This month, Muhammad Ali makes his final visit to the UK. For Ali superfan Russ Routledge, it is a chance to say goodbye to a man he has called a friend for 25 years. Russ first met Ali as a young lad in the 70s, and became close to the Champ after spending a week at his home in LA in 1984.

I met Russ a couple of years ago, when he told me his story, and showed me the photographs and video footage documenting that week and his subsequent friendship with Ali.

You can read the magazine feature I’ve written, and see some of Russ’s exclusive photos, by clicking on the link below:

Burgers with Muhammad Ali (PDF, 900KB)

Paul Features boxing, muhammad ali