RIP Muhammad Ali

Yep. Other than some oddball fights in the early 20th century, it might be the weirdest place to ever stage a heavyweight title fight.
It's also part of the reason people think that fight was fixed. That was the infamous "Phantom Punch" fight. There's conspiracy theories out there that say it was in Lewiston to keep the scrutiny a bit lower. IIRC, their first fight was in Miami.

 

A lot of it, I imagine, was know the can already, but that was an impressive piece of writing by Tim Dahlberg in the obit.

 

This has been a horrid year for losing celebrities across the spectrum.

 

Most famous human ever?

 

Who was the last truly iconic sports figure to die? I was born after 1975, so I wasn't around for Ali's heyday, but I can't remember someone's this legendary passing. Maybe I have a poor memory.

 

The only other one on his level as far as being legendary goes is Pele and he's still with us.

 

Babe Ruth.

 

Good call.

 

Yogi Berra.

 

In America alone perhaps. But Ali was beloved on every continent. It helped that he came along post-WWII, post-TV and pre-cable and Internet.

 

I am in Bordeaux, France right now, and Ali's death is the lead story on all the TV news channels, even though the Seine is flooding and the most celebrated parts of Paris could be underwater today. They shut down the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay to move some art to higher ground. So yes, I believe he was the most famous athlete in history. At the British newspaper the Guardian, it was speculated he might also have been the most photographed human being in history. Whoever met him without at least trying to get a snapshot?