World Mourns Loss of the Champ

“The Greatest of All Time.”

“Champion of Civil Rights.”

“A Man of Great Courage and Humanity.”

These are just a few of the epithets and tributes that poured in as the world began to mourn the Friday death of Muhammad Ali — one of the greatest heavyweight boxing legends that the world has ever known.

Boxers, actors, musicians, politicians and athletes alike joined together in paying homage to the man born in 1942 as Cassius Clay: a descendent of slaves in the pre-Civil War South who changed his name after converting to Islam in the 1960s. Ali went on to win the world heavyweight championship title over rival Sonny Liston in a tremendous upset in 1964.

Although Ali was stripped of his title when he refused to be conscripted into the military during the Vietnam War because of his religious beliefs, after the conviction was overturned in 1971, Ali reentered boxing and won two more championship titles. Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome in 1984, and in his later years, his larger-than-life legacy continued to inspire and unify diverse people from all walks of life.

“Muhammad Ali shook up the world. And the world is better for it. We are all better for it.”

“His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing. It would earn him enemies on the left and the right, make him reviled, and nearly send him to jail. But Ali stood his ground. And his victory helped us get used to the America we recognize today,” President Obama said in a statement. “Muhammad Ali shook up the world. And the world is better for it. We are all better for it.”

Presidential hopefuls also weighed in on the death of Ali: the man who truly “floated like a butterfly” and “stung like a bee,” as he loved to say.

“Muhammad Ali is dead at 74! A truly great champion and a wonderful guy. He will be missed by all!” Donald Trump tweeted.

Bernie Sanders added, “Muhammad Ali was the greatest, not only an extraordinary athlete but a man of great courage and humanity.”

Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson also commended Ali for his contributions to the movement.

“When champions win, they ride on the people’s shoulders.When @MuhammadAli won, WE rode on HIS shoulders,” Jackson wrote.

Politicians from across the world also expressed their admiration for the U.S. boxing champion.

“Muhammad Ali was not just a champion in the ring — he was a champion of civil rights, and a role model for so many people,” tweeted UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

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The tributes also came pouring in from pop culture icons.

“Besides being the greatest boxer, he was a beautiful, gentle man with a great sense of humor who would often pull a pack of cards out of his pocket, no matter how posh the occasion, and do a card trick for you. The world has lost a truly great man,” Beatles singer Paul McCartney wrote in a statement.

Actor Mark Wahlberg tweeted, “RIP #MuhammadAli. Truly the greatest of all time. Your legacy extends beyond sports.”

Fellow athletes also offered their admiration in their tributes to the boxing legend.

“You’ll always be The Greatest for more than just what you did in the ring. A champion to so many people in so many ways,” tweeted golfer Tiger Woods.

“The world has lost a great Champion. Muhammad Ali, lover of human beings, a warrior for the fight against discrimination … a great friend,” tweeted NFL star Jim Brown.

NBA player Dwyane Wade added, “He was strong, proud and vocal … a black man who lead by words and action. Misunderstood and unappreciated for most of his life. Thanks for standing for all but especially your own. It was always my honor to be in his presence and I am a better man for it.”

Perhaps the most touching of all — even Ali’s boxing opponents in the ring paid homage to the man they fought alongside outside of the ring.

“Until Ali, no one said ‘I’m beautiful,’ he was royalty, yet common man was his pal. That is beauty. Greatest kind,” tweeted boxer George Foreman. “Ralph [Dupas] Ali, [Joe] Frazier & Foreman we were 1 guy. A part of me slipped away, ‘The greatest piece.’”

All of these tributes from friends and fans have highlighted the legacy that Ali himself wished to leave behind him upon his death:

“I’d like to be remembered: as a black man who won the heavyweight title and who was humorous and who treated everyone right. As a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him and who helped as many of his people as he could — financially and also in their fight for freedom, justice and equality. As a man who wouldn’t hurt his people’s dignity by doing anything that would embarrass them. As a man who tried to unite his people through the faith of Islam that he found when he listened to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

“And if all that’s asking too much, then I guess I’d settle for being remembered only as a great boxing champion who became a preacher and a champion of his people. And I wouldn’t even mind if folks forgot how pretty I was.”