Chicago Cubs: The entire world paying tribute to Muhammad Ali

Before the Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks took the field Saturday afternoon, both clubs and the fans in attendance paid their respects to Muhammad Ali. Wrigley Field held a moment of silence for one of the greatest athletes of all-time.

We’ve all heard the infamous “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” quote from the best boxer in the history of its sport. The man is formerly known as Cassius Marcellus Clay or the original ‘The People’s Champion’ (sorry Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) was respected by millions of people.

When word of his passing was dished out to the public, thousands of professional athletes began paying their respects to the man who shook the world of professional boxing and society itself.

People such as the President of the United States, Barack Obama, those who work for the WWE, UFC, boxers from all over the globe, reporters, musicians, actors, actresses, news anchors, etc. – have come together in remembering the legacy of The Champ.

Ali, who passed away at the age of 74, headlined three of the top fights ever billed against Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman which was also dubbed “The Rumble in the Jungle” back in October of 1974.

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Needless to say, he began fighting and retired long before I was ever thought of. So like most legendary athletes who competed before my time, I had to live through either highlights or stories from my elders who had the opportunity to watch certain individuals.

Even Chicago Cubs skipper Joe Maddon sat down and reflected on the life and career of Ali saying, “I remember listening to the fight when he beat Sonny Liston, the first time in Miami. I remember listening to that on the radio.” before the game as reported by ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers.

Aside from Maddon, Cubs great Andre Dawson mentioned how he met Ali (Clay at the time) when he was a boy ( a 14-year difference between the two men) attending elementary school and spoke.

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Dawson went on to talking about how he was watching the news when it was reported that he was in grave condition and later dozed off. The 61-year-old former outfielder known as “The Hawk” turned on SportsCenter at the time they were paying their respects to the three-time World Heavyweight Champion.

Ali ended his career with a record of 56-6 with 37 of those wins coming via knockout and was listed as the No. 1 heavyweight boxer in history and best trash talker of all time.