The world lost one of the greatest athletes to ever grace the squared circle Saturday morning, Philippine time.
Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) succumbed due to a respirator condition in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Widely considered as the greatest heavyweight of all time, Ali has one numerous distinctions after stepping out of the ring, including crowned “Sportsman of the Century” by Sports Illustrated and “Sports Personality of the Century” by the BBC. Moreover, he has greatly influenced the lives of current boxing legends including boxing’s only eight-division world champion: incoming-senator Manny Pacquiao.
Pacquiao paid tribute to Ali in a short statement released by American sports news outlet ESPN. “We lost a great giant today,” Pacquiao grieved.
“Boxing benefited from Muhammad Ali’s talents but not nearly as mankind benefited from his humanity.”
Photo from SportsCenter Twitter account
