Lennox Lewis & Will Smith to be pallbearers for Muhammad Ali's funeral

As the world comes to terms with the passing of Muhammad Ali, that icon of boxing and pop culture, eyes will soon fall on his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky, when the great man is laid to rest on Friday.

And, as a fitting gesture, it’s been announced that fellow former heavyweight star Lennox Lewis and actor Will Smith will act as pallbearers for the late boxer. Smith, who played Ali in Michael Mann’s 2001 biopic of the same name, and Lewis, a fellow custodian of the sport, will be joined as pallbearers by Jerry Ellis - the brother of Jimmy Ellis, Ali's former sparring partner and fellow world heavyweight champion - Ali's cousins John Grady and Jan Wadell, nephew Ibn Ali, former brother-in-law Komawi Ali and family friend John Ramsey.

Much as in life, Ali it seems is still the centre of attention, with officials already preparing for a huge fan turn out to the funeral in Lexington, where it’s expected world leaders, heads of state and a smattering of A-listers will also be paying their respects.

It’s sure to be some send-off too. For a man who turned trash talk into poetry and all but cornered the sporting quote poster market, we’re sure his eulogies will be truly knockout.