Muhammad Ali, considered not only the greatest boxer but the greatest athlete of all-time, has died in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 74. Until last summer, Ali owned an 80+ acre estate in Oronoko Township on the St. Joseph River, just a short distance north of the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds. He purchased the farm in 1975.
Ali died in Phoenix, Arizona Friday night. He suffered for years from Parkinson’s disease, which ravaged his body but could never dim his larger-than-life presence. He was hospitalized earlier this week.
A towering figure in his prime, he still traveled and made appearances in his later years despite being muted by the thousands of punches he took during his remarkable career.
He beat the invincible Sonny Liston, fought a string of thrilling fights with Joe Frazier and stopped George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire. But he paid a terrible price for the estimated 29,000 punches he took to his head during a career that made him perhaps the most recognized person in the world.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
