On Friday June 3rd, boxing legend and global icon Muhammad Ali passed away in Scottsdale, Arizona after he was hospitalized the day before with a respiratory illness. The 74-year-old’s official cause of death was septic shock. Since then, there has been an outpouring of support for his family and loved ones, along with a collective grieving process amongst his fans and supporters throughout the world.
Ali’s funeral will be held in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky on Friday June 10th at the KFC Yum! Center. According to BBC, Will Smith will serve as one of the pallbearers at the funeral. The two men became close friends during the filming of the 2001 biopic Ali, where Smith’s portrayal of Ali earned him an Academy Award nomination. Once the news of Ali’s passing was made public, Smith took to his Facebook account and shared:
Along with Smith, the other pallbearers will be Lennox Lewis, who is the last undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, as well as Ali’s cousins John Grady and Jan Wadell, Ali’s former brother-in-law Kowmawi Ali, nephew Ibn Ali, his former sparring partner’s brother, Jerry Eliss and longtime family friend John Ramsey.
Furthermore, former president Bill Clinton, Bryant Gumbel and Billy Crystal will be some of the eulogists at the funeral which is open to the public and is expected to have a massive turnout. Muhammad Ali will be laid to rest at Louisville’s Cave Hill Cemetery.
Respect: HHDX
