Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and actor/comedian Billy Crystal will be among those delivering eulogies to the man known as the “People’s Champion”, while a statement from President Barack Obama will also be read out during the service. Center will open. The memorial service is expected to begin at 2 p.m. following the funeral, and will last around two hours.
Advertisement
“While he and I had a treasured relationship, the genesis of this love was through the love for my father”, she said.
Muhammad’s wife Lonnie Ali says, “I firmly believe Muhammad had something to do with all of this”.
Ali was the greatest boxer ever, but the moment he become a Muslim, he become a global icon unlike anything the world has seen before or since.
Survived by nine children, Muhammad Ali’s legacy goes beyond that of an ordinary man; it is a tale of an ordinary person who grew up to lead an extraordinary life. Ali’s name meant more to him than it does for those who had no choice in the matter.
“Now that I’m a Muslim and have the attractive name of Muhammad Ali, I can go all over the world”, he said after becoming a Muslim.
“Muhammad fell in love with the masses and they fell in love with him”, she said.
“Now as the world continues to flow into our city, it’s time for us to send him off tomorrow with great class and dignity and respect”, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer told a news conference on Thursday. Several of Ali’s family members, including a cousin who serves as a local attorney, are also listed as pallbearers.
If there is one thing that photos from Muhammad Ali’s funeral can show us is that the quotable and notable legend will never be forgotten.
While the first half of his life was marked by triumph as one of the world’s greatest athletes, Clinton said, “the second part of his life was more important because he refused to be imprisoned by the disease that kept him hamstrung longer than Nelson Mandela was kept in prison in South Africa”.
He was a champion who Crystal said was like watching a lightning bolt.
Comedian and longtime Ali friend Billy Crystal brought the house down with a rousing, amusing eulogy that included his famous impression of The Champ. “But he was so much more than a fighter”. “We all just told the stories and our memories”.
“My father had a big impact on his life”, Laila Ali continued.
Lerner was blunter than Crystal in referencing Trump: “We will not tolerate politicians or anyone else putting down Muslims, and blaming Muslims for a few people”, he said to a standing ovation. Muhammad wants young people of every background to see his life as proof that adversity can make you stronger.
Advertisement
With the graveside service complete, crowds have now gathered at the Kentucky Yum! “They met in 1980 when Ali visited Nairobi”. He was then honored in an interfaith ceremony attended by thousands in Louisville.
