When Muhammad Ali passed away on June 4th, 2016, those who knew him, admired him, fought him and loved him attested to his singular skill as a boxer, his fleet footwork and his way with words (especially of the trash-talking variety). What was often emphasized the most in these tributes, however, was how Ali was as much a political firebrand as a gamechanging pugilist – both the 20th century's consummate athlete and a social activist willing to sacrifice his career by standing up for what he believed. This was the heavyweight champion...
- 1/26/2017
- Rollingstone.com
What’s in a name? A lot, if you asked the late Muhammad Ali.
The boxing and civil rights icon, who famously changed his name from Cassius Clay after converting to Islam, once gave President John F. Kennedy’s youngest sister, Jean Kennedy Smith, some memorable advice about her own name.
Speaking about her recent memoir, The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy, during an event at the JFK Library in Boston on Tuesday night, the 88-year-old former ambassador to Ireland shared an untold story about Ali that she said she forgot to include in her book.
Smith recalled how...
The boxing and civil rights icon, who famously changed his name from Cassius Clay after converting to Islam, once gave President John F. Kennedy’s youngest sister, Jean Kennedy Smith, some memorable advice about her own name.
Speaking about her recent memoir, The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy, during an event at the JFK Library in Boston on Tuesday night, the 88-year-old former ambassador to Ireland shared an untold story about Ali that she said she forgot to include in her book.
Smith recalled how...
- 1/25/2017
- by Tierney McAfee
- PEOPLE.com
Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. in 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. As a young boy, Clay was first introduced to the world of boxing when his red-and-white Schwinn bicycle was stolen. An upset Clay reported the incident to Louisville police officer Joe Martin (1916-1996), who happened to be a boxing trainer, and described wanting to pummel the thief. It was then that Martin suggested to the 12-year-old Clay that he learn how to box and began training him. Martin would be Clay’s trainer throughout his six-year amateur career. Clay won the gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics for.
- 1/17/2017
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Wrap
Update with I Am The Greatest marathon: Television specials and special programming for the late Muhammad Ali are being put together quickly on both broadcast and cable networks, with ABC’s 20/20, CBS’s 48 Hours and Spike TV airing tributes to The Greatest on Saturday night and 60 Minutes re-airing its 1996 interview with Ali. We will update this post as more specials are announced, so keep checking back: Wednesday I Am The Greatest: The Adventures Of Muhammad Ali El…...
- 6/7/2016
- Deadline TV
Will Smith will join boxer Lennox Lewis and family members among the pallbearers at Muhammad Ali's funeral on Friday (June 10).
The actor, who earned his first Oscar nomination for portraying the sports legend in director Michael Mann's 2001 movie Ali, will be one of the eight people chosen to carry the late boxer and activist's coffin into the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, ahead of the service, which will feature eulogies from Billy Crystal and former president Bill Clinton.
Smith was one of the first celebrities to pay tribute to Ali following news of his death on Friday (03Jun16) at the age of 74.
The Men in Black star took to his Facebook page to remember his friend, writing, "You shook up the World! My Mentor & My Friend. You changed my Life. Rest in Peace."
Smith honoured Ali at last year's (15) Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year ceremony, where...
The actor, who earned his first Oscar nomination for portraying the sports legend in director Michael Mann's 2001 movie Ali, will be one of the eight people chosen to carry the late boxer and activist's coffin into the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, ahead of the service, which will feature eulogies from Billy Crystal and former president Bill Clinton.
Smith was one of the first celebrities to pay tribute to Ali following news of his death on Friday (03Jun16) at the age of 74.
The Men in Black star took to his Facebook page to remember his friend, writing, "You shook up the World! My Mentor & My Friend. You changed my Life. Rest in Peace."
Smith honoured Ali at last year's (15) Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year ceremony, where...
- 6/7/2016
- GossipCenter
Will Smith will have a special role in Muhammad Ali's memorial service on Friday. The actor, who portrayed the late boxing legend in the 2001 Oscar-nominated film Ali, is set to be a pallbearer, according to Entertainment Weekly. The three-time heavyweight champion died at the age of 74 on June 4 at 9:10 p.m. Mst, days after being treated for respiratory complications at a Phoenix-area hospital. The cause of death was "septic shock due to unspecified natural causes," family spokesperson Bob Gunnell confirmed on Saturday. Ali's casket arrived in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday ahead of the June 10 funeral and public memorial service,...
- 6/7/2016
- by Karen Mizoguchi
- PEOPLE.com
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