Lennox Lewis and Will Smith to be Muhammad Ali pallbearers

Britain's former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis will be a pallbearer at Muhammad Ali's funeral along with Hollywood star Will Smith.

The funeral is to be held in Ali's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky at 2pm local time (7pm BST) on Friday.

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Lewis, who reigned as undisputed world heavyweight champion after beating Evander Holyfield in 1999, was named as a pallbearer on Monday night.

He said: "I am humbled, and honoured, beyond words to help see my hero, Muhammad Ali, off to his final resting place.  

"Ali has always been an enormous inspiration to me, not only in my boxing career, but also in life. His journey began 74 years ago, and in that time, he not only transformed the world of sport, he used sport to transform the world.

"It's my extreme pleasure, and complete honour, to be asked to help him complete the final steps of his life journey."

Smith was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Ali in the 2001 film of his life.

Jerry Ellis - the brother of Jimmy Ellis, Ali's former sparring partner and fellow world heavyweight champion - will also be a pallbearer.

Ali's cousins John Grady and Jan Wadell, nephew Ibn Ali, former brother-in-law Komawi Ali and family friend John Ramsey are the others.

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Ali, formerly named Cassius Clay, died in Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 74 on Friday evening local time.

He had been admitted to hospital earlier in the week with a respiratory condition having suffered with Parkinson's disease for 32 years.

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His family said in a statement he died from complications related to his condition.