Good evening. Thank you for joining us. We begin with the breaking news, the ledge dare boxer, muhammad ali has died at 74. He was the beloved iconic threetime boxing champion. As byron pits tells us tonight, he was so much more. You out, sucker. Reporter he was a lightning rod in and out of the boxing ring. Known for his grace and power and poetry. Im handsome. Im fast. Im pretty, and cant possibly be be reporter he was born cassius clay in louisville, kentucky in 1942. He is learned to fight as a boy after his bicycle was stolen and soon climbed the ranks of amateur boxing. By 18 he was the star of the u. S. Olympic team. Light on his feet and unlike anything the boxing world had seen, he took home a gold medal. The victory was bittersweet, returning home to a segregated south where he was still treated as a second class citizen. He said he threw his medal into the ohio river in disgust. Four years later he was up against his first title fight. Defying 7 to 1 odds, he stole the title in one of the biggest upsets in history. I upset him and i must be the greatest. Reporter he loved the spotlight but privately he was going through his own transformation. He dared to align his end at moment. A shared faith with malcolm x. I would like for you to call me by my name now, muhammad ali. Reporter he joined the nation of islam and rejected what he called his slave name. He was revolutionary in terms of race by standing up for things people werent yet standing up for, and he gave up a lot for his politics, and he was criticized and vilified by many people. Reporter he was viewed with suspicion by those in his community. I and a number of actors in color would look at him and wonder, what was his game . What role was he playing . Reporter on the short list of those who knew the private and public ali, a man equally blessed with gifts admired worldwide. Famed actor, singer and human rights belefonte. I met him at the airport the first time. He says they tell me i look like you. I cant have two of us in the world. He said do you fight . I said no. He said you may have to because im coming after you. Just at that moment, he came into my face and held his fist up. Reporter two handsome young men pictured during one of the ugliest times in american history. Sounds like in many ways that your journey with humid ali is like americas journey with ali, initial fascination, deep curiosity, and concern, and then great affection later. But i then began to look at him and our struggle and our movement through a different lens. I saw him as critically important to smashing the traditions. Most of us had somehow adopted a code of existence that always put upon us the need to show a gentler side, always be respectful, never be contentious, dont be aggressive. Be a good negro. Reporter perhaps he showed it was okay for a black man to be bold and outspoken. The beauty is it was really him. Deep down inside what you saw in muhammad ali was really who he was. And i loved him for it. Loved him for it. Reporter and ali never stopped loving the ring. Only last week i murdered a rock. Anglo stone. A brick. Im so mean i make medicine sick. Reporter a few years later, a new controversy. The year was 1967. The u. S. Was deep in the world when ali got his draft notice. He refused to serve arguing it violated his muslim believes. No, i will not go 10,000 miles from here to help murder and kill another poor people simply to continue the domination of white slave masters over the darker people of the earth. Reporter ali was convicted of draft evasion, stripped of his title and manned from the sport. He lost the heart of his athletic career because he refused to fight in vietnam. Now, that doesnt make him nelson mandela, but it was something, and it was striking to Many Americans that he not only had beliefs but stood up for him. Reporter it took almost three years for him to win his appeal and get back in the ring. He returned with a vengeance taking on the seemingly invincible george foreman. He won the hearts of the african crowd. An eighth round knockout. Ali recaptured the championship of the world. So many people doubted him and thought this bigger man was going to beat him. He won the fight with his smarts. Reporter and with his whit outside the ring, he met his match in howard cosel. They were an irresistible comedy in the wide world of sports . Im not sure theres anybody left for you to fight. You. That may come about someday. Thank you for coming by. Just stay in shape. Reporter alis triumphs like this one made for some of boxings greatest fights and made ali one of the most popular he graced the cover of Sports Illustrated 35 times from 1963 to 1998. It was the golden age of heavy weight boxing and ali was king. Years of punishment in the ring took its toll. I cant talk no more. Im all messed up. Ali retired for good in 1981. Three years later at the age of 4 2 he was diagnosed with parkinsons. This time he would have someone else in his corner. He married loni who he met in 