 Ali used the poem to taunt Sonny Liston at the press conference prior to his February 25, 1964, victory over the WBA and WBC champion to claim both titles.Brown died on 24 September 1987 in Los Angeles County, California at the age of 59 from medical complications of injuries sustained in a previous car accident.He pinched a nerve in his spine in the crash and subsequently suffered a serious fall at home, from which he never recovered.