Transcripts For CNNW New Day Saturday 20160604

Of fans. He passed away after this 32year battle with parkinsons disease. Muhammad ali, dont know if you are aware, he was born cassius clay in 1942 in louisville, k kentucky and started boxing at the age of 12. He went on of course to become threetime world heavyweight champion. As so many people know, in 1964 he joined the nation of islam, changed his name to muhammad ali after his retirement as parkinsons disease began to take away his motor skills, he became really an ambassador of peace and he raised millions of dollars for charity. The boxing champ was married four times. He is survived by nine children. Muhammad ali led a pretty inspirational life when all is said an done. Obviously has incredible boxing career but he had such strong work for hx causes and he never stopped fighting for what he believed in. He is known as a very principled man. And he always spoke out, quite clearly. Cnns wolf blitzer takes a look now at the boxing legends life. This is the legend of moment ali. The greatest fighter there ever will be. Reporter he proclaimed himself the greatest. And millions of fans around the world agreed. Float like a butter flu thbug like a bee. Reporter his charisma would make him one of the worlds best known personalities. But his persona began to emerge long before he captured his first heavyweight championship. He was born kashs Marcellus Clay jr. In louisville, kentucky during an ugly era of racial segregation in america. At 12 years old, ali aworld would change forever when a local Police Officer introduced him to boxing. It became an outlet for his rage. Cassius clay of chicago challenging jerry gosh. Reporter it also offered ali an opportunity to develop his remarkable talent. Just six years later ali would bring home a gold medal from the 1960 summer Olympic Games in rome. Hed turn pro at the age of just 18, and at 22 he stunned the boxing world defeating a fighter the experts thought was invincible. Sonny liston. Ali had arrived. He put liston away for the second time the next year. Civil rights would also become a controversial and polarizing period in his life. He renounced his given name and joined the volatile black separatist nation of islam. Almost as quick as he had arrived, ali aheavyweight title was gone revoked after he claimed conchen success objector status and refused to serve in the vietnam war. At the peak boxing age of 25, ali also gave up millions of dollars in endorsements and faced five years in prison, all in defiance of a war he called disspespicable and unjust. My intention is to box, to win a clean fight. But in war, the intention is to kill, kill, kill, kill, and continue killing innocent people reporter ali began a three and a half year exile from championship fights until the u. S. Supreme court overturned his conviction on a technicality. Better not fight like that with ali. No contest. Reporter but the world would soon learn that even superman has his off days. Ali was barely back in the ring when his undefeated professional record came to an end. He lost to joe frazier in the 1971 match dubbed the fight of the century. It was the first of three fights with smokin joe. Joes going to come out smokin, but i aint going to be jokin. Ill be peckin and a pokin, pouring water on his smokin. This might shock and amaze ya, but this time i retire joe frazier. Reporter and retire him he did. The thriller in manila was given to ali on a technical knockout. Ali was on a roll again. But his greatest eses eses ese ali knocked out the heavily favored young champion, George Foreman. It was called the rumble in the jungle. His last fight in 1981 would mark the beginning of another battle that ali described as his toughest. The diagnosis that he was afflicted with parkinsons disease. After two decades of redefining the heth division, ali was forced to retire. His lifetime record 56 victories, just five defeats. But he never retreated from living a very public life. In 1996, ali provided one of the most poignant moments in sports history. With 3 billion people watching, he lit the olympic flame at the summer games in atlanta. His hands trembling but never wavering. Ali remained the consummate showman. As his condition grew progressively worse, ali struggled each day to whisper a word. His hands and legs shook. And his voice quivered. Cy am the greatest. [ cheers and applause ] reporter yet his spirit was never shaken and he never slowed down from serving as an ambassador for peace and a mediator in world conflicts. In 2005, ali was presented with the president ial medal of freedom award, the nations highest civilian honor. When you say the greatest of all time is in the room, everyone knows who you mean. [ applause. Reporter and tributes for the champ continue. How do you feel about getting the honor tonight . Reporter ali was one of the most gifted and unique personalities in sports history. The World May Never see the likes of him again. In the final chapter, few would argue that ali needed the crowds as much as they needed him. Not for mere validation, but because each saw in the other the best in themselves. Alis got left, alis got right, if he hits you once youll sleep for the night. And as you lie on the floor while the ref counts ten, hope and frpray that you never meet again. You heard some of his quotes there. I posted one on my twitter page as well. But one that i love most from him is the man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life. It is one of those that makes you go, im not going to waste any more time. So much of what he said was timeless. He went into the hospital on thursday, they thought this was just another blip but he did spend his final moments there at a hospital in scottsdale, arizona. We know, fortunately, he was surrounded by close family and friends. That is where we find dan simon live tonight. Dan, this sudden death came as a bit of a surprise. Reporter no question about it. Details are thin, but when he was first brought here on thursday we were told by a family spokesperson that this was going to be a brief visit, that he was in fair condition. So i think the speed at which this all occurred caught many people offguard. We know that he had some kind of respiratory problem which can be common in people with advanced parkinsons. So again, this happened very quickly. He did have this respiratory issue but at this respiratory issue but we arent many told much more at this point. Its been decades, his fighting with parkinsons. These respiratory issues as well. What is his family saying, if anything . I know it hasnt been that long. Have they announced Funeral Plans . Some are talking about something in louisville this morning. Reporter thats right. At this point his family is requesting privacy. We havent gotten any statements from them as of now. We know that theres going to be a Media Briefing in phoenix on saturday afternoon. In a few hours from now. Thats when we expect to begin hearing details about the funeral. At this point again we dont have any details other than the fact we know that it is going to be in louisville, kentucky, in hoped alis hometown. Hes really become part of the Phoenix Community there, hasnt he . Reporter you know, thats right. Of course, he did grow up in louisville but for the past several years of his life he did live in phoenix. This is where he spent his final years. He became a part of this community. He loved phoenix and the community loved him. It wasnt uncommon for him to go to restaurants and be visible in the Community Even in his advanced parkinsons stage. Of course he was very frail. The last time we saw him was back in april at a charity event. So it was clear that his Health Problems were worsening, but again, i dont think anybody expected to see this happen. When you think about 74 . Does seem quite young. It does. Dan simon, we appreciate it so much. Thank you. Sports analyst Christine Brennan shares her personal memories of muhammad ali, including the 1996 olympics when he made a surprise appearance. And you know what . Our own pamela brown has some personal memories of the champ, including the story look at this behind this photo. That is her with him at her home. Shes going to share her stories in a moment. Stay close. vo whatever your perfect temperature. Youll enjoy consistent comfort with the heating and air Conditioning Systems homeowners rank number one. American standard heating and air conditioning. A higher standard of comfort. I dont want to lie down. I refuse to lie down. Why suffer . Stand up to chronic migraine. With botox®. Botox® is the only treatment for chronic migraine shown to actually prevent headaches and migraines before they even start. 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You have the people who grew up witH Muhammad Ali and followed his brashness, followed his anger, his power, his fight with the government. And then his victories over the years. Then you have the young girl audience that is really sort being reintroduced to this figure, a brash bombastic boxer, threetime World Champion dying at the age of 74. A revered fighter for his quick feet, even faster punches. A man remembered for his contribution to civil rights. His early and vocal objection to the vietnam war, one that cost him several years as a boxer. For more on the life and legacy of muhammad ali, cnn sports analyst Christine Brennan is with us. So good to see you again, sadly under these circumstances, of course. I know you followed his career. I want to ask you about one Pivotal Moment when you were covering the olympics in 96 here in atlanta and nobody knew who was going to come out with the torch to light the flame. It was a surprise. And it ended up being him. Tell us about that moment. Well, as you know, who was going to light the cauldron at any opening ceremonies at olympics is really the biggest story of the olympics before they begin. So every day this constant drum beat of who is it going to be, names are floated around. The biggest names in a country. The hero or heroin of a nation. Someone whos just going to be known forever as the person who was had this great honor of lighting the cauldron. So the torch the flame of course has arrived, comes into atlanta, eventually comes into stadium. Im there covering the olympics, as are many others. Everyone is looking. All of a sudden janet evans, the great olympic swimmer, who was still competing actually is up there. And the flame is passed to her. And youre thinking, its janet evans whos going to light this . And at that moment, in the darkness, that friday night in atlanta in 1976 or 1996, out of that darkness emerges muhammad ali. If its possible for 80,000 people to gasp in unison as one, that was the sound at that moment in that stadium. As janet evans passed the flame over to muhammad ali and then he, with a shaking arm, nonetheless, did his job, did it beautifully and lighted the cauldron to begin the 1996 atlanta olympics. It was a breathtaking moment watched by billions around the world. And a wonderful tribute to a man who started his fame and fortune at the Olympic Games. The other half of this is, we talk about him being a hero, an icon, a larger than life figure. But he wasnt just revered. He was also reviled by some boxing fans, especially back in the day. Why was he such a lightning rod and so divisive . Joe, i think we have to set this conversation, as you both know well, of course in the 1960s. And this is as the vietnam war is raging, as civil rights issues are absolutely at the highest temperature level you could have in our country. The terrible things that happened with Martin Luther king and Robert Kennedy a couple years later. And into this charges muhammad ali, cassius clay at the time. And when he said he wasnt going to go to vietnam and was a Conscientious Objector, at a time when you still had a lot of people millions of people in this country saying, love it or leave it. Youve got to represent your nation. Youve got to go fight. And he said no. And at a time that, now looking back, it makes perfect sense. Back then it was the nation was torn in many directions. Certainly torn in two. And in to this came muhammad ali and he, of course, became a leader in that way. You have to keep in mind, he actually threw his olympic gold medal into the ohio river. He was a man that was so angry and upset at such social injustice in this country. Before we had all things we had today in the conversations, you had muhammad ali starting those conversations. And i think thats important to remember. But of course, if you do that, there are going to be many people who dont like you. Thats funny, too, we were just