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Farewell to The Greatest: Thousands are bidding a final goodbye to legendary boxer Muhammad Ali

Samuel Uban June 10, 2016 No comments
 Thousands bidding a final farewell to The Greatest during miles-long funeral procession
Thousands are bidding a final farewell to legendary boxer Muhammad Ali in a miles-long funeral procession and service in his hometown where his coffin is being taken around his old neighborhood in a hearse.

Actor Will Smith and boxer Mike Tyson are among the pallbearers who placed Ali's coffin in the black hearse for the procession that began around 10.35am ET, about 65 minutes after the scheduled start time. 
The procession started at his boyhood home where he shadowboxed and dreamed of greatness.
Pallbearers, including Will Smith, Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson, place Muhammad Ali's casket in the hearse ahead of the funeral procession
It will then travel to the boulevard that bears his name and the museum that stands as a lasting tribute to his boxing triumphs and his humanitarian causes outside the ring.
Mourners standing alongside the procession route could be heard chanting 'Ali' and waving and clapping at the vehicle carrying his body.
Louisville is accustomed to being in the limelight each May when the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs captures the world's attention. 
But the send-off for the three-time heavyweight champion and global advocate for social justice looms as one of the city's most historic events.
This is the second day of memorial ceremonies for Ali, who died last Friday age 74, as yesterday more than 14,000 mourners joined the family for the traditional Muslim prayer service at Kentucky's Freedom Hall to celebrate the sporting legend's extraordinary life.
'We've all been dreading the passing of The Champ, but at the same time we knew ultimately it would come,' Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said. 
'It was selfish for us to think that we could hold on to him forever. Our job now, as a city, is to send him off with the class and dignity and respect that he deserves.'
Ali died last Friday at 74 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.The faithful traveled from all over the world to pay their respects. 
Thousands more have lined the procession route Friday to wave a final goodbye to the city's favorite son.
The motorcade started at the funeral home and headed north onto the interstate. It then paused briefly to overlook the Muhammad Ali Center in the heart of downtown.
The cars will head west onto Muhammad Ali Boulevard, pass the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage and visit his childhood home on Grand Avenue. 
Actor Will Smith is seen above at the funeral procession for Muhammad Ali, as it gets ready to leave the funeral home and makes its way to the city of Louisville

MUHAMMAD ALI'S PUBLIC FUNERAL SERVICE PLANS FOR FRIDAY

The procession and memorial service on Friday follow a traditional Muslim funeral service held Thursday afternoon. 
The motorcade will begin at the funeral home and head north onto the interstate. 
It will pause briefly as it overlooks the Muhammad Ali Center in the heart of downtown. 
The cars will head west onto Muhammad Ali Boulevard, pass the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage and visit his childhood home on Grand Avenue. 
Then it will turn toward his final resting place. Officials predict a 90-minute tour.
The procession ends at Cave Hill Cemetery where his family and closest friends will gather for a private burial. 
At 2 pm, thousands will gather at the KFC Yum Center for a final send-off befitting The Greatest. 
Former President Bill Clinton, a longtime friend of the late boxing legend, is preparing to deliver the eulogy at the 15,000-capacity KFC Yum! Center on Friday for Muhammad Ali's public funeral services.
Actor Billy Crystal and sportscaster Bryant Gumbel, will also deliver eulogies for Ali at the service.
Speakers from multiple faiths including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Mormonism will be followed by Ali's wife, daughter Maryum Ali, Crystal and Gumbel.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and King Abdullah II of Jordan had been scheduled to speak but lost their slots due to lack of program space.
'It's not about who they are, it's about the fact that we just don't have room on the program for them,' family spokesman Bob Gunnell said, adding that their representatives were 'gracious and understood' when told.
Actor Will Smith, who played Muhammad Ali in the blockbuster movie Ali, and former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson are among the eight pallbearers.
Also serving are Jerry Ellis, brother of Jimmy Ellis, who was Ali's former sparring partner and former world heavyweight champion, several of Ali's relatives and a friend from Louisville. 
Valerie Jarrett, a senior White House adviser, will read a letter Obama wrote to Ali's family at the service. 
The president could not attend the funeral because his daughter Malia is graduating from high school. 
Then it will turn toward his final resting place. Officials predict a 90-minute tour.
The procession will end at Cave Hill Cemetery where his family and closest friends will gather for a private burial.
At 2 pm, thousands will gather at the KFC Yum Center for a final send-off befitting The Greatest. 
The service will feature a eulogy by former President Bill Clinton, a longtime friend, and remarks by comedian Billy Crystal, television journalist Bryant Gumbel and the champ's wife, Lonnie. 
The king of Jordan and president of Turkey were scheduled to attend. But Turkey's President has cut short his trip to the US and will not attend the funeral of boxer Muhammad Ali, his office said Friday, amid reports of a rift with the ceremony's organizers.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan had specially flown to Louisville in the southern US state of Kentucky to say farewell to Ali, who the Turkish president is known to have admired hugely as a committed Muslim and civil rights campaigner. 
Erdogan on Thursday attended a prayer ceremony for Ali and had been due to attend the funeral on Friday along with several other high profile political leaders.
But the president's office said that Erdogan left the United States for Turkey late Thursday after attending the prayer ceremony and joining a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner with the US diaspora of Meskhetian Turks who were expelled from their homeland by Stalin in the 1940s.
Erdogan and King Abdullah II of Jordan were scheduled to speak at the champion boxer's service on Friday, but was cut due to lack of program space.
Actor Will Smith and ex-boxers Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis will be among the pallbearers at this service as well. 
Tyson took a red-eye flight from Las Vegas to be in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, according to Ali family spokesman Bob Gunnell.

