Boxer Muhammad Ali Goes to Hospital for Pneumonia

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali was hospitalized with pneumonia on Saturday, but is in stable condition after catching it early on. Ali’s spokesman, Bob Gunnell, said doctors are currently treating him and that thankfully the pneumonia is only a mild case: “He went into the hospital this morning,” Gunnel told People in a phone interview. “He has a mild case of pneumonia and the prognosis is good.”

Ali, who has been battling Parkinson’s disease since 1984 possibly due to head trauma during his boxing matches, continues to make public appearances from time to time despite his health issues. The heavyweight champion’s family has asked that details about his case with pneumonia not be released for his privacy and his spokesman has not announced where he was hospitalized.

Earlier in October, the boxer’s brother, Rahman Ali, had reported that Ali’s health had rapidly declined “to the point where Ali was too ill to speak,” according to the Courier Journal. However, Ali and the rest of his family countered that comment saying that Ali was fine. “Don’t believe the hype,” Ali posted on Twitter on Oct. 14. “Feeling great.” Similarly, two of Ali’s daughters, Hana and May May told Matt Lauer on TODAY that their father was feeling well despite all the rumors.

“He’s doing really good, actually,” Hana said in October. “We call him in the mornings, and he still enjoys being Muhammad Ali. He’s not in any pain. He has a regular routine he does.”

Ali became the world heavyweight champion in 1964 during a fight with Sonny Liston and received the Medal of Freedom in 2005 from President George W. Bush.