talking about that gold medal story going into the ohio river. I know angelo dundee, among others, former managers, have actually disputed whether he really did that. So that just goes to the level of controversy that is muhammad ali. There are so many things you dont know about him, even as we try to describe his life here this morning. Thank you so much, Christine Brennan. Good to see you. Thank you very much. More than an iconic sports figure, the champ was also well known for speaking out on social issues. Well have more of that. Also, cnns pamela brown and her fond memories of muhammad ali. The story behind this photo at her dinner table. Im terrible at golf. He is. But id like to keep being terrible at golf for as long as i can. New patented ensure enlive has hmb plus 20 grams of protein to help rebuild muscle. For the strength and energy to do what you love. New ensure enlive. Always be you. Shoshow me more like this. E. Show me previously watched. Whats recommended for me. X1 makes it easy to find what you love. Call or go online and switch to x1. Only with xfinity. Breaking news this morning. Condolences pouring in from around the world for the death of boshxing legend muhammad ali. He had been battling parkinsons disease for more than 30 years. Thursday hospitalized in phoenix with what folks describe as a respiratory issue. Muhammad ali was 74 years old. He had such a remarkable life not just in the ring but outside as well. Thats all enshrined in the Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of louisville, kentucky. Pamela brown has some close ties to the ali family and the ali center. She joins us now from washington. Your father was governor from 79 to 83 in kentucky. He is cofounder of the center. I want to throw this picture up if we could please of a little pamela brown at the table witH Muhammad Ali. Help us understand what was happening in this picture and what it feels like now to look back at it knowing who he is. Just such an incredible memory. So, clearly i was a little girl and when i first met muhammad ali, my parents told me we have this really special visitor coming to the house. And i had no idea. I didnt know what a big deal he was. But when he arrived, i was telling him that i loved card trishgs a tricks and i was really into it at that time. Next thing i knew, i sat down, i was showing him my card tricks and he was showing me, teaching me, his card tricks and we had this instant bond. Again, i had no idea i was sitting at the table with one of the greatest men who has ever lived. I just thought he was really cool because he knew great card tricks. And it was kind of our thing. Whenever i would see muhammad ali as a little girl, we would sit down at the table, like you see right here, and we would just hang out and do tricks for each other. This picture right here was right before we went to church. I think this was when i realized for the first time like, wow, hes a pretty big deal. We went to church in lexington, kentucky. And of course we were late because we always were late to church. And we walked in and, i mean, everyone there was sort of a gas. Like, oh, my gosh, muhammad ali is here. Everyone turned to look. And you could just it was awe inspiring. You could just tell people were just so honored to be in his presence. And i have to say, my favorite memory of muhammad ali growing up was when he was our guest at the Kentucky Derby and we were walking to the paddock to see the horses. He grabbed down and he held my hand. And we were about to walk through the grandstands. Next thing i knew, every Single Person at Churchill Downs in the grandstands stood up and they were chanting ali ali ali and hes holding my hand and i am thinking, this is the most surreal moment of my entire life. Just imagine that. All of Churchill Downs and theyre cheering him on, and he thrived off of that you could tell, he loved it. He loved being in the spotlight, making people happy and he would just stop. He let go of my hand and you would do the onetwo punch move that he loved to do and put a big smile on peoples faces. He just loved making everyone happy. He just left such an indelible mark on people really all around the world, including myself. You really sort of point out an interesting feature of muhammad ali thats not talked about so much, and that is his connection with children. He really seemed to be the kind of man who loved children and children, in turn, loved him. Its so true joe, i remember i was thinking back on all these memories. When i was a little girl, he gravitated toward me. Had he this little twinkle in his lie and you could tell he just loved being around me and my friends. You saw my friend tory at the time in my picture. He loved being around kids. Thats what when he seemed the happiest. There were all these adults around but he wanted to hang out with me and my friend. I think we were like 10 years old at the time and he really did love kids. Here is a picture of my friend tory and i. He had this big smile on his face when he was around us. Its so true. You make a really good point there, joe, that he just loved kids. He seemed so happy around them. Interesting, there is a piece floating around cnn right now where theres actual video of muhammad ali talking to one of his daughters on the phone. It appeared that even though she was a very young child, he still actually asked her for counsel and advice and talked about, well, should i go back into the ring . Should i go and fight again . Shes going no no, dont do it not that he listened to her. But, yeah, i think he seemed to have that ability to make everybody around him feel important. I just want to point out that his wife, lonnie, is just such an incredible person and had a big influence on him. Yes, he will parkinsons. But he didnt let that hold him back. I think lonnie ali deserves a lot of credit for that as with el. Its got to be hard for her to see him deteriorating the way that he did and seeing that disease taking him over and yet you could still see that spirit in him. No doubt about it. Pamela, thank you so much. We really appreciate you being here and sharing that with us. It is so unique and what a moment. Happy to do if. Of course. Thank you. Well see her a little bit later as well. Weve been saying that muhammad ali who is remembered as this sports legend. A lot of people on twitter, facebook, theyre having their reactions to this. Athletes specifically have a lot to say about it. Just how big of a loss was muhammad ali . While we were sleeping, the top ten trending hashtags on twitter, all of them, muhammad ali related. Simply, this man known as the greatest. Well see what they had to say coming up. As our business is growing, and youre on the road all day long, its exhausting. Hi how are you . Youre on the fourth floor. Thank you so much. Hey sweetie how are you . Its important to stay at a hotel with a lot to offer. Thats great and the holiday inn has really been that. Holiday inn has been a part of the team. Good luck with the meeting today. Thank you. I really think Small Business is tough. Its better to have friends out there. You have a great day. Appreciate it. It makes life on the road much easier. Now members get more savings with your rate at holidayinn. Com now members get more savings igoing to clean betteran electthan a manual. Was he said sure. But dont get just any one. Get one inspired by dentists, with a round brush head. Go pro with oralb. Oralbs rounded brush head cups your teeth to break up plaque and rotates to sweep it away. And oralb delivers a clinically proven superior clean versus sonicare diamondclean. My mouth feels super clean oralb. Know youre getting a superior clean. Im never going back to a manual brush. So grateful for your company. Im christi paul. Im joe johns in for victor blackwell. Were following the breaking news of the death of boxing legend muhammad ali. The man known as the greatest passed away at the age of 74 after years of suffering from parkinsons disease. Ali was an icon, not just of the boxing world. He also championed humanitarian causes after he retired. Born as cassius clay, he started boxing at the age of 12 after someone stole his bicycle and went on to become threetime heavyweight champion. Moments after the death of the former heavyweight boxing champ, muhammad ali, millions of people took to social media, with i, which by the way wasnt even around when he was boxing. Coy, you are right. Every hashtag has to do witH Muhammad Ali. The impact on a global scale, just staggering. All top ten trending hashtags muhammad ali related. George foreman, a guy known for the rumble in the jungle with ali, he posted, ali, frazier and foreman. We were one guy. A part of me slipped away, the greatest piece. Thats powerful. Former heavyweight champ mike tyson, god came for his champion. So long, great one. Muhammad ali, the greatest. Hey about floyd mayweather, known for showing his stacks of cash, posting pictures of stacks of cash. This is muhammad ali in a bank vault. He said not a day went by entering the gym that i didnt think of you. Thank you for everything youve done for black america, in the world of sports and entertainment and for the legacy you leave behind. Boxer roy jones jr. Held a record seven belts at the same time. He said r. I. P. To one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. One of the most powerful quotes i say was after ali defeated foreman in the rumble in the jungle, foreman said, in part, he is the greatest man ive ever known. Not a great boxer. Thats too small for him. Hes not pretty, hes beautiful. Everything america should be, muhammad ali is. Thats powerful words from someone who was a great foe. Who was an opponent. Yeah. Just larger than life. But across the board, too, thats the thing. He transcends sports in so many ways. The threetime world heavyweight champion leaving behind an incredible legacy not just in the ring but as an outspoken fighter for social justice in the 60s, a man who embraced his faith and a man who never stopped using his celebrity for good. Joining us now, cnn political commentator mark omat. First your thoughts on the passing of muhammad ali. Im devastated. When i got the notice a few days ago that he was sick, i prayed that it would be like 2015 and 2014 when the champ once again was able to dip and dodge and survive just like he used to do in the ring. But this time he passed away. And one of my heroes. One of the people i looked to my entire life as a model of what was possible. Not just as an athlete but as a citizen, as a person, as a principled human being. That person is gone. Honestly, my heart is very heavy right now. Muhammad ali was the greatest. And the fact that we could have hours of conversation about muhammad ali and not even mention the fact that hes the greatest athlete of all time is a testimony to how extraordinary he was outside the ring. And again, im devastated. The nation is devastated. The Global Community is devastated. He meant so much to so many people. I read one of his quotes was something that he said way back in the day. He said hating people because of their color is wrong and it doesnt matter which color does the hating. It is just plain wrong. What can we take today from him that can help nurture and heal this world, do you think . Well, muhammad ali moved through the world in the spirit of love, whether its the way he engaged small children, whether it is the money he donated to synagogues, whether it is the way that he spread islam around the world as a religion of peace. All of these things are evidence that muhammad ali was an extraordinary person who believed that we could love our way through this world. But lets be very clear. Muhammad ali also understood that the world could only heal when injustice was eliminated. He wasnt just a champion of love, he was a champion of justice. In 1967 muhammad ali became an enemy of the state. Muhammad ali was someone when he refused to go to vietnam was someone who stood up for what he believed. He was saying that i cant support imperialism. I cant support this war. And that same spirit of love, like dr. King, carried him throughout decades. When i think about muhammad alis legacy, i think of someone who says with be look, we have to make the world right. We have to make the world equal. We have to make the world fair. Not for one race, not for one race, not for one religion, or gender. For everybody. First he moved to the nation of islam, then he moved to sunnism, then he became something else. He was much more complex. He was complex. It is important to understand the impact and influence of the honorable elijah islam which produces these extraordinary