Saturday 4 June 2016 20:01, UK
Muhammad Ali has passed away leaving perhaps the most illustrious sporting legacy of all time, so picking five highlights is not easy...
After a long battle with Parkinson's disease that began in 1984, Ali has died at the age of 74 following respiratory problems. In his wake lies a career like no other.
His exploits, politics, religious beliefs and character outside of the ring undoubtedly contributed significantly to his fame, but it was in the ring where he truly became the most famous sportsman that ever lived.
With that in mind, let's reflect on some of his most memorable moments...
February 25, 1964 - Convention Centre, Miami Beach, FL
Although Clay - as he was then known - had followed Olympic light-heavyweight gold by beginning his professional career with a 19-0 winning streak, Liston was a heavy favourite to retain the world heavyweight title.
The manner in which Liston had seized and then defended the crown against the legendary Floyd Patterson - with a pair of brutal first-round stoppages - had shrouded him in the most intimidating of auras. To add to the menace, he said little as Clay, fresh from hauling himself off the canvas to beat Henry Cooper at Wembley, ran his mouth off relentlessly and branded the champion "a big, ugly bear." Everyone assumed 'The Louisville Lip' was scared.
'Everyone' was probably right (his heart rate was measured at 120bpm), but Clay channelled it into putting on a boxing masterclass - making Liston miss and punishing him with counters just as he had predicted. The speed of the challenger was phenomenal and as he defied odds, doubters and a problem with his eyes, Liston's failure to emerge for the seventh round confirmed the birth of a star.
May 25, 1965 - St Dominic's Hall, Lewiston, ME
Ahead of defending his title in the rematch, Ali had changed his name and announced his affiliation to the Nation of Islam. Despite his clinical victory in Miami, Liston was installed as a clear favourite to regain the title.
The build-up to the fight was fraught with delay and controversy. Ali was forced to undergo an emergency hernia operation and legal battles meant that the bout had to be moved from its original location in Boston. Bizarrely, it ended up taking place at a junior ice hockey rink in a mill town 140 miles north of the city.
The fight itself yielded one of the most iconic sporting photographs ever taken. After felling him with a first-round right counter that some struggled to make out, Ali stood over Liston shouting and gesturing at him to get up. Eventually, the colossal challenger rose but when referee Jersey Joe Walcott returned from speaking to the timekeeper, the fight was controversially waved off.
October 30, 1974 - Kinshasa, DR of Congo
Heading into 'The Rumble in the Jungle', Foreman appeared to be an unstoppable force. The thick-set Texan had recently dismantled both Joe Frazier and Ken Norton with early stoppages remarkable for their sheer physicality. Few gave the 32-year-old Ali hope of withstanding the inevitable onslaught from the 25-year-old champion.
Against a colourful but controversial backdrop of Mobutu Sese Seko's Zaire, Don King's promotion included much fanfare and musical performances from the likes of James Brown and The Crusaders. The locals had taken to Ali but were left understandably dispirited by his tactics, as he gradually retreated to the ropes by the middle rounds; allowing Foreman to wing in his huge hooks at will.
In the eighth round, though, came one of sport's most celebrated moments. Sensing Foreman had punched himself out, Ali began to reply with fully-loaded shots of his own and as the champion weakened, the challenger burst off the ropes with an accurate flurry. The stadium roared as Ali sent Foreman spiralling to the canvas with possibly the most famous punch combination ever thrown. Foreman would not rise in time and Ali had shaken up the world all over again.
October 1, 1975 - Manila, Philippines
Their rivalry punctuated Ali's halcyon days. Frazier was the first man to beat Ali in the professional ranks when he battled to a brutal points victory at Madison Square Garden in March 1971. Ali levelled the score at the same venue in 1974 and with Foreman dispatched, the scene was set for the climax of a phenomenal trilogy.
The animosity between the two spilt over on an American talk show as they wrestled on the studio floor but they were soon on their way to the Philippine capital of Manila for the bout. In the wake of his savage beating at the hands of Foreman, many felt that Frazier was washed up. How wrong they were.
Ali began well but his fluent combinations were somehow absorbed by the short, squat Frazier, who continued to burrow forward. By the middle of the fight, Frazier was on top and dragging Ali into a grim, brutal war of attrition. The champion held firm and a tiring Frazier was prevented from emerging for the final round by his trainer Eddie Futch, but after the fight Ali hailed him as "the greatest fighter in the world, next to me."
September 15, 1978 - Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Ali had made 13 successful defences since gaining revenge on Ken Norton in 1973 but his reign was ended suddenly by seven-fight novice Spinks in February 1978. 'Neon Leon' outworked Ali in Las Vegas to snare the WBC and WBA world titles, so had Ali's advancing years finally overcome his talent?
Since becoming champion, Spinks hadn't cemented his organisation and the performance of his corner before and during the rematch appeared pretty shambolic but having only just turned 25, many expected him to cling on to his title through work-rate. What could Ali do differently? The answer, according to the man himself, was train properly.
It was by no means Ali's flashiest performance and by that stage he was undeniably a shadow of his former self, but the nous with which he went about regaining the titles proved too much for Spinks. As a result of his victory that night, Ali became the first man to win the world heavyweight title three times.
