watched a documentary in which someone who was close to him said that the beating he took in his last years in the ring caused the brain trauma that led to Parkinson's disease. His fights against a young Leon Spinx and a punishing Larry Holmes probably hastened the onset of Parkinson's. He fought when his career should have been over. He had a large entourage that needed him to keep fighting. Should there be a overseeing body of boxing officials that determine when a fighter is past his prime.
2006-09-09 12:37:03 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Boxing
The last answer did a good job of handling this question, but here's my thoughts: it's hard to say but it certainly didn't help. But its important to make a distinction between Parkinson's Disease and the "punch drunk" condition suffered by countless retired boxers.
Most doctors suggest that head trauma can be a contributing factor to the onset of Parkinson's Disease, and certainly a career eating the best punches of guys like Lison, Frazier, Foreman and Shavers would qualify as "trauma". Of course there are countless other sufferers who never set foot in a boxing ring (and presumably stayed out of street fights) like Janet Reno and Michael J. Fox. Evangelist Billy Graham also suffers from the disease and I don't think he was ever a professional prizefighter ; )
Clearly, Ali fought past the point where he should have (particularly his last two fights against Holmes and Trevor Burbick should never have happened) but his doctor couldn't really even say with 100% certainty that his in-ring abuse caused his condition. It sure didn't help, however, and if he had a genetic predisposition to the disease it could have hastened its onset...
2006-09-09 19:24:04 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
The Parkinson's Reversing Breakthrough?
2016-05-15 22:03:31 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It all depends on who you ask, man. Some people was Ali's Parkinson's were caused by pounding and abuse in the ring, but Ali doesn't think it was. All I know is, any boxer who has been fighting for too long ends up having something worng with him. I've seen several old fighters who's speech is affected, but the don't have Parkinson's. Myabe what Ali has is a mixture of Parkinson's, and punch-drunkeness. Remember, there have been fighters who took way more shots than he did, namely, Arturo Gatti, and so far, Gatti is fine, but look at fighters like Bowe, Holyfield, and Meldrick Taylor. I guess it just all depends on how you look at it.
2006-09-09 13:08:02 · answer #3 · answered by Anthony R 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Any body that thinks boxing dementia is not kin to Parkinson then maybe they should be hit up side the head. Boxing has to police letting boxers fight way past their prime.
2006-09-10 10:32:46 · answer #4 · answered by smitty 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
no one can say for sure why anybody gets Parkinson's its random take Micheal jay fox for example he didn't box and yet he has Parkinson's i know of people who worked in offices all their lives and got Parkinson's
2006-09-09 12:44:54 · answer #5 · answered by angelina_mcardle 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Cassius Clay Parkinson's disease, was cause because he did not wanted to served in the Army!!!
2006-09-09 12:41:14 · answer #6 · answered by alfonso 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Who knows for sure...I wouldn't think that getting beat about the face and neck would help much though.
2006-09-09 12:49:09 · answer #7 · answered by joesfoot 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
idk ask a docter retard
2006-09-09 12:45:30 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