Celebrity News June 03, 2016
Muhammad Ali Dead at 74
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Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has died at the age of 74.
Ali's spokesperson, Bob Gunnell, said in a statement to NBC News, "After a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening." He told MSNBC's Brian Williams, “Muhammad passed with his family at his side... It was a very peaceful passing and they are with him as we speak. You know, we lost a great person in this world tonight.”
The sad news comes on the heels of Ali being hospitalized for respiratory issues on Thursday. Radar Online reports he was relying on medical help to breathe properly.
Doctors had reportedly warned his family to prepare for the worst. A source told Radar, “Doctors are telling the family that it likely won't be long until he passes away.”
The three-time heavyweight champion had battled Parkinson's disease since the '80s. In the two years before his death, he was hospitalized for pneumonia and a urinary tract infection.
Ali's last public appearance was in April at his Celebrity Fight Night XXII charity event in Arizona. He will be buried in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
