Muhammad Ali's debilitating Parkinson's disease now means he spends his days watching his famous TV interviews and his old fights

Muhammad Ali spends his time watching his old fights and interviews 

His wife Lorna describes how he copes with his Parkinson's disease 

She laments what the boxer would be doing if he was in good health

 

• By TOM WYKE FOR MAINLINE

PUBLISHED:8 March 2016

he wife of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali has revealed that he spends his time watching old videos of his past fights and interviews due to the debilitating nature of his Parkinson's disease.

The iconic heavyweight fighter enjoy winding back the clock and re-watching his historic bouts with arch rival Joe Frazier and interviews with Michael Parkinson.

'The thing he loves most is watching himself on YouTube. He becomes so intense. It's as if he hasn't ever seen it before. He watches the Parkinson interviews,' Lonnie Ali told The Times.

His wife said he was amused and slightly surprised by his old antics. 'I remember in Michigan one time, he was watching himself and said: 'I was crazy, wasn't I?' I said: 'Yes!' 

The iconic heavyweight fighter enjoy winding back the clock and re-watching his historic bouts with arch rival Joe Frazier and Sonny Liston (pictured)

Lonnie Ali, (pictured left), the wife of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, has revealed that he spends his time watching old videos of his past fights and interviews due to the severity of his Parkinson's disease

During one famous interview with Michael Parkinson, the host called Ali by his old name Cassius Clay and was quickly challenged by the boxer.

'I'm not just a boxer - I can talk about all week on millions of subjects - and you do not have enough wisdom for calling me on television.'

'You're too small mentally to tackle me on anything I represent. You and this little TV show is nothing to Muhammad Ali,' he responded.

Michael Parkinson later described Muhammad Ali as 'quite simply the most extraordinary human being I've met' and said he 'lost on every occasions' during their four interviews.

'He looked so slim and regal as he walked towards me but he couldn't get in the chair because he was so big, but he was beautifully built and proportioned,' he said.

The charismatic and lovable icon was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984 and gradually stepped away from the spotlight, spending time with close friends and family. 

Lonnie lamented the fact that her husband's heart-breaking health problems have impacted on his life, restricting him from his past enjoyments.

'There are many times today that I wish his voice was stronger. The world needs him. Islam needs him,' she told The Times.

'These young people, these jihadists, are so misguided,' she said reflecting on the growing problem of people joining jihadi groups like ISIS or carrying out deadly lone wolf attacks. 

Michael Parkinson famously interviewed Muhammad Ali on the BBC chat-show on several occasions

Muhammad Ali famously called Michael Parkinson a 'honky' and jokingly squared up to him on the BBC

Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, fights Henry Cooper at Wembley stadium

Lonnie, who used to live opposite Muhammad, described how she first saw him when she was just six years old and he was 22.

'I remember exactly what he had on: bow tie, black pants, white shirts, black socks, black shoes,' she fondly recalled.

She described him as her mentor and said he always had a 'big influence' on her life as she was growing up.

While Parkinson's disease has greatly affected the later years of his life, Lonnie says Ali remains a 'positive person' and continues to be a living inspiration to many people around the world.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3482048/Muhammad-Ali-s-dementia-means-spends-days-watching-famous-interviews-Michael-Parkinson-old-fights.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali#Marriages_and_children