figures. But as muhammad ali transsignificantran transitioned in 1975 to a more traditional sunniislamic and following the path of islam elijahs son formed the new vision of the nation. He became more broad, more universe. Caller and more cosmopolitan, not just in his religion but in his political thought. Later in 2000 he does become suthi which doesnt have different fundamental beliefs as sunni islam but it is a kind of inward looking self and even greater kind of investment in peace. There is no way you could look at muhammad ali and not sea peace. Not sea the way islam helped hip find his center, helped him find his relationship to god but also helped him remain and sustain his commitment to making the world better. Marc lamont hill, thanks so much for coming in this morning. A former british boxer is sharing his memories of the champ. Stay close. The greatest, as he was known, is gone this morning. Muhammad ali passed a i way overnight. He was 74 years old. Tributes have been pouring in from all over the world. His death comes after a lengthy battle with parkinsons disease. He was diagnosed with parkinsons in 1984, three years after he retired from a boxing career that began when a 12yearold amateur from louisville, kentucky laced up the gloves. Sports illustrated has photographed ali throughout his career. The photograph shares some stories behind some of the most famous photos of the greatest. I like to call what ali has visual charisma. There are some people that like the camera. Mohammed, whether he was in the ring or in the studio, he has this charisma. He just seems to do whatever the things are that one does to make good pictures. Muhammad ali turned 70 on january 17th. I first photographed ali as a 19yearold kid and ive been lucky enough to ride his coat tails for the last 50plus years. Ive done 35 of his fights. Then ive had my photographs of muhammad on the cover of Sports Illustrated 12 times. Im often asked do i have one favorite photograph. My favorite picture, ever, is a remote camera looking straight down on the apron at the Cleveland Williams ali fight in 1966. It is far and away my favorite picture, much more i dont want to say more important to me than ali standing over sonny liston because i know my legacy is going to be that picture. But you had to be in the right seat at the liston ali fight. So i was in the right seat. The Cleveland Williams picture had nothing to do with luck. It was something i thought about, it was something i made happen. It was something i worked on to get it perfect. And it is the only picture ive taken in my life where, even today, i look at it, and there isnt anything i would change. You talk to anybody that was lucky enough to cover muhammad ali during his boxing career and even now. And theyre all in love with him. And the reason for it is muhammad ali never ran out of time for anybody. Id come back to Sports Illustrated with the pictures, they go, geez, youre genius. He would come in and say you got 20 minutes today. You took too long last time neil. An hour later he was suggesting things. Most recent one in a lot of ways maybe is the most exciting. It was a fabulous experience and i found that if i waited patiently for the right time of day, hes not going to look better. I always thought it was my own ideas, then suddenly something happens. Magic happens. With ali on this recent shoot, the lead picture in the magazine is this thing hes done for a million years when he gets in that boxing pose. Well, i didnt ask him to do that. He was standing there and suddenly he turned in to the old fighter. And he just knows he just makes good pictures. You just can never take the fight out of him. Never take the fight out of him. Thats incredible. A former british boxer has some memories of the champ. Hes going to join us in sujust second so we can talk to him about what he remembers of muhammad ali and what hell take away from him now. Stay close. It takes all kinds of jobs. And the best place to find the job thats right for you is on the worlds numberone job site. Indeed. 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Call or go online to learn more about a free trial offer. If you cant afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. Incredible blnow comes with protection an incredible double your money back guarantee. Always discreet is for bladder leaks and its drier than poise. Try it, love it or get double your money back. Always discreet. Were following the sad news this morning, the death of boxing legend muhammad ali. This is a boxer and a man who took the world by storm with his prowess. Later in life he became a champion of humanitarian causes. We are seeing such and outpouring of condolences from people all over the world this morning. All over twitter and facebook, social media. His legacys being credited with knocking down barriers for some of the worlds greatest boxers, past and present. One of those people is with us, former british boxer and World Champion chris eubank. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us and were sorry for your loss here in a sense, because i know that you look at ali as this man who defied all odds. Youve had the chance to meet him. First of all, help us understand the impact that he had on you. Well, thank you. It is my privilege to actually be here and to speak on behalf of i suppose the public. Certainly the boxing fraternity. The magnitude of this man and i should first say that i am not mourning. I am celebrating this man. Okay . Because in my mind from the time ive been a child growing up, it was him who inspired me to actually become a fighter. But not just a fighter but a humanitarian, a person who contributes towards the community at large. So his vibrance, his brilliance is something that is within us all. And certainly some of us have been able to actually use his inspiration to make ourselves better people. How have you done that . How do you feel you are a better person because o muhammad ali . Because, i had the audacity to stand on the shoulders of men like muhammad ali. So i could see further and do more and support the community at large which is exactly what he did. And so the greatest tribute we certainly i can pay to muhammad ali is from this day forth live with his memory and his inspiration. The beacon that he was to live with and carry myself the way in which he did, that is to support the community at large. In fact, David Cameron would like to say to him, i would put my own money to have a statue, a bronze statue, three times the size of the man, four times the size of the man, in hyde park here in the united kingdom, something that we should do as a fund and an actual fact, around the world that could be done in the emirates, it could be done in new york. It should be done in paris. We should celebrate him. And regardless of whether that happens or not, and certainly i would push and use my own money to fund such a thing, certainly his light shines bright in the working class and us a has. You had first jack johnson, then you had the brown bomber in the brown bomber, then you had muhammad ali. Youve had the greats. And these men are men that the public at large, the working class has looked up to. So muhammad ali being the inspiration that he is certainly, certainly we owe some type of tribute with bronze statues around the world. It would be a great thing and id be very much willing to use my own money to start the first in hyde park in united kingdom. I think that you have just started what may be a challenge to other people to include their money and to erect statues of muhammad ali throughout the world as you have talked about. Chris eubank, thank you so much for sharing with us. We appreciate it. There is actually more than a few of those monuments around the world as it is, as a matter of fact. Next hour, well talk to cnns pamela brown. Shes going to join us with her father to share a side of the champ few people knew. Her dad is cofounder of the Muhammad Ali Center in kentucky. When my doctor told me i have agerelated macular degeneration, amd we came up with a plan to help reduce my risk of progression. And everywhere i look. Im reminded to stick to my plan. Including Preservision Areds 2. My doctor said Preservision Areds 2 has the exact nutrient formula that the National Eye Institute recommends to help reduce the risk of progression of moderate to advanced amd. After 15 years of clinical studies. Preservision areds 2. Because my eyes are everything. Stay at over 1000 americas and canadas best value inns stay at over 1000 americas and canadas best value inns room discounts instant rewards and a home town touch we do have breaking news to share with you this morning. So grateful for your company, as always. Im christi paul. Im joe johns in for victor blackwell. The breaking news that we want to share with you this morning, if youre just waking up. Boxing legend muhammad ali has died and there is an outpouring of condolences from people all over the world this morning. Well talk about that but i want to give you the latest here. The baching icon passed away. He was 74 years old. He battled parkinsons disease for 32 years but he is known for his flawless boxing style, his brash trash talking during matches. He was three times world heavyweight champ. But you know what . His contribution didnt end there. Even after he retired and he was diagnosed with parkinsons disease which probably had to do with the fact that he got hit in the head so many times, he continued to fight and now outside the boxing ring for humanitarian causes raising money for charity. Cnns wolf blitzer is going to take a look now at his inspirational life. This the legend of muhammad ali. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Reporter those phrases became alis motto. His charisma outside the ring would also make him one of the worlds best known personalities. But his persona began to emerge long before he captured his first heavyweight championship. He was born cassius Marcellus Clay jr. In louisville, kentucky during an ugg gla ely era of ra segregation in america. At 12 years old alis world would change forever when a local Police Officer introduced him to boxing. It became an outlet for his rage. Reporter it also offered ali an opportunity to develop his remarkable talent. Just six years later ali would bring home a gold medal from the 1960 summer Olympic Games in rome. Hed turn pro at the age of just 18, and at 22 he stunned the boxing world defeating a fighter the experts thought was invincible. Sonny liston. Ali had arrived. And liston would never be the same. To prove the point, ali put liston away for a second time in a rematch the next year. They were glory days for ali, but the Civil Rights Era would also become a controversial and polarizing period in his life. He renounced his given name and joined the volatile black separatist nation of islam. Almost as quickly as he had arrived, alis heavyweight title was gone, revoked after he claimed conchscientious objecto status and refused to serve in the vietnam war. At the peak boxing age of 25, ali also gave up millions of dollars in endorsements and faced five years in prison, all in defiance of a war he called despicable and unjust. My intention is to box, to win a clean fight. But in war, the intention is to kill, kill, kill, kill, and continue killing innocent people reporter ali began a three and a half year exile from championship fights until the u. S. Supreme court overturned his conviction on a technicality. For everybody that watches and trains. There is no contest. Better not fight like that with ali. Reporter but the world would soon learn that even superman has his off days. Ali was barely back in the ring when his undefeated professional record came to an end. He lost to joe frazier in the 1971 match dubbed the fight of the century. It was the first of three fights with smokin joe. Joes going to come out smokin, but i aint going to be jokin. Ill be peckin and a pokin, pouring water on his smokin. This might shock and amaze ya, but this time i retire joe frazier. Reporter and retire him he did. The famous thriller in manila fight ended after fraziers trainer stopped the fight following the 14th round giving ali a technical knockout. Ali was on a roll again. But his greatest athletic comeback came in what was then zaire. Last week i murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick. Im so mean i make medicine sick. Ali knocked out the heavily favored champion George Foreman. It was called the rumble in the jungle. His last fight in 1981 would mark the beginning of another battle that ali described as his toughest. The diagnosis that he was