For Muhammad Ali, a Liberty Medal in Philly Muhammad Ali was known as "The Greatest" inside the ring. But some say the moniker has been even more fitting since he hung up the gloves. Ali received the Liberty Medal in Philadelphia on Thursday, honoring his longtime support of humanitarian causes, civil rights and religious freedom. Joe Louis Barrow II, the son of boxer Joe Louis, says Ali's character outside the ring speaks to the "hope of the least and lost among us." The 70-year-old Ali, hobbled by a 30-year battle with Parkinson's disease, did not speak. Previous medal recipients include rock singer and human rights activist Bono, former South African President Nelson Mandela and former President Jimmy Carter.