Gunnell said Tyson wasn't sure whether he would attend the service because of an earlier commitment. 
He said Tyson was highly emotional when he learned of Ali's death and wasn't sure whether he could handle the emotions of Ali's memorial.
President Barack Obama was unable to make the trip because his daughter, Malia, is graduating from high school. 
Valerie Jarrett, a senior White House adviser, will read a letter Obama wrote to Ali's family at the service.
In a video message, Obama said: 'This week we lost an icon. A person who for African Americans, I think, liberated their minds in recognizing that they could be proud of who they were.'
The boxer's youngest son, Asaad Ali, 25, shared his recollections and his final moments with his father on the TODAY show Friday with Matt Lauer.  
'What I can say about that room (before Ali died), it was just a really emotional, powerful, spiritual moment that we all shared with him', Asaad said. 
'I was able to say my last few words that I really wanted to say to him for a while now'. 
Asaad, who was born roughly a decade after his father left the boxing ring, is the youngest of Ali's nine children.  
He shared how his famed father would often pick up people while driving home on the street and taken them back home to do magic tricks.   
'We could be driving down the street and there'd be somebody on the road — in the middle of the road,' Asaad said. 
'And he'd pick 'em up and we'd put 'em in the car and he'd take 'em home to do magic tricks. My mom would be furious at him'.
In addition, he also shared how Ali would reveal glimpses of the prowess and agility that made him the legendary boxer, even while suffering from Parkinson's disease at age 60.   
'We were sitting chair to chair next to each other and there was a lamp and a table in between us. There was a fly, just wandering around. He just snatched it outta nowhere. He just looked at me at said, 'I still got it''.

