When should have Muhammad Ali retired to avoid Parkinson's disease?

[Bullrush]

Him and Michael J. Fox just didn't know when to retire from boxing.

[SkillspayBills]

BEFORE the first Frazier bout. That was one of those bouts that took something very large out of both boxers.

[Luilun]

After the Foreman fight he had nothing to prove after that. I think that Thrilla in Manila 1in 1975 took a beating on Ali's brain

[Sugarj]

Before the Thrilla in Manilla, I can honestly say I've never seen an interview with Ali where any of the symptoms of Parkinson's syndrome were present.

But from 1976 onwards you can hear the odd slur in his speech or see the 'vacant' expression that is a characteristic of Parkinsons. There are times in his own movie 'The Greatest' where he is much different from how is was in 'When We Were Kings' from three years previous. The strange thing is, his symptoms weren't consistent......even in the late 70s. I've seen interviews in 1978 where Ali seemed fantastic, and others where you could believe he might be showing some symptoms of the syndrome.

By 1980, you can see in the Ali/Holmes documentary that there was a marked change in him from 1975 though......and an even greater change by 1981 in the post fight interview after the Berbick fight. Despite taking no further punches, he was much worse again in 1988 for 'Champions Forever'. So it is debatable if his Parkinsons was started by boxing, or made worse by boxing. His condition has definitely deteriorated over the years.

If one fight could be blamed I'd say the Thrilla in Manilla. But his plight might have been the same whether he retired straight after or before this fight. We'll never know.......

[BKM-2010]

BEFORE the first Frazier bout. That was one of those bouts that took something very large out of both boxers.

If that were true then Ali would have traded his health for his entire legacy in boxing. I'd rather become one of the greatest sportsment and one of the most famous people ever lived and then get the disease instead of just becoming another good fighter and keep my health.

[Larry the boss]

If that were true then Ali would have traded his health for his entire legacy in boxing. I'd rather become one of the greatest sportsment and one of the most famous people ever lived and then get the disease instead of just becoming another good fighter and keep my health.

I think id rather have my health

[BKM-2010]

I think id rather have my health

Live fast and short like a God or live long while being just another guy. I know I'd go for the former.

[DARKSEID]

I would trade my health for immortality.

Ali will be remembered forever, long after us healthy people are dead and forgotten.

Hundreds of years from now fighters will still be watching and studying his tape. Fans will still be moved and inspired by what he proved and earned in that ring. He will live forever.

[punchr]

Ali took a tremendous amount of punishment in the Foreman fight. Just listen to Big George describe the beating he gave to Muhammad.

Skip to 55:10

[milkroot]

I don't think that Parkinson's can be brought on by boxing. Because of the disease it is difficult to say how much he actually is brain damaged, if at all. But I would've liked to see him retire at the very least before the Holmes' fight, maybe before the first Spinks' bout.

boxing had nothing to do with his Parkinson

Stop bull****ting, fellas. Ali's Parkinson's was caused by taking too many punches in the head from big punchers like Foreman and Shavers... Big punchers who are heavyweights.

[IMG]http://i289.***********.com/albums/ll203/greatfind/ALISPORTSILL.jpg[/IMG]

From BoxRec (http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/La...._Muhammad_Ali)...

"Three months before the fight, Ali was ordered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to go to the Mayo Clinic for a neurological exam. The exam was not made public at the time but contained the following results: Ali was a little off when he tried to touch his finger to his nose, he had trouble coordinating his speech, and he couldn***8217;t hop on one foot well. Nevada approved the fight with Holmes based on this exam."

That terrifies me.