“His hand was like the size of a mountain and I looked up to him like, ‘Wow!’ It was just a pretty incredible feeling and I’m sure if these kids could have experienced something that great, they would probably be owning a gym in a few years”, said Smith.
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Many in the United Kingdom will remember Ali’s four appearances on Michael Parkinson’s chat show in the 1970s and 1980s, when the TV interviewer at times struggled to get a word in during the boxer’s bombastic appearances.
Parkinson’s syndrome was eventually diagnosed but Ali continued to make public appearances, receiving warm welcomes wherever he travelled.
A statement from the Ali family said they “would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and support”.
Ali was definitely no stranger to Charm City.
Ali was hospitalized in the Phoenix area early this week, but his condition quickly deteriorated, and his family came to his bedside.
Ali was also renowned for his flamboyant style.
He was handed his first professional defeat by Joe Frazier in the “Fight of the Century” in NY on 8 March 1971, only to regain his title with an eighth-round knockout of George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) on 30 October 1974.
Ali, Frazier & Foreman we were 1 guy.
Ali – born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr in Louisville on January 17, 1942 – dazzled fans with slick moves in the ring, and with his wit and engaging persona outside it. He was outspoken, eloquent cocky, amusing and poetic, with perhaps his most famous line being that he could “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”.
Frank Green, of Louisville takes a photograph of a memorial for Muhammad Ali at the Muhammad Ali Center.
He went on to become the first man in history to win the world heavyweight title three times, and along the way fought racism, was stripped of his world title for refusing to fight for the United States in Vietnam and lost his boxing licence for close to four years as a result.
But he held firm to his beliefs and eventually earned accolades as an activist. “But we are so happy that our Daddy is at peace”.
Almost 1,600 people have signed a Change.org petition asking that a controversial Confederate statue standing at the University of Louisville be replaced with a statue of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, the Louisville Cardinal reports.
He lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Games in Atlanta and carried the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony for the 2012 Games in London. But those who spoke, like Russo, spoke only of Ali.
Muhammad’s son Asaad Ali, his only child with fourth wife and widow Lonnie Williams, wrote on Instagram, “Forever grateful for everything you have ever gave me.You’ve shown me how to love the world in ways I didn’t know possible”. “I didn’t even want to show my true feelings and emotions of how I felt”.
“Never be afraid”, Mayweather said.
Ali left behind a legacy that defined him as much more than an athlete – he was famous for standing up for his right to not fight in Vietnam decades ago.
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Mayweather’s great rival Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines said the world had lost “a giant”.
