Muhammad Ali tributes: ‘To put him as a boxer is an injustice’

The death of Muhammad Ali, the former heavyweight champion known as much for his political activism as his boxing brilliance, triggered a worldwide outpouring of affection and admiration for one of the best-known figures of the 20th century.

Ali, who had long suffered from Parkinson’s syndrome which impaired his speech and made the once-graceful athlete almost a prisoner in his own body, died at 74.

The cause of death was septic shock due to unspecified natural causes, a family spokesman said.