Greatest boxer of all time passes away, Muhammad Ali dies aged 74
Muhammad Ali has died aged 74 after a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease.
The
legendary boxer - widely regarded as the best of all time - died with
his family at his side on Friday evening, a day after he was rushed to
hospital with difficulty breathing.
'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,' Ali's spokesman said.
Ali's
family said his funeral would be held in his hometown of Louisville,
Kentucky, and thanked the public for their outpouring of support.
Ali
had been on life support at a hospital outside Phoenix, Arizona, after
he was found 'barely breathing' at his home on Thursday.
He
was taken to hospital with an 'unshakeable cough', a separate source
said, with his fatal respiratory problems likely to have been
complicated by his Parkinson's disease.
The
Greatest was surrounded by his family, who rushed to be at his bedside
on Friday after doctors warned his condition was 'rapidly
deteriorating', a source said.
It
was earlier reported that Ali's family had started making funeral
arrangements after doctors warned that he was just hours from death.
Ali's spokesman Bob Gunnell told MSNBC that the family were 'devastated'.
'Muhammad passed with his family at his side just moments ago,' he said.
'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.
'We don’t have an official cause of death yet, but it has to be from complications of Parkinson’s.'
Gunnell
said on Thursday that the boxer was being treated for a respiratory
issue at a hospital, which he confirmed again on Friday morning.
Quick to pay tribute to Ali was Donald Trump, who said the boxing legend was 'a truly great champion and a wonderful guy'.
MUHAMMAD ALI'S 32-YEAR-LONG FIGHT WITH THE PARKINSON'S DISEASE THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY CLAIM HIS LIFE
Ali lit the Olympic torch in Atlanta in 1996 (pictured)
December 1981:
Ali announced his retirement after a defeat to Trevor Berbick - and
immediately began showing symptoms of Parkinson's soon afterwards, the Guardian reported.
1984: Three
years later, he was officially diagnosed with the incurable disease.
His tremors became noticeable, his speech was slurred and his body
movements slow.
He
responded to his diagnosis in typically magnanimous fashion by saying:
'I feel fine... I'm older and fatter, but we all change.'
July 1996: In
what has become an iconic and historic image, a visibly shaking Ali
carried the Olympic torch and lit the cauldron to kick of the Olympic
Games in Atlanta, Georgia.
His
condition continued to worsen but he remained active as far as the
early 2000's and even helped promote his own biopic, Ali, in 2001.
January 2005: After
then US President George Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of
Freedom - the highest US civilian honor - he began to retreat from the
public eye.
November 2011: Aged
69, the three time heavyweight champion was taken to an Arizona
hospital to be treated for dehydration after passing out in a car.
December 2014: Ali
was admitted to an undisclosed hospital, presumably in Arizona, to be
treated for what was initially thought to be a mild case of pneumonia. It later transpired that he was suffering from a urinary tract infection.
January 2015: Unlike on his 73rd birthday, the family released no pictures of themselves celebrating his birthday on January 17.
A tweet was posted on his Twitter account to mark the event.
March 2016: Ali's wife revealed that his Parkinson's had become so severe, the legendary boxer spent his days watching old videos of past fights and interviews.
Lonnie Ali told The Times he enjoyed
winding back the clock and re-watching his historic bouts with arch
rival Joe Frazier and interviews with Michael Parkinson.
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