Muhammad Ali in 'Grave Condition' in Phoenix Hospital

[Faygo Kid]

Source: NBC News

Muhammad Ali is in "grave condition" in a Phoenix-area hospital, a well-informed source tells NBC News, as the boxing legend continues to battle a respiratory condition.

The 74-year-old former heavyweight champion's family has gathered by his beside just a day after he reported had been hospitalized in what was to be a "brief" stay, according to his spokesman Bob Gunnell.

A spokeswoman for his daughter, Laila, said, "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 has been battling advanced Parkinson's disease in recent years — an illness that experts say can lead to complications and affect the breathing of patients. . .

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/muhammad-ali-s-family-gathers-ailing-boxer-s-hospital-bedside-n585611?cid=sm_fb

---

Sounds grim. Thanks for everything, Champ.

[Eleanors38]

1. Even if death is the foe, he will fight.

[jalan48]

2. A great man.

[Mosby]

3. Radar online

The family of boxing legend Muhammad Ali is “prepared for the worst” as the boxing legend has entered a disturbing downward spiral, RadarOnline.com has learned.

Currently hospitalized outside of Phoenix, “Ali is in dire straits and is rapidly deteriorating,” an insider told Radar. “His breathing has become very shallow, requiring tubes.”

“Shallow breathing does not bring enough oxygen into your body,” the source explained. And since Ali, 74, suffers from Parkinson’s, “this exacerbates a number of unfavorable things, including, in his advanced case, fatigue and constipation. The latter is a large intestine issue that negatively impacts the lungs & the skin. Ali no longer feels the touch on the surface of his skin, mosquito bites, or cuts, etc. due to his age. And this is a degenerative situation that can’t be reversed.”

As Radar reported, the boxing great was admitted to the hospital yesterday, due to respiratory issues. “He had an unshakeable cough and they had to bring him to hospital and sedate him,” the source said.

But since then, his prognosis has not improved, and his desperate family members have gathered at his bedside.

“The family feels that even if he somehow survives this setback, he’ll be left in a vegetative state,” said the source. “He can’t stand due to stiffness in the legs. Before this incident, he would sometimes freeze upon standing, like his feet are stuck to the ground. Now he cannot even do that.”

http://radaronline.com/celebrity-news/muhammad-ali-death-fears-hospital-update/

[Faygo Kid]

4. Yikes

Ali is such an icon. And for good reason.

[Mosby]

6. He's my favorite boxer

And he really is arguably the best heavyweight of all time.

and a great person.

[awoke_in_2003]

30. In their prime...

I don't think Tyson could have beaten him. George was a big hitter, too.

[Mosby]

32. he beat Foreman as you know

He was the only one of the big four who beat all the others.

Tyson would never have gotten past his jab and his ability to slip punches and even if he did get past his defenses Ali would have just given up the midsection just like he did with Foreman and wear Tyson out.

I don't think Tyson had the conditioning to make it past 10 rounds vs Ali.

[awoke_in_2003]

34. Yes, I know...

That is what I meant- he got past George, he could have gotten past Mike.

[brush]

53. It wouldn't have been close. Tyson had trouble with taller fighters

Ali is 6'5", Tyson, 5'10". And Ali had the fastest, and arguably one of the best jabs of the heavyweights (Larry Holmes' jab was also great, stiffer and heavier than Ali's flicking jab), anyway, all Ali had to do was keep Tyson away with his jab until it was time to take him out with a flurry.

Remember Buster Douglas, another tall fighter, shocked the world by beating Tyson using his jab and pushing him off with his longer arms.

[MADem]

11. The ABC news said he was in FAIR condition this evening.

NBC says the same thing. Let's not be so quick to kill the guy off. He probably caught that walking pneumonia that is going around--one of my relatives had it, it's scary--but it responds to antibiotics.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/muhammad-ali-hospitalized-fair-condition-respiratory-issue-rep-n584751

[roguevalley]

17. this is awful

[jwirr]

20. That is a very sad thing. I remember his remarkable foot

work as he boxed. A very great man. I feel for his family. It is hard to lose a loved one.

Is he in Arizona because he lives there?

