Lennox Lewis: 'Muhammad Ali 'Was Like A Father'

Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has said boxing legend Muhammad Ali ‘was like a father’ to him. Ali, one of the most famous and recognizable faces in the world over the last 50 years, died over the weekend after suffering septic shock after being admitted to hospital in Phoenix, Arizona following a long battle with Parkinson’s decease.

Speaking to Sky Sports Lewis said: "He(Ali) was like family, like a father." The 50 year-old Lewis, who won, lost and won back the world heavyweight title just like Ali, recalled watching the famous 1974 Rumble in the Jungle fight as a nine year old boy, when Ali knocked out the seemingly invincible George Foreman after using the rope-a-dope technique.

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"When he first came up with the rope-a-dope, I thought he was losing the fight. That was a performance where you really didn’t know who was going to win.

"Then all of a sudden, the most remarkable thing happened, he caught Foreman with a punch. Boom. It was over. History. He is going to be forever missed and always remembered."

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June 6, 2016