Heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali dies
American
heavyweight boxing legend Muhammad Ali has died aged 74, after being admitted
to hospital in Phoenix in Arizona state two days ago.
He
was suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by
Parkinson's disease.
The funeral will take place in Ali's hometown of Louisville , Kentucky
Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Ali shot to fame by winning
light-heavyweight gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
Nicknamed "The Greatest", the American beat Sonny Liston
in 1964 to win his first world title and became the first boxer to capture a
world heavyweight title on three separate occasions.
He eventually retired in 1981, having won 56 of his 61 fights.
Crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated
and "Sports Personality of the Century" by the BBC, Ali was noted for
his pre- and post-fight talk and bold fight predictions just as much as his
boxing skills inside the ring.
Supporters have been paying their respects on Twitter.
Ali
was also a civil rights campaigner and poet who transcended the bounds of
sport, race and nationality.
Asked how he would like to be remembered, he once said: "As a
man who never sold out his people. But if that's too much, then just a good
boxer. I won't even mind if you don't mention how pretty I was."
Ali turned professional immediately after the Rome Olympics and rose
through the heavyweight ranks, delighting crowds with his showboating,
shuffling feet and lightning reflexes.
British champion Henry Cooper came close to stopping Clay, as he was
still known, when they met in a non-title bout in London
Cooper floored the American with a left hook, but Clay picked
himself up off the canvas and won the fight in the next round when a severe cut
around Cooper's left eye forced the Englishman to retire.
In February the following year, Clay stunned the boxing world by
winning his first world heavyweight title at the age of 22.
He predicted he would beat Liston, who had never lost, but few
believed he could do it.
Yet, after six stunning rounds, Liston quit on his stool, unable to
cope with his brash, young opponent.
At the time of his first fight with Liston, Clay was already
involved with the Nation of Islam, a religious movement whose stated goals were
to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African
Americans in the United
States
But in contrast to the inclusive approach favoured by civil rights
leaders like Dr Martin Luther King, the Nation of Islam called for separate
black development and was treated by suspicion by the American public.
Ali eventually converted to Islam, ditching what he perceived was
his "slave name" and becoming Cassius X and then Muhammad Ali.
In 1967, Ali took the momentous decision of opposing the US war in Vietnam
He refused to be drafted into the US
After his conviction for refusing the draft was overturned in 1971,
Ali returned to the ring and fought in three of the most iconic contests in
boxing history, helping restore his reputation with the public.
He was handed his first professional defeat by Joe Frazier in the
"Fight of the Century" in New York
on 8 March 1971, only to regain his title with an eighth-round knockout of
George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa , Zaire
Ali fought Frazier for a third and final time in the Philippines on 1 October 1975, coming out on top
in the "Thrilla in Manila
Six defences of his title followed before Ali lost on points to Leon
Spinks in February 1978, although he regained the world title by the end of the
year, avenging his defeat at the hands of the 1976 Olympic light-heavyweight
champion.
Ali's career ended with one-sided defeats by Larry Holmes in 1980
and Trevor Berbick in 1981, many thinking he should have retired long before.
He fought a total of 61 times as a professional, losing five times
and winning 37 bouts by knockout.
Soon after retiring, rumours began to circulate about the state of
Ali's health. His speech had become slurred, he shuffled and he was often
drowsy.
Parkinson's Syndrome was eventually diagnosed but Ali continued to
make public appearances, receiving warm welcomes wherever he travelled.
He lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Games in Atlanta
and carried the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony for the 2012 Games in London
- BBC
Who: American heavyweight boxing legend
Muhammad Ali.
Where: In Phoenix
in Arizona
When: after being admitted to hospital two
days ago.
What: He has died aged 74.
Key words:
Respiratory 呼吸的
Funeral 喪葬；葬儀
Transcend 超越；優於
Ditch 壕溝；水道(n.)/丟棄；掘溝(v.)
Subsequently其後；隨後；接著
Strip 剝奪；拆卸(v.)/連環漫畫；條、帶；一行(n.)
Conviction 定罪；確信；說服力