afflicted with parkinsons disease. After two decades of redefining the heavyweight division, ali was forced to retire. His lifetime record 56 victories, just 5 defeats. But he never retreated from living a very public life. In 1996, ali provided one of the most poignant moments in sports history. With 3 billion people watching, he lit the olympic flame at the summer games in atlanta. His hands trembling but never wavering. Ali remained the consummate showman. As his condition grew progressively worse, ali struggled each day to whisper a word. His hands and legs shook. And his voice quivered. I am the greatest. [ cheers and applause ] reporter yet his spirit was never shaken and he never slowed down from serving as an ambassador for peace and a mediator in world conflicts. In 2005, ali was presented with the president ial medal of freedom award, the nations highest civilian honor. When you say the greatest of all time is in the room, everyone knows who you mean. [ applause ] reporter and tributes for the champ continue. How do you feel about getting the honor tonight . Reporter ali was one of the most gifted and unique personalities in sports history. The World May Never see the likes of him again. In the final chapter, few would argue that ali needed the crowds as much as they needed him. Not for mere validation, but because each saw in the other the best in themselves. Alis got left, alis got right, if he hits you once youll sleep for the night. And as you lie on the floor while the ref counts ten, hope and pray that you never meet me again. Muhammad ali was so much of a citizen of the world, grew up if louisville, kentucky. Spent his final moments at a hospital in this scottsdale, arizona. He was surrounded by Close Friends and family, and that is where we find our dan simon live this morning. Dan, are you learning anything more about muhammad alis final moments . Reporter hi, joe. Details at this point are thin. We do know that he was brought to the hospital on thursday with what was described as a respiratory issue which is common in patients who have advanced parkinsons. And at first we were led to believe that this was going to be a brief hospital stay according to the family spokesperson, that he was in fair condition. So i think the speed at which this all occurred may have caught a lot of people off guard. Of course, he died here at the hospital last night and he was surrounded by friends and family, as you said, joe. Hes been to the hospital before over the recent years and made it out okay. That is part of the surprise this morning, isnt it. Reporter thats right. Of course, he had been in failing health. But this really was not expected. He had pulled out, if you will, each time he had been to the hospital. He had been in and out over the years. The last time he was seen in public was back in april at a charity event, and he was frail but he was getting around. And so him coming to the hospital i think was a big surprise to many. In terms of whats going to happen today here in phoenix, joe, we know that there is going to be a news briefing where we are expected to get some details about the funeral. At this point they havent released any firm plans other than the fact we know that it is going to be in louisville, kentucky, in muhammad alis hometown, joe. And a Memorial Service in louisville today as far as we know. Is that correct . Reporter thats exactly right. We dont have a whole lot of details about that either but certainly the city is going to be offering an opportunity for people in that community to mourn the life of muhammad ali. I can tell you that here at the hospital, joe, things have been a bit quiet. But overnight we did see people lighting candles, dropping off little mementos, things of that nature. I would expect that to continue throughout the day. Only the beginning, no doubt, of an enormous remembrance of a world icon in fact. Thanks so much for that, dan simon. Still to come there is a side of muhammad ali that most people would never know, people that didnt get to meet him. Well, cnns pamela brown did. Were going to talk to her and get the story behind this picture. Yes, that is her witH Muhammad Ali. Also, how can anyone forget these images of muhammad ali later in life . Long and public fight he had with what was really his toughest opponent parkinsons disease. It took a toll on him. What are you doing . Getting faster. Huh . Detecting threats faster, responding faster, recovering faster. When your securitys built in not just bolted on, and you protect the data and not just the perimeter, you get faster. Wow, speed kills. Systems open to all, but closed to intruders. Trusted by 8 of 10 of the Worlds Largest banks. Once i left the hospital after a dvt blood clot. What about my wife. What were building together. And could this happen again . I was given warfarin in the hospital, but wondered, was this the best treatment for me . I spoke to my doctor and she told me about eliquis. Eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. Not only does eliquis treat dvt and pe blood clots. But eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. Knowing eliquis had both. Turned around my thinking. Dont stop eliquis unless you doctor tells you to. Eliquis can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. Dont take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. If you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. While taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily. And it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. Seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. Eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. Tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. Eliquis treats dvt pe blood clots. Plus had less major bleeding. Both made switching to eliquis right for me. Ask your doctor if its right for you. Breaking news this morning is that the world has lost muhammad ali at the age of 74. People all over twitter and facebook and social media talking about him, remembering him. Thinking of his family. Certainly thoughts and prayers to them today. But he has certainly been somebody who had just taken the boxing world by storm and then transcended it into so many other areas of life where he proved to be such an inspiration to people. Changed boxing and i think he also changed the world in many ways standing up to the vietnam war at a time when the United States was torn over the issue. He changed our views of spirituality in some ways, going from a baptist upbringing generally to the nation of islam, on to sunni islam. His last challenge being parkinsons disease which was the thing he carried with him for over 30 years. Lis daughter, laila ali, posted this photo of her daughter sidney with him. She followed him into boxing. She did follow him into boxing. I always have to wonder what he thought seeing her there. He had been there, he into you how tough it was. Do you wish that for your daughter . You know . Its that kind of thing. But you know he was her biggest fan. Boxing promoter Kelly Maloney is with us now. Perhaps best known for managing lennox lewis when he won the heavyweight title in 1992. Kelly, thank you so much for taking the time to be with us. I understand that you had met muhammad ali on several occasions. Help us understand what you remember about this man that you will always take with us. Well, the first time i had the privilege of seeing muhammad ali in the flesh was he was still cassius clay. It was in london. I was very lucky to skip school and manage to get into the gymnasium he was going to work out at. He just sort of mesmerized the whole room. People just stood in awe of this man. I think i was about 14 at the time. Maybe a little bit younger. It was then i realized i wanted to get into boxing and work with heavyweight boxers. Then i met him may 29th after one of the lennox lewis fights. We got the privilege of meeting him. Had an audience with him. And it was just fantastic being in the room with lennox lewis who was current world heavyweight champion and whose hero was muhammad ali. And to hear lennox talk about muhammad and how he inspired lennox to go into the boxing room and to hear muhammad pay lewis compliments him and call lennox champ was the most amazing, humble feeling ive ever witnessed. Kelly, we call him the greatest. Thats the nickname hes gone by for years and years. But could you give me a sense from the boxing perspective what is the biggest lasting mark that muhammad ali will leave on the sport . I dont know because there are so many great moments. Everyone talks about the fight with the rumble in the jungle with George Foreman, but my great fight that i remember was the thriller in manila with joe frazier when both of them were on the point of actually exhaustion coming out for the last round. And joe fraziers trainer in the end just waved his hands. And ali admitted, im so glad he had done it because i would have collapsed in that next round. I think that is an amazing compliment. Think that was one of the best fights i ever witnessed as a young person. I saved money for the first joe fraziermuhammad ali fight on closed circuit. Even then. To just watch this man, his fights with ken norton, his fights with George Foreman. Even his fight with henry cooper, the first one, when he was on the floor. I was listening to it on the radio with my father. There was just something about muhammad ali completely. Yeah. You were transfixed on him when he was in the room. Kellie maloney, thank you for sharing your memories and your voice on this. There are some great quotes by muhammad ali. Some of them very profound. Some of them very funny. Remember float like a butter flu i, sting like a bee . Muhammad all in his own words is whats coming up next. Also, he was more than a boxer. Muhammad ali was the Global Sports icon in a way few others have ever been able to match. His influence on sports coming up next. He was the selfproclaimed greatest. Then, you know what . The world just followed suit, believing the same thing. But muhammad ali passed away overnight at the age of 74. The tributes, the kind words have been pouring in from all over the world. His death comes after a lengthy battle with parkinsons disease. He was diagnosed with the disease in 1984, three years after he retired from a boxing career that began as a 12yearold amateur in louisville, kentucky. Former World Champion boxer manny pacqaoi is reflecting on the passing of muhammad ali this morning. Writing, we lost a giant today. You will always be the greatest of all time. Our hearts and prayers go out to the ali family. May god bless them. Manny pacqaoi joins us now on the phone. Thank you so much for calling in. How will you remember muhammad ali . Muhammad ali is one of my inspirations. It is a big loss for boxing. Muhammad alis pleshment we will never forget and my condolences to his family and of course we as boxers, athletes, we us a admire him and what he has done in boxing. Mr. Pacqaoi, i know that you are a champion, especially in the philippines, of trying to stop human trafficking. And that is one of your passions. Did muhammad ali and his passions outside the ring influence you to get involved in things other than boxing . Yes. Thats right. Other than boxing, muhammad ali inspired me to do good things, helping the people, helping those who need help. Can you just give us some sense of whether you had personal interaction and contact witH Muhammad Ali . Did you ever meet him . Did you ever talk to him . Or did you just, as you said, use him as an inspiration . I didnt meet him personally but i just speak to his daughter. But i always admire him. I alwa we all know that what he has done and accomplished in boxing. It is a big thing in boxing. What do you think what his greatest fight . Oh, he had a lot of good fights. Thriller in manila. He was here in the philippines once so thats big part of his legacy. Manny pacqaoi, we so appreciate you taking the time to call in. As we know, everybody in the boxing world is shocked by this. We did not expect to hear this news this morning. We knew he had been hospitalized but we didnt know it was as dire as it is. Manny pacqaoi, again, thank you so much for your voice here. Take good care. We continue to remember the remarkable life of muhammad ali as the city of his birth prepares to remember the man known as the greatest fighter ever. Talk about his legacy coming up next. whispers rocket headache . Motrin helps you be an unstoppable kind of mom. When pain tries to stop you, motrin works fast to stop pain. Make it happen with motrin® liquid gels. Also try motrin pm to relieve pain and help you sleep. When you