Photos:: Muhammad Ali through the years

Muhammad Ali, second from right, stands on the medal podium at the Olympic Games in Rome after winning the light-heavyweight gold medal. Zbigniew Pietrzykowski of Poland, the man he beat in the final, is on his left.  (IOC / Allsport)

Boxer Muhammad Ali is seen with his trainer, Angelo Dundee, at City Parks Gym in New York on Feb. 8, 1962.  (Dan Grossi / Associated Press)

Heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, left, and Muhammad Ali exchange punches during their first fight in Miami on Feb. 25, 1964. Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, defeated Liston by technical knockout in the seventh round to claim the title.  (Hulton Deutsch / Allsport)

Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali stands over fallen challenger Sonny Liston, shouting after knocking him down with a short, hard right to the jaw during their bout in Lewiston, Maine, on May 25, 1965.  (John Rooney / Associated Press)

Muhammad Ali trains in London in 1966.   (Wesley / Getty Images)

Muhammad Ali, left, smiles as he plays notes on a piano while sitting next to recording artist Etta James on Sept. 22, 1974.  (Horst Faas / Associated Press)

While in Zaire preparing for his upcoming bout against George Foreman, Muhammad Ali declares in the Lingala language, “ako bo mai ye,” which translates as “I will kill him” while appearing before a crowd of fans on Sept. 12, 1974.  (Horst Faas / Associated Press)

Mobutu Sese Seko, center, president of Zaire, raises the arms of George Foreman, left, and Muhammad Ali during a rally in Kinshasa on Sept. 22, 1974, to promote their upcoming heavyweight title bout.  (Horst Faas/ Associated Press)

Muhammad Ali, right, punches George Foreman in the head during their heavyweight title bout in Zaire on Oct. 30, 1974.  (Ed Kolenovsky / Associated Press)

Muhammad Ali addressing the crowd before his heavyweight title victory over Leon Spinks in New Orleans in 1978.  (Keystone / Getty Images)

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, right, clowns around with Oscar De La Hoya while appearing together in New York on Dec. 2, 1997.  (Doug Kanter / Associated Press)

Muhammad Ali watches as the flame climbs up to the Olympic torch while taking part in the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.  (Doug Mills / Associated Press)

Muhammad Ali acknowledges the cheers of the crowd during halftime of the gold-medal basketball game between the United States and Yugoslavia at the Atlanta Olympic Games on Aug. 3, 1996.  (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)

Former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali throws playful punch toward a photographer while sitting on a bus in front of Locke High School in December 1996.  (Ken Lubas / Los Angeles Times)

Muhammad Ali, left, and George Foreman arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in Los Angeles on March 24, 1997.  (E.J. Flynn / Associated Press)

Boxing great Muhammad Ali, left, and heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield pose for the camera while attending the ESPY Awards in New York on Feb. 10, 1997.  (Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images)

Muhammad Ali, right, and his daughter, boxer Laila Ali, pose for a picture during a celebrity roast for charity in Los Angeles on Nov. 16, 2000.  (Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press)

President Bill Clinton presents boxing great Muhammad Ali with a Presidential Citizens Medal during a ceremony at the White House on Jan. 8, 2001.  (Ron Edmonds / Associated Press)

Muhammad Ali stands with his wife, Lonnie, while waving to friends attending his 70th birthday celebration at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Ky., on Jan. 14, 2012.  (Mark Humphrey / Associated Press)