Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) Tribute List
Muhammad Ali died on June 3, 2016 at the age of 74 from respiratory issues. It may be hard to imagine but at one time, not too long ago, a boxer transcended sports and dominated the culture. Muhammad Ali's unmatched skill within the ring, and his charisma, humor and bravery outside of it defined an era. Ali was famous for dubbing himself "The Greatest," but in several ways that wasn't a boast, but merely the truth. Born Cassius Clay, Ali changed his name when he embraced Islam, a very controversial decision for a public figure at the time. Ali also refused to fight in Vietnam, was found guilty of draft evasion and was stripped of his title. Ali understood the obligation of being a public figure as the obligation of being true to himself. Here are 15 vocabulary words from quotes by Muhammad Ali, that are a mixture of the boastful, the witty and the reflective sides of the man and the champion.