Ali died one week ago at the age of 74 to an outpouring of grief, remembrance and celebration for the most revered boxer to ever lace up a glove.
Mourners from the sport, including ex-world champions and pallbearers Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, George Foreman and Larry Holmes, were joined by a mass of stars as Billy Crystal, Will Smith and former US President Bill Clinton assembled in Kentucky to pay their respects to ‘The Greatest’.
As Ali made his way through the mass of people, chants of ‘Ali, Ali, Ali’ rang out in respect of a man who transcended way beyond merely throwing punches.
Funeral procession: Louisville Government
Since his passing, there has been a never-seen-before showing of love from fans and friends around the world, not-to-mention more column inches written than any other sportsperson in history.
The service for Ali began at 2pm local time and featured eulogies from Crystal and Clinton, whilst Attallah Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X, and Ali’s wife Lonnie spoke about the three-time world champion in from of hundreds of invited guests including King Abdullah of Jordan.
The world will certainly never forget the Louisville-born 1960 Olympic champion who gave so much of himself and bravely battled the debilitating Parkinson’s disease with such dignity until the end.
