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Boxing legend Muhammad Ali is in an undisclosed hospital
being treated by his team of doctors for a respiratory issue and is in fair
condition, according to his spokesman.
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(CNN) - Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has been hospitalized,
his family spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.
According to Ali's spokesperson, Bob Gunnell, Ali is being
treated by his team of doctors for a respiratory issue and is in fair
condition.
"A brief hospital stay is expected," the statement
said.
Ali, 74, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, previously
was hospitalized in January 2015 with a urinary tract infection. He also was
hospitalized in December 2014 with pneumonia.
In recent years, Ali has largely stayed out of the
limelight. But he once was known not only for his athletic prowess as a boxer
but also for his social activism.
Ali was born as Cassius Clay and in 1960 won an Olympic gold
medal as a light-heavyweight. In 1964, he defeated Sonny Liston by KO in the
seventh round and became the World Heavyweight Champion. It was also the year
he converted and joined the Nation of Islam, changing his name from Cassius
Clay to Muhammad Ali.
In April 1967, as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam
War, Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army. The World Boxing Association
then stripped him of his world title. On June 20, 1967, Ali was convicted in
federal court of violating Selective Service laws and sentenced to five years
in prison and fined $10,000. He stayed out of prison as his case was appealed.
In 1990, Ali met with Saddam Hussein in Baghdad to attempt
to negotiate the release of Americans held hostage in Iraq and Kuwait.
Additionally, in 2011, Ali publicly appealed to Iranian officials for the
release of captive hikers Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal.
One of the most powerful images of Ali came in 1996, when he
lit the torch at the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.
In 2005, Ali was presented with the Presidential Medal of
Freedom by President George W. Bush.
-CNN-
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