Before his ultimate retirement from boxing, the late Muhammad Ali was warned about taking a certain fight which is believed to have contributed to his debilitating health issues.
Fresh from his historic rematch win over Leon Spinks after a shock upset loss to the former world heavyweight champion in their first of two clashes, Muhammad Ali would return to the ring against a bruising puncher.
And having already gotten through the sizable test of the formidable knockout artist, Earnie Shavers, Ali was urged widely to consider hanging up his gloves from boxing, for good this time.
However, electing to take a pair of retirement outings, the first of these seemingly proved detrimental to his health in his later life according to a long-time associate.
- THROWBACK — Muhammad Ali feared dying in the ring after coach refused to cut off his gloves after 14 round war
Muhammad Ali’s worrying loss to Larry Holmes
On this day in 1980, Ali would enter the ring for the penultimate time in his illustrious career, drawing unbeaten knockout artist Larry Holmes in a pairing billed as the Last Hurrah for the ‘Louisville Lip’.
And already going through the mill of things in the ring in a trilogy rubber match with Joe Frazier, Ali conceivably lost a step late in his decorated tenure, as was evident in his winning performance against Shavers.
But against Holmes, the veteran megastar came unstuck in difficult viewing, finding himself on the receiving end of a lengthy beating before a tenth-round stoppage loss.
Failing in his final attempt to recapture world heavyweight gold, Ali should not have competed in the first place against a star like Holmes, with his doctor, Ferdie Pacheco, damning the contest.
“All the people involved in this fight (Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes) should’ve been arrested,” Pacheco said post-fight. “This fight was an abomination, a crime.
“The unnecessary punches he took wouldn’t have stopped the Parkinson’s,” Pacheco explained. “But I think it would not have compounded it as it has. …He may not have been trapped in a shell like he was for so many years.”
The immediate effects of Muhammad Ali’s damaging defeat
Just three years after his definitive retirement fight against Trevor Berbick, Ali was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disease, Parkinson’s.
Facing the disease at just 42 years of age, Ali tragically died in 2016 after suffering from septic shock at the age of 74.
However, in the immediate aftermath of his devastating defeat to Holmes, issues with Ali’s health arose, including the noting of slurred speech and a tingling sensation in the limbs of the former world champion — pointing to brain trauma and the eventual onset of his documented battle with Parkinson’s.