Spotlight
On Celebrity Fight Night In Phoenix, Arizona
Photos by
Glenda S. Paradee
Muhammad Ali's Celebrity Fight
Night Xxiii Star-Studded Night Honored Harrison
Ford And Stefano Ricci And Celebrated The Life
And Legacy Of Muhammad Ali
Performances By Reba Mcentire, Brooks
& Dunn, Colbie Caillat, Dennis Quaid, The
Shadowboxers And More
On Saturday, March 18, 2017, stars and athletes
from around the country, gathered at the J.W.
Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix,
Arizona to celebrate the 23rd Anniversary of
Celebrity Fight Night and to honor the life of the
great Muhammad Ali. GRAMMY Award winning
superstar of country music Reba McEntire returned
for her twelfth year as emcee. Actor and
philanthropist Harrison Ford and Italian fashion
designer Stefano Ricci were honored with the 2017
Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night Awards.
The black tie event featured a cocktail
reception, silent auction, elegant dinner and
exciting live auction including one-of-a-kind
luxury items. The live auction featured a
trip to the brink of space in an aircraft over
Moscow, an NBA All-Star Experience including
dinner with Larry Fitzgerald, Charles Barkley and
Jerry Colangelo, a red carpet world premiere
experience at Harrison Ford's next film Blade
Runner 2049, a getaway at the Caribbean estate
Villa Anacaona, a golf weekend with Alice Cooper
in Hawaii, whitewater rafting with Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. in Chile and more. The two highest
selling live auction items of the night were a
dinner with Reba McEntire at her private residence
in Nashville and dinner with Sharon Stone and
friends John Travolta and Kelly Preston.
The evening also reflected on and celebrated the
life of Muhammad Ali. Celebrity Fight Night
Founder and Chairman, Jimmy Walker, presented a
surprise gift presentation to Lonnie Ali, who was
joined on stage by her grandson, Jacob Wertheimer,
who spoke eloquently about his grandfathers legacy
and carrying on his work in the fight against
Parkinson's Disease. Reba McEntire read a
heartfelt letter from Ali's dear friend Billy
Crystal, who was disappointed he was unable to
make the event this year. Finally, longtime friend
and supporter of Celebrity Fight Night, Bob
Parsons, announced the establishment of the Lonnie
Ali Legacy Care Program. The program was
established with a joint effort from Celebrity
Fight Night and the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center
to provide the same kind of palliative care that
Muhammad Ali received along with a development of
a new tele-medicine program for patients and their
care givers.
GRAMMY Award winning songwriter and producer
David Foster, returned for his 18th consecutive
year as the evening's Musical Director. The
evening began with the National Anthem performed
by Amelia DeMilo, followed by a classical
rendition of "Kashmir" from pianist William Joseph
and violinist Caroline Campbell. Performances
continued throughout the night, including Dennis
Quaid and his band The Sharks, and The
Shadowboxers. The evening concluded with a concert
from music sensations, including Brooks and Dunn,
singing "Boot Scootin Boogie," "Reba McEntire
singing her hits "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," and
"Fancy," Brian McKnight serenaded the audience
with Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed," and his own
classic "Back At One," Colbie Caillat performed "I
Never Told You" and "Brighter Than The Sun," Sam
Moore kept the evening rocking with "Take Me To
the River" and "Soul Man" and then lead the crowd
in "God Bless America." Mike Love ended the night
with a bang, with his classic Beach Boys hits
"California Girls," "Surfin USA," "Help Me
Rhonda," "Kokomo," "Good Vibrations," and the late
Chuck Berry classic "Rock and Roll Music."
Additional celebrity guests included Laila Ali,
Lonnie Ali, Billy Blanks, Michael Carbajal, Kevin
Cordes, John Paul DeJoria, Bo Derek, Larry
Fitzgerald, Kirk Gibson, Cale Hulse, Robert
Kennedy Jr., Larry King, Nancy Lieberman, Gena Lee
Nolin, Lute Olson, Bob & Renee Parsons,
Melissa Peterman, Chelsea Pezzola, Michael Phelps,
Chris Rich, The Shadowboxers, Earnie Shavers,
Giles Smith, Amy Van Dyken, and many more.
More on Celebrity Fight Night
Even after death, Muhammad Ali remains
a larger-than-life figure.
That was clear Saturday, March 18,
2017 at the fundraising gala that Ali was
associated with for 20 years, Celebrity Fight
Night. This year's event, the 23rd, took
place at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and
Spa in Phoenix, Arizona.
Proceeds from the event go to charities including
the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow
Neurological Institute.
Ali, the former world heavyweight boxing champion
whose fame transcended sport, died June 3, 2016,
in Scottsdale.
Actor Harrison Ford was the honored guest
for 2017, but most in attendance paid tribute to
Ali.
"We always like coming here," Ali's
daughter Laila Ali said before the event. "There
is so much love for the Ali family here."
On the red carpet before the event, Arizona
Cardinals' receiver Larry Fitzgerald said it was a
bittersweet occasion without Ali being present.
"Boxer Ernie Shavers fought Ali in 1977 and joked
that Ali called him "Acorn" because of his shaved
head. "He said after the fight that I was a
hard nut to crack," Shavers said. "But we were
friends long before we fought. I miss Ali. He was
a kind man with a big heart and a great person.
"It is sad," Fitzgerald said. "There is a big
void in the world with him not being here. But I
think everybody here understands it is his legacy
that we are honoring tonight.
Ali's grandson, Jacob Wertheimer, summed up the
spirit of the evening when he spoke alongside his
grandmother.
"It doesn't make sense for me to think that my
grandfather is gone," Wertheimer said. "When I
look around this room and see how much work and
love and dedication goes into this night, I don't
think he's gone."
Actress Sharon Stone and talk-show host Larry
King teamed up for a special presentation in
Ali's honor.
Other attendees included Kix Brooks and Ronnie
Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, Stefano Ricci, Larry
King, David Foster, Michael Carbajal, Nancy
Lieberman, Brian McKnight, Sam Moore, Melissa
Peterman, The Shadow Boxers and many more.
Country-music star Reba McEntire
hosted the event for the 12th consecutive year.
About Celebrity Fight Night
Celebrity Fight Night Foundation is a
nonprofit organization that was founded in 1994 by
Jimmy Walker to support the Muhammad Ali Parkinson
Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in
Phoenix, as well as numerous other charities. For
more information, visit "http://www.celebrityfightnight.org".
Sponsors of this year's event included
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, USA Today
Sports, Porsche, Tequila Patron, GoDaddy, M Group
Scenic Studios, and GO Media Companies.
|