When did Muhammad Ali's speech start going?

[wvboxer]

When I was a kid, I remember Ali from a 1977 cartoon, the roach commercials, & the "Different Strokes" episode. When I really got into boxing in the 80's & saw older Ali footage, I was surprised at how fast he spoke. I'd grown up with the raspy voiced impressions & the late 70's version.

I'd definitely go with most people here & say 1977. I can hear it in the interviews. A lack of force in his voice. It's really bad by 1980. I swear I remember watching the first Bowe Golata fight & Bowe sounded fine before the fight. In the post fight interview however, I couldn't understand him at all. It was frightening. Makes you wonder how fast those around Ali noticed his speech changing.

[Syntax Error]

When I was a kid, I remember Ali from a 1977 cartoon, the roach commercials, & the "Different Strokes" episode. When I really got into boxing in the 80's & saw older Ali footage, I was surprised at how fast he spoke. I'd grown up with the raspy voiced impressions & the late 70's version.

I'd definitely go with most people here & say 1977. I can hear it in the interviews. A lack of force in his voice. It's really bad by 1980. I swear I remember watching the first Bowe Golata fight & Bowe sounded fine before the fight. In the post fight interview however, I couldn't understand him at all. It was frightening. Makes you wonder how fast those around Ali noticed his speech changing.

1977 seems about right & as if to confirm this, Dr Ferdie Pacheco left the Ali camp in '77 because he saw the signs of deterioration and tried & failed to convince the champ to quit.

[evrenb]

When I was a kid, I remember Ali from a 1977 cartoon, the roach commercials, & the "Different Strokes" episode. When I really got into boxing in the 80's & saw older Ali footage, I was surprised at how fast he spoke. I'd grown up with the raspy voiced impressions & the late 70's version.

I'd definitely go with most people here & say 1977. I can hear it in the interviews. A lack of force in his voice. It's really bad by 1980. I swear I remember watching the first Bowe Golata fight & Bowe sounded fine before the fight. In the post fight interview however, I couldn't understand him at all. It was frightening. Makes you wonder how fast those around Ali noticed his speech changing.

1977 seems about right & as if to confirm this, Dr Ferdie Pacheco left the Ali camp in '77 because he saw the signs of deterioration and tried & failed to convince the champ to quit.

I say much earlier....noticed it in earlier interviews where he sort of mumbles over his words. . .1974 ish

[SenorPipino]

Prior to the Holmes fight in 1980, a British neurologist gained some attention when he said that Ali's voice was getting progressively slurred.
He said he had watched and listened to interviews conducted through the years with Ali, a noticed a pronounced deterioration in his speech during the previous few years.

Reportedly, at his 1980 medical checkup at the famed Mayo Clinic, Ali admitted to doctors that his speech was slurring, but he attributed it to fatigue.

[wvboxer]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YkXlBwXai_k

It's an interview with Cosell prior to the Spinks rematch. Even Cosell remarks that he sounds "tired". His voice is clear but in interviews from the period, it doesn't sound quite as sharp.

[man]

When I was a kid, I remember Ali from a 1977 cartoon, the roach commercials, & the "Different Strokes" episode. When I really got into boxing in the 80's & saw older Ali footage, I was surprised at how fast he spoke. I'd grown up with the raspy voiced impressions & the late 70's version.

I'd definitely go with most people here & say 1977. I can hear it in the interviews. A lack of force in his voice. It's really bad by 1980. I swear I remember watching the first Bowe Golata fight & Bowe sounded fine before the fight. In the post fight interview however, I couldn't understand him at all. It was frightening. Makes you wonder how fast those around Ali noticed his speech changing.

1977 seems about right & as if to confirm this, Dr Ferdie Pacheco left the Ali camp in '77 because he saw the signs of deterioration and tried & failed to convince the champ to quit.

I say much earlier....noticed it in earlier interviews where he sort of mumbles over his words. . .1974 ish

agree. i think those near him noticed
much earlier than anyone else ...

[Caractacus]

here is the link to the film
THE GREATEST
released Nationwide during May 1977.
I remember seeing it at the cinema back then,and in the one scene beginning at about at 41:54
Muhammad Ali seemed really tired in that one scene compared to most of the other scenes in the film.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csm54p0zL6k