When did Ali's illness begin to affect him?

[Genman1988]

I watched the joe frazier trilogy, foreman fight, and then his last ones. I felt sick in the stomach watching the larry holmes fight, because ali was an ill man, I dont have a clue how he got licensed.

Heres the question though... what was the last fight Ali fought at 100% natural health?

In my opinion even during the last frazier fight I could already see the puffy/slightly blank eyes and that he didnt have full control of his body, it was already weakening. This is quite obvious to me because he looked like a bobble head toy, where as normal guys can move their head sharply, Alis head just bounced around, and he count move it away from anything remotely resembeling a punch.

I see a lot of knowledgeble boxing people on this side of the forum (as opposed to the non stop boxing side so please..


Your views...

[T-97]

It was after the third Frazier fight that the illness really came on, i believe.

[jberg]

ive seen interviews in later years
wat is his illness?

[Silencers]

He was never the same after the third Frazier fight. In fact, they were both never the same.

[BattlingNelson]

If you listen to the Ali of the sixties and compare to the later version I think you would be able to tell the difference in the speech around the first Spinks fight.

Regarding the Holmes fight: I have read that Ali was on some medication so he was completely exhausted after round 1. He took the medication and he wouldnt let his doctors see what it was. I believe it was some kind of weight-reduction tablets although I'm not sure.

[Hearnsz]

ive seen interviews in later years
wat is his illness?

Parkinson. Makes you shake your body uncontrolled nonstop and affects your speech.

[Silencers]

If you listen to the Ali of the sixties and compare to the later version I think you would be able to tell the difference in the speech around the first Spinks fight.

Regarding the Holmes fight: I have read that Ali was on some medication so he was completely exhausted after round 1. He took the medication and he wouldnt let his doctors see what it was. I believe it was some kind of weight-reduction tablets although I'm not sure.

They were Thyroid pills that a doctor prescribed to him the week of the fight, he said before he got the pills, he was running 5-7 miles a day and was set a record for his exercise repetitions, after he got the pills, he said he couldn't run a mile and was very lethargic when training. One of Ali's cornerman said that Ali wasn't sweating during the fight.

[Southpaw Stinger]

Thrid Frazier fight was the one that sent him tumbling. I also believe the Earnie Shavers fight played a part.

[Sugarj]

I've already posted something about this on another similar thread but i think the third Frazier fight possibly set the Parkinsons syndrome in motion. He was in perfect health on the run up to the fight, I've got a documentary on the Fight and he was witty, fast talking.........no signs of the syndrome at all.

his punch accuracy that night was spectacular, even in round 14 but he shipped some sickening left hooks in rounds five and six. The temperature that night was ridiculously high and Ali himself said that round ten was the closest he ever came to death. In the post fight interview Ali said that the fight was 'too painful' 'I might have a heart attack or something, I just wanna quit while I'm on top'.......he didn't!!

Alis doctor Ferdie Pacheco said it took Ali hours to rehydrate after the fight.

Ali was not the same guy come the very next year (1976) and in the buildup to the third Norton fight, his speach was noticeably different.......dont get me wrong he could still speak quickly and be entertaining but for the hardcore Ali fan...like myself, his motor skills had just started to drop, he also occasionally had a dead expression about his eyes like he was in a trance that I'd never seen before.

After the first Spinks loss it was more than obvious that this was not the same guy, his speech was noticeably slower and he looked positively rigid turning to the camera and saying with a clenched fist 'I will return'. Finally, after the Berbick fight in 1981 the difference between Ali in the buildup and Ali in the post fight interview was very clear, he was very difficult to understand, definately an ill man. Check it out, the DVD 'The drama in bahama' Amazon.com is a very interesting watch.....although very sad!

Perhaps if he had stopped fighting back in 1975 his symptoms would not have progressed further, remember he is not a Parkinson's Disease sufferer, only a sufferer of the Syndrome, which indicates that the symptons are brought about rather than inherited/hereditory. that said he is much worse now than in the early 80s or in the video 'Champions Forever' circa 1988 so who knows?

[T-97]

If you listen to the Ali of the sixties and compare to the later version I think you would be able to tell the difference in the speech around the first Spinks fight.

Regarding the Holmes fight: I have read that Ali was on some medication so he was completely exhausted after round 1. He took the medication and he wouldnt let his doctors see what it was. I believe it was some kind of weight-reduction tablets although I'm not sure.

It as pills to make him look like he was in shape, but they make you tierd really easy. I heard that on a documentary i have about him in DVD