Monday, May 12, 2025

Muhammad Ali Dead at 74, But Silent for a Long Time: Champ Stories Will Soon Surface

It’s a sad night, as Muhammad Ali has finally died at age 74. He was and will always be the Champ, a symbol of so many things for blacks, for everyone, in the United States and the world. His life will be celebrated accordingly.

But what comes next will be the stories of his last several years, of silence. The Champ really couldn’t talk and was used as a prop, sources say, at his annual Fight Night gala in Scottsdale, Arizona to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research.

Ali’s fourth wife, Lonnie (Yolanda) has been in charge of his care and his estate for the last couple of decades. But it’s Lonnie’s sister I am told who has been the really active caregiver. Meantime, there have been interviews with Ali’s children and siblings over the last few years expressing fear about how the Champ’s estate will be divided. Something tells me this will turn into a bigger story.

More to come. In the meantime, thanks to Muhammad Ali for setting many examples in his lifetime.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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