adminLOUISVILLE. – Muhammad Ali won another round of love and appreciation for his achievements as a fighter in and out of the boxing ring. He even got the hardware to prove it. The latest celebration of the three-time world heavyweight champion and self-proclaimed “Greatest Of All Time” featured former champions and Larry Holmes and George Foreman, two notable opponents who gladly came to honour Ali as Sports Illustrated named its Sportsman Legacy Award after him on Thursday night in his Kentucky hometown.
Friends, associates, dignitaries and former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal also were on hand for the ceremony on the 40th anniversary of Ali’s third fight with Joe Frazier in the Philippines, an epic 14-round battle known as the “Thrilla in Manila.” Ali earned his second victory over Frazier when the former champion didn’t come out for the final round, and that fight is considered one of the greatest events in boxing and sports.
The 73-year-old Ali is battling Parkinson’s disease. Seated at a front table with wife Lonnie to his right, the champion wore sunglasses as a slide show of iconic photos played behind him. He did not speak and photos initially weren’t permitted during a ceremony in which he received a silver award plate from the magazine to a standing ovation.
The champ broke a big smile when O’Neal arrived and playfully took Lonnie’s place at the table. Ali’s presence was one of a few yearly visits home, as he spends most of his time in Arizona along with homes in several states. Ali’s victory and other notable moments were highlighted on a backdrop of two dozen Sports Illustrated magazine covers at different points of his three-decade career as a fighter and half-century as a humanitarian. He has appeared on 39 covers overall. – AFP.
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