NBC news reports that the famous boxer’s family has gathered by his hospital bedside as he continues to battle a respiratory condition, adding that the legend is currently in “grave condition.” A spokesperson for his daughter Laila Ali says, “Laila’s number one priority is her father’s well-being. She truly appreciates the outpouring of love for her family, as she spends quality time with her dad.”
Ali, revered by many by the moniker, ‘The Greatest,‘ checked into a Phoenix hospital on Thursday night. A statement from his team at the time explained that the 74-year-old former heavyweight, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, “is being treated by his team of doctors and is in fair condition. A brief hospital stay is expected.”
In 2014, Ali was hospitalized and diagnosed with a “mild case” of pneumonia.
The retired three-time world heavyweight champion was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984, at age 42. His ailment has no cure but can be controlled with medication.
Ali’s last public appearance was in April at the “Celebrity Fight Night” gala in Arizona, a charity that benefits the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center.
At the height of his career, Ali was known for his dancing feet and quick fists and his ability, as he put it, to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.
Although out of the ring, Ali doesn’t mind taking on a fight. Most recently, he took on presidential candidate Donald Trump, who suggested banning the entry of all Muslims to the United States.
In 1990, Ali met with Saddam Hussein in Baghdad to attempt to negotiate the release of Americans held hostage in Iraq and Kuwait. Additionally, in 2011, Ali publicly appealed to Iranian officials for the release of captive hikers Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal.
In March 2015, Ali called on Iranian officials to release Jason Rezaian, The Washington Post correspondent who has been imprisoned in Iran since July 2014 for unclear reasons.
Ali, who joined the Nation of Islam in 1964, argued, “Speaking as someone who has never been accused of political correctness, I believe that our political leaders should use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam and clarify that these misguided murderers have perverted people’s views on what Islam really is.”
Muhammad has also appeared in public several times over the past few years. The boxing champ was joined by several family members when he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Jan. 11, 2002. In September, he attended the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards in his hometown of Louisville, Ky., where he received a lifetime achievement award.
Black Westchester
Black Westchester - News With The Black Point Of View is an online news magazine for people of color for Westchester and the Tri- State area of New York at every economic level. Our mission is to promote the concept of “community” through media.
