He was in a driven to his seat in a golf buggy to watch his daughter fight on the Ruiz bill. He did stand (with some assistance) to acknowledge the crowd and sort of shuffled to his seat. I don't think he's wheel chair bound yet, but it takes so long for him.silkov wrote:Yeah, I find the difference between Ali in the first and third Parky interviews quite shocking.... when you say that he doesn't walk anymore is he wheelchair bound? I hadn't heard that. In the latter stages of parkinsons sufferers find it increasingly difficult to eat as the muscels in the throat go I think...stujones wrote:Yes, and especially hearing Hearns being interviewed on the BBC around the Mosley vs Wright rematch - when Buncey had to explain he's not punch drunk.
Ali has lost alot of weight (he is saying because of training) and he basically doesn't speak and walk anymore - but he looked "with it" acknowledging the crowd in the Valuev vs Ruiz match.
I have that interview on tape also (Ali's 3rd one on parkinson) - yes it was quite a difference, I only wished that Parky would have had the balls to say something about it.
I also have Ali on Sports Personality in 1978 - definate slur and is much quiter than normal, but he could turn it on and sound half pretty much normal when he focused then. When he tried to do that in the third Parky interview - he still sounded like George Best on Wogan.
That sports personality '78 sounds interesting, would you like to swap a copy for something?.... I've got lots of fights and interviews on Ali... including his '79 this is your life proggram which is very rare.... also Ali and Frazier being interviewed by Parky before their 2nd fight...
I'll see if I can find the sports personality interview. It was a celebration show on the history of the sports personality (I think it was 40 years) not the recent 50 years and it featured all of Ali's apparences/interviews on the show. It is a matter of finding it though.