Ali has died.

[GA Russell]

I saw him once chatting with a fan at the Atlanta airport.  He was tall, but not as tall as I expected.

 

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/muhammad-ali-greatest-all-time-dead-74-n584776

[kinuta]

RIP Ali.

Glad I was around to witness his remarkable story.

He still lives in When We Were Kings.

[sidewinder]

A sad day and truly iconic figure for as long as I've been aware. It will be strange that he is no longer 'around'. RIP.

Edited June 4, 2016 by sidewinder

[Soulstation1]

RIP

To The Greatest Of All Times 

 

[robertoart]

One Of The Greatest Men In History.

I hope he is mourned in this way and young people get to understand his true significance. 

RIP. 

[CJ Shearn]

Really hard to believe.  I've been a boxing fan almost as long as I've loved this music, and no boxer in the past 50 years comes even remotely close to having the level of social or cultural significance as Muhammad Ali, in my opinion.  Certainly not any boxer of my era, not Floyd, not Pacquiao, anyone.  RIP Champ!

[Soulstation1]

I still wonder why a DVD set of all his fights isn't available??

I still wonder why a DVD set of all his fights isn't available??

[duaneiac]

1 hour ago, CJ Shearn said:

Really hard to believe.  I've been a boxing fan almost as long as I've loved this music, and no boxer in the past 50 years comes even remotely close to having the level of social or cultural significance as Muhammad Ali, in my opinion.  Certainly not any boxer of my era, not Floyd, not Pacquiao, anyone.  RIP Champ!

I would agree with your sentiment and go one step further -- I'd say no athlete in any sport in the past 50 years comes even remotely close to having the level of social or cultural significance as Muhammad Ali.  Although many men held the title before him, I think Ali truly was the very first Heavyweight Champion of the WORLD.  At his peak, he was probably the most recognizable human on the planet, a hero to millions, myself included.

And on top of everything else, when it came to being a celebrity "singer", he wasn't that bad.

 

[CJ Shearn]

1 hour ago, Soulstation1 said:

I still wonder why a DVD set of all his fights isn't available??

I still wonder why a DVD set of all his fights isn't available??

The reason why there would not be a set of Ali's fights would be the same reason why there is not any DVD officially released of any boxing broadcast: promoter rights.  Ali's big fights were promoted by Bob Arum (Top Rank) and Don King.  The irony is today Don King has little leverage  in today's boxing scene, thats because Arum, Oscar DeLa Hoya and Al Haymon are the big movers and shakers.  Premier Boxing Champions spearheaded by Haymon, the first boxing on network TV in 30+ years has largely been an enterprise that hasn't met expectations.Though a huge card will be presented in primetime on CBS on June 25th.   Sorry for the tangent!

[duaneiac]

1 hour ago, CJ Shearn said:

Really hard to believe.  I've been a boxing fan almost as long as I've loved this music, and no boxer in the past 50 years comes even remotely close to having the level of social or cultural significance as Muhammad Ali, in my opinion.  Certainly not any boxer of my era, not Floyd, not Pacquiao, anyone.  RIP Champ!

I would agree with your sentiment and go one step further -- I'd say no athlete in any sport in the past 50 years comes even remotely close to having the level of social or cultural significance as Muhammad Ali.  Although many men held the title before him, I think Ali truly was the very first Heavyweight Champion of the WORLD.  At his peak, he was probably the most recognizable human on the planet, a hero to millions, myself included.

And on top of everything else, when it came to being a celebrity "singer", he wasn't that bad.

 

[CJ Shearn]

1 hour ago, Soulstation1 said:

I still wonder why a DVD set of all his fights isn't available??

I still wonder why a DVD set of all his fights isn't available??

The reason why there would not be a set of Ali's fights would be the same reason why there is not any DVD officially released of any boxing broadcast: promoter rights.  Ali's big fights were promoted by Bob Arum (Top Rank) and Don King.  The irony is today Don King has little leverage  in today's boxing scene, thats because Arum, Oscar DeLa Hoya and Al Haymon are the big movers and shakers.  Premier Boxing Champions spearheaded by Haymon, the first boxing on network TV in 30+ years has largely been an enterprise that hasn't met expectations.Though a huge card will be presented in primetime on CBS on June 25th.   Sorry for the tangent!

[sonnymax]

1 hour ago, CJ Shearn said:

Really hard to believe.  I've been a boxing fan almost as long as I've loved this music, and no boxer in the past 50 years comes even remotely close to having the level of social or cultural significance as Muhammad Ali, in my opinion.  Certainly not any boxer of my era, not Floyd, not Pacquiao, anyone.  RIP Champ!

Mayweather doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same post as Ali. I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed Ali's greatness in the ring, in the courts and in the public arena where he fought for civil rights. There will never be another like him. Rest peacefully, and thank you.

[mikeweil]

I never was into boxing, but I loved his way of standing up for his beliefs and rights and those of his fellow African-Americans. I think he was the most important figure in bringing those issues to public attention in Germany. Everybody loved his dance-like moves. 

R.I.P., and thanks for being such a proud man.

