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The Greatest: Remembering Muhammad Ali on 6th anniversary of his death

The Greatest. That describes Muhammad Ali in his simplest and purest form. Ali died six years ago on June 3, 2016, at the age of 74. But his legacy lives on to this day. "Muhammad Ali made boxing a worldwide sport," said Hall of Fame boxing trainer Freddie Roach. "He drew the fans in and brought more visibility to the sport and to humanitarian causes."

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Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. on Jan. 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky, Ali started boxing when he was just 12 years old. He racked up Golden Gloves boxing titles along the way, leading up to the 1960 Olympics in Rome, where he took home the gold medal as the light heavyweight champion. Ali turned professional shortly after the Olympics. His knack for talking up his talents and skills in a showboating style earned him the nickname "the Louisville Lip." But Ali would always put his money where his mouth is, backing up his talk with action. That became evident in 1964, when Ali got his opportunity at the title in a highly anticipated fight in Miami, Florida against heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. Ali broke out with a series of poetic insults and rhymes, including his iconic "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." And he stunned the champ in short order, beating the favored Liston with a sixth-round technical knockout (TKO). After the fight, Ali famously proclaimed: "I am the greatest! I am the greatest! I'm the king of the world." In the years following, Ali transformed from the tough-talking, braggadocious boxer into a powerful, fleet-footed champion, arguably considered the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. That culminated with a trilogy of fights with legendary champion Joe Frazier, ending with the third and most talked-about match of the century in 1975, known as the "Thrilla in Manila." Ali and Frazier exerted their power and might, trading blow-for-blow in an epic match that saw Ali triumph over Frazier with a TKO at the end of the 14th round.