Black Superman indeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqMk-AuTDZE

I give up trying to embed it.

Got it off my FB page for you. I loved him, I sung this song constantly and I even watched boxing if he was fighting.

I've spent most of my life watching Ali fights, reading Ali books and watching Ali films and documentaries whenever possible. I feel like I've lost a family member. One of the very few public figures to ever stick rigidly to his principles. I'm in bits over this

The way I look at it is, he lived his life with dignity and great humour even when he when he was so debilitated by Parkinsons that he couldn't conduct an interview or show up at an event without severe tremors. He still turned up for interviews and events and made the most of his life, I don't think someone like that would want us to mourn his death, but celebrate his life.

True legend of sport. When we were Kings is a fantastic documentary on probably the biggest fight of all time. No Tyson, Mayweather or Lewis fight got close to it. Shame the way he persisted with boxing even though it was destroying him. He saw right through Don King too.

A legend and one of the greatest Americans ever. A man of intelligence and of his time who's rise coincided with the civil rights movement and the end of colonialism, but the way he belittled and sneered at Frazier by calling him a Gorilla and an Uncle Tom was a disgrace and darkens the halo somewhat. In Manila, Frazier basically caused the onset of Ali's Parkinson's so maybe there was a bit of, hardcore, payback

I also find it somewhat ironic that Ali, who constantly railed against slavery and the oppression of minorities took a muslim name and that muslims were responsible for slavery out of Africa long before the Europeans and Americans started, and carried it on long after they stopped

RIP Cassius

That's a great movie with a great story

“It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am.”

I don't see the sense in you dismissing his chosen name and saying 'RIP Cassius' when it's well known that he would see it as disrespectful. Why can't he be a Muslim and yet be against slavery? Forget it, you're too ignorant for that conversation.

Relax <snip>

Your ignorance of African history is showing

RIP Muhammed

Hold up with the butt kissing for 1 moment! Yes.. he was the greatest boxer ever but he was also a black supremacist, anti white, anti race mixing and anti homosexual..

just saying..

I must admit, I have been perplexed by the wall to wall media coverage, FB posts etc, I had no idea everyone was such a huge fan. I honestly do not know very much about him, but I loathe boxing and could never admire anyone that takes part in it. Barbaric.

He was more than just a boxer, as you have read - and I agree boxing isn't my cup of tea, but 40 years ago, was a completely acceptable sport. Poor old Ali paid the price and ended up with a brain injury that ended his life prematurely. But we don't say rugby is barbaric and I've seen studies on players from every code that show they all end up with a brain injury that will lead to some form of early onset dementia. If I couldn't admire anyone that didn't have the morals and enjoy the same past times as me, I'm sure I'd be a very miserable person with nothing interesting in my life. Fortunately I was brought up to embrace people's differences and enjoy a good debate with a smile over a meal and a glass of wine.

Actually I said I didn't know much about him and I have no particular interest in findin out now either.

The difference with rugby is that the sole purpose is not to batter someone until they can no longer stand up. Injuries are unintentional. And no, I will never ever embrace the battering of somebody as being just one of those personal differences. It is disgusting.

Maybe if you took the time to look into boxing as a sport then you might have a more educated view on the topic. If you believe what you do about boxing then you feel the same about rugby right?