RIP Champ - Muhammad Ali Passes

**Detroit Stylin** · June-03-16, 11:57 PM

Tragic and major loss this morning.

For a while Ali did live not to far out side of Detroit. Berrien Township I believe?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/muhammad-ali-dies-greatest-boxer-dead-74/story?id=18391211

**Zacha341** · June-04-16, 02:26 AM

Ohh, so sad to hear this. More news sites are reporting in [[many historical and current photos below):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...breathing.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/spo...te-legend.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ammad-Ali.html

**Lowell** · June-04-16, 02:40 AM

"The Greatest" now belongs to the ages. RIP to a towering figure of our time and a great human being.

**emu steve** · June-04-16, 03:46 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

"The Greatest" now belongs to the ages. RIP to a towering figure of our time and a great human being.

Indeed one of the most influential persons of the 1960s and 70s when he was the champ and boxing was a thriving, marque sport and the country dealt with Vietnam, race, and great social change.

We've had some pretty varied and tragic [[and good) decades over the past 100 years. WWI and II, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. Some decades of peace, especially the 90s. Hopefully we succeed in time putting ISIS to rest and usher in a period of relative peace.

Ali was front and center during one of the most contentious times of our lives. Vietnam marked our foray into a controversial war much different than WWI and II where where the stakes were completely undeniable.

**Hypestyles** · June-04-16, 05:38 AM

sad news. of course, he was suffering from Parkinson's disease for decades. hopefully the governor will order flags to be at half-mast.

**black gold man** · June-04-16, 06:06 AM

https://youtu.be/rxNJPhwSsbI

**Cincinnati_Kid** · June-04-16, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

sad news. of course, he was suffering from Parkinson's disease for decades. hopefully the governor will order flags to be at half-mast.

Ali was a great man but, don't hold your breath on the Gov.

**dguy4evr** · June-04-16, 06:45 AM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

Ali was a great man but, don't hold your breath on the Gov.

Don't think the Gov will be lowering any flags, he's too busy covering his ass over the Flint problem. Doing a great job of impeding the criminal investigation by the way!

Rest in peace oh Great One. So sad you were banned for three years, would have loved to see more of you in those years. Hope you are out there chatting it up with Howard. You were truly the "Greatest Fighter of All Time!".

**Zacha341** · June-04-16, 06:50 AM

^^^ I think that flag-lowering option was in reference to Louisville KY where he was born. Indeed he will be missed. I love reading his quotes:

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id...10-best-quotes

**Dan Wesson** · June-04-16, 07:56 AM

Ali occupies a very special place in my memories. He was and still is the Greatest.

**401don** · June-04-16, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by Detroit Stylin

Tragic and major loss this morning.

For a while Ali did live not to far out side of Detroit. Berrien Township I believe?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/muhammad-ali-dies-greatest-boxer-dead-74/story?id=18391211

Stephen Brunt, who I believe to be Canada's best sportswriter and commentator, is a long-time boxing writer as well. He told this story on the Fan590 radio station a while ago and I was able to find a column. It is about driving from Toronto to Chicago and stopping at Ali's door in Michigan unannounced.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j...JDHz-ZwgS4JsMQ

**Farwell** · June-04-16, 09:21 AM

Shouldn't this be in Non-Detroit? Sorry, not a fan of boxing or Ali. I wish him peace as a fellow human being. To me he was the Donald Trump of the sports world-the consummate self promoter and everyone fell for it hook line and sinker. Funny how we pick and choose our favored blowhards.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · June-04-16, 09:35 AM

You have a right to your opinion, but how could you even mention that "DB" Trump in the same breath as Ali? Ali was for the people and of the people. When I say people, I mean everyone. Trump's name should be nowhere near this thread, or any for that matter...

**Zacha341** · June-04-16, 11:10 AM

The Detroit connection is there but the announcement could have been in the non-Detroit section as well.

For the record, Mr. Ali lived in Michigan for many years and was a follower of the Nation of Islam which was founded in Detroit.

Originally Posted by Farwell

Shouldn't this be in Non-Detroit? Sorry, not a fan of boxing or Ali. I wish him peace as a fellow human being.

**the rock** · June-04-16, 12:07 PM

Ali #2, Rocky Marciano #1 in my book. I don't look at sentimentality, just wins- losses, Ko's, opponents to determine rankings. I should have replaced Al Sugar as editor of Ring magazine.

