Tributes have flooded in from the sports world and beyond for Muhammad Ali - with words such as icon, beautiful, hero, legend, funny, and inspirational used prevalently.
'The Greatest' passed away last night at the age of 74, and now the tributes pour in, with social media particularly awash with his image and accolades for the former three-time world heavyweight champion.
"Muhammad Ali made you love him," George Foreman, 67, told BBC Five Live.
"If you dislike him you wanted more than anything to see him again so you could dislike him again.
"Beauty is how you would describe him. Muhammad Ali was what I call beautiful.
"The man was the greatest. Forget about boxing, he was one of the greatest men to appear on television, to appear in the media.
"He was the greatest."
Many this side of the world will remember Ali's four appearances on Michael Parkinson's chat show in the 1970s and 1980s.
"He was not a man without flaws," said Parkinson. "You have to consider those. But if you wanted to concentrate on what was attractive about him I could talk forever."
Parkinson described the first time he met Ali.
He said: "I could not believe how beautiful he was. He was an extraordinary looking man. He was graceful and all those things and, of course, he was as funny as hell."
Floyd Mayweather Jr told Fox News: "There will never be another Muhammad Ali. The black community all around the world, black people all around the world, needed him. He was the voice for us. He's the voice for me to be where I'm at today."
RIP @muhammadali, a legend who transcended sport and was a true champion for all. #thegreatest #MuhammadAli pic.twitter.com/vjmXlXaHip
— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) June 4, 2016
Promoter Kellie Maloney said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "You either loved him or hated him, but what you did was respect him.
"He transcended boxing, took it to a new level. He was the first real superstar, not just in boxing but in sport.
"If you asked my daughters who the favourite sportsman in the world is, they'd say Muhammad Ali. He didn't just win battles in the ring, he won battles outside of the ring."
Maloney met Ali while at a function with her former fighter, Lennox Lewis, and added: "He could hold a room. Even when he wasn't well, people were in awe of him."
World cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew was emotional as he spoke to BBC 5 Live.
"He was the ultimate hero," he said.
"It's heartbreaking news to wake up to. The greatest sportsman of all-time in my opinion. He transcended the sport and this is a sad day.
"I hope something can be named after him. He can never be replicated."
Please keep @MuhammadAli in your thoughts and prayers. With God, all things are possible. pic.twitter.com/scABVLxroB
— Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) June 4, 2016
Manny Pacquiao, the former world champion and current politician, said in a statement: "We lost a giant today. Boxing benefited from Muhammad Ali's many talents but not nearly as much as mankind benefited from his humanity."
Former British heavweight champion, Frank Bruno said on Twitter: "Inspiration, Mentor, my Friend, an Earthly God of humanity, Simply."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, wrote a moving tribute on his Facebook page.
As part of that statement, he said: "Today we bow our heads at the loss of a man who did so much for America. Tomorrow we will raise our heads again remembering that his bravery, his outspokenness, and his sacrifice for the sake of his community and country lives on in the best part of each of us."
"They use the words 'legend' and 'great' too freely in this world; Ali was a true legend and a true great" - Johnny Nelson
Don King, who promoted 'The Rumble in the Jungle' and the 'Thrilla in Manila', has credited Ali with launching his career in boxing.
"Ali will never die," King told Fox News. "He was a fighter for the people and to become a champion of the people he demonstrated the type of character he was.
"He had the fortitude, the inspiration, the motivation to stand up for what he believed in and to say what he means and mean what he said.
"He brought me into the sport of boxing - my first fight was Muhammad Ali.
"Nobody can really say how great Muhammad Ali was because for four years at the height of his career he was jeopardised by trials."
Another promoter, Bob Arum, said in a statement: "A true great has left us. Muhammad Ali transformed this country and impacted the world with his spirit."
Arum, whose first bout as a promoter was Ali v George Chuvalo, added: "His legacy will be part of our history for all time."
Former WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson said: "He was the guy I wish I could be.
"His greatest fight for me was when he fought Cleveland 'Big Cat' Williams, when he beat George Foreman and his amazing fights with Joe Frazier. I don't think that love-hate relationship ever ended.
"This guy was very humble with a smile. He'd joke with you and say, 'I'm the greatest!', but he knew how good he was.
"They use the words 'legend' and 'great' too freely in this world; Ali was a true legend and a true great."
And in an Instagram post, former England captain David Beckham posted some strong words.
Under a picture of Ali, he wrote: "Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing."