‘I STILL GOT IT’: ALI’S SON REVEALS HOW HIS FATHER EVEN AT 60 WOULD SURPRISE HIM WITH TRICKS THAT MADE HIM THE GREATEST 

 
The boxer's youngest son, Asaad Ali, 25, shared his recollections and his final moments with his father on the TODAY show Friday with Matt Lauer.  
'What I can say about that room (before Ali died), it was just a really emotional, powerful, spiritual moment that we all shared with him', Asaad said. 
 'I was able to say my last few words that I really wanted to say to him for a while now'.
 Asaad, who was born roughly a decade after his father left the boxing ring, is the youngest of Ali's nine children.  
He shared how his famed father would often pick up people while driving home on the street and taken them back home to do magic tricks.   
'We could be driving down the street and there'd be somebody on the road — in the middle of the road,' Asaad said. 
'And he'd pick 'em up and we'd put 'em in the car and he'd take 'em home to do magic tricks. My mom would be furious at him'.
In addition, he also shared how Ali would reveal glimpses of the prowess and agility that made him the legendary boxer, even while suffering from Parkinson's disease at age 60.   
'We were sitting chair to chair next to each other and there was a lamp and a table in between us. There was a fly, just wandering around. He just snatched it outta nowhere. He just looked at me at said, 'I still got it''.
The youngest son of the legend shared that his father was tough in how he dealt with the effects of the disease. 
'He was a man that never complained, never showed weakness,' Asaad Ali, is an assistant baseball coach at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa, said. 
'You never could never tell what days were bad with Parkinson's, what days were good. Because he's that kind of person. He's tough, he's strong.'
The memorial for the fighter is expected to draw 15,000 people and will bookend a week-long series of planned services and spontaneous celebrations.
The Ali Center stopped charging people for admission. A tour company began impromptu tours of Ali's path through the city. 
Businesses printed his quotes across their billboards. City buses flashed 'Ali - The Greatest' in orange lights across their marquees. 
A downtown bridge said it would be lit the rest of the week in red and gold: red for his gloves and gold for his medal.
Years ago, the champ signed off on how he wished to say goodbye to the world. One of his mandates was that ordinary fans attend, not just VIPs. 
Thousands of free tickets were snatched up within an hour, many fans waiting hours for the chance to witness history.
'Everybody feels a sense of loss with Ali's passing,' said Mustafa Abdush-Shakur, who traveled from Connecticut to pay tribute to him. 'But there's no need to be sad for him. We're all going to make that trip.'
Ali's second wife, Khalilah Camacho-Ali, and his third wife, Veronica Porche-Ali, whom he had an affair with prior to marrying, were in attendance for the Jenazah, an Islamic funeral prayer, in Louisville, Kentucky, on Thursday. His first wife, Sonji Roi, passed away in 2005.
The traditional Muslim Jenazah service lasted a little over an hour as Muslims traveled from all over the world to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the Kentucky arena for a final tribute to Ali.  
Imam Zaid Shakir, a prominent US Muslim scholar, led the Jenazah prayer service. He told the crowd: 'We welcome all of you here today. We welcome the Muslims, we welcome the members of other faith communities, we welcome the law enforcement community.
'We welcome our sisters, our elders, our youngsters. All were beloved to Muhammad Ali.'
In an introductory prayer, Shakir said: 'Oh God, Almighty God, don't deprive us of his reward, don't cast us into tribulation after his departure. Forgive us and forgive him.'
Sherman Jackson, a member of the Muslim American community, offered condolences to Muhammad Ali's family at the prayer service for the boxing great, saying his death has taken something away 'from the sweetness of life itself.'
Jackson said Ali belonged to everyone but was 'an unapologetic fighter in the cause of black people in America — and not just the classes among black folks, but even more especially the masses.'
'Ali was the people's champion, and champion he did the cause of his people,' Jackson said.
He added that Ali 'did more to normalize Islam in this country than perhaps any other Muslim in the history of the United States,' exceeding the achievements of scholars and clerics because he demonstrated the religion's generosity and power. 
He also said that Ali put the question of whether you can be a Muslim and a proud American to rest.
'Indeed, he KO'd that question,' Jackson said.
A fellow Muslim who shares the boxing great's name traveled from Bangladesh. Mohammad Ali arrived with no hotel reservation, just a belief that this pilgrimage was important to honor the global icon in a traditional Islamic service.
The Ali from Bangladesh said he met the boxer in the early 1970s and they struck up a friendship based on their shared name. The Champ visited his home in 1978 and always joked he was his twin brother, he said.
Ali insisted the service be open to all. Mourners began trickling in shortly after the doors opened at 9am.
It appeared as though many members of the boxer's immediate family attended the Jenazah, including his two surviving ex-wives as Ali was married four times and was a serial adulterer.
His second wife, Khalilah Camacho-Ali, stood next to his fourth wife, Lonnie Ali, during the Muslim service. Ali and Khalilah Camacho-Ali, who was formerly named Belinda Boyd, were married in 1967 when she was just 17 years old.
The boxer married Lonnie Ali in 1986. They did not have any biological children together, but adopted a son together. They are pictured above together in 2011

She converted to Islam and the couple had four children together, Maryum, Rasheda, Jamilah and Muhammad Ali Jr.
Ali started having an affair with statuesque model Veronica Porche-Ali towards the end of his second marriage.
Veronica Porche-Ali became pregnant with the boxer's daughter, Hana Ali, and his marriage to his second wife ended in divorce in 1977.
He then married Veronia Porche-Ali that same year and they went on to have their second daughter, Laila Ali.
They eventually divorced in 1986 and Ali married Lonnie Ali that same year. They did not have any biological children together, but adopted a son together.
Attendees at his Muslim service on Thursday were young and old; black, white and Arabic. Some wore traditional Islamic garb, others blue jeans or business suits.
Organizers say the service was meant especially as a chance for Muslims to say goodbye to a man considered a hero of the faith.
Former boxer Sugar Ray Leonard attended the Muslim prayer service for his friend whom he called 'a man of great character and courage.'
He said Ali's most important contributions were as a humanitarian and a fighter for civil rights and social justice and that Ali 'impacted the world.'
Leonard believes Ali's most memorable moment as a boxer was when he defeated George Foreman to reclaim the world heavyweight boxing title in 1974. Leonard said he 'was so afraid that George was going to kill him.'
He said Ali 'meant the world' to him: 'He was my idol, my friend, my mentor. He was someone that I looked up to and someone who I tried to emulate during my boxing career.'
Will Smith
Mike Tyson

Ali's body is riding in a miles-long procession spanning his life - from his boyhood home where he shadowboxed and dreamed of greatness 
Ali's funeral procession in Louisville, Kentucky
Ali's funeral procession in Louisville, Kentucky


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