CANCUN, MEXICO. -Former world champion Muhammad Ali received yesterday the greatest homage done to a fighter in a life time, to be crowned as the "King of Boxing" by the World Boxing Council (WBC) in a ceremony that opened the Cancun Convention.

Ukrainian boxer and heavy weight champion Vitaly, former 3 time champion Julio Cesar Chavez, the super welterweight champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and diamond middleweight champion Argentine Sergio 'Maravilla' Martinez were all in charge of the Ali's crowning.

Klitschko put on Ali's head a gold plated crown that weighed two kilos that was decorated with red flashy jewels, which was engraved with "King Muhammad".

Chavez and Alvarez dressed him in a fancy red robe, and 'Maravilla' Martinez fastened onto Ali's waist his own diamond belt valued at $ 60,000.

The details of the crown showed four corners, which symbolically represented as holding the world and which was also adorned with colored jewelry in yellow, black, white and red.

VIDEO: Muhammad Ali highlights

Ali entered slowly the stage of a boxing arena for about 1,500 people in Cancun, accompanied by his wife and a staff aide, and for most of the ceremony he sat on his throne before and after the tribute.

Among the attendees were both active and retired fighters from various countries, which most of them were Mexican boxers who at one point or another in their career defended a world title.

WBC President Jose Sulaiman and Governor of the state of Quintana Roo,Roberto Borge, were among those involved in the ceremony, which in this event there were traditional Mexican dances and a Mayan children's choir who sang the song 'We are the World'.

Sulaiman said that Mohamed Ali was and will be "the hero" of his life time,who shared with those present excerpts from his personal encounters with Ali, and in addition to this the WBC presented a video with details of Ali's fights and of his personality.

Editorial@sandiegored.com

Translation : Omar.Martinez@sandiegored.com