World reacts to Muhammad Ali’s death (News Australia)

The legendary boxer died aged 74 after losing his battle with a respiratory illness. He was admitted to hospital on Thursday with breathing difficulties and was later placed on a life-support machine.

Here’s how the world reacted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOXING FRATERNITY: ‘MOST TRANSFORMATIVE PERSON OF OUR TIME’

“RIP to THE LEGEND,” Green wrote. “Thanks to this champion, boxers like myself were able to make a living f-rom the sport we love. He was responsible for bringing the great sport of boxing to the masses. He captured the imagination of everyone #sadday.”

American Floyd Mayweather — who has dominated boxing in the modern era to boast a stunning 49-0 record — also credited Ali with paving the way for boxers like him to chase their dreams.

“Words can’t explain what Muhammad Ali (has) done for the sport of boxing,” Mayweather told ESPN. “He’s one of the guys that paved the way for me to be whe-re I am today. We lost a legend, a hero and a great man.”

Ali inspired plenty of people throughout his life, one of whom was Anthony Mundine.

“He inspired me because he was real,” Mundine told the ABC. “As an athlete and as a fighter he was the best.

“As a person and the human being he was ... he kept it real. Even when he declined to go to war to bomb and kill other poor people, that really resonated (with me).

“It’s a very sad loss. He was one of the great men of all time. A great person and activist in his own right.”

Mike Tyson also tweeted his respect for the man who transcended sport.

OTHER SPORTING STARS

CLEVELAND Cavaliers superstar LeBron James reminded everyone that what Ali did outside the ring — particularly in standing up for the rights of African-Americans — was just as remarkable as what he did in it.

“The reason why he’s the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) is not because of what he did in the ring, which was unbelievable. It’s what he did outside of the ring, what he believed in, what he stood for,” James was quoted as saying by ESPN.

“He’s part of the reason why African-Americans today can do what we do in the sports world. We’re free. They allow us to have access to anything we want. It’s because of what they stood for, and Muhammad Ali was definitely the pioneer for that.”

Jarryd Hayne took to social media to praise Ali, as did Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman.

UFC president Dana White said Ali was a man before his time.

“Muhammad Ali changed the face of combat sports forever,” White said. “A lot of guys didn’t have a lot of personality back in the day, he was c-harismatic, he was incredible, he was a guy who was known around the world — one of the most famous human being to ever live.

“There’s tonnes of artwork in my house of Muhammad Ali. Anybody who’s ever been involved in combat sports is a huge fan of Ali.”

UFC star Jose Aldo Junior called Ali one of his “idols”, while fighter Nate Diaz agreed with LeBron that he was indeed the GOAT.

A host of other sporting personalities and celebrities expressed their admiration for Ali on social media, including Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Farewell Muhammed Ali. "I am the greatest" he said and he was. Athlete, civil rights leader, humanitarian, man of faith. Rest in peace.

— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) June 4, 2016

THE MEDIA

NEW York Post sports writer George Willis said Ali was special was because his appeal knew no bounds. It wasn’t confined just to African-Americans or boxing fans, but rather his impact on the world was limitless.

“Ali was the ‘Greatest’ not only for what he did inside of the ring, but for the peace and inclusion he preached after denouncing the militant views of the Nation of Islam,” Willis wrote.

“We mourn Ali today because no athlete of his generation has used his athletic platform to stir the social consciousness of America while entertaining us as either villain or hero.

“Jack Johnson gave black America its first black sports hero; Joe Louis was a heavyweight icon. Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s colour barrier, but Ali’s influence crossed racial and ethnic barriers, speaking out in an era when it would have been easier to remain silent.”

ESPN’s Bill Nack remembered Ali’s prowess in the ring, which was particularly evident in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle” fight against George Foreman in 1974.

“The fight became the signature moment in Ali’s extraordinary career, as close to an act of genius as the sport had ever known,” Nack wrote.

“There was much in the man’s performance that appealed to those who had come to admire him so steadfastly: the brilliant creative twist that drove him out of harm’s way to the ropes, the crisply thrown punches delivered in combination and perfectly timed, and that rarest possession of all in crisis: the sheer bravery, the diamond-like nerve, that had forever been the hallmark of the man in the battle.”

But for all the damage Ali’s hands could do, it was the same common thread that emerged. He was so much more than just a boxer.

“The truest of American originals, bigger than Babe Ruth, bigger than Joe Louis, he was the most singular performer on any sporting stage in modern history,” Nack said.

“Ali rose far above the world of boxing and came to represent a figure of unyielding principle on issues of human conflict and social justice. In the end, the better angels of conscience became a force far more enduring than the pop and crunch of Ali’s hands.”

Then there was his famously sharp tongue. Not content with pulverising opponents’ physical features, Ali was a master of the mental battle.

“Ali’s way with words were nearly equal to his ring savvy. Here was the best of all trash talkers, a man who could play a c-harming rogue while slicing the opposition with his tongue. Ali knew the value of getting in an opponent’s head and played his verbal card to the hilt,” wrote Sean Crose of Boxing Insider.

“There will never be another like him.”