[Mosby]

22. I think he has three houses but his primary one is in Paradise Valley AZ

That's a suburb of Phoenix. His medical specialist for Parkinsons works out of Barrows Neurological Institute in Scottsdale.

[jwirr]

24. Good it is better for a family if they have a home to go to

while they set with him.

Parkinson's is a horrible disease. I think it may even be worse than Alzheimer's. Two of my cousins had it.

[kimbutgar]

5. After going though this a couple of weeks ago with my Mom's passing

His body is failing and his spirit wants to go. Go peacefully Muhammad.

[Agnosticsherbet]

7. My thoughts and hopes

[C Moon]

8. The best.

[Cooley Hurd]

12. The GREATEST!

He really is! I love him! Get well, Champ! YOU GOT THIS!

[C Moon]

14. After I typed that, I saw that reply coming. :)

I love watching his old fights and his out of the ring banter.

[QED]

9. This year!

Peace, Champ.

[Cooley Hurd]

10. God damn it!!!! C'mon Champ!!!

You beat Foreman, Frazier, Spinks and Liston! This has to be a cakewalk! I'm in your corner, Champ!!!

[laserhaas]

13. A great American..Heri

[BumRushDaShow]

15. Float like a butterfly

and sting that stuff like a bee champ! Hang in there!

[SusanCalvin]

16. €¥&£

I know everyone's gotta go, but no, not yet.

[Dont call me Shirley]

18. Muhummad Ali...

[Botany]

19. My the greatest find peace

Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee

muhammad ali I aint goona fight no viet cong

[jwirr]

21. Yes.

[Festivito]

23. There is a time to fight sleep and a time to embrace it.

When it's time, it's time, not before, nor after.

[Jopin Klobe]

25. “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 ...

... has wasted 30 years of his life.”
― Muhammad Ali

He said many very true things ...
[link:http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/46261.Muhammad_Ali|

[romanic]

26. :(

[ReRe]

27. The world loves ya, Ali

I watched you when I was a kid on "Breakfast of Champions" on a Louisville TV station on Saturday mornings. Whether you stay or go, stay strong.

[Jack Rabbit]

28. ( )

[NanceGreggs]

29. Sadly, I am at that age ...

... (as many of us here are), when we see those who we always picture as young, healthy, and invincible being overtaken by disease, poor health, or simply the ravages of old age.

We've seen it happen with our most beloved musicians, artists, writers, actors, political icons, and sports heroes.

I take comfort in knowing that we DO continue to picture these people at their strongest, their brightest, their personal best - it is THAT picture that time can never erase.

[awoke_in_2003]

31. Because by picturing them at their strongest...

we kind of put off the idea that we have gotten older, too. Ali bumaye

[NanceGreggs]

33. So true.

It is impossible to remember what our heroes were like way back when, without also remembering what WE were like when we first came to admire them.

[Kaleva]

37. I spent a better part of a day looking up old friends from HS on Facebook once

We are no longer the young ones ready and eager to take the world on.

[awoke_in_2003]

39. I'd say I've gotten older and cynical

but I have been cynical a long time

[Kaleva]

41. I'm 58 and I think my best years are yet to come.

That may be because my younger years were lost in a pool of beer, vomit and urine.

[dhill926]

35. had a bad feeling about this latest bout...

from the get go. Hope he pulls through...but man, the GREATEST hero from my childhood. Obviously not only boxing....he helped to enlighten an entire generation....fuck....

[montana_hazeleyes]

43. Yes, Yes he did.

They tried to take everything away from him, but he would not cave. He never bowed downed. There he stood, with his beautiful self, his dignity always shining.

And he has come to be one of the most beloved people on earth!

[dhill926]

60. Well said…

Thank you for that…

[montana_hazeleyes]

61. Thank you dhill,

[Gman]

36. The greatest ever.

None were better before or since.

[Gomez163]

38. Marciano would have flattened him

[Gman]

42. It would have been a great fight

Didn't they do a simulation of the two in a match?

[Gomez163]

45. Yes. Marciano won

[Gman]

46. Yeah, I thought he did

[Mosby]

47. In a 1969 "computer" simulation

Please.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/nov/13/forgotten-story-rocky-marciano-muhammad-ali

[brush]

54. Get serious. Marciano was what 5'9" at best, 180 lbs

Last edited Sat Jun 4, 2016, 09:41 AM - Edit history (1)

Ali is 6'3" 220 lbs, fastest hands ever, much longer reach, fastest feet. Marciano would have had no change.

