Local boxers react to Muhammad Ali’s death

Andover native and professional boxer Jeff Page Jr grew up watching boxers in an era far removed from when Muhammad Ali ruled the ring, but he never had a doubt about who was the greatest.

“Muhammad Ali was not someone who you could watch and try to emulate,” Page said. “You can learn from watching those fights, but you have to just appreciate what he was. He was the perfect boxer.”

Page, a light heavyweight who has fought on Showtime, and Wichita native Nico Hernandez, who will fight for Team USA as a light flyweight in the Rio Olympics in August took time Saturday to talk about their sorrow after learning of Ali’s death on Friday and their gratitude for what the former heavyweight champion did for their sport.

“Since I was a little kid, Ali was who you thought of as a champion ... the definition of a champion,” Page said. “But in my mind, he was more than boxing. He was bigger than the sport. What he did when he refused to go in the (Vietnam) draft, for standing up for what he believed in when everyone else was against him showed his true character. He was a leader.”

Ali won the light heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and lit the torch at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

“When you think of boxing, that’s who you think of,” Hernandez said. “He inspired everybody to be not just good, but great ... I think his legacy will live forever.”

This story was originally published June 4, 2016 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Local boxers react to Muhammad Ali’s death."