An interfaith memorial service celebrating the life of Muhammad Ali has taken place in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Dignitaries and fans from around the world have paid tribute to the late boxing legend.
Image: Reuters/L.Jackson
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Religious and political leaders, as well as numerous famous faces from the sporting world gathered at the interfaith ceremony on Friday which was held at the 20,000-seat KFC Yum! sports arena. Among them were former US President Bill Clinton and English football star David Beckham.
When planning his funeral a decade ago, the three-time world heavyweight champion also decided to open the memorial service to fans. Tickets to the ceremony were snapped up within an hour.
In her first public remarks since his death, Muhammad Ali's widow, Lonnie Ali talked about how Ali wanted to be remembered after his passing.
The casket bearing the remains of Muhammad Ali being placed into a hearseImage: Reuters/A. Latif
"Muhammad indicated that when the end came for him, he wanted to use his life and his death as a teaching moment. He wanted to remind people who are suffering that he had seen the face of injustice," she said. "He never became bitter enough to quit or engage in violence."
Comedian and friend of Ali, Billy Crystal said: "Ali forced us to take a look at ourselves. This brash young man thrilled us, angered us, confused us, challenged us, ultimately became a silent messenger of peace and taught us that life is best when you build bridges between people and not walls."
President Barack Obama was unable to make the trip because of his daughter Malia's high school graduation. But White House adviser Valerie Jarrett read a letter from the president at the service in which Obama said Ali helped give him the audacity to think he could one day be president.
"Muhammad Ali was America. Brash. Defiant. Pioneering. Never tired. Always game to test the odds. He was our most basic freedoms: religion, speech, spirit," Obama said.
'Ali! Ali!'
Muhammad Ali died last Friday from sceptic shock after a three-decades long battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 74 years old. He will be remembered as one of the most important athletes of the 20th century. Besides his multiple championships, Olympic gold medal and impressive win record, he was an outspoken supporter of many political causes.
Muhammad Ali's first-round knockout of Sonny Liston in 1965Image: Neil Leifer
As a Muslim leader welcomed the 15,000-strong congregation to the "home of the people's" the crowd burst into applause, chanting, "Ali! Ali!"
Leaders from several faiths spoke at the memorial service, including Louisville pastor Kevin Cosby. The Christian leader praised Ali for his efforts in breaking racial barriers, say that the boxing star "loved everyone" regardless of their background.
Ali "dared to affirm the power and capacity of African-Americans," Cosby said, adding that he infused African-Americans with a "sense of somebodiness."
Jewish Rabbi Michael Lerner also paid tribute to Ali for standing up for what he believed in. Due to his once-controversial conversion to Islam, Ali was temporarily banned from boxing and stripped of his titles after famously resisting to the Vietnam War and refusing to fight.
Street procession
Ahead of the ceremony on Friday, an estimated 100,000 people turned out along a 19-mile stretch in Louisville to see Ali's casket a it passed by on its way to the cemetery.
Image: Getty Images/T. Wright
A 17-car motorcade escorted "the Greatest," to his final resting place as fans tossed flowers and petals in the hearse's path. His nine children, his wife, two ex-wives and pall bearers Mike Tyson and Will Smith made up part of the procession.
Ali was laid to rest around noon local time in a private ceremony, one day after the champion's traditional Muslim funeral, which drew a crowd of 6,000 from all around the world.
Muhammad Ali's greatest fights
Muhammad Ali made history in many ways, including by twice winning back the world title he had lost. Along the way he had a number of memorable bouts like the "rumble in the jungle" or the "thrilla in Manilla."
Image: picture-alliance/empics
Olympic champion
At the age of 18 Cassius Clay (second from right) with the gold medal in the light-heavyweight division at the summer Olympics in Rome. "I was completely exhausted and just wanted the round to end," his opponent in the gold-medal bout, Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, whose face was covered in blood by the third round, later recalled. Clay turned pro later that same year.
Image: Getty Images/Central Press
The greatest
When Muhammad Ali first won the heavyweight title, he ran around the ring shouting "I am the greatest." Although many called him a loudmouth at the time, later nobody would dispute that he had earned the title he chose for himself, "the greatest boxer of all time."
Image: picture alliance/ZUMA Press/J. Joffe
First-round knockout
Ali faced Liston in the first defense of his title. He made short work of his much older opponent, sending Liston to the canvas just two minutes into the first round. "Get up you bum," Ali bellowed. The fight was stopped shortly afterwards.
Image: Neil Leifer
Slaying the 'fat bear'
Clay was outspoken ahead of his first shot at the world heavyweight title in 1964, when he faced Sonny Liston. The challenger promised to knock out the champ, whom he described as a "fat bear" in the eighth round. It took him just six. Liston's corner threw in the towel, saying he was suffering from a shoulder injury. Later that same year, Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
Image: picture-alliance/empics
Never again
Ali described his bout against West German boxer Karl Mildenberger in Frankfurt's Waldstadion in 1966, which was his sixth defense of his world title, as the toughest since he became champion. Ali won after the referee stopped the fight in the 12th round due to a cut over one of Mildenberger's eyes. Ali said he never wanted to fight the West German again.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Gutberlet
Defeat in the 'fight of the century'
The first defeat of Ali's professional career came against Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1971. Frazier knocked Ali down in the 15th round and won the fight in a unanimous decision. The two boxers earned what was then a record $2.5 million for what was dubbed the "fight of the century."
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Seven rounds of provocation
In 1974, Ali sought to win back the title by facing the champion, George Foreman in Kinshasa. Ali went into the bout as the underdog, as Foreman was one of the hardest punchers the sport has ever seen. Ali danced around for seven rounds taking punch after punch from the champion, taunting him the whole time.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
Knockout in the eighth round
Then suddenly, Ali burst into action, sending Foreman to the canvas with a lightning fast combination of punches. The "rumble in the jungle" was over after eight rounds. Ali had his belt back and became just the second heavyweight to regain the title.
Image: imago/UPI Photo
Victory in the 'thrilla in Manilla'
Many boxing experts regard Ali's fight against Joe Frazier in the Philippines in 1975 as the greatest contest ever. Both boxers tested their physical limitations in the "thrilla in Manilla." The referee stopped the fight with Ali leading on points in the 14th round because one of Frazier's eyes was so swollen that he was having trouble defending against Ali's punches.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Bizarre bout against a wrestler
In 1976 Ali tarnished his reputation somewhat by agreeing to take part in a bizarre fight against Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki. Inoki spent most of the time lying on the canvas and trying to kick at Ali's legs. Ali spent most of his time trying to reach down to punch him. The strange 15-round spectacle ended in a draw.
Image: picture alliance/IMAGNO
Title lost and recovered
In 1978 Ali made the mistake of not taking his opponent, Leon Spinks seriously. Overweight and having not trained very hard, Ali lost his title again. In a rematch later the same year, Ali became heavyweight champion for a third time and announced his retirement. His later comeback was unsuccessful.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Former foes
After his career, Ali would become friends with two of his toughest opponents in the ring, Joe Frazier and George Foreman.
