Muhammad Ali is near death family tells Louisville Courier Journal Ali is fine

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The family of Muhammad Ali on Sunday countered British news reports of the near death of the boxing legend by posting on Twitter a photo of The Champ in a Ravens jersey getting ready to watch the Superbowl.

Muhammad Ali and his wife, Lonnie, were at home in Phoenix watching the game, said famaily spokesman Bob Gunnell, who returned a call to Lonnie Ali from The Courier-Journal.

“He looks great,” Gunnell said. “He’s having a Superbowl party.”

Gunnell said the report of Ali’s pending death, published over the weekend by both The Sun and The Daily Mail newspapers, was false. It was based largely on an interview with Ali’s brother, Rahman Ali, who was quoted as saying: “It could be months, it could be days. I don’t know if he’ll last the summer. He’s in God’s hands.”

As the story spread across the Internet, other accounts made his condition seem even more dire, as if Ali were on his deathbed.

The photo of Ali in a Ravens jersey was sent out on a little used and yet to be widely discovered personal Twitter account for Ali, “realALI_me,” Gunnell said.

It shows Ali with his fists up and holding an inflated Ravens helmet balloon, followed by, “The Greatest is ready for the Super Bowl! Go @Ravens!”

Ali has suffered from Parkinson’s disease but has continued to make public appearances. He was, for example, at the Sugar Bowl in January, wearing a Teddy Bridgewater jersey, where he joined former University of Louisville linebacker Tom Jackson in representing the U of L Cardinals during the pregame coin toss.

Phone messages left Sunday night with Rahman Ali and the Muhammed Ali Center were not returned.