In a stunning reversal of fortunes, he was free to return to the ring. When he travelled to Central Africa to reclaim his title from George Foreman, none of the Sports Writers thought he could win. In fact most of them feared for his life. But in what the africans call at miracle at 4 00 a. M. , he became a champion once more. And as the years pass and those slowed by parkinsons, muhammed was compelled by his faith to use his name and his notoriety to sup victims of poverty and strife. He served as a u. N. Messenger of peace and travelled to places like wartorn afghanistan. He campaigned as an advocate for reducing the yoke of thirdworld debt. Et stunned the world when he secured the release of 15 hostages from iraq. As his voice grew softer, his message took on greater meaning. He came full circle with the people of his country. When he lit a torch that seemed to create new light in the 1996 olympics. Muhammed always knew instinctively the road he needed to travel. His friends know what i mean when i say he lived in the moment. He neither dwelled in the past, nor harbored anxiety about the future. Muhammed loved to laugh and he loved to play practical jokes on just about everybody. He was surefooted in his selfawareness, secure in his faith and he did not fear death. Yet, i had timing is once again poignant. His passing and its meaning for our time should not be overlooked. As we face uncertainty in a world in divisions at home, as to who we are as a people, muhammeds life provides useful guidance. Muhammed was not one to give up on the power of understanding, the boundless possibilities of love. And the strength of our diversity. He counted among his friends people of all political persuasions. Saw truth in all faiths and the nobility of all races as witnessed here today. Muhammed may have challenged his government, but he never ran from it. Or from america. He loved this country and he understood the hard choices that are borne of freedom. I think he saw a nations soul measured by the soul of its people. For his part, he saw the good soul in everyone. And if you were one of the lucky ones to have met him, you know what i meant. He awoke every morning thinking about his own salvation and he would often say, i just want to get to heaven. And ive got to do a lot of good deeds to get there. And i think muhammeds hope is that his life provides some guidance on how we might achieve for all people what we aspire for ourselves and our family. Thank you. [ applause ] the widow of muhammed ali. Speaking of his goodness, his gentleness, his warmth of spirit and how life was a real challenge in so many different ways for him. And now to be followed by the daughter, one of the daughters of muhammed ali. The eldest. Peace be with you, everyone here and on behalf of the ali family. I just want to say thank you to louisville, kentucky, all the love youve shown us in our lives has been unbelievable. Also i want to thank the entire globe, my father was loved all over. The processional today was overwhelming. But it was so beautiful. I just want to say we love you like you love us, thank you very much. [ applause ] as you know, my father loved poetry. He was always rhyming and promoting his fights and he had poems of the heart. Spiritual poems and poems to promote. And i just wrote a peace for him, in honor of him on behalf of my sisters and brothers and everyone who loves my father. Its called thank you, our dear father. My heart was sore when your sick spirit soared. Your physical body is no more. But my mind tells different tales of all that you taught me, your family and the masses. Most importantly, the belief in god who created humanity to thrive in equality. You fought for a purpose to uphold the principle that we as a people have divine human rights. Staring right into the eyes of oppression, you proclaimed your beautiful complexion. Your godgiven skills, your independent will. And the freedom of your faith. As your daughter i am grateful for all of our conversations about men, women and relationships. Guiding me to first have a loving relationship with self. Refusing anyone to chip away at my esteem. And expect the respect of a queen. Thank you, our dear father, for asking us to think about our purpose. And showing us the beauty of service to others. We marvelled at your sincere love for people as you treated all who approached you with dignity. Whether they were rich or poor, your kindness was unconditional. Never perceiving anyone as beneath you. So many have shared personal stories about what you have meant to them. As you have exemplified values and qualities that have enhanced their lives. If i had every dollar for every story, i could pay for the sky. Your family is so proud of the legacy you left behind. But i hope that the history of you can help turn the tide of selfhate an