My trip to Louisville

Brilliant, wrong side of the pond for me. My eyes will be glued to my iPod later on. I just hope that the funeral isn't too Islamified.....

 

Superb, keep us posted.

 

Thats awesome! Although I don't know you personally, I know that from this forum and your youtube channel that you have a deep liking for Ali.

 

Must be so emotional for you. I'm with you in spirit :good

 

Thanks for the story and update. Looking forward to more.

 

That's awesome! Keep us updated!

 

Why would you say that ?
The man was apparently a devout muslim. His funeral ought to be Islamic.

 

Of course but I'm being a little selfish, can't say it's a religion I'm all too keen on...

 

Haha awesome nuggets there Reznick :good. I'm over the other side of the pond too - but very poignant day - my little Ali anecdote dates back to April fools day 1991 when I was 14 and at school - some of my pals were saying, Ali's in Nottingham today! (my local city) and I was like yeah yeah April fool whatever, and they were going, no seriously he's coming to Nottingham today! If you don't beleive me them go and ring the Dillon's Bookstore up at dinner so a few of us sneaked out of school at dinner (before the days of mobiles) and went down the road to a phone box and I rang this bookstore and said is Ali coming in today and the lady says well as a matter of fact he is! That was it the phone went down straight away and I was straight on the phone to my mum to let my dad know and my mum rings me back at the phone box and says your dad says he leaving work early and has told me categorically not to go back to school! And to head for Notts on the next bus! This was my dad who was generally the most us rebellious unrisktaking gentle guy you could wish to meet (Ali was his absolute hero but he was very much more like Floyd Patterson in his own manner) so basically I queue for about 4 hours there's about 5000 people there and my dad arrives late and cuts in the queue at the front!! he would NEVER have done that normally and we go in and meet him - had a little play fight with him and he said you're better the Joe Frazier! Haha I was terrified as he was HUGE!! When I shook his hand it pretty much enveloped my whole forearm haha! My dad wept when he was introduced and they embraced and my dad had some words in his ear when they hugged - it's one of my favourite memories of my dad too as in the years since my dad was diagnosed initially with Parkinson's aswell (later rediagnosed as Lewy Body Syndrome) - but I think possibly my dad knew at that stage unbeknown to me - which I think made it all the more emotional for him to see Ali affected in what I imagine was the way he was trying to mentally prepare for himself - I lost my dad a few years ago to it so Ali having gone now aswell took me back a bit - I suppose millions have got their own emotional stories connected with him but that was my one - wish I could been there to be honest :hi:

 

Tunney Hunsaker, Ali's first opponent, was from my home state of West Virginia. He eventually became chief of police in a town here. When he retired in 1992, Ali came here for the ceremony. Now this wasn't a huge event with loads of media coverage. This was a small ceremony in a small rural town. That he took the time to make such a gesture impressed me quite a bit. Pretty decent man to me.

 

Wow.that's some character.

 

Really? That's just awesome...