On December 11, 1981, Muhammad Ali made one last attempt to recapture his glory days—already showing the first signs of Parkinson’s disease at just under 40 years of age. It went spectacularly wrong.
“Rumble in the Jungle,” “Thrilla in Manila”: Even decades later, Muhammad Ali’s most legendary fights are familiar to almost everyone. The “Drama in the Bahamas,” which ended his great career, is less so—and for good reason.
On December 11, 1981—44 years ago today—Ali was a sad sight in his last fight against Trevor Berbick in Nassau: His attempt to recapture his glory days at almost 40 years of age and with the first signs of Parkinson’s disease ended in disaster.
Ali couldn’t keep up with Berbick
The humiliating defeat against Larry Holmes on October 2, 1980, already foreshadowed that the attempt was doomed to failure.
Wistful memories of the great Ali of yesteryear were also awakened against Berbick, as he was no real opponent for the Jamaican. In the ten-round fight, Ali never really had a chance, and Berbick was unanimously declared the winner on points at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Center in Nassau.
Berbick, who was murdered in 2006 and later became world champion himself before being dethroned by the young Mike Tyson, thus became the fifth man to defeat Ali in a professional fight, after Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, and Holmes.
Parkinson’s disease only revealed later
Ali had emphasized that he was fit for the fight. But even the first few rounds showed that the “Greatest” had passed his prime. He lacked speed and agility, and occasionally tried to dance around as he had in his heyday, embarrassing his opponent with jabs from mid-range. But it was no longer enough.
Millions of fans around the world watched Ali’s last appearance with heavy hearts.
Doctors had advised Ali, who died in 2016, not to fight again. His long career and numerous blows to the head had taken their toll. His hands were already beginning to shake, his speech was becoming slurred, and his mumbling was a clear sign of Parkinson’s disease.
Two years after his last fight, Muhammad Ali’s illness was officially announced.