violence, because we are overwhelmed with moments of silence for tragic deaths. Here on the soil, american soil, in the middle east or anywhere else in this world, we crave for peace. That peace that you rest in now. We will forever cherish the 74 years you graced this earth. You will be greatly missed. But now we send you off in celebration, a blown kiss and prayers. As you enter your final round. Gods last boxing bell will sound in heaven. I love you, we all love you. Thank you very much. [ cheers and applause ] ladies and gentlemen, rasheda ali walsh. [ applause ] i, we are so honored that you have packed this room with your love. Thank you all. Thank you so much for being here today. To celebrate our father. You are the greatest father to us. And it was gods will to take you home. Your family will try our best to make you proud, and carry on your legacy of giving and love. You have inspired us in the world to be the best version of ourselv ourselves. May you live in paradise, free from suffering. You shook up the world in life. Now youre shaking up the world in death. Daddy is looking at us now, right and saying, i told you i was the greatest no one compares to you, daddy. You once said i know where im going. And i know the truth. And i dont have to be what you want me to be. Im free to be who i am. Now you are free to be with your creator. We love you so much, daddy. Until we meet again, fly, butterfly, fly. [ applause ]. Hello. My name is ali jenocola. I was born on muhammed alis birthday and was named after him. He used to call me the little greatest. We can all learn from muhammeds example of kindness and understanding. When muhammed was asked how he would like to be remembered, he said i like to, i like for them to say he took a few cups of love, he took one tablespoon of patience, one teaspoon of generosity, one pint of kindness, he took one court of laughter, one pinch of concern and he mixed willingness with happiness, he added lots of faith and he stirred it up well. He spread it over a span of a lifetime. And he served it to each and every deserving person he met. Thank you. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, natasha boncouer. Before i begin, i would just like to say that im truly humbled and honored to be here. And i would like to thank the Muhammed Ali Center and the ali family for giving me the opportunity to speak. And to echo the voice that muhammed has given me. So let me tell you a story about a man. A man who refused to believe that reality was limitation to achieve the impossible. A man who once reached up through the pages of a textbook and touched the heart of an 8yearold girl. Whose reflection of herself mirrored those who cannot see past the color of her skin. But instead of drawing on that pain from the distorted reality, she found strength. Just as this man did when he stood tall in the face of pelting rain and shouted i am the disturbance in the sea of your complacency. And i will never stop shaking your waves. And his voice echoed through hers. Through mine. And she picked up the rocks that were thrown at her and she threw them back with a voice so powerful that it turned all the pain that she had faced in her life into strength. And tenacity. And now that 8yearold girl stands before you, to tell you that alis cry still shakes these waves today. That we are to find strength in our identity. Whether we are black or white or asian or hispanic. Lgbt, disabled or ablebodied. Muslim, juish, hindu or christian. His cry represents those who have not been heard, and invalidates the idea that we are to be confirmed to one normative standard. That is what it means to defeat the impossible. Because impossible is not a fact, impossible is an opinion. Impossible is nothing [ applause ] when i look into this crowd i smile. I smile to recognize that he is not really gone. He lives in you and he lives in me. And he lives in every person that he has touched in every corner of this world. Reality was never a limitation for ali. For us, just as every punch his opponents threw, impossible is never enough to knock us down. Because we are ali. We are greater than the rocks or the punches that we throw at each other. We have the ability to empower and inspire and to connect and to unify and that will live on forever. So let me tell you a story about a man. His name is muhammed ali. He is the greatest of all time. He is from louisville, kentucky and he lives in each and every one of us. And his story is far from over. Thank you. [ cheers and applause ] so a very moving address by a student in louisville. Next up is a friend of muhammed ali, john ramsey. Thereafter billy crystal, comedian and actor, being bryant gumbel. President william j. Clinton. First of all on behalf of my fellow louisvillians to the ali family, we offer our condolences, our heartfelt