[Gomez163]

55. Marciano didn't care how tall you were. He would tear up the part he could reach

[brush]

57. He wouldn't have been able to get though Ali's jab and fast feet. No contest

Those short, under 200 lb heavyweights of the 50s could not compete with the bigger, taller, stronger fighters that came along later.

Ali always figured out a way to beat who he was facing. Sorry, the smaller Marciano would've been out of his league.

[Gomez163]

58. That what Jersey Joe Walcott thought

[brush]

59. Walcott was no where near as big as Ali. Sorry Marciano was great for his era of the small . . .

heavyweights, but no chance with the greatest of all time, Ali.

I'm sure you've heard the boxing maxim: A good big man will always beat a good little man.

[MissDeeds]

40. I was afraid of that

when I heard they called the family to his bedside. Bless your heart, Champ. If you must go, I hope you go in peace.

[Wait for it]

44. He was my first brush with greatness.

My dad pointed him out at the Midway Airport when I was a kid, he was on the phone near the baggage claim. I had no idea who he was, me being a kid in the 80s.

[SidDithers]

64. ...

Hawkeye-X

40. I had the good fortune to meet him at Midway Airport
My father pointed him out and he was on the phone and he still gave me an autograph.

It was a memory I won't forget. This was in the late 80s. Pre-Parkinson's.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3835110&mesg_id=3838097




Sid

[George II]

66. Veeeery interesting!

[SidDithers]

67. Hawkeye is the worst zombie that DU's ever seen...

And I don't mean worst, as in most disruptive or most offensive. I mean worst, as in he's so fucking bad at it. There's absolutely no challenge at all to finding his zombie accounts, and there have been about a hundred of them.

The dude needs a hobby. He needs to spend time with his young son, instead of wasting his time creating account after account after account, at a place where he knows he'll get banned on sight.

Sid

[kyburbonkid]

48. The World's Greatest Ambassador for Peace.

In Louisville ALI is king. He is beloved by everyone. It wasn't always so. When my friends and I (all white btw) got together after Jr Highschool classes let out no one could stand "the Lip". Everyday, we where bombarded by Vietnam, Louisville's own racial segregation problems, and Nixon, civil rights, and Woodstock. I remember our political science teacher putting Nixon in the group of the nation's top 4 presidents of all time!??!? We would get special permission from our parents to stay up and watch the fights with "Howard Cosell". What a wonderful time. About 10 of us all staring at a small B/W TV. As much as we hated him, you had to admire him. When the draft caught up with Ali, and he "got religious". In our little junior minds he was just dodging the draft, but he stood his ground and took the new name ":Mohamed Ali" and talked of a strange religion called Islam and he became a Muslim. At the time my buddies and I were all turning decidedly against Vietnam, every day there was an announcement on the PA of a senior student being killed in Vietnam. Me and my jr hs friends all agreed no-one should go that war, and it should end. Then came his big fights; the guy was like amazing. Any sense of racism from us disappeared. He wasn't about hate, war, politics, racism. He was about representing Peace. Ali will always be fighting for Peace. That is what he does.

[Bayard]

49. Awww.......nuts

Hate hearing this. I'm a Louisville native, and grew up watching Muhammad on the tube, even when my South Carolina dad was being disgusted with Cassius Clay. He refused to ever call him anything different.

The clips of him talking and playing with kids in Africa was wonderful. So was his verbal jousts with Howard Cossell.

He has been a great role model for kids.

[Ranku]

50. Wishing him the best

Great boxer

[hibbing]

52. Met him once

Very gracious and a very large man. I'll look for the picture I have of him signing an autograph for me and post it. Let me try this, it is a picture of a picture so it looks weird. This was many many years ago.






Peace

[montana_hazeleyes]

62. That's so cool hibbing.

What a treasure to have. I love the look on your face.

[Jester Messiah]

56. Nobody gets out of life alive.

But if anyone had a chance, it'd be him!

[Thor_MN]

63. Never have liked that headline...

Because like in this case, it looks really tacky if the worst happens.