Ali’s wife thanks world for its support since his death
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Muhammad Ali’s greatest champion thanked the world for its support since the boxing great’s death. His widow, Lonnie Ali, then embraced the role as chief advocate for her husband’s legacy at his memorial service on Friday.
She received a standing ovation at the ceremony, and the crowd broke into the familiar chants of “Ali, Ali, Ali.”
She says expressions of support have “come in every language, from every corner of the globe” since Ali’s death a week ago.
She says the champ’s family was “humbled by your heartfelt expressions of love.”
Lonnie Ali then talked about her husband’s life journey as a lesson for others. In a message aimed at young people, she said her husband never “became embittered enough to quit or to engage in violence” while facing adversity in youth.
