Boy in Batman Shirt Throws His Fists for Muhammad Ali

A boy elicited smiles from onlookers as he followed Ali's funeral procession.

ByABC News
June 10, 2016, 3:29 PM

— -- A young boy wearing a Batman T-shirt and shorts elicited smiles and laughter from onlookers today as he paced behind Muhammad Ali's funeral procession, punching the air.

Family, friends and fans mingled under a clear, sunny sky in Louisville, Kentucky, today, celebrating both Ali's career as an athlete and his status as a civil rights icon.

Spectators threw so many red, yellow, and white flowers onto the hearse carrying Ali that the driver was forced to periodically switch on the windshield wipers in order to see the road.

Flowers and wreaths were also laid at the site of his childhood home.

The boy's tribute to Ali fit the tone of the procession, which was described by participants as being warm and jovial, rather than somber.

Ali was pronounced dead at the age of 74 last Friday night after arriving at an Arizona hospital to be treated for a respiratory issue days before.