Muhammad Ali is in the hospital, reportedly battling serious respiratory problem

Muhammad Ali in 2015, now in a Phoenix hospital — (Image credit: Stephen Cohen/Getty Images for Muhammad Ali Center)

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali is in a Phoenix-area hospital, spokesman Bob Gunnel said on Thursday, describing the 74-year-old's condition as fair and the expected hospital stay as brief. But two unidentified people familiar with the boxer's condition tell The Associated Press that Ali is fighting significant respiratory issues exacerbated by his Parkinson's disease, and that Ali's family is worried. Ali, last seen in public in April, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in the 1980s, and he has appeared increasingly frail in recent months. He has lived in Phoenix with his wife, Lonnie, and has not spoken publicly in years.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.