prayers. And for lonnie ali, a very special prayer. We know that muhammed was blessed with many gifts, but none more precious than lonnie ali and we thank you so much. Ive got to tell you, louisville, when i was in the procession today, and i saw the tens of thousands of people and all the warmth and the love, and the respect that was shown for muhammed, i got to tell you my heart swelled with pride. I know he was watching from above and i know he absolutely loved it. Yeah. I dont think he would be surprised. I think muhammed would say louisville, kentucky, the greatest city of all times. Im feeling good. Man i tell you what, how can we lose with the stuff we use . Im feeling so good i think im going to make a comeback and change my name back t street. Thats how good i feel. You know, for me i always felt connected to muhammed, even before i met him. Maybe it was the fact that i was a louisville boy. Maybe its the fact that i love the louisville cardinals, like muhammed. You know, but as our relationship evolved, i found that a lot of people felt this personal connection with muhammed. And thats part of the ali magic. Initially for a lot of men my age and certainly myself, it was the athlete that i was attracted to. I mean, that kind of size, that kind of speed, agility, that grace, not only made him the heavyweight champion of the world three times, but it made him sports illustrateds sportsman of the century. The a. P. Athlete of the century. Certainly it made him the athlete, a once in a lifetime athlete. But i would argue that the combination of compassion, kindness, love and the ability to lift us up made him a once in a lifetime person. Muhammed was blessed with many gifts as i said and he was a wise and faithful steward of those gifts. Theres many stories about muhammed. But theres a couple that encapsulate what he was all about. I remember back in 2000, i made a trip to the summer olympics with muhammed. And one day he decided we were going to go see a boxing match. And i remember were ringside. The american wins, 15,000 people are chanting usa, usa. And i thought this is my olympic moment. I was filled with patriotic pride. The boxer came down from the ring. He took the obligatory picture with muhammed, the fisttochin shot. Hundreds of photographers were around the world were taking pictures. And then muhammed leaned down it me, whispered in my ear, said, i wants to see the loser. I said excuse me . He said i want to see the loser. I motioned over to an olympic official and i said muhammed wants to see the loser. Can we go to the losing locker room . And we get to the losing locker room and theres not tens of thousands of people. Theres not any photographers, theres just a kid in a corner on a stool. Got a towel around his neck. Hes got a bloody mouth under his eye. This has got to be the lowest point of his athletic career at the very least. Felt like he let down his country. Hes defeated and the vibe in that room was literally the lowest of low. But then when muhammed walks in, this kid recognizes him instantly. And in broken english, he said muhammed ali and muhammed started to dance, he said show me what you got, man. And muhammed starts throwing out jabs and this kid starts ducking and smiling and muhammed grabs him in a bear hug. Muhammed said i saw what you did out there, you looked good, youre moving good, you can be a champion, dont give up. I remember it warmed my heart, how he took this kid from here to here in an instant. I remember i got in the car and i said, muhammed, i tried to be a nice guy, but i got to tell you i was caught up in the moment. I didnt give that losing fighter a second thought. I said muhammed, youre the greatest. And muhammed said tell me something i dont already know. What i dont want people to forget, no doubt he is to me he is the finest example of a human that ive ever seen. The finest example of a great human being that ive ever seen. Of the kindness that a human possesses. That was muhammed ali. But dont forget about this, man. Muhammed was the coolest cat in the room. I mean he was goodlooking. He had charm. He had charisma. He had swagger before he knew what swagger was. I mean i remember, went to when he was about 25 years ago, came into town to visit his mother. He wanted to go to outback steak house. At the time in louisville there was a firemans convention. And all of these guys had their engine numbers on their shirt and sure enough. I had seen this scene a million times, these guys line up for an autograph. And i say muhammed if you like, i would will play the bad guy. He said no, ill sign between bites. Hes taking bites of his food and hes signing. This one guy walked up and can you tell hes a big fan. He knew muhammed. He was scared to death. All of this adrenaline flowing, he said champ, i saw the stance you made in the civil