Muhammad Ali’s brother says the iconic boxer was ‘destined for greatness since he was a young boy’
Rahman Ali pays tribute to his 'perfect and loving' brother, who died aged 74 on Friday following 30-year Parkinson's battle
MUHAMMAD ALI’S brother Rahman paid tribute to his “perfect” sibling in a touching interview just days after his death.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain from Ali’s hometown of Louisville, Rahman revealed how he knew his brother was destined for greatness from a young age.
He said: “Muhammad was just perfect, nice, kind, sweet, loving, jolly. He liked to laugh and play and kid people and tell jokes.
“He never changed. The love he had as a child he carried to adulthood, he remained the same, it got stronger the older he got.
“He was so jolly and happy and so outgoing, different from other children.”
Boxing icon Ali passed away on Friday following a 30-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.
His remarkable 21-year professional career saw him beat all-time greats Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and George Foreman in some of sports most compelling encounters.
Ali’s influence was not restricted to the ring and he fought for black civil rights in America and against the Vietnam War draft after his conversion to Islam in 1964.
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But Rahman, 72, who also had a successful career as a heavyweight boxer, remembers a more mild-mannered, relaxed man.
He added: “I remember my brother as a loving, kind person. White, black, whatever you were, he would love you, he loved people.
“He was a boxer, that was his trade, but his heart was loving and kind. He would take the shirt off his back to give to you if you needed it, that’s how kind he was. I will miss him.”
Ali was held in particular affection in the UK where his livewire interviews with chat show host Michael Parkinson and fights with British prospects Joe Bugner and Henry Cooper endeared him to the general public.
His fight against Cooper in particular is memorable for the thundering left hook the Londoner unleashed to send Ali to the canvas for the first time in his pro career.
He rose to his feet to finish off ‘Our ‘Enry’ within five rounds but the fight remains among the greatest in British boxing history.
Speaking about that 1963 bout, Rahman added: “I was surprised but I knew in my heart Muhammad would get up and knock him out, which he did.
“You know why, because he was the greatest of all times. You may knock him down but he’s going to come back. He got that greatness in him.”
The Greatest began his final journey on Sunday as his coffin was flown back to Louisville, Kentucky.
The iconic boxer's family said the “world was invited” to the funeral as they accompanied his coffin back to Louisville from Arizona.
Former US President Bill Clinton and comedian Billy Crystal are expected to speak at a memorial service for The Greatest at the city’s KFC Yum! Arena on Friday.
A small family service will be held on Thursday before the three-time heavyweight world champion’s coffin is driven through Louisville on Friday to a private burial at the Cave Hill Cemetery.
The final images of Ali were published by The Sun today in a world exclusive tribute to sport's great icon.
Ali passed away on Friday at the age of 74 after a 30-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Upon his arrival back in Louisville, the city’s mayor Greg Fischer tweeted: “Ali is home now.”
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