– Ali spirit ‘will never die’ –
Boxing began mourning its greatest star with ultimate praise.
“We lost a legend, a hero and a great man,” said Floyd Mayweather, who retired last year as an unbeaten welterweight champion. “He’s one of the guys who paved the way for me to be where I’m at. Words can’t explain what Muhammad Ali did for the sport.”
Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson tweeted: “God came for his champion. So long great one. @MuhammadAli TheGreatest RIP.”
Four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield said he was inspired by Ali.
“It’s a great loss,” Holyfield said. “Someone asked me if I wanted to break his record (as a three-time champion) and I said no because that means I have to lose. But you find out you have to be stronger to get up from a loss to go on. And that’s what Ali proved.”
Don King, who promoted the Rumble in the Jungle, said Ali will live on forever alongside other US civil rights heroes.
“He was tremendous, not just a boxer, a great human being, an icon,” King said. “Muhammad Ali’s spirit, like Martin Luther King Jr., will live on. That’s why Muhammad Ali will never die.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver also hailed Ali’s immortality and courage.
“Muhammad Ali transcended sports with his outsized personality and dedication to civil rights and social justice,” Silver said. “While we are deeply saddened by his loss, Muhammad Ali’s legacy lives on in every athlete who takes a stand for what he or she believes.”
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