1963. Little loni didnt even know who he was. Together they have faced the toughest face of alis life. While ali grew physically weaker over the years, he could still inspire, lighting the olympic flag and raising millions for charity and speaking out for peace and of september 11th. And his life was in the Silver Screen by will smith. Absolutely did not want to be the dude that messed up the muhammad ali story. Reporter smith said his transformation will have a Lasting Impact in his life. Improfoundly changed. Theres a bittersweet emotion i feel from playing this role that ill never be that great. The United States honors muhammad ali. American to see and admire a black men. It was ali who made them listen. He was a credit to his race. The human race. I think of the final analysis, muhammad ali did us all a great service. Reporter ali tweeted i set out on a journey of love, of seeking truth, peace and understanding. I am still learning. A lightning rod both inside and outside of that boxing ring. Coming up next, Diane Sawyers visit with the boxing legend at his childhood home. Your heart loves omega3s. But theres a difference between the omega3s in fish oil and those in megared krill oil. Unlike fish oil, megared is easily absorbed by your body. Which makes your heart, well, megahappy. Happier still, megared is proven to increase omega3 levels in 30 days. Megared. The difference is easy to absorb. Text mom. Ill be right back. Be good. Boys have been really good today. Send. Lets get mark his own cell phone. Nice. Send. Brad could use a new bike. Send. [google] message. You decide. Theyre your kids. Why are you guys texting grandma . It was him. It was him. Keep your family connected. Appconnect. On the redesigned passat. 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Whats your body of proof . Okawhoa ady . [ explosion ] nothing should get in the way of the things you love. Get americas fastest internet. Only from xfinity. Rare time with muhammad ali and his wife in his childhood home now turned museum. A couple of hometown kids. Louisville kids. Went out to see the world, we did. Reporter a museum not so much about history as the spirit of a kid from louisville who could somehow see himself astride the whole world and who is still daring, laughing. How about this guy . Its the im pretty guy. The story is all here, including the beginning. It was a red bike he got for christmas. Someone stole it and he went to tell the policeman there that someone had stolen his bike and he was going to beat them up. So smart, joe mart said, learn to fight first. Then he got into the boxing at the gym, and the rest is history. Reporter he was a child of segregation. Even though he won his first olympic gold medal, he came back to hear these words at a restaurant counter. Hey, you. No what you doing in here . You know i cant serve you. Now, leave. Those are harsh words. Especially for a young person to hear. Reporter we sit together in the theater watch a movie of his gigantic life. Based on the poem, if, one of his favorites. If it says you can dream and not make dreams your master, walk with kings, for lose the common touch. Do you think it makes the parkinsons harder for him to see those days . You know, muhammad not only looks that film but any film. I dont know if he thinks about parkinsons. He doesnt think about what his may keep him in doing. He always thinks about what hes going to do tomorrow. I think hen he looks back at the films, it inspires him as well. Reporter she told us he can still speak with her some in the morning but the medication he takes for the parkinsons makes it difficult by noon. Theres such conversation going on between the two of you all the time now. Well, yeah. Muhammad i understand muhammads signals. Some of it is a silent conversation. I can tell what he wants or what hes thinking. Reporter also, a photo of the day she met him in the museum. Is this the famous picture . Thats it. As you see, i havent changed much, diane. Reporter then 22yearold, cassius clay teased his awe struck little neighbor. Did he remember saying to you im going to marry you when you grow up . Yes, but i found out he said that to a he didnt say it to just me. Reporter he had just been diagnosed with parkinsons when they met. You never feel robbed . No. Our life is so full and rich. We have nothing to be sorry for, nothing to regret, and nothing to pout about. Reporter back in the museum, a visitor can put their hand in a mold of muhammad alis to hear about gratitude, giving back. Children touch his heart in a way i dont think anyone else can, and he calls them refugees from heaven. Theyre little angels. He believes all children should have a bright future. Hed do anything he could to help them. Whats up . Reporter this is lay la. In in the pavilion, his daughter gives boxing lessons to people like me. Im sorry you had to see that. Back at the elevator, an always mischiefous ali says hes sure and in another pavilion, a tribute to a moment no one will forget. The