The former heavyweight champion was widely regarded as the greatest boxer of all time
The Boxing Legend, Muhammed Ali “The Greatest” died Friday at a Phoenix-area hospital, where he had spent the past few days being treated for respiratory complications, a family spokesman confirmed the News. He was 74.
Ali had suffered for three decades from Parkinson’s, a progressive neurological condition that slowly robbed him of both his legendary verbal grace and his physical dexterity. A funeral service is planned in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
Even as his health declined, Ali did not shy from politics or controversy, releasing a statement in December criticizing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States.
“We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda,” he said.