**Oddz313** · June-04-16, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by Farwell

Shouldn't this be in Non-Detroit? Sorry, not a fan of boxing or Ali. I wish him peace as a fellow human being. To me he was the Donald Trump of the sports world-the consummate self promoter and everyone fell for it hook line and sinker. Funny how we pick and choose our favored blowhards.

Ali fought for civil rights and may have prevented a couple thousand more blk men from dying in Nam. He was a poet, a humanitarian and the greatest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDPjE9Sg7to

**Maof** · June-04-16, 12:49 PM

i don't get why people get bent out of shape if a subject might be in the wrong "section". R.I.P champ.

**1953** · June-04-16, 04:56 PM

I'm with Farwell -- its too bad he died, as a fellow human, but his fame does seem to radiate from his self-promotional attitude. Glad someone else said it so I didn't have to be the first!

1953

**Hypestyles** · June-04-16, 05:02 PM

An all new community center should be built and named for him in Detroit.

**Zacha341** · June-04-16, 07:08 PM

He was arrogant at points but often in a campy way! The bouts in boxing went on too long back then, what 12-16 rounds. Often both fighters would be laid up in the hospital afterwards. Not a big boxing fan but Ali did posses a heck of a punch and fast jab and he moved fast on his feet. George Foreman glad to have got out of the business sooner. Brain damage is guaranteed if not.

Originally Posted by 1953

I'm with Farwell -- its too bad he died, as a fellow human, but his fame does seem to radiate from his self-promotional attitude. Glad someone else said it so I didn't have to be the first!

1953

**Lowell** · June-04-16, 11:03 PM

Sure he was self-promotional. He was a boxer which by definition is a showman. And he was the best at his business. The size of the purses he created by his huge brash personality benefitted all boxing. As he said and did, he saved boxing.

But did you ever hear him cuss or use the foul language that is so common these days? Did you ever hear him go ad hominem, other than tease an opponent in the lead up to a fight which was all for show, psyche-out and purse enlargement from which his opponents also benefited? Did you ever hear of him caught up in performance-enhancing or any drugs?

He was never truly mean-spirited and deflected everything with gentlemanly humor and poetry.

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

To tell the truth boxing has been a bit boring ever since. Some may not have liked him but he was a clean-living man of intellect and conscience. It's no wonder he was voted athlete of the century.

**Zacha341** · June-05-16, 06:13 AM

Yes, those are excellent points. The 'showman' factor of boxing is legend, integral to the sport. Below is an excellent article on Ali's life, his successes, inconsistencies, triumphs, illness etc:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/04/sp...dies.html?_r=0

**Cincinnati_Kid** · June-05-16, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by the rock

Ali #2, Rocky Marciano #1 in my book. I don't look at sentimentality, just wins- losses, Ko's, opponents to determine rankings. I should have replaced Al Sugar as editor of Ring magazine.

Rocky Marciano fought a past his prime Joe Louis, he beat Ezzard Charles twice, won the title vs Jersey Joe Walcott and defended it against Archie Moore twice. He was undefeated, but he didn't fight as many great fighters during his era, as Ali did. Louis fought, because he needed money to pay the IRS, Charles was a good fighter, that lost the title to Moore, who Marciano beat. The Rock was a great fighter, but not better than Ali IMO..

**Zacha341** · June-05-16, 07:52 PM

Netflix is running I Am Ali. Directed by Clare Lewins. Very good documentary, much derived from Ali's audios from phone calls he made and interesting interviews. Footage from George Forman knock out fight and interview great! Worth watching!

Trailer on youtube

**EastsideAl** · June-07-16, 12:18 AM

Originally Posted by 1953

I'm with Farwell -- its too bad he died, as a fellow human, but his fame does seem to radiate from his self-promotional attitude. Glad someone else said it so I didn't have to be the first!

1953

What a truly bizarre contention. Ali was certainly a huge self-promoter, but, goodness, he more than backed it up. His fame radiates from winning an Olympic gold medal, knocking out the heavily favored champion Sonny Liston, then doing it again, holding the heavyweight title against all comers for 3 years, having it stripped from him illegitimately and being unable to fight for over 3 years, then coming back to defeat the formidable Joe Frazier in 2 out of 3 epic battles, and regaining his title over 7 years after it was stripped from him by knocking out the bigger and younger George Foreman. And those are just his boxing accomplishments...