Muhammad Ali's Life To Be Honored In Las Vegas By Celebrities

LAS VEGAS — Muhammad Ali had seven prizefights in Las Vegas, with his two losses there coming in the twilight of his legendary career. Now, dozens of heavyweight celebrities are back in Sin City to laud a lifetime in the spotlight and join the icon known as "The Greatest" in fighting neurological diseases.

Roughly 2,000 people were expected to attend a swanky gala to celebrate Ali's 70th birthday on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the site of most of boxing's major fights the past 20 years. Ali turned 70 last month, and had another celebration and fundraiser then in his home state of Kentucky.

Guests arriving on the red carpet included football great Jim Brown.

"America started with slavery and ended up with a black president," Brown said. "Muhammad Ali was a part of that ... a big part."

One of Ali's daughters, Rasheda Ali, says the gala is a chance for friends, family and A-listers who look up to her father to show their respect for his life and legacy as a humanitarian. In return, she says he'll be honored to see them there.

"He has not left that need to help others," Rasheda Ali told The Associated Press. "That's one of his core values – his charity and his giving."

The gala starting at $1,500 per plate was expected to draw some of the biggest names in entertainment and sports – including David Beckham, Anthony Hopkins, Samuel L. Jackson and Stevie Wonder, among others. They're planning performances and tributes to a fighter who went 56-5 in the ring with 37 knockouts and became perhaps the most famous athlete ever because of his personality and willingness to publicly stand up for his beliefs.

Ali has lived with Parkinson's disease for nearly 30 years, a degenerative brain condition that some doctors say can be brought on by punches to the head.

The gala will raise funds for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Ky., a cultural attraction that celebrates Ali's life and pushes educational goals on a wide range of topics for adults and children.

Larry Ruvo, chairman of the clinic's fundraising arm, Keep Memory Alive, said he's not sure whether the fundraiser will exceed its record of $27 million, but he hopes so.

Boxing promoter Bob Arum said during a pre-gala reception Friday night attended by celebrities including Hopkins and Larry King that Ali will go down as one of the most important Americans in history.

"Without Muhammad Ali, there wouldn't have been an Obama," he said. "There wouldn't have been a mixed-race president."

Ruvo said President Barack Obama recorded a video tribute message to Ali that would be shown during the gala.

ABC and ESPN plan to air the gala on Feb. 25.

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Oskar Garcia can be reached on Twitter at . http://twitter.com/oskargarcia

Comments

[Joe Marquis]

02:36 AM on 02/23/2012

Nobody could touch Ali in the early 60's......His size, speed, power, this man had it all when it came down to boxing. He turned out to be even a better person as quoted by many who knew him.

[luapmi2]

03:37 AM on 02/21/2012

I read that Ali now works at the paint department at his local home improvement store.

He's replaced the paint shaker.

[Muhammad Abdulkhabir]

08:25 AM on 02/21/2012

i read you were stupid

[luapmi2]

04:25 PM on 02/21/2012

yes I was, but then I got an education and became a Republican

[sfkjeld]

04:32 PM on 02/20/2012

Big Ali fan here too. But recommend the HBO documentary "thrilla in Manila". Ali is portrayed as a bully to the point where a viewer has to feel sorry for Frazier. The scene after the thrilla fight where Ali goes to Joe's dressing room as described by Marvin Frazier was priceless. According to the film Ali later apologized for the years of abuse and presumably they came to terms. I sure hope that happened.

[CocoaWIP]

11:22 PM on 02/19/2012

Honoring a great person, for a great cause. Bravo to all!

[papapj]

09:37 PM on 02/19/2012

He who I looked up to when there was nobody else around to make me feel proud of who I was, and what i could become. He gave me the will to fight for what I knew was right.

For that, I am eternally grateful, and I will make sure my sons know of his legacy, and the part he played in making me the (Black) man I am today...

[Acadine]

03:46 PM on 02/19/2012

I love Ali. I only wish I could be there to celebrate with his fans.

