Boxing legend Muhammad Ali will go down not only as the greatest boxer ever, but also as one of the greatest professional athletes ever. His impact on the world spread far from just boxing, with him being the center of the socio-political shift in America that took place during the 1960s and 1970s.

His charming personality, combined with his boxing pedigree, made him an icon during this time. One thing that many people forget about Ali was his heart and willingness to compete. He was one of the most fearsome competitors in the sport, taking every challenge put in front of him. However, this might have eventually contributed to the declining health that the former heavyweight champion saw in the latter half of his career.

Moreover, these issues were pointed out to Ali by his doctor in 1970. In the book “Ali: A Life,” by Jonathan Eig, it was revealed that his doctor Ferdie Pacheco had warned Ali about his deteriorating health. He claimed that Ali was already showing permanent brain damage that would get worse if he continued to box. “His reflexes were only 25 to 30 percent of what they should be. He didn’t see that, he didn’t think he was brain-damaged, he didn’t remember things. He was stuttering and stammering,” he said. However, he added that he couldn’t stop Ali, who went on with his career. “…I couldn’t stop him. I tried,” he added.

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Ali would go on to fight for 11 more years and retire in 1981. He would then eventually be diagnosed with Parkison disease in 1984, which plagued him throughout his life before his tragic death in 2016.

How much did boxing affect the health of Muhammad Ali?

The former heavyweight champ was a fierce fighter who was not afraid to take shots to the head. Moreover, it is widely believed that boxing did contribute a lot to the decline of his health. Ali reportedly took 200,000 headshots in the ring throughout his career, which had an adverse effect on his brain.

This became even more noticeable after his physical capability and speech delivery also worsened. He required help to move around in his daily life and was forced to stay out of public life until his tragic death.

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Do you think Ali should have stopped boxing early? Let us know in the comments.