rights movement. I saw your stance against the vietnam war. He said ive got to tell you champ, youre my hero. He said ive got a picture of you at the firehouse, youre my hero. Muhammed instantly wanted to change the channel. He said youre the real hero, jumping in fires, saving lives, saving babies, putting your life on the line. He said man, you the real hero. And the fireman responds quickly. He knew all the nicknames. He said but man, you fought the bear, sonny liston. He said you fought the rabbit, floyd patterson. You fought big George Foreman. You fought smokin joe frazier. And muhammed interrupted and said yeah, but joe wasnt really smokin. I said muhammed, thats a good line. He said youre right, write that down. But it wasnt all about signing autographs and kissing babies. You know, if there was a village that needed food, in a thirdworld country, muhammed was on plane, will travel, with check. If there was a conflict and he could be part of a resolution, again, muhammed will travel. As lonnie had mentioned, if there were hostages to be released, muhammed was a man of action. One of my favorite quotes, i think its right here in your program. Muhammed said service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. I just want to say champ, your rent is paid in full. Your rent is paid in full. Your rent is paid in full. [ applause ] you know in fact i think hes paid it forward. Because he has taught us to love rather than to hate. To look for commonalities rather than differences. And so therefore, i think hes really paid it forward for all of us. So as we all know now, the fight is over, but im here to tell you, the decision is in, and it is unanimous because of muhammed ali, we all win. The world wins, thank you so much, muhammed. It is time for a man of peace to rest in peace. Thank you so very much. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen certainly one of the most entertaining and humorous, but not to be outdone by this man. Billy crystal. The actor and comedian. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Were at the halfway point. I was cleanshaven when this started. Dear lonnie, family, friends, mr. President , members of the clergy, all these amazing people here in louisville. Today this outpouring of love and respect proves that 35 years after he stopped fighting he is still the champion of the world. Last week when we heard the news time stopped. There was no war, there were no terrorists, no global catastrophes, the world stopped. Took a deep breath and sighed. Since then, my mind has been racing through my relationship with this amazing man, which is now 42 years that i know him. Every moment i can think of is cherished. While others can tell you of his accomplishments, he wanted me to speak to tell you of some personal moments we had together. I met him in 1974. I was just Getting Started as a standup comedian and struggling. But i had a one good routine. It was a threeminute conversation between Howard Cosell and muhammed ali where i would imitate both of them. Ali had just defeated George Foreman and regained the heavyweight title. Sport magazine made him the man of the year. And dick chap, was a editor for sport. He was going to host this televised dinner honoring muhammed ali. So dick called my agent looking for a comedian who did some sports material. As fate would have it, that comedian was not available and she wisely said its destiny, man. And she wisely said, i got this young kid and he does this great imitation of ali and cosell. He would be perfect for you. I dont know why, but dick said, okay. Ill try him. If he stinks, i can cut him out of the show. I couldnt believe it my first time on television. And it would be with ali. I ran to the plaza hotel. The event was planned. I met mr. Chap. Who would later become part of my family. He say how should i introduce you, nobody knows who you are and i said just say im one of alis closest and dearest friends. And my thought was ill get right to the microphone, go into my Howard Cosell and ill be fine. And then i nervously moved into the jammed ballroom and thats when i saw him for the first time in person. Its very hard to describe how much he meant to me. You had to live in his time. Its great to look at clips and its amazing that we have them. But to live in his time. Watching his fights. Its experiencing the genius of his talent was absolutely extraordinary. Every one of his fights was an aura of a super bowl. He did things nobody would do. He predicted the round that he would knock somebody out in, and then he would do it. He was funny. He was beautiful. He was the most perfect athlete you ever saw and those were his own words. But he was so much more than a fighter as time went on. With Bobby Kennedy gone. Martin luther king jr. Gone, malcolm x gone, who was there to relate to when