ALI THE GREATEST - 1942 2016

June 3, 2016 - File - MUHAMMAD ALI, the three time heavyweight boxing champion, has died at the age of 74. He had been fighting a respiratory illness. The Greatest was the dominant heavyweight boxer of the 1960s and 1970s, Ali won an Olympic gold medal in Rome in 1960, captured the professional world heavyweight championship on three separate occasions, and successfully defended his title 19 times. June 26, 1976 - Tokyo, Japan - MUHAMMAD ALI (born: Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.), 34, vs. ANTONIO INOKI. The fight between American boxer Ali and Japanese professional wrestler Inoki was held at the Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo. At the time, Ali had come off a knockout victory over R. Dunn in May and was the reigning WBC/WBA Heavyweight Champion. Inoki, who had been taught the art of catch wrestling by legendary wrestler K. Gotch, was staging exhibition fights against champions of various martial arts, in an attempt to show that pro wrestling was the dominant fighting discipline. The fight itself, which was fought under special rules, is seen as a precursor to modern mixed martial arts The result of the fight has been long debated by the press and fans. The fight was refereed by G. LeBell

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Budokan Debated Defended Discipline Dominant Dunn File Fought Gotch Heavyweight Inoki Itself Knockout Legendary Mixed Muhammad Nippon Precursor Reigning Respiratory Result Rules Separate Staging Successfully Taught Wrestler Wrestling

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