Dubai: Muhammed Ali today turns 65 and officially becomes an Old Aged Pensioner - but The Greatest remains an inspiration to even the man whose invincibility he shattered 33 years ago.
George Foreman paid generous tribute to Ali in Dubai on Tuesday.
The loser of the legendary Rumble In The Jungle bout of 1974 said: "I wish Ali a happy birthday but as long as he's around, I'm around. His birthday is probably more important to me than it is to him!
"I used to love that guy, you know when he came to the ring and had rhythm and was bouncing. I'd forgotten that after we fought.
"Will Smith did the movie of Ali and it made me recapture my genuine love of Muhammed Ali that I had as a little boy.
"He would do poems on television, he was a wonderful guy and I used to love him. Everybody did! I forgot it when I was fighting him but I recaptured that love."
Foreman, 58, looks a picture of health in contrast to Ali who is fighting Parkinson's disease for more than a decade.
Foreman said: "Ali's not having the best days of his life right now but neither am I. All of us are on prescriptions now!"
Two-time Heavyweight World Champion Foreman is currently in Dubai to promote the new G5 range of his best-selling George Foreman Mean Lean Grilling Machine.
"The best pound for pound boxer ever was Joe Louis. But the greatest man was Muhammed Ali. Joe Louis became a better man after he fought and met Ali. He respected and liked him as everyone did."
The full George Foreman interview in this week's edition of Sport Extra magazine, out on Friday.