Edited June 5, 2016 by mikeweil

[Hardbopjazz]

He was  the greatest. R.I.P. Ali.

[CJ Shearn]

5 hours ago, sonnymax said:

Mayweather doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same post as Ali. I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed Ali's greatness in the ring, in the courts and in the public arena where he fought for civil rights. There will never be another like him. Rest peacefully, and thank you.

Very true, unfortunately for many of my generation Mayweather is the only frame of reference.  Back when Ali fought everyone was a contender, so many tough fighters: Frazier, Foreman, Lyle, Shavers, Holmes, Spinks, the best fought the best, unlike now, though there are some very good fights, everyone wants to be protected in this era.

[Mark Stryker]

In the last month the world has lost two of the three men I admired most on the planet: Muhammad Ali and Sheldon Stryker (my father). All I can say right now is that whoever is running this fucking circus better be taking damn good care of Sonny Rollins.

[catesta]

I had a feeling when I heard he was in the hospital that he was never coming back out.

He said and did some fucked up shit in his life so I've always had mixed emotions about Ali.

All that aside, RIP to a "bad man" and thanks for the show and entertainment.

Edited June 4, 2016 by catesta

[JSngry]

Now who will fight Mr. Tooth Decsy?

The private Ali, I did not know. But the public Ali was one of the great men of his time, and was a personal inspiration, especially after he was allowed to compete again. When We Were Kings is epic.

RIP

[Dan Gould]

I was way too young to understand Ali the public figure when I became a fight fan as a kid. I just knew him as the fighter, and my favorite fighter of all was the fearsome Foreman. I marveled at his power, how he destroyed Frazier who fought Ali to a virtual tie. And, importantly, I hated braggarts (and still do).  So I hated Ali after he beat my hero.  And I rooted for all of them to beat him - Norton (second favorite of the era), Shavers (who I thought for sure had him when he dropped him like a bad habit with one roundhouse swign) and then Spinks.

But things changed after Ali retired and Holmes became dominant. I saw him as a pale imitation of Ali and really wanted Ali to take him out in their ill-fated fight.

By then I had certainly matured and read enough to understand Ali's cultural significance as well as to appreciate his extraordinary skills, and when Parkinson's stole so much of his personality I became an even bigger fan. 

I do think he's in a better place now, his physical and vocal gifts restored.

Facing Ali is a great way to remember him across his career, thru the eyes of his opponents.

And check his defensive gifts here:

 

 

[robertoart]

George Foreman has just spoken, and says it all really. 

http://www.bbc.com/news/video_and_audio/headlines/36451573

Edited June 4, 2016 by robertoart

[gmonahan]

To me--I was never a big boxing fan--Ali was always so much greater than his sport.  The moment when he lighted the olympic torch in Atlanta was truly unforgettable. RIP

 

gregmo

[Brad]

He was The Greatest but he stayed on too long and this cost him.  I'm sorry he died but maybe he was better off; the Ali we knew wasn't here any more. 

I was fortunate to see him fight in person.  I think it was against Jimmy Ellis but I wouldn't swear to it.    It was back in the 70s at the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland. It was a night I will never forget.  The people at the fight were as much as part of the story as the fight itself.  Some real characters, all languages spoken and tons of limos.  Obviously, Ali won but which round? Couldn't tell you  

RIP Champ, the King of Kings.

 

 

[CJ Shearn]

Ali in his prime, technically was something to behold.  I have a friend who is not a boxing fan who wants to see his final fight against Trevor Berbick, which kinda serves no point if you never saw Ali at his best, he'll do what he wants but he'll be missing out seeing an old Ali,..........  the Holmes fight is painful to watch, like the Mancini-Kim fight is, it's one of the few fights I can't watch.  I'm sure tonight on ESPN and HBO boxing, even the UFC they'll be a lot of Ali tributes.

[paul secor]

When he was in his prime - before he was forced out of the ring by politics - Ali was in a class by himself as a boxer. As a person, he had strengths and faults, like any human being would. I think the one thing that impressed me most was something that happened after his first fight with Joe Frazier. Bundini Brown, his assistant trainer, wanted him to leave Madison Square Garden without talking to the press. Ali refused, saying that he talked to the press when he won, and would talk to them when he lost. Perhaps that's a minor occurrence in his career, but it said something to me about the man.

I saw him once in person during his forced banishment from the ring when I was in college. And somewhere, I have a copy of the LP he recorded for Columbia around the time when he first defeated Sonny Liston.

He left me with a lot of memories of all kinds. Rest in peace, sir.

[Soulstation1]

6 hours ago, Brad said:

He was The Greatest but he stayed on too long and this cost him.  I'm sorry he died but maybe he was better off; the Ali we knew wasn't here any more. 

I was fortunate to see him fight in person.  I think it was against Jimmy Ellis but I wouldn't swear to it.    It was back in the 70s at the Capital Center in Landover, Maryland. It was a night I will never forget.  The people at the fight were as much as part of the story as the fight itself.  Some real characters, all languages spoken and tons of limos.  Obviously, Ali won but which round? Couldn't tell you  

RIP Champ, the King of Kings.

 

 

I believe

Jimmy Young was the fighter