Floyd Mayweather Jr, left, and Manny Pacquiao pose for photos during a news conference to announce their fight. Jae C. Hong / AP Photo
Floyd Mayweather Jr, left, and Manny Pacquiao pose for photos during a news conference to announce their fight. Jae C. Hong / AP Photo

‘He’s a huge fan’: Muhammad Ali reveals who he wants to win Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao fight



The daughter of Muhammad Ali, Rasheda Ali, has revealed her celebrated father will be supporting Manny Pacquiao when he faces Floyd Mayweather Jr on May 2.

After years of wrangling, the two finest fighters of their generation will finally climb inside the ropes to settle once and for all who truly is the greatest.

Since the announcement and the ensuing build-up, many experts and former fighters have offered their thoughts as to who will win the fight.

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has backed Pacquiao, and it seems the greatest of them all is also rooting for the Filipino.

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"My dad is Team Pacquiao all the way!" Rasheda Ali told TMZ Sports. "My dad really likes Manny. He's a huge fan of his.

“He knows Manny’s a great fighter but it’s more about what he does outside the ring. He’s such a charitable person.”

Ali’s support is likely based on the fact that he and Pacquiao have been friends for years, with Pacquiao attending Ali’s 70th birthday in 2012.

Mayweather’s constant assertion that he is ‘TBE’, the best ever, does not sit well with Rasheda Ali.

“My dad stood for things,” she said. “Mayweather ... I don’t think there’s a comparison.”

Rasheda Ali also revealed her father would not be attending the MGM in Las Vegas for the fight, but will certainly be watching it from home.

“There’s no question he’s going to order it. It takes my dad way back to when he was fighting,” she said.

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8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint

Greenheart Organic Farms 

This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.

www.greenheartuae.com

Modibodi  

Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.

www.modibodi.ae

The Good Karma Co

From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes. 

www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco

Re:told

One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.

www.shopretold.com

Lush

Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store. 

www.mena.lush.com

Bubble Bro 

Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.

www.bubble-bro.com

Coethical 

This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.

www.instagram.com/coethical

Eggs & Soldiers

This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.

www.eggsnsoldiers.com

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.