cook with incredible tokyostingredients. Les. You make incredible meals. Fresh ingredients, stepbystep recipies, delivered to your door for less than nine dollars a meal. Get your first two meals free at blueapron. Com cook. Illuminates skin with pearl optics science. Your concert style might show your age, your skin never will. With olay you age less, so youre ageless. Olay. Ageless. Each day was fueled by thorough preparation for events to come. Well somewhere along the way, emily went right on living. But you see, with the help of her Raymond James financial advisor, she had planned for every eventuality. Which meant she continued to have the means to live on. Even at the ripe old age of 187. Life well planned. See what a Raymond James advisor can do for you. Marie callenders with a crust made from scratch. Because when its cold outside, good food and good company. Keep you warm inside. Marie callenders. Im christi paul. Im joe johns in for victor blackwell. We are following the breaking news of muhammad alis death who took the man by storm. In boxing he earned the nickname the greatest and earned the heavyweight championship three times. This is how i met him on capitol hill in 2002, pushing for more money for parkinsons disease. He championed many humanitarian causes after he retired raising money for charity. In 2010 president obama wrote an oped on ali in usa today. He said he admired alis unique ability to summon extraordinary strength and courage in the face of adversity to navigate the storm and never lose his way. Joining us no you, cnn political commentator marc lamont hill, hes also a professor at Morehouse College. Thanks again for coming in, marc. We said many times this morning that muhammad ali transcended sports. Do you believe in your estimation, as many have said, that his legacy will be more about the way he lived his life than the things he did in sports . Oh, absolutely. I mean we cant ignore the fact that muhammad ali is arguably the greatest heavyweight of all time. Certainly the great s aest athl of all time when we look at the totality of his career. But he does transcend sport. I was in the middle east two weeks ago and i see signs for muhammad ali, posters of muhammad ali. This is decades after hes retired. When im in tanzania, when im in south africa, when im in ghana, i see muhammad ali signs. People around the country say youre from america, muhammad ali. He is a global figure, a global voice and global hero. That had something to do with boxing for sure but it had a lot to do with his humanitarian efforts, it had a lot to do with his constant growth. Muhammad ali said if have the same world view decades later that you had decades earlier, you have wasted 30 years of life. He became a more centered, peaceful human being and he brought the world along with him. Thats what made him such an extraordinary person. His leadership on the global stage. His efforts on capitol hill to expand funding. Not just for parkinsons but for other diseases and other forms of research. Lets not forget, muhammad ali also did things in private. He wasnt the person, despite his brash persona, he wasnt the person who always courted attention. Muhammad ali would donate money to causes and not even tell you. In fact there were times when he would donate money on the condition that no one knew who did it. He was about people. He was about humanity. He was about loving his way through this world. Marc, you mentioned the quote there that he says, the man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life. His daughter, hana ali, tweeted our father was a humble mountain and now hes gone home to god. God bless you, daddy, you are the love of my life. Obviously he was so much more than a boxer to them. But when you talk about traveling the world and seeing pictures of muhammad ali and people immediately finding out, oh, youre from america, muhammad ali, what do they say about him . What conversations do you have with people when you are all over the globe and this is the mans name who continues to come up time and time again . Well, theres two things. One is that hes larger than life athlete. Right . People saw him around the globe as this person who kept slaying giants. When he fights sonny liston, there was no expectation that he would win. People laughed at the idea that he would beat sonny liston. Then he beat him twice. After losing to joe frazier, he comes back out and wins and defeats him twice. He beats George Foreman, perhaps the hardest punching person in boxing history. Here is this beautiful, talented, gifted, funny person, who also destroys giants. People remember that he was a global hero for that. But beyond that, people admired the fact that he pushed back against empire. In 1967, muhammad ali could have simply gone into the draft. People say, oh, hes a coward. No, he wasnt a coward. He wasnt being asked to hold a gun and stand on the front lines. He was going to do boxing exhibitions just like joe lewis did decades earlier. It was a very easy job. He decided not to do it on principle. The fact that he surrendered millions of dollars, he surrendered his popularity rating, basically surrendered his career for a long time an didnt get it back, the fact that he did that made him a hero to many. And in subsequent decades he has sustained his carriage, he has established his image. When you talk about the military and the controversy about going to serve in the vietnam war when he claimed Conscientious Objector status and was then put in jail for several years. Basically when we say his principle, he came out and said, why should i go kill these innocent people. That is not who i am. And that was his argument for not wanting to go. Thats exactly right. As a student of the honorable elijah muhammad, he was taught that this was not his war and that he had Global Solidarity with people of color again around the world. Because of that he did didnt see them as his enemy. He said i see more injustice in the United States than i do from vietcong so i cant do that. As he grew in his beliefs, as he grew in his principle, he said i cant engage in a imperialistic enterprise. I want to fix america, i with ant to make this place more fair, i want to make this place more just, i want to make this place more principled. He decided to do something far more dangerous than going to war. The testament to the fa kt that he was right, 29 years later hes standing in atlanta, georgia, lighting the pat kiernan tor olympic torch. Just to put a finer point on it, a lot of this happened during the tumultuous 1960s at a time when we had figures like malcolm x, elijah muhammad, hl. Martin luther king. The country was trying to navigate racial issues as well as the vietnam war. Into that context you drop muhammad ali with these sort of outspoken pronouncements about not just the war, but race in general. It was sort of empowering be with was it not, especially for africanamericans in those times. Absolutely. Because many athletes, many artists, many people didnt say or do anything. Muhammad ali could have very easily continued to fight but he was or not fight, rather. But he was part of a very small group of athletes, people like jim brown, people like Kareem Abduljabbar who were willing to speak out when it was dangerous. In 1967 Martin Luther king jr. Had also fallen to the depths of unpopularity. He was no longer allowed to speak at major venues. Martin luther king was not allowed on the Morehouse College board of trustees. They say he was a Bad Influence on young people for going to jail too much. Many people who we revere now at that moment in 67 were unpopular because they were no longer saying be nonviolent to white racists. They were saying be nonviolent abroad. Lets not enter this ugly war. You had antiwar activists who were like white hippies. Antiwar activists who were black preachers. But then you had this athlete, somebody whos not from the political world, somebody whos not from this sector saying, hey, i want to be part of this struggle, too. Im not going to lead the struggle but im going to be an extraordinary voice in it. Muhammad awill i had had so muc. He put so much on the line which is basically a testament to his character. He didnt want to go over there and kill civilians. He didnt want to kill anybody that said, theyve done nothing to me. The mothers and civilians that are caught up in the war. He didnt want to be part of that. Marc lamont hill, thank you so much. We appreciate it. Were joined once again now by former british boxer and World Champion chris eubank. Thanks so much for coming in again, chris. When you listen to all of this and we just got the perspective from the United States and what it was like during the 1960s and the impact that muhammad ali really had on the things outside sports. Can you see that across the pond it was about the same way there . Did he sort of transcend sports in england and in other countries where people thought of him as something more than a boxer . Most certainly. He used his platform which was boxing to be the humanitarian that he was. And still is. Because that spirit is still vibrant. Mandela in his inaugural speech said, the world cannot be served by your playing small. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so others around you will feel secure. When we let our own light shine, we unconsciously allow others to do the same. And in liberating ourselves from our own fears, our presence automatically lib rates others. So heres a man embodying the spirit of a mandela, the great men. And was said before, in order to see further and be better we have to stand on the shoulders of giants which is what these men were. So hugely inspired and hugely a huge tribute should go around the world for this man. As i said earlier, about the funding i would fund and help fund this idea of have region statues in hyde park. Maybe central park. The emirates. Around the world to have the statue and to actually use as an example the spirit, the beacon that this man was. Chris, when you talk about that he meant to you. You were a boxer and talked about how he influenced your inspiration in that regard. But outside of that, what do you feel you have done in your life because of muhammad ali outside boxing . I didnt want to get into this, but as you asked the question, in 2003 i protested against the war in iraq. Now that has done me personally a great deal of damage. However, it was the right thing to do. How was i inspired to do just that . Muhammad ali. I had a truck. I drove a 1979 peterbilt and i parked it on downing street. It cost me so much in my life. It cost me so much anyway, the inspired by him to do the right thing. So in many respects during my career, even my vibrance, my gamesmanship, my being a maverick, this is all inspired by the giant that was muhammad ali which is bright and still alive as far as im concerned, because i am alive and i am still vibrant and i am still pushing and im still protecting those who are disenfranchised and those who are weaker. And this spirit was born of the likes of mandela and muhammad ali. Many people believing his spirit will absolutely continue to live on. Chris eubank, thank you. My pleasure. Were zbrg going to take a e break right now. When we get back well talk to civil rights leader jesse jackson. avo after 50 years of designing cars for crash survival, subaru has developed our most revolutionary feature yet. A car that can see trouble and stop itself to avoid it. When the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested front crash prevention nobody beat subaru models with eyesight. Not toyota. Not ford or any other brand. Subaru eyesight. An extra set of eyes, every time you drive. Youll enjoy consistent comfort with the heating and air Conditioning Systems homeowners rank number one. American standard heating and air conditioning. A higher standard of comfort. If youre just waking up, you are now learning that the world has lost the greatest. After a threedecadelong fight with parkinsons disease, poemd ali H Muhammad Ali has died at the age of 74. This brought agreement about this mans life and legacy. But a lot of people forget he was one of the most polarizing stars in sports. He was both revered and reviled for a brash style in and out of the ring. But his powerful punches and quick footwork were always a sight to behold. He was outspoken on civil rights issues. Reverend jesse jackson, thank you very much for being with us. I saw on your twitter page this morning you have a really profound quote there. When champions win they ride on the peoples shoulders. When muhammad ali won, we rode on his shoulders and the sweet picture of a child on top of muhammad alis shoulders. Lets talk about what he did outside the boxing arena. What was it you know, he was a champion inside the ring. He beat everys point that came his way. Were champions within ourself and they ride on the peoples shoulders. Heroes, the people that ride on their shoulders. His hero status was beyond the ring. He was a defiant man of dignity challenging the system by using the platform of boxing. Lets not forget, 1960 is four yea years before civil rights passed. He defied those laws. Segregation was polarizing. He challenged the condition under which we lived. Reverend jackson, how are you different . How are you a different man because of muhammad ali . Well, in some sense because i knew him. And because we were part of the same circle. 