RIP Muhammad Ali

I agree GrandTea he was a mammoth of a man and grew old gracefully, in spite of his Parkinson's. A true sportsman I think.

He refused to go to Vietnam. I was only 13 then and did not realise the significance of his actions.

A giant of a man.

RIP

No argument with your views, but did the BBC breakfast news really have to dedicate almost the entire programme to his death? He may have been the greatest boxer but surely not more important than any other current event in the world?

I agree with GrandTea and Printmiss, and Nonnie 1 he was a giant , and a mammoth of a man, You never heard anything bad about him, and I applaud him for refusing to go to Vietnam, that took courage to say no, I remember him changing his name, from Casius Clay, to Muhammad Ali,
RIP, you gentle giant, you will be missed but not forgotten x

Yes, he will never be forgotten, many do not realise just how he influenced black equality in the World.
His boasting sometimes made me cringe, but I loved him.

He said Cassius Clay was his slave name, and of course he was right.

I am so sad to learn of the death of this wonderful, courageous man

RIP my hero

So many memories of my dad and I watching his fights in the middle of the night together, a great boxer, showman and ambassador for his sport.

May I thank all those that have NOT posted re. boxing for keeping the thread respectful.
I think the news coverage is well deserved, most other news is just a repeat of yesterday and will still be with us tomorrow, this is a once off event about a man that is close to many's hearts. I am rarely bought to tears, but this news has. If only I could claim to have done so much with my life.

He was the true meaning of a 'legend'. A heart as big as his character.

RIp Mahammed Ali, a courageous man who refused to go to Vietnam and that took courage. A man who spoke out about inequality. A big loss in the sporing world also.

Very interesting that a man whose career evoked mixed feelings (i.e. the boxing argument) proved to have won the hearts of so many people for his wonderful attitude and courage to Life. Today one sees several sports personalities who cannot deal with fame and fortune and become unbearable "divas" , seemingly without any concerns for anyone . He was one of the giants of his era and, as GrandTea declares, "If only I could claim to have done so much with my life" - a fitting epitaph to a modern hero.

He was so great, full of wit and charm, not a great fan of boxing per se, but he was a terrific personality, when he said "I'm so pretty" very true he was a handsome man, loved his tongue in cheek poetry. My husband being a decade older than me remembers him from his early days and reminded me this morning of the appalling segregation laws in the part of America he hailed from in the early 60s and told me he threw his gold medal in the river in Louisville as a protest. I wasn't aware of that.

Boxing was his route to freedom. An incredible boxer he was also a freedom fighter, spoke and demonstrated about equal rights, a peace maker who refused to fight in Vietnam and an example to all as he battled Parkinsons. A real 20th Century hero. RIP

A black man born in Kentucky in the forties , faced all that segregation , hatred , a fighter in and out of the ring . He fought racism his way , and won

Sports personality of the century

And even now he brings peace, how many of us posting here are at logger heads elsewhere, yet we all come together in our sadness and sense of loss.

He was a wonderful man and much more appreciated here in the early years than in the USA. He did so much for race relations in his country and it was such a shame that it had to end as it did. It didn't hurt that he was so gorgeous to look at in his younger days as well

I've never watched a boxing match in my life but I admired him tremendously. He fought for his rights. was brave enough to stand out against Vietnam & also he had a great sense of humour. I hope they show the Parkinson interview as part of his tribute.
He gave people with Parkinsons & their families hope & he battled it for so long.
A giant of a man in so many ways.

I'm also not a boxing fan but I took an interest in his fights even when I was very young - tbh, it was his good looks and flamboyant personality that impressed me! Then I came to respect him for his wit and for his courage in sticking to his principles. RIP Muhammad Ali....there will never be anyone else like you.

Yes, a true giant, a one-off, a wonderful man.

He was clever, witty, handsome, had a wonderful way with words
and from what I have been hearing this morning, kind and compassionate. His interviews with Michael Parkinson were riveting. I saw him once in Birmingham City Centre. A crowd had gathered around a car and I went over to see what was going on and there he was (I think he was opening a boxing club in the city). RIP.

I remember in Glasgow Royal infirmary on night duty having a whole ward of men determined to stay up all night to listen to the Rumble in the jungle on radio. Wards didn't have TV then. They were so excited and quite noisy.
It's a very sad loss to humanity , Goodnight Big Man.

RIP Muhammed Ali you will be missed by the World.

The world has lost another 'gentleman'.
May he 'float like a butterfly' forever.
RIP Muhammad Ali.