Boxing legend Muhammad Ali is being treated in hospital for respiratory issues, his spokesman has confirmed. The 74-year-old is said to be in a "fair condition" but is expected to stay in hospital for a few days as a precautionary measure.
While a family spokesman confirmed that the former world heavyweight champion is in hospital, they did not disclose where he is based or when he was admitted.
© Photo: Getty ImagesMuhammad Ali has been hospitalised for respiratory issues
Muhammad has troubled by a number of health complaints in recent years, and has suffered from Parkinson's disease since 1984. The three-time world champion was last hospitalised in January 2015 following a severe urinary tract infection.
The boxer, who earned the nicknames The Greatest and The Louisville Lip, also sparked health fears at the end of 2014 when his brother revealed that the star could barely speak.
Attending a screening in Hollywood of documentary I Am Ali, which tells of the legend's life story through interviews and anecdotes, his younger brother Rahman said: "I have not been able to talk to my brother about this because he is sick.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe boxing legend has suffered from Parkinson's disease for 32 years
"He doesn't speak too well. But he is proud that we are here for him. He has given this film his blessing." His daughter Maryum at the time added: "He is going to love it. I know he is. He is going to cry, he is going to laugh. He will be very proud."
However Dr Abraham Lieberman, who championed the establishment of theMuhammad Ali Parkinson Center, seemed to dispel any major health concerns. "I don't know that he is more or less at risk than anyone else but anything can happen," the specialist told BBC Radio 5. "I don't see anything immediately that leads me to think that he is going to die in six months or a year. "People do not die of Parkinson's. They develop trouble swallowing, they develop pneumonia, fall and bang their heads. "His family take extraordinary care of him. He is in good spirits. He has some trouble walking but, overall, for someone who has had Parkinson's for 30 years he is doing okay."