1960, he was in the olympics. I remember so well april 4th, 1967. Ali was in a hotel room in new york with jim brown and dr. King and andrew young and i talking about his position on the war and how he was willing to sacrifice all. Thats what made an even bigger hero because the u. S. Sought to discredit him by dethroning him. The idea of im the best quarterba, basketball players gesturing, Football Players dancing in the end zone, all of that is postali. His hero was jack johnson. It was at a time he was at his height. It was a big deal psychologically and yet he had married a white woman, rode down in his convertible limosine. So one thing that fascinates me about muhammed ali as well as a number of other figures from the 1960s including yourself is the journey. When he first started out and people started hearing his name, he was a controversial figure even in African American communities. People divided on whether they liked him or they didnt like him and his style, but can you talk a little bit about that journey from controversial figure to world icon that you sort of experienced yourself . Well, runaway slaves upset the slaves like they upset the masters. He was the runaway. He challenged that system. Most people define their actions by fear, not by courage. Most people went to the back of the bus because they didnt fight for the right to vote because they adjusted. They didnt fight discrimination, they didnt like it, but they adjusted. And i would like to think that his sacrifice took him to another level in theceps that he is a man of sacrifice, his wealth, i remember him have been to borrow money to survive. He had this fame, and then in the end, those who are against that war finally embraced him. Those who fought with their own war embraced him so he goes from being reviled to given the light the torch in atlanta, georgia. He went from being reviled to being revered. Thanks so much for calling in and we will talk to you again, im sure. Thank you. Thank you so much. And well be right back. Stay close. Running a Small Business is definitely difficult. And weve been traveling a lot. Hello welcome to holiday inn. The hotel becomes our mobile office. Hi. Holiday inn is an extension of our team. The boutiques are just right over here. Good afternoon betsy, your samples are here. Its so great to know that there is a hotel like holiday inn that we can count on. Lets do it we work with manufacturers that employ veterans. 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He adhered to his believes, stood up for social change and today when you think about that how sport can affect society, you think of maybe lebron jams when he wore the i cant breathe tshirt to take a stand for eric garner but it pales in comparison. He was one of the greatest influences the world has ever known. He was a pillar of strength for people around the world especially for African Americans here in the u. S. When they really needed one. Incredible stuff, guys. Thank you. And its a conscious choice in a lot of ways for an athlete to decide to be political, to be controversial or just play the game. The next hour of new day starts in just a moment after this break. Just stay close. Too much speed. Too fast. I must be the greatest. I find out when you treat people nice and be humble and be regular, people love you better, god blesses you. It was Something Like caviar, you had to acquire a taste for him. Ali with a relentless left hook and turned the balance of the fight his way. Against all odds, ali made one of the greatest comebacks in history. When i think of my dad i dont think about him as the fighter and all of his accomplishmentes in the ring, i think more of who he is as a man outside of the ring. In so many ways in sports, in our culture and in our nations history, muhammed ali was just a standout figure who will be remembered forever. And on this morning we are remembering muhammed ali. Thank you for taking the time to be with us. Im christie paul. And im joe johns. And boxing legend muhammed ali has died overnight. He earned the nickname the greatest, of course. He was 74 years old. He became famous as a young man not just for his boxing prowess, but also for his rhyming catch phrases like fit like a butterfly, sting like a bee. He also spoke out for what he believed in and after he retired and was diagnosed with parken sons disease he continued to speak out for humanitarians causes. Ali was once crowned sportsman of the century by Sports Illustrated. He was truly a sportsman paying the way for some of todays most iconic boxers. One of those famed fighters is Evander Holyfield who idolized ali as a child, was able to match him and later became the only fivetime heavy weight champ of the world. Mr. Holyfield, youd lys idolizs man and some would say you came somewhat of his equal. Can you talk about the impact he had on you . He had a very big impact, you know, as a kid, you know, i came from a family and on black history week alis name came up, his name and Jackie Robinson and one day when i went to the boys clubs the host toboxing coach ti could be like muhammed ali and i told him ill have to ask my mom. And i asked my mom and she said youve got to follow and at that time my career started. And was she ever afraid for you and your safety as you stepped into that ring and tried to be like muhammed ali . In other times and in other places parents feared for their kid to step into a boxing ring, but he somehow made this violent sport fashionable. Well, yes, you know, my mother said she she thought i would quit eventually, you know, and she she didnt actually think that i would do it as long as i did. But you know, i came from a, you know, a praying family and realized that you pray and you give your very best. Talk to us a little bit about the person muhammed ali was outside the ring. Well, actually it was so amazing because i made the olympic team just like muhammed ali and i didnt want to go about a i had a bronze medal and thats when i met muhammed ali and he, you know, so funny talking and you know you know, he he stood up to people and i guess one of the biggest things was, i wanted to carry the olympic torch. I got the opportunity to carry it, but i didnt get a chance to light it and i was wondering who could be bigger and better than me . And it was ali. You know, i was so happy because the fact of the matter, i didnt know it was him. But in atlanta i thought i was the biggest person, but then what i found out, it was ali. Then i found out somebody else that the human tear work thtary big and i heard how he was the most popular athlete that ever went to the olympics, all the great work that he did for people, and you know, it was amazing. And and thats when i realized that, you know what . Its more to ali than boxing. And realizing that, mr. Holyfield, how has muhammed ali shaped you outside the ring, the person you are, the man you are . Well, you know, i think when it come down to the work that you know, when you when you look at ali, he stood up and to be the first person to stand up and face, you know, face the world, you know, he he was all around the world about what he believed. And and its a lot different than than you somebody that already did it and you come behind him. Ali was the first person to do that and being the skin color that he was and to stand up, its amazing to to be the one that everybody looking at and everybody not happy. But you see a man of your word and you stick to it and now become the person that that, wow, people people didnt realize he could have been the one of the most hated person as well as well as the most likable person. The person most hated became the most likable person, you know, because people had to educate their position to what theyre going to do and you couldnt flop on it. And he said what he said and he become who he is because he he stood strong. Evander holyfield, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us and our condolences to you because we know how inspirational he was to you and youre one of the people in this world that had the pruf ledge of knowing him. And to speak to that, one of my favorite quotes is the man who views the world at 50 the same as he does at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life. It kind of explains how he grew and evolved outside the boxing world. And something about muhammed ali is the simple clarity in his words that made them so powerful at a time as Evander Holyfield said, he could have lost everything. He could have. And in some way he did during the vietnam war controversy. In some way he did lose everything. And after being diagnosed with park kinsons of course, and wolf blitzer takes a look at that part of muhammed ali. This is the legend of muhammed ali, the greatest fighter there ever will be. Millions of fans around the world agree. Those phrases became alalis motto. His wit and charisma outside the ring would make him one of the worlds best known personalities. You look at me but his persono bega began t emerge. He was born during an ugly era of racial segregation in america. At 12 years old, alis world would change forever when a local Police Officer introduced him to boxing. It became an outlet for his rage. Cassius clay challenges jerry joyce. It also allowed him to develop his remarkable talent. Six years later he would bring home a gold medal from the summer Olympic Games in rome. He turned pro at the age of just 18 and at 22 he stunned the boxing world, defeating a fighter the experts thought was invincible, sonny liston. Ali had arrived and liston would never be the same. To prove the point, ali put him away in a rematch the following year. The 60s were glory days for ali, but it would become a controversial period in his life. He renounced his given name and joined the black separatist nation of islam. Alis heavyweight title was gone, revoked after he claimed Conscientious Objector status and refused to serve in the vietnam war. He also gave up millions of dollars in endorsements and faced five years in prison all in defiance of a war he called despicable and unjust. My intention is to box to win a clean fight, but in war, the intention is to kill, kill, kill, kill, and continue killing innocent people. Reporter ali began a three and a half year exile from champion fights. Everybody that watches and trains, theres no contest. Better not fight like that with ali. Reporter but the world would soon learn that even superman has his off days. Ali was barely back in the ring when his undefeated professional record came to an end. He lost to joe fraser in a 1971 match dubbed the fight of the century. It was the first of three fights with smoking joe. Joes going to come out smoking but i aint going to be joking. Ill be pecking and poking, pouring water on his mokin. This time im going to retire joe frazier. Reporter and he did. The fight ended after fraziers trainer stopped the fight following the 14th round giving ali a technical knockout. Ali was on a role again. But his greatest athletic comeback only last week i murdered a rock. Stone, hospitalize a brick. Im so mean i make medicine sick. Reporter he knocked out the heavily favored young champion George Foreman. It was called the rumble in the jungle. His last night in 1981 would mark the beginning of another battle that ali described as his toughest. The diagnosis that he was afflicted with parkinsons disease. Ali was forced to retire. His lifetime record, 56 victories just 5 defeats. But he never retreated from living a very public life. In 1996, ali provided one of the most poignant moments in sports history. With 3 billion people watching he lit the olympic flame at the summer games in atlanta. His hands trembling, but never wavering. As his condition grew progressively worse ali struggled each day to whisper a word. His hands and legs shook and his voice quivered. I am the greatest. Reporter yet his spirit was