Muhammad Ali

Ali defended his title six more times between 1976 and 1978. In February 1978, however, he lost the title to Leon Spinks in Las Vegas, Nevada. In September 1978 the two boxers fought a rematch and Ali regained the title, beating Spinks in 15 rounds in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ali retired in 1979, but he came out of retirement in 1980 to challenge Larry Holmes, who had taken the title. He lost to Holmes and then lost to Trevor Berbick in 1981 before retiring for good.

At the height of his fame, Ali was one of the most famous athletes in the world, and even after his retirement he was recognizable wherever he went. He retired with a professional record of 56 wins (37 by knockout) and 5 losses. After his boxing career ended, Ali donated much of his time to various charities and humanitarian missions around the world. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, and in 1996 he was awarded the honor of lighting the Olympic torch in Atlanta, Georgia, to begin the Summer Olympic Games. At the end of the century, many publications listed him as one of the 20th century’s greatest and most influential athletes.

In 1984 Ali was first diagnosed with Parkinson syndrome, a medical condition closely related to Parkinson disease. Symptoms include body tremors, slurred or difficult speech, rigid limbs, facial immobilization, and other neurological problems. The disorder sometimes develops in boxers, because of the repeated blows to the head they suffer over a long career. As the former champion coped with the condition, he became a strong advocate for more research money for Parkinson disease and related conditions.