Ali died late Friday at age 74 after being hospitalized in the Phoenix area with respiratory problems earlier in the week.
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Ali, the three-time heavyweight champion boxer whose conviction in and outside the ring made him one of the world’s most transcendent superstars, had strong ties to Miami. The service will also be live-streamed at www.alicenter.org. Center and will feature speakers including former President Bill Clinton, sportswriter Bryant Gumbel and actor Billy Crystal.
There will also be a funeral procession through some of the city’s streets, although it is unclear at this stage if this will take place before or after the funeral itself.
She said family members were hugging and kissing him, holding his hands and chanting an Islamic prayer while his heart kept beating and called it a “true testament to the strength of his spirit and will”. Arguably the most symbolic personality of the turbulent and eclectic decade of the ’60s, he fought a 33-year bout with Parkinson ‘s disease.
“He was incredibly engaging, and so many people got to share a moment with the greatest of all-time”, Samson said.
The marriage to Khalilah Camacho Ali actually covered most of the major events of Muhammad Ali’s life, both inside the ring and outside. I was an Ali fan in every fight he ever fought.
Muhammad Ali shook up the world.
Jackson will not be able to attend because he’s announcing the NBA Finals, but his memory of Ali’s greatness will remain. In this 1971 interview with BBC, Ali speaks on his understanding of whiteness and segregation in America as a child.
“For me, I really looked up to him as a superstar”, Vanciclen said.
Longtime friend and promoter Bob Arum told me about how Ali was, shockingly, never angry or bitter as he served a three-and-a-half year ban from boxing and how he always remained an exceptionally generous and kind-hearted man. It humbled me. Thank you for the love.
Mr Gunnell said Ali’s body would return to Louisville within the next 24 to 48 hours.
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“He paved the way for professional fighters, including myself, elevating boxing to become a sport watched in millions of households around the world” – boxer Oscar De La Hoya, who won titles at six different weight classes.