never chicken and he never slowed down from serving as an ambassador for peace and a mediator in world conflicts. In 2005 ali was presented with a president ial medal of freedom award, the nations highest civilian honor. When you say the greatest of all time is in the room, everyone know who is you mean. And tributes for the champ continue. How do you feel about getting the honor tonight . Reporter ali was one of the most gifted and unique personalities in sports history. The World May Never see the likes of him again. In the final chapter, few would argue that ali needed the crowds as much as they needed him. Not for mere validation, but because each saw in the other the best in themselves. Alis got a left, alis got a right. If he hits you once youll sleep for the night. And if you lie on the floor, hope and pray that you never meet me again. Most famous man in the world he was once called. Up next, a life long family friend of muhammed ali speaks to cnn about the death of the legend. Oh, look. Another antiwrinkle cream in no hurry to make anything happen. Neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair works. In one week. With the. Fastest retinol formula. To visibly reduce wrinkles. Neutrogena®. Where worldclass chefs meet topnotch nutritionists. Prime cuts of meat. 25 grams of protein. Bold flavorful sauces. And savory mouth watering sides. Its the perfect balance of delicious and nutritious. Making it just the right fit for you. Stouffers fit kitchen meals. This is fit. Poallergies . Reather. Stuffy nose . Cant sleep . Take that. A breathe right nasal strip instantly opens your nose up to 38 more than allergy medicine alone. Shut your mouth and say goodnight, mouthbreathers. Breathe right. Of fixodent plus adhesives. They help your denture hold strong more like natural teeth. And you can eat even tough food. Fixodent. Strong more like natural teeth. Fixodent and forget it. What if 30,000 people download the new app . Were good. Okay. What if a Million People download the new app . Were good. Five million . Good. We scale on demand. Hybrid infrastructure, boom. Ok. What if 30 Million People download the app . Were not good. Were total heroes. Scale on demand with the Number One Company in cloud infrastructure. He said i called myself the greatest even before i believed it, but he did believe it or before he was it. He made the world believe it and the world has lost the greatest this morning. Muhammad ali, 74 years old, has died. This is a man known for his quick and clear words, his quick feet, his even faster punches, remembered for his contribution for civil rights and his early vocal objection to the vietnam war which is one that cost him several years as a boxer. Ali spent his final moments at a hospital in scottsdale, arizona. He was surrounded by his close family and friends. Certainly people that we are thinking of this morning. Dan simon is there live and the thing about this, dan, is a lot of people when they heard that he was in the hospital on thursday, they thought okay, hopefully this is just another another bout, but he will hopefully get out of the hospital well get him back here, but it was a surprise to so many people because he had been hospitalized in 2014 and again in 2015 and he was released. And nobody expected this nobody expected us to be waking up to this this morning. Especially considering what we knew about the ailment that put him in the hospital this time. Respiratory ailment i think back in 2014, he was in for pneumonia, so the assumption was yeah, hell be out of the hospital in a couple days. His spokesman i believe even said as much. Yes, he did. When we went to bed last night we were under the impression that he was going to make it through and this would be just a replay of the past. But it didnt turn out to be that way. Right. No doubt about it. We know his spokesman had described it as a respiratory issue, but we want to be clear, we have not gotten word of what caused his actual death if it was a respiratory issue, if how the parkinsons complicated things. We dont know how he died as of yet and for this im sure everyone is grateful he was surrounded by the people that he loved. Grateful for him and the family as well. He had nine children, married four times and of course layla ali who followed in his footsteps and i always wondered how he felt as a father about that because thats your little girl. Because you think you hit my little girl im going to hit you. He was one of her biggest fans, no doubt about it. We see him there with her. So what commonality for the two of them to share, but just hoping that she was by his side. And among the many things he was known for, he was called the louisville lip. Intimidating opponents with words well before he even threw the first punch, telling rival sonny liston in the ring that he could float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. That was first uttered in 1964 when he was just 22 years old. It later became his motto. There was no rest for any man who dared take on muhammad ali in the ring. The World Champion warned anyone who challenged him and i want to get this right. If you even dream of beating me you better wake up and apologize. All right. Heres a he turned trash talk into art, and it doesnt seem like a big deal now, because so many people do it, but he sort of, you know, put a patent on it. His verbal sparring getting almost as much as the knockout punches in the ring. He once said, im so mean, i make medicine sick. I cant say that with the right emphasis. Right before the rumble in the jungle, that was against George Foreman in 1974. No doubt about it. And he said one time he said, im so fast last night i turned the lights out in my hotel room and was in the bed before the room was dark. This is outside the Muhammad Ali Center in louisville, kentucky. This just gives you an idea of what appears to be a makeshift memorial that is just Getting Started with some cards, some signs, some tributes and of course some letters. You can imagine that is very much likely to grow over the next several days and with people just waking up now discovering that muhammad ali at 74 is gone. And we know the Funeral Services will be held in louisville kentucky in about an hour and a half i believe we are expected to see some sort of a news briefing from louisville as well. Well be taking you to that, but the world, you know, looks at this and thinks, we knew this fighter. Cnns pamela brown knew him on a completely different level and this is so this is so profound, because as a little girl, that is pamela brown right there you see at a table witH Muhammad Ali as a little girl. You think i dont know the impact of this man, but of course knowing it now an incredible picture. Also coming up after the break well talk to larry holmes a little bit about his remembrances of muhammad ali as we work our way through this morning. Sfx climbing sounds duracell quantum lasts longer so Kevin Jorgeson can power through the night. Sfx duracell slamtones this. I try hard to get a great shape. I can do easily. Benefiber® healthy shape helps curb cravings. Its a clear, tastefree daily supplement. Thats clinically proven to help keep me fuller longer. Benefiber® healthy shape. This, i can do. Find us in the fiber aisle. Motrin helps you be an. I can totally do this in one trip kind of woman. When pain tries to stop you, motrin works fast to stop pain. 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During the peak of his career he was known for his flamboyant boxing style. He was just as colorful outside the ring. Born cassius clay, he shocked the world when he converted to islam and changed his name to muhammad ali. On the phone with us now to talk about his career, former world heavy weight champion larry holmes. Thank you for being with us. Help us understand the impact that muhammad ali had on you not just in the ring but outside of it. His personality, you know, he was you know, all the years that ive been around him and working with him for four years, i think i seen him get mad one time and that was because somebody was messing with him and telling him he cant fight or Something Like that, and he made a game out of it. And hes he was one hell of a guy. What can i say . You said you were his sparring partner for four years. Yeah. And and certainly thats fascinating, the idea that just once he got angry, but can you give us a little bit more sense of the man behind the scenes . We all saw the showman, but we also know that the person you met and knew might have been very different. Well, you know. Reporter when i seen him come along and hed come over and talk to you. If he was trying to do his magic tricks he would do his magic tricks and sometimes i thought he was crazy because he would be talking to himself like, im the greatest, nobody can whoop me and hed be talking to himself, you know, and he just come out of the clear blue skies and start talking. And i used to think he was crazy, but, you know, knowing ali he was not crazy. He had a lot of sense. When he was a little guy, he always treated me good. Ill tell you, when i first went to ali i went up there with no equipment because i had no equipment. He gave me my boxing shoes, he gave me boxing gloves, boxing trunks, hand wraps, he said now you got your equipment. And thats how we became friends. And then we went down to redding, pennsylvania and we put on a boxing exhibition. He gave me a black eye, and everybody was trying to get ice and ali said put ice on it, put ice on it. And i said no, im going to show this one off. Nobody believed that i was working witH Muhammad Ali. Help us understand that that atmosphere. I mean, youre in the ring with him one minute and you are Walking Around highlighting the the big shiner you have from him. How do you how do you manage that competitiveness in the ring and the friendship outside of it . Well, you know, i i tell you what. Ali was a good guy. He just he get on his bus, and come to the l. A. To go to the schools to talk to the kids in the schools. I mean, he was phenomenal when it came down to doing things for people. And i said to him one day, why you do that . He said, somebody got to do it to make these kids feel good and stuff like that and he said, thats what im doing. And i just i was blown out about a lot of things that he did because he used to talk to himself too, like, im the greatest and nobody can whoop me, and look around and nobody there but me. Hes talking to himself. Heres something also that we have to ask because its part of your legacy. You are one of only five, if im correct, boxers to actually defeat muhammad ali in a real match. What was that like especially given the fact that you seem to like him a lot . Yeah, believe me, it was hard. That was one of the hardest fights that i ever had to fight, fighting against a guy that i loved and i knew i could beat him because i work with him, you know, for four years as a sparring partner, but then i understood the reason why he fought me, you know, for the money. He was getting 10 million and then i was im 66 and i come out of retirement for 10 million so you know, i can understand that you know, he wanted to fight and he wanted to win. And he tried to goat me into winning. Youre just my sparring partner, you cant fight. Watch this, watch this. You know, but that was a sad day. And even after i beat him i went to his dressing room and i said to him, man, you know i love you. He said, well why you whoop me like that then . He was always he was always had some comment, you know what im saying . So thats why i feel like i feel. Well, larry holmes, thank you for sharing your memories with him and some of those moments that we never would have known about behind the scenes. I tell you what, we lost a great fighter, a great man, a great human being and you know, god has blessed him, he blessed me to have the opportunity to be with somebody as great as he was. I appreciate it. Obviously taking a lot of inspiration from him that im sure will stay with you forever. Thank you. We appreciate you taking the time to talk with us this morning. Thank you. All right. What an interesting guy, larry holmes is. There was a lot of comedy to to muhammad ali that were learning this morning that i think maybe a lot of people didnt get right away. You get. Coming up next, a life long friend of muhammad ali speaks to cnn about the death of the legend. Its not a quick fix. Its my decision to make beauty last. Roc® retinal started visibly reducing my fine lines and wrinkles in one week. And the longer i use it, the better it works. Retinal correxion® from roc® methods, not miracles. ™ and i quit smoking with chantix. I always came back to smoking. I was absolutely frustrated, absolutely. I did not think chantix would work as well as it did. Along with support, Chantix Varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking. Chantix reduced my urge to smoke. 