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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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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." Roach says Ali's influence on both himself and his boxers was seen far and wide. "His personality and his boxing. When he came to my gym, years after he had retired, he stayed for hours, doing magic tricks, shadow boxing, hitting the bag," said Roach. "We were enthralled."