Stretch Of West 33rd Street Near Madison Square Garden Renamed 'Muhammad Ali Way'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — A length of street next to Madison Square Garden is being temporarily renamed Muhammad Ali Way to honor the late boxing legend.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that West 33rd Street adjacent to the arena will be temporarily named for Ali. The Democratic mayor said Ali "never backed down from a fight in or outside the ring."
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"Muhammad Ali was a champion, activist and the self-proclaimed Greatest," de Blasio said in a news release. "Throughout his life he lived up to that title again and again – and today, we are paying tribute to the man in the heart of this City.
The 74-year-old, three-time heavyweight champion was from Louisville, Kentucky. He died Friday in Phoenix.
Ali fought eight times at the Garden. The most famous bout was the Fight of the Century against Joe Frazier in 1971.
Temporary street signs are posted for a few days.
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A public plaza near Madison Square Garden was given the permanent designation Joe Louis Plaza in 1984.
Louis was another legendary fighter. He died in 1981.
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