Muhammad Ali's family rejects 'near death' claims by brother

Muhammad Ali's family has rejected suggestion that the legendary boxer is near his end, posting a picture of him enjoying the Super Bowl on social networking website Twitter. Earlier, Ali's brother had told British media that the sporting great, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, could be dead within days, News.com.au reports

But Ali's daughter May May said she had spoken to her father on the phone on Sunday morning and he was fine. May said Ali is fine in fact he was talking well this morning, adding that these rumors pop up every once in a while but there's nothing to them.

Ali's family told an American paper that he was in good spirits and tweeted a picture of him enjoying the Super Bowl in a Baltimore Ravens jersey, the paper reported. Ali's family spokesman Bob Gunnell slammed the UK media reports, claiming the greatest boxer of all time looks great and is having a Super Bowl party.

The tweeted picture shows Ali with fists raised along with the words: "The Greatest is ready for the Super Bowl! Go @Ravens! Rahman Ali had told a British daily that his 71-year-old brother, who is known as The Greatest, cannot speak and no longer recognises him and could be dead within days.

Former heavyweight boxing champion Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1984. Regarded as one of the greatest sportsmen of all time, he has made many public appearances over the years, including at the Sugar Bowl college football game last month, the paper added.