The most transcendent figure in sports history passed away after a long bout with Parkinson’s and a brief battle with respiratory issues.
Muhammad Ali was larger than life if smaller than Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, or any top heavyweight competing today. Hollywood cast Terrence Howard, Will Smith, and, most convincingly of all, Muhammad Ali, to portray Muhammad Ali in the movies. A year after releasing an LP on Columbia Records, he knocked down all four Beatles in a ring in Miami. A decade later, he entered the squared circle against Ken Norton wearing a robe given to him by Elvis Presley. He fought a hockey goon, an All-Pro defensive end, and several professional wrestlers in exhibition matches. He even squared off against Superman in a comic book. Ali, or his voice at least, starred in his own Saturday morning cartoon, and that ubiquitous and unmistakable voice hawked Muhammad Ali’s Crisp Crunch, The Champ’s Premium Shoe Polish, and much else.
