South Yorkshire pays tribute to Muhammad Ali

Tributes are paid in South Yorkshire and across the world as a legend is laid to rest

Published 10th Jun 2016

South Yorkshire's boxers are paying tribute to Muhammad Ali - as the world prepares to lay a legend to rest.

Sheffield's Paul 'Silky' Jones took up the sport after watching him fight, and became WBO Jr Middleweight World Boxing Champion - he told Hallam his memory will live on: "I remember watching him in 1974. I was probably about six or seven.

  •   "I didn't even know who he was. But as time's gone on I found out about what he meant to a lot of people. I was educated by him as a fighter myself, and he's an incredible human being.*

"People will watch him over and over again. He was a great motivator, a great fighter, an innovator... he brought boxing out of the smoky halls into all the razzmatazz, and brought people who wouldn't really follow boxing into the sport.

"His death is something I dreaded. It felt like a family member had died. It's incredible that somebody would have that impact on another person.

"But his legacy lives on. The impact was incredible and we'll never see another Muhammad Ali."

Thousands of people gathered to celebrate Ali's life at a traditional Islamic prayer service in his home town of Louisville, Kentucky.

Members of the boxer's family joined former world heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis, Ali's former manager Don King and Reverend Jesse Jackson among the mourners at Freedom Hall, where Ali made his professional debut with victory over Tunney Hunsaker in 1960.

Up to 14,000 tickets were released for the event, with fans travelling from around the world to honour the three-time world heavyweight boxing champion.

Brendan Warburton is a coach at the Sheffield City Amateur Boxing Club - he told Hallam Ali is still a massive inspiration: "In our gym, the first thing you see when you sign in is a poster of Muhammad Ali.

"There's quotes around the gym of Ali, posters of Ali. You're talking about someone who won the world title over 60 years ago.

"Nowadays it's so easy on the internet to go back and look at the old fights, and you're telling your lads to go and learn from him. And also learn what a great and humble character he was out of the ring as well.

"A great man, a great boxer, a great role model."