Ali`s brain deterioration started in his 30`s say researchers! Regular blows to the head are thought to cause dementia. Analysis of interviews over 13 years show his speech deteriorating. They found his slowed markedly after a bout in 1977 when he was hit with 266 punches according to the Arizona state university. Was it the Earnie Shavers fight when hec was badly rocked at one point?
Brain damage isn't caused by "a fight" for the most part. Sparring has a greater affect than fighting because these guys were sparring a hundred rounds - and Ali, famously, worked on his weaknesses in sparring.
All of them, Ali was stupid to fight rope a dope tactic, if not for that he probably would still be alive.
Lol I can see some guy smoking 80 a day getting told he has lung cancer and blaming it on that dodgy cigarette he had out foreign 30 years ago.
I guess it's a question of would it have made much difference if he retired earlier, after foreman or even Frazier 3? In that case the last couple of years finished his health. I always wondered if he would have been in better shape retiring earlier or if Parkinson's would always have got him. Seems there is a good case for Parkinson's as I'm sure I read somewhere he noticed himself a few symptoms in 74, maybe it was slurring speech.