Reports: Muhammad Ali in 'Grave Condition'

Muhammad Ali has been laid up in an Arizona hospital with respiratory issues since Thursday, and the situation is reportedly serious. According to USA Today, an Ali spokesperson says the 74-year-old boxing legend is in "fair condition" and would be released after a brief stay at the hospital. But two sources tell the AP the situation is more serious than Ali's recent hospital stays, and another source tells NBC News that Ali is in "grave condition" with his family by his side.

Ali's spokesperson countered these reports, telling the Courier-Journal there is a "media frenzy" every time Ali is hospitalized. “Everybody's concerned," a childhood friend added. "But I'm telling you, don't be surprised if he doesn't come out of this thing...because he's a real fighter." Ali had a serious hospitalization in 2014 for pneumonia and another in 2015 with a urinary tract infection. USA Today says Ali looked "frail" and "hunched over" during his most recent public appearance in April. Parkinson's disease, which Ali was diagnosed with in the 1980s, is reportedly complicating his respiratory issues. (More Muhammad Ali stories.)