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DETROIT - Despite recent reports, a family representative for boxing icon Emanuel Steward says he is not dead, though he is still hospitalized for an illness he has suffered with for months.

TMZ first reported the news of Steward's death, but took the article down from their website soon after. It has since been reported by several other media outlets.

Commenting on the false reports, Diane Steward-Jones, Steward's sister said, "The Steward family is dismayed and greatly disheartened and disappointed that during this personally challenging time, people would callously and thoughtlessly run wild with untrue statements... [The media] issued statements that are terrorizing Emanuel's children, siblings and relatives that aren't able to be here at the hospital."

Although Steward-Jones did not say where Steward, who resides in Detroit, is hospitalized, he is believed to be in the Chicago area.

The 68-year-old is a beloved figure in the boxing world. His famed Detroit boxing gym, Kronk also has a branch in Tucson, Ariz. Additionally, he hosts monthly boxing matches at the Dodge Theater, in Phoenix.

Steward is known for training greats such as Oscar de la Hoya, Evander Holyfield and Wladimir Klitschko and has served as an analyst for HBO's boxing coverage for several years.