Ali's Parkinsons Syndrome

I think Ali knowingly had Parkinson's by then. I saw a documentary where former LHW champ Jose Torres was talking about how during the training for the Holmes fight, he caught Ali taking some pills. He asked Ali what they were and Ali says they're vitamins. Torres, upon further inspection, sees that Ali is lying. And that Ali is actually taking L-dopa, a drug for people with Parkinson's. Torres knew because his father had Parkinson's and was one of the first 10 or so people tested with that drug.

Ali cared a little too much for his legacy man.

 

Ali was diagnosed with Parkinsons Syndrome in 1984.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_oorRQ1rek[/ame]


Ali before the Spinks II fight, 1978. Aged, 36.

 

I remember seeing Ali in a few brief TV interviews he gave in late 1976. The clarity of his speaking voice seemed somewhat reduced. I don't know if it was an early sign of brain damage or Parkinson's. Sometimes a boxer's permanently impaired speech can be caused by blows to the throat.

 

I first noticed something wrong in 1979 when Muhammad was in London for a TV appearance to celebrate his 'retirement' I just thought he had a cold,as his voice seemed a bit muffled. It appeared more so in the lead up for the Larry Holmes fight the following year. Between the Holmes bout and his final one with Trevor Berbick,it was VERY apparrent.

 

Around the Holmes fight, he was clearly not the same.

 

Some say they noticed a slight change after 1976,but I played his 1977 biopic 'The Greatest' the other week,in which he played himself,and did n't notice anything.

 

after shavers it was noticable. he took a lot of hard shots in that fight and pacheco left the camp cuz of ali's deteriorating condition.

 

September 18, 1979

On The Mike Douglas Talk Show.

Muhammad Ali was trying to discuss the Heavyweight 'scene', and
Gerrie Coetzee' impressive 'knockout' over Leon Spinks.

He was talking very softly, to shield his slurred speech pattern.

Mike Douglas was strained in trying to understand Muhammad's comments.

Something was not right, with both his speech and hand movement.

 

It was very apparent before the first Spinks fight. So '77/'78.

 

I was going to say the first Spinks fight also. I noticed in the post fight interview that his speech seemed pretty slurred.

 

I am quite sure, but not 100%, that Ali's lines was dubbed.

 

A casual observation.Voice is a lot softer and his face is like a mask-no expressiveness there....

 

Before the Holmes fight, 1980.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaQNJyDbNdo[/ame]










Though looks and sounds somewhat better after the loss.Maybe he was on Parkinson's medication.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfuGmb4G9M0[/ame]