He will be sorely missed, but his legacy will forever endure."

Foreman: Muhammad Ali is the greatest man I’ve ever met

George Foreman spoke exclusively to Gulf News in 2014, where he expressed his 'love' for Ali.

“I was able to walk away from boxing and, after a few years, you look for good memories and exciting times in your life,” Foreman, who has become a successful entrepreneur with a grill that has sold more than 100 million units, told Gulf News. “I’d become a minister and I had nothing but memories. The first time I remember meeting Muhammad Ali, my heart was beating fast. And he came up as if he knew me and said: ‘Hey George’. It made me so happy. I’d not met anyone else in my life who was that exciting.”

Read the full interview here.

Famous quotes

“I’ve wrestled with alligators. I’ve tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning and throw thunder in jail. You know I’m bad. Just last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalised a brick. I’m so mean, I make medicine sick.”

More of Muhammad Ali's most memorable quotes.

Muhammad Ali in Dubai

The UN's goodwill ambassador and boxing legend Mohammed Ali arrives in Dubai from Afghanistan back in 2002. He was received at the airport by UNDP resident representative Nadim Haji Hamou and Thani Juma bal Riqad, co-ordinator of the charity activities organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Photo credit: Gulf News

Foreman: The most amazing thing I've seen in my life

George Foreman spoke to Gulf News' Chief Sports Writer, Euan Reedie, in Abu Dhabi back in 2014.

"Forty years on from the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, and there remains a nagging and profound feeling of disbelief for George Foreman that he lost his iconic world heavyweight boxing encounter with Muhammad Ali.

Foreman was the most fearsome heavyweight boxer of the era — the then 25-year-old’s sledgehammer-like punches expected to add a 41st victim in a 32-year-old Ali to his unbeaten record, embellished by an impressive 37 knockouts."

Read the full interview here.

Poll

See Muhammad Ali's five greatest fights here.

Tributes pour in

San Francisco: Muhammad Ali was remembered in tributes worldwide for his iconic fight for social justice as well as his legendary boxing battles following his death on Friday at age 74."We lost a giant today,"

Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao said. "Boxing benefitted from Muhammad Ali's talents but not as much as mankind benefitted from his humanity."

George Foreman, Ali's most famous knockout victim from the Rumble in the Jungle, noted Ali and his other main rival, Joe Frazier, in tweeting: "Ali, Frazier and Foreman we were 1 guy. A part of me slipped away, The greatest piece."

"He is, without a question in my mind, the most transformative person of our time," boxing promoter Bob Arum said.

"When people saw what he had done for what he believed in, threw away 3 1/2 years of his career and he remained steadfast, he came through all of that bigger and more important than ever before," Arum said.

"People looked at him and said there was something special about him. Any man willing to make that kind of sacrifice for his beliefs had to be respected."

Ali's spirit 'will never die' 

Boxing began mourning its greatest hero with ultimate praise.

"We lost a legend, a hero and a great man," said Floyd Mayweather, who retired last year as an unbeaten welterweight champion. "He's one of the guys who paved the way for me to be where I'm at. Words can't explain what Muhammad Ali did for the sport."

 

Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson tweeted: "God came for his champion. So long great one. @MuhammadAli TheGreatest RIP."

Four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield said he idolised Ali.

"It's a great loss. I wanted to be like Ali. He inspired me," Holyfield said. "Someone asked me if I wanted to break his record (as a three-time champion) and I said no because that means I have to lose. But you find out you have to be stronger to get up from a loss to go on. And that's what Ali proved."

Don King, who promoted the Rumble in the Jungle, said Ali will live on forever alongside other US civil rights heroes.

"He was tremendous, not just a boxer, a great human being, an icon," King said. "Muhammad Ali's spirit, like Martin Luther King Jr., will live on. That's why Muhammad Ali will never die."

Chinese boxer Zou Shiming expressed his sorrow on social network Weibo, saying: "Why has his life been cut away? I still want to follow his path, I still wish I can one day win the championship and find the opportunity to pay homage to him. From now on, what a pity we won't see him again."

Australian boxer Danny Green tweeted of Ali: "He was responsible for bringing the great sport of boxing to the masses. He captured the imagination of everyone."

India Olympic bronze medalist and now pro boxer Vijender Singh called Ali's death "a great loss." "He is a legend who inspired me. There will be no other like Ali. He was the one and the only. But we will always keep learning from his boxing."

"I definitely feel the loss after his death. He's a legend around the world, a boxer everyone adored who made boxing interesting," retired Indonesian boxing star Chris John told AFP on Ali's passing.

US retired fighter and promoter Oscar de la Hoya praised Ali as "the fighter who ushered in the golden era of boxing and put the sport on the map."

"Ali exemplified courage. He never took the easy route, something to be admired in and outside of the ring. As we reflect on his life, let us remember a man who pursued greatness in everything he did and be inspired to hold ourselves to that same standard."

"The world has lost a monumental, unforgettable figure," said Harry Reid, a US Senator from boxing-haven Nevada and a fighter in his younger days.

"He fought and won inside the ring and fought for equality and justice outside the ring. Ali taught us all about the value of hard work, tenacity and never giving up. There has never been anyone like Muhammad Ali and there never will be again."

US presidential candidate Donald Trump also joined the chorus. "Muhammad Ali is dead at 74!" he wrote on Twitter. "A truly great champion and a wonderful guy. He will be missed by all!"

Muhammad Ali dies

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has died aged 74, a family spokesman has said.

"After a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74," spokesman Bob Gunnell said.

Ali, whose fame transcended sport during a remarkable heavyweight boxing career that spanned three decades, had been hospitalised in the Phoenix, Arizona, area with a respiratory ailment this week.

Ali, one of the best-known figures of the 20th century, was hospitalised this week for a respiratory ailment.

Ali's wife, Lonnie had said funeral arrangements are already being made.

Ali has suffered from Parkinson's disease for more than three decades and has kept a low profile in recent years.

The Radar Online website reported on Friday that Ali had been placed on life support, citing "an insider." 

Ali's last public appearance was in April at the "Celebrity Fight Night" gala in Arizona, a charity that benefits the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Centre.

At the height of his career, Ali was known for his dancing feet and quick fists and his ability, as he put it, to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

He held the heavyweight title a record three times, and Sports Illustrated named him the top sportsman of the 20th century.

Nicknamed "The Greatest," Ali retired from boxing in 1981 with a record of 56 wins, 37 by knockout, and five losses. Ali's diagnosis of Parkinson's came about three years after he left the ring.

Ali, born in Louisville, Kentucky, as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, changed his name in 1964 after his conversion to Islam.

Ali had a show-time personality that he melded with dazzling footwork and great hand speed. His bouts with such fighters as Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and George Foreman made him an international celebrity like boxing had never seen.

He became a symbol for black liberation during the 1960s as he stood up to the U.S. government by refusing to go into the Army for religious reasons.

Ali made a surprise appearance at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, stilling the Parkinson's tremors in his hands enough to light the Olympic flame.

He also took part in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012, looking frail in a wheelchair. He has been married four times and has nine children.

Ali's daughter Laila, a former boxer, tweeted a photo of her father kissing her own daughter, Sydney. She thanked supporters for their wishes for Ali, saying, "I feel your love and appreciate it!" 

Image Credit:
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American boxer Muhammad Ali fighting exhibition boxing match with Reiner Hartman in Dubai Image Credit: Gulf News
Image Credit:
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Boxing legend Muhammad Ali (right) in Los Angeles in this August 2, 2004 file photo. Image Credit: Reuters
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Muhammad Ali in 2006. Image Credit: REUTERS
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