olympic games, 1996. It was a big decision but such an honor. But when he tried to light it and it didnt light, i was thinking its not lighting. Whats wrong . Its not lighting. Hes holding it there, but once it lit, the swell of emotion that went through that crowd, through that arena, it was amazing. There were tears and shouts of joy. Reporter like the words of the poem. If you can force your heart and nerve to serve your turn long after theyre gone. What do you think hes saying in this moment to these athletes Going Forward . I think he would say do as much as you can. Thats how youll be remembered. God gives us special gifts. The more god gives you, the more he expects. Reporter do as much as you can. As we remember muhammad ali, passed away this evening, joining me now is a producer and long time friend of ali. Thank you for being with us tonight. Pleasure to be here. You have known him since 1993, you spent considerable time together. How will he be remembered and whats his legacy . He was my hero as a kid. My first memories of him are somewhere around 1966 or 1965 watching him on abc with howard cosell. He will be remembered as a man of courage, the courage to fight the toughest guy in the ring, fight them all. The courage to stand up on his religious beliefs and change his name and to take the slings and arrows that came with that. The courage to stand up to the United States courage when he felt there was an unjust war and he didnt want to be a part of it, and the courage to lose his career and his livelihood for that stand and to tough it out and be proven correct and to win a Supreme Court decision and continue his career again, and in the end, to have the courage to face parkinsons for 30 years. He was diagnosed in 1984, and continue to the years and battle it and still be seen in public and not be ashamed in how people perceived you, that took immense courage. Hes a man of principal that stood on his beliefs always. As his wife said, he didnt think about his limitations. Thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it and sorry for your loss. Thank you. Reporter coming up, a classic exchange with ali with Barbara Walters. Eporter comingc exchange with ali with Barbara Walters. Porter coming up, a cl exchange with ali with Barbara Walters. Orter coming up, a cla exchange with ali with barbara lters. Lters. With ali with barbara c lters. With ali with barbara lters. With ali with barbara lters. With ali with barbara lters. With ali with barbara lters. With ali with barbara th ali with Barbara Walters. Hane try duo fusion ing antacids . New, two in one heartburn relief. The antacid goes to work in seconds. And the acid reducer lasts up to 12 hours in one chewable tablet. Try new duo fusion. From the makers of zantac. Take on the unexpected with a car that could stop for you. Nissan safety shield technologies, available in the altima, sentra and maxima. The wrong reasons. You may be muddling through allergies. Try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. And zyrtec® is different than claritin®. Because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. Try zyrtec®. Muddle no more®. Again tonight we are remembering a boxing legend. In 1978 muhammad ali had just been defeated by spinks for the title, but he was plotting our return match when Barbara Walters asked him to predict what was going to happen. What happens . What do you say . Close your eyes and tell me the fantasy. Ali comes out to meet spinks. But spinks retreats. Ali swings to the left and swings to the right. Look at ali carry the fight. Spinks keeps bagging but theres not enough room. There ali goes the boom. What a beautiful swing and the punch lays spinks out of the ring. Now spinks disappears from view. The crowd is frantic, but the radar stations picked him up. Hes somewhere over the atlantic. Who would have dreamed that the winners the legend of a bla satellite. Who would dream that you had the whole answer prepared when i asked the question . Youre wisest athlete and boxer of all time. Youll never meet another like me. He was the greatest. That is our show for tonight. Well have more on the life and times of muhammad ali own Good Morning America tomorrow morning. Good night america. We leave you with images of the man simply known as the greatest. Im late. Yeah, ray, listen, ally drew this picture of our family, and now she wants to put it up on the fridge. Yeah. So . Well, look at it. Theres ally and the twins, theres you and me and. Look at your parents. Oh. She made them giants. Yeah. With sharp teeth and claws. Yeah, and theyre attacking our house. No, this way. It goes this way. Shes very perceptive. We cant put this on the fridge. Your parents are going to see it. Do you like my picture, daddy . Um, yes, i do, i do, sweetie. Honey, how come you made grandma and grandpa look so scary . Thats not grandma and grandpa. Those are halloween monsters. Oh. Ok. Grandma and grandpa arent monsters. Ha ha. Ah, youth. Yup. Okawhoa ady . [ explosion ]