Ali basked in adulation for the second time this month. The 63-year-old fighter recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the US' highest civilian award, from President Bush, who called Ali "the greatest of all time."
Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. in Louisville in 1942, learned to fight after having his bicycle stolen as a boy. He won a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and went on to win the heavyweight title three times as a professional until retiring in 1981.
He changed his name after converting to Islam.
Lonnie Ali has said her husband hopes the center, an US$80 million project, will inspire visitors, especially youngsters, to reach their potential and promote peace. The center opens to the public today.
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