Sad news has come out of the boxing world. Middleweight boxer turned racial injustice symbol Rubin "Hurricane'' Carter passed away at the age of 76. Caregiver John Artis confirmed he died in his sleep after a long battle with prostate cancer.
Carter was a boxer known for his imposing in-ring demeanor and powerful punches, but he eventually became more known for being unjustly sent to prison in 1967 for three murders that happened a year prior in Paterson, NJ. He was convicted by an all-white jury based on no evidence and the testimony of two thieves who later took back their story.
Nine years and a Bob Dylan song later, Carter was freed briefly only to go to trialed and be convicted again. He was eventually freed in 1985 after multiple appeals and public awareness.
The late boxer went on to become an advocate for the wrongly accused. He was also played by Denzel Washington on his 1999 biography The Hurricane.
"This man right here is love,'' Washington said when he was with Carter at the 2000 Golden Globes, according to ESPN. "He's all love. He lost about 7,300 days of his life, and he's love. He's all love.''
[via ESPN]
