The world was left in a state of shock Friday when word came out that Muhammad Ali aka Cassius Clay, had reportedly died at the age of 74. After being admitted earlier in the week due to respiratory issue, no one really expected the boxing great to give up that easily though his fight was complicated with his lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Like most personalities and companies familiar with Muhammad Ali, Apple did its part in honoring the former boxing champion.
A look over at the Apple site shows a black and white photo showing Muhammad Ali with one of his iconic fighting poses capped with a a quote on the lower left side read: “The man who has no imagination has now wings”.
Apple has been a long-time supporter of Muhammad Ali who was even part of one of their campaign videos (“Think Different”) back in 1997. CEO Tim Cook even made a commemorative tweet about the heavyweight boxing great via Twitter.
Muhammad Ali is an icon in the sports of boxing known for being a fierce competitor marked by rivalries to other popular boxers that include Joe Frazier and Leon Spinks. His last win in the ring was against Spinks back in September 15, 1978 where he would announce his retirement.
To the surprise of many, Muhammad Ali would come out of retirement in what many believed was driven by his need for money. He would face Larry Holmes but lose via unanimous decision on October 2, 1980.
It was here where his physical condition was put into question, struggling with his vocal stutters and trembling hands. His last match could be against Trevor Berbick on December 11, 1982 where he lost via unanimous decision.
In 61 fights, Ali ended his boxing career with 56 wins and 5 losses. 37 of those wins came via knockout.