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I came down today just to pay my respects to a Great American and im really proud to be a louisvilleian and im proud he was here and when i woke up to the news in the middle of the night i couldnt stop crying so i figured id come down and pay my respects. Welcome back to our viewers here and around the world. If youre just waking up, we are reporting the news of the death of the greatest muhammad ali. 74 years old, was in a hospital in scottsdale since thursday, and this came as a great surprise to people. So many people believed that he was in there just for, as his spokesman had said, a respiratory issue. The family statement said the ali family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers and support and asks for privacy at this time. But what youre looking at here is the growing memorial there in louisville, kentucky outside the Muhammad Ali Center. And you just heard from somebody who had taken the time this morning to go down and just pay reverence as she stood in front of the center. A lot of people were sure going to be there and we do no Funeral Services will be in louisville, kentucky, but thats all we know at this point regarding the memorial for him. Dan simon is live outside the hospital in scottsdale, arizona, where ali died surrounded by his family. Dan, so ali has lived around that area for some time and hes been in and out of the hospital. There are a lot of people who are thinking just last night that he was going to make it through, but it turns out, sadly, it did not. Reporter yeah, you know, i want to bring in john ramsey because he knows the situation better than anybody. He was very Close Friends witH Muhammad Ali and his wife, john is a Personality Television radio personality in louisville, kentucky. John, you got the call on thursday and she said that he wasnt doing so well . Well, you know, i think at the time when he initially was admitted to the hospital, you know, we thought it was just a minor medical issue. Shes so good at taking care of him i did not think a lot of it that muhammad gets off the mat again and again. The doctor probably knows this one hit him hard and things escalated from there. So its the second floor of the hospital. Youre there with family. Explain the situation. Whats it like up there . You know, it really was all about the family. My role was very minor. I was there for support, you know, the kids were all together and it was their time with their father, so they were in the room, there was a small little lounge area that i was with with a few other Close Friends and the kids would come in and out and visit with their father as they should and a lot of tears, hugs, laughter, a lot of memories and you know, fortunately the kids, the good thing is theyve got the spirituality of their father so they took comfort there. And you were here, you told me, two months ago visiting mohammed. What was that like . About a month and a half ago, you know, stayed with muhammad and watched old fights. Spent a lot of good quality guy time with muhammad and he was feeling good, great spirits, very lucid and you know, the muhammad ali you want to see. Reporter and despite his parkinsons you told me he was razor sharp . He is razor sharp. He always knew what was going on. He was sharp. As i said, i attribute a lot of that to the great medical care that his wife gave and if reincarnation is true, id like to come back as muhammad ali. He was treated as muhammad ali should be. Reporter and you traveled the world with him. You went to a lot of different countries. What was it like to be around him . You know, he is truly a World Champion and you saw that. He is beloved all around the world. Ive been to australia with him, england, ireland, canada, multiple cities around the country and you see the love thats universal. It transcends religion, it transcends countries. Muhammad is just really so beloved and deservedly so. Reporter and we know a lot about him because he was such a publ public figure, but whats something that maybe most people dont know about him . Id justsa th say that some e say is he still the muhammad of old . Is he still charming and quit witted . Yes, yes, and yes. Still the coolest cat many the room. Not only was he the greatest of all time but he was the best at being compassionate, the greatest athlete of our era and as far as being cool, he had the bar way up here. Thanks very much. Appreciate you stopping by and our condolences. Appreciate it. Reporter so there you go. I mean, john telling us that this was not expected, that he was basically doing okay, that they thought that, you know, this would be a brief hospital stay, that he was in fair condition and then and then he would be on his way. Of course, he had been in the hospital several times over the past few years and you know, seemed to be doing just fine and this was quite unexpected and quite a shock to people who knew him best. Dan, thank you so much. Dan simon live for us there. Its so good to hear he was surrounded by his children and his wife and hear about how meticulous she was in her care of him. Certainly thoughts and prayers going to that family today as they try to reconcile whats going on. I mean, you knew he wasnt well because of the parkinsons but as he said, they did not expect this. And thats been the experience too. I met him with his wife years ago and even then when he was up and moving and much more communicative, able to speak with much more ease, even though it was still a little difficult then, she worked with him all the time, great care, and it was very clear that his personality continued to come through again and again and again. Personally, my remembrance of him was being amazed that i was in the presence of muhammad ali. He was on capitol hill trying to push for more government money for parkinsons, and i walked up and talked to him and his wife, and he was the one who asked me if i wanted a picture with him. Isnt that something . Right. And i thought, well, yes, but i would have never asked. Thats so sweet of him because you know there are probably a lot of people who are standoffish and they dont want to say it but for him to offer it because he knows, i know you want to do this even though youre not asking so i want to make it easy for you. Exactly. A little bit later we are going to go live to louisville, kentucky. Thats his hometown. The mayor is planning Something Special this morning. Were going to take you there. This, a live picture here of the memorial thats growing outside the Muhammad Ali Center there right now. Its my decision to make beauty last. Fix. 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Yikes, that ice cream was messing with you, wasnt it . Try lactaid, its real ice cream, without that annoying lactose. Lactaid. Its the milk that doesnt mess with you. He called himself the greatest before the world agreed, but believe me, as we all know, the world did indeed agree eventually. Muhammad ali were so sad to tell you, passed away overnight. He was 74 years old. And the tributes have been pouring in from all corners of the world. His death comes after a lengthy battle with parkinsons disease. He was diagnosed in 1984, three years after he retired from a boxing career that began when he was just 12 years old. Anyone who met him pretty much never forgot him. These are the stories we are hearing from people today. Pamela brown, cnn correspondent, she met ali when she was a young girl. And i want you to take us to those moments that you were with him, you know, what was going on here in this picture and then that moment when you realized who he was to the rest of the world . Reporter well, he was he was good friends with my dad. We lived in kentucky and so my parents would tell me, you know, we have a very special guest visiting the house and i would hear words like icon and legend, but when i was a little girl i didnt really fully understand how big of a deal he was. To me though, he was my real life superhero because as you see here in that picture, we when he would come to the house we would sit around the Kitchen Table right here and he would show me magic tricks. And i would show him mine. I was really into it at the time and thinking they were so good. Of course they were not very impressive compared to his and he would show me his magic tricks and i thought he was a superhero regardless of Everything Else and wed go to wed go to restaurants and he would show off for the crowd and hed do this little trick where he would get on his toes and make it look like he was floating and as a kid i thought he really was floating and it wasnt until he was our guest at the Kentucky Derby one year where i really understood that this is one of the greatest men whos ever lived. We were walking to the paddock to see the horses and we were walking through the grand stand and he grabbed my hand and the crowd stood up, the entire grand stand stood up and was chanting ali, ali and he just had this big smile on his face and you could tell he loved it. He thrived in that with all the attention and energy coming from the crowd and he would stop and he would do his onetwo punch and just, you know, these people, it was just awe inspiring for them to be in his presence and certainly for me as a girl, ill never forget it. Hes left an indelible mark and he never let parkinsons hold him back. He led a full and rich life to the end. Thats just incredible. Thank you so much for that remembrance, and well take a break and well be right back. With usaa is awesome. Homeowners insurance Life Insurance automobile insurance i spent 20 years active duty they still refer to me as Gunnery Sergeant when i call being a usaa member because of my service in the military to pass that on to my kids something that makes me happy my name is roger zapata and im a usaa member for life. Usaa. We know what it means to serve. Get an insurance quote and see why 92 of our members plan to stay for life. Wprime cuts of meat. S fit kitchen. 25 grams of protein. And savory, mouthwatering sides. Its the perfect balance of delicious and nutritious. Making it just the right fit for you. Stouffers fit kitchen meals. This is fit. Alright guys, weve brought you to this construction trailer to talk about trucks today. Which truck brand offers engines with best in class v8 towing or fuel economy . Are we moving . Where we going . Its the answer to the question baby silverado. Oooh thats cool. Its truck month. Qualified buyers get 0 financing for 60 months. Plus, find your tag and get 8,250 total value on this silverado all star. Find new roads at your local chevy dealer if youre just joining us we have breaking news this morning that muhammad ali has died after a long battle with parkinsons disease. He passed overnight at a phoenix hospital where he was admitted thursday with a respiratory problem. He leaves behind nine children, his wife, he was 74. And we should point out that we do not know the reason the cause of death yet. That has not been that has not been established but we do have some pictures here that were iconic of this this giant in the boxing world and in the world in general. This just saying the greatest. This was the cover of Sports Illustrated back in 2006. Obviously not a picture from 2006, but something honoring him. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated so many times that you know i mean, thats sort of a testament right there to the power of the face of muhammad ali. Well, Sports Illustrated called him what did they say . The greatest athlete of the 20th century. And this is the you just saw that cover of joe frazier, that was a huge fight in the career of muhammad alis life, and the epic battle there. The thriller in manila. Thank you so much for being with us. Smerconish starts now. Everything youre pretty good at now, you were once, well, pretty bad at. But you learned. And got better. At experian, we believe its the same with managing your credit. You may not be good at it now. But thats okay. Because credit isnt just a score. Its a skill. And you can get better. Experian. Be better at credit. The great zest gone. Muhammad ali, boxing legend, civil rights activist died at the age of 74 last night. For decades ali was perhaps the most famous man on the plant. His journey also amazing. Finally its the end of primary season. Virgin islands today, puerto rico tomorrow. Then the big states this tuesday