Luminaries galore honor ‘The Greatest’

They came from all over the country, and all over the world for that matter.

Celebrities, entertainers and athletes from all walks of life converged upon the MGM Grand Garden on Saturday to pay tribute to "The Greatest." Muhammad Ali is one of the only people who can draw such a diverse crowd.

Celebrities in attendance included Larry King, John Legend, Slash from Guns 'N' Roses, Siegfried and Roy, James Gandolfini and Samuel L. Jackson; hall of fame athletes Jim Brown, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf and Karl Malone; and a host of boxing notables, including Manny Pacquiao and legends Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and George Foreman.

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who grew up idolizing Ali, was a late arrival as the musical portion of the show was under way. Performing were Lenny Kravitz, Snoop Dogg, Kelly Rowland and Stevie Wonder.

Ali, who turned 70 last month, was feted at the 16th annual "Power of Love," a gala celebration that will benefit the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health along with the Muhammad Ali Foundation.

Ali, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984, visited the Ruvo Center last Thanksgiving and gave his blessing for the event to be held in his honor. Larry Ruvo, the chairman of "Keep Memory Alive," which is hosting the event, said there is no better person to honor.

"No, I'm not surprised," Ruvo said of the crowd of 2,000 that gathered at the Grand Garden and paid a minimum of $1,500 and as much as $10,000 apiece. "I'm a dreamer. I'm a promoter. This is the biggest night I can remember in Vegas, and I've lived here all my life."

Top Rank Inc. chairman Bob Arum, who helped stage the event and brought several of Ali's former foes to the gala, said it surpassed even his lofty expectations.

"Absolutely," he said. "It's Ali. You know people want to turn out for him."

Pacquiao, who will return to the Grand Garden on June 9 when he defends his WBO welter­weight title against Timothy Bradley, said Ali is one of his heroes and that made it easy for him to travel all the way from the Philippines to attend Saturday's celebration.

"Muhammad Ali is the greatest fighter ever," said Pacquiao, who arrived Friday. "He's a great inspiration to all boxers, including me.

"When I started boxing, I knew of Muhammad Ali, even though I never saw him fight in person."

King, the celebrity talk show host, saw Ali fight in the 1960 Olympics in Rome and has followed his life since. He is also friends with Ruvo and wasn't passing up the opportunity to celebrate.

"He was a great fighter and a greater person," King said of Ali. "One of my most cherished memories is the time he hosted a book party for me. It was a huge success."

King, who has authored 16 books, said he couldn't remember exactly which one Ali hosted the party for.

"I think it was No. 10," he said.

Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, who grew up in Atlanta, said he has a special bond with Ali that goes beyond boxing.

"When the Olympics were in Atlanta (in 1996) I wanted to carry the (Olympic) torch," Holyfield said. "At first, they said no. But at the last minute, they said they were letting me carry the torch. I had no idea that Ali was going to light the flame.

"So instead of no boxers with the torch, we had two. It gave me goosebumps watching him stand there with the torch."

Ali's lighting of the cauldron is one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.

Agassi, who competed in those Olympics and has raised tens of millions of dollars over the years for his foundation to help children and education, said what he has accomplished as a philanthropist pales in comparison with Ali.

"This will have a global impact," Agassi said of Saturday's benefit for the Ruvo Center. "It's also a celebration of a person's life who has had a huge impact on mankind and continues to have a huge impact.

"This event has certainly raised the bar."

Agassi said one of the most memorable moments of his life came in 2006 when Ali came to his charter school in West Las Vegas.

"That's my closest connection with Ali," Agassi said. "When my school called and said, 'Mr. Agassi, sorry to interrupt you but Muhammad Ali is coming to the school.' We pulled all the kids out of class to meet him. It was an incredible moment."

The tributes to Ali came from everywhere, including the White House, where President Barack Obama extended well wishes.

Ali didn't arrive until well into the celebration, making his way into the MGM about 9:30 p.m. His energy level isn't very high these days, but he stayed until the end of the event. He had Wonder lead the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" while a huge cake was wheeled out to the stage by some of his former foes, including Foreman, Earnie Shavers and Chuck Wepner.

Because of his Parkinson's, Ali couldn't speak to the guests. Instead, his wife, Lonnie, thanked everyone for attending.

"Muhammad and I are so grateful and appreciative for your love and support," she said.

The "Power of Love" gala will be televised next Saturday at 2 p.m. on ABC and 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.