Muhammad Ali's condition.Caused by boxing or not?

[DaxxKahn]

No it wasn't caused by boxing, more then likely he would have developed Parkinson's anyway like most diseases it sits dormant for long periods of time before any symptoms appear, though head trauma will cause the disease to progress more rapidly and can add to the severity of the disease.

Ali is often confused with someone who has pugilistic dementia which he doesn't in all truth what many people do not realize is his comprehension is at 100% he knows what is going on at all times it is his motor skills and basic everyday senses that suffer the effects along with the major joints in his body making it so hard for him to function

[Taeth]

I thought Ray Robinson got Parkinsons along with alzheimers, but I could be wrong.

[holmcall]

No it wasn't caused by boxing, more then likely he would have developed Parkinson's anyway like most diseases it sits dormant for long periods of time before any symptoms appear, though head trauma will cause the disease to progress more rapidly and can add to the severity of the disease.

Ali is often confused with someone who has pugilistic dementia which he doesn't in all truth what many people do not realize is his comprehension is at 100% he knows what is going on at all times it is his motor skills and basic everyday senses that suffer the effects along with the major joints in his body making it so hard for him to function

From above: Well, I believe 100% that his Parkinsons was caused by boxing,but unlike Pugilistica Dementia, he is not punch drunk. His motor skills have been impacted but his brain is fine. With PD, the brain cells eventually liquify at which point the victim is put on life supprt and eventually dies. There is some medicine that can forestall the invetibale, I believe, but I am not certain.

Roach and Ali are examples of Parkinson that does not affect the brain; Jerry and Mkie Quarry are examples of PD that led to their deaths. Once you get it, it is irreversable. It is horiffic in that the sympons don't show up until many year after you acquire it--sometimes as long as 14 years. Many fighters like Boom Boom Mancini get annual scans just to be certain they are ok.

There are fighters out there today who are well on there way to PD, but nothing is to be gained by identifying them. Suffice it to say that mang greats died of it including Willie Pep and Jimmy Young.


I have done reams of research on this while studying the time line on Jerry Quarry's situation. the numebr of boxers who end up with PD is astounding.

But had Ali not fought, he would not have been afflicted with Parkinsons IMO. Roach admits that his last 5 fights probably did him in. Ali was beginning to show the symptons when he fought Holmes. It was painful to watch and listen to him talk. When he fought Berbick, most already knew he was in big trouble.

Sugar Ray Robinson reportedly died of Alzheimers disease as did Ingamar Johannson and Floyd Patterson, but Alzheimer's is often used instead of PD as a cause of death.

A great article on this is: "Let the standing count begin"

August 14, 2007|Bill Dwyre