Muhammad Ali was the original sports showman. Even none boxing fans knew this smiling giant who described himself as “The Greatest”, died after a few days in a hospital near Phoenix where he was being treated for respiratory issues. Ali was 74 years old.
Born Cassius Clay on Jan. 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, to middle-class parents, Ali started boxing when he was 12, winning Golden Gloves titles before heading to the 1960 Olympics in Rome, where he won a gold medal as a light heavyweight.
When he beat heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in 1964 he declared himself “The Greatest”. What is remarkable about Ali is the way in which he utilized his platform to stand for what he believed in, even giving up what he referred to as his “slave name” to become Muhammad Ali.
To read more about his contributions to the Civil Rights movement to sports and marketing visit here.
