Sporting world woke up on Saturday to the tragic news of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali passing away at the age of 74. The American was suffering from a respiratory ailment and breathed his last in a Arizona hospital, where he was admitted two days ago.?
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Sporting icons and celebrities from across various fields have paid their tributes to Ali, whose greatness reached far beyond the dimensions of the boxing ring.?
Ali spoke out for African-American civil rights in the 1960s, carrying on his fight against injustice and sacrificing prime years of his own career in the process.?
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Ali, born Cassius Clay, beat Sonny Liston in 1964 to win the heavyweight title but was stripped of his titles in 1967 when he refused to join the US Army and fight in the Vietnam War. He was banned from boxing until 1970 and in 1971 the US Supreme Court ruled in his favor in sitting out the war.
"We lost a giant today," iconic Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao said. "Boxing benefitted from Muhammad Ali's talents but not as much as mankind benefitted from his humanity."?