Ali passed away on Friday, June 3, at the age of 74 from septic shock due to unspecified causes.
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Approximately 18,000 people are expected to join the funeral prayer at Freedom Hall, where Ali defeated Willi Besmanoff in 1961 in his last fight in the city. He also announced that he had changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali while in the city.
Ali’s family removed him from life support on Friday, Gunnell said. Center, according to Gunnell, who said details would be released later Monday.
“This celebration for Muhammad will be a one-of-a-kind event for anywhere in the world (…) and for us”, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said, calling on the city’s residents to show the hospitality and compassion that Ali championed.
Miami Beach commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to rename a street after Muhammad Ali. “I just wanted them to know more about him”.
Actor Will Smith – who earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ali on the silver screen – and former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis will be among the pallbearers.
During that private moment between the procession and the memorial service, Bounce will air The Greatest, the 1977 film starring Ali as himself. “In the case of someone of Muhammad Ali’s stature, to leave any of those rights unfulfilled would be a crime”.
Some people spent the night in line on camping chairs and wrapped in blankets to make sure they got tickets.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed he will be there but President Barack Obama will not attend, remaining in Washington for the high school graduation ceremony of his eldest daughter, Malia.
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The police department is calling on some off-duty personnel to help, and the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau has lined up about 1,000 volunteers, its director said.