[tbaker3]

03:44 PM on 02/19/2012

Fan for Life

I've read the comments posted and all were delightful to a person we will only see once in our life time. All who were able to follow this man's career in fights, personal beliefs, and humanitarian mission will know how special he is to this world. History will record Muhammad Ali as the Greatest person of all time.

[plazavet]

12:35 PM on 02/19/2012

Truly a world hero....Congratulation Muhammad Ali, THE GREATESS OF ALL TIME!!!!

[Number10]

11:55 AM on 02/19/2012

Float like a butterfly - Sting like a bee - Happy Birthday to the Greatest!

[Conservative PitBull]

10:59 AM on 02/19/2012

Definitely one of the greatest. When we were Kings is a great documentary. Happy Birthday Ali.

[keith w oliver]

01:48 PM on 02/19/2012

anyone who even *sort-of* cares about the sport and that fight (whether it is for the cultural lesson, or the sports angle with the fight itself) oughta watch that flick -- they did a great job with it
f/f

[Ian Monam]

10:21 AM on 02/19/2012

He was a great boxer and a conscientious objector, and he did use his fame as a platform to speak out against injustice. However, I often wondered if he was using controversy to drive up the box at his fights or if his motives were sincere.

[Tre Members]

10:03 AM on 02/19/2012

The people writing that "he stayed too long", "he should have retired"- don't understand. That tenancity,confidence and strive for perfection that makes you great- is also the thing that makes you stay too long or destroys you. Jordan couldn't stay retired for the same reason, Sugar Ray Leonard -ditto, Marlon Brando- check, Jimi Hendrix- it consumed him.

[rumpoint4us]

09:46 AM on 02/19/2012

Ali was the GREATEST Athlete of the 20th Century. And in his prime years, all prior to his being stripped of his title in '67, he could not be touched. He was fast, fluid, and a target that no one could hit. He returned to the ring 3 years and 7 months later to fight "just" two fights before facing the late, and also great Smokin' Joe Frazier (RIP, champ). He fought Jerry Quarry, another great warrior of the sweet science, then Oscar Bonavena. He lost more than a step upon his return. His legs could not do what they once did. Had Frazier fought Ali when Ali was in his prime Ali would have danced and jabbed all night long, and occasionally throw that sneaky right hand lead.

I saw all of Ali's fights on the Wide World of Sports when they aired and then went to Madison Square Garden to see him fight on closed circuit television when he was fighting around the globe.

Ali was GLOBAL ! He was not just a champion in our country, the US of A, but of the WORLD.

[bk1]

08:46 AM on 02/19/2012

As a child, I remember reading about the way Ali had been stripped off his title and livelihood because of his refusal to participate in the Vietnam war. I witnessed the resentment and outright contempt that he was subjected to for practicing his religion and for changing his name. Through it all, he did not waiver from his personal and religious conviction. He did not hate America......in many ways he educated people on what it meant to be a citizen in this country. In his career, Ali was undoubtedly the greatest fighter of all times, a fact disputed because of what was taken from him in his prime. In life, he has grown to be one of this country's greatest Americans because of the personal sacrifices he made for religious freedom and social protest in this country. Happy Birthday, Champ.............You are the Greatest.

[Myriah007]

07:28 AM on 02/19/2012

can someone tell me in what year did he change his name from cashes clay to mohammed ali?

[keith w oliver]

01:38 PM on 02/19/2012

summer of 64

the first ali/liston fight was 25 february 1964 in but was almost cancelled when the promoter heard that cassius clay had been seen about miami beach (location of that fight) with malcolm x.
the promoter asked clay to delay his announcement about his conversion to islam until after the fight -- which he did --
shortly after, malcom x announced clay had been dubbed "cassius x" by the nation of islam.

by the time ali married his first wife (sonji roi), on 14 august 964, he had taken the name muhammad ali, as per the wishes of elijah muhammad and malcom x.

so... he did it in somewhere in that 171 day span b/w the liston fight and his wedding.

[Myriah007]

02:42 PM on 02/19/2012

thanks :-)