I’m tremendously sad that I have to be the bearer of bad news but according to his longtime friend, and business partner, Gene Kilroy, the boxing legend has become a “prisoner in his own body.” He says the 73-year-old former world champion has been in poor health since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984 and since then has been slowly becoming more and more ill…

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Despite such tragic claims, Muhammad Ali has been known to still try to live his life the fullest he could to his ability, showing love and support to causes he still stands for, so it aches me to even mention such news. Gene Kilroy – his long time friend since they met at the Rome Olympics in 1960 – spoke with the New York Daily News about the star’s condition recently. He says, “It’s hard seeing him as he is today,” continues saying, “He can just about walk and his speech is slurred. It takes huge effort for him to make the simplest communication now, but when he does, every word is worthwhile.
“But even now he has no fear. He says, ‘I’ll stay here as long as God wants me to. When my time comes I’ll have no regrets. I have achieved a lot.’” With that in mind, Ali is clearly a champion long past his time in the ring, he’s a more important champion now: “The Greatest” at mastering what it means to embrace life and all its occurrences, to me that makes him even more of champion.