is parkinson's disease worldwide?t affect about 1% of the population in the united states and people above 60 years old. by the time you get to 80 years old, that goes up to 4%. 1-1.5 million people affected. host: what are the causes of parkinson's disease? guest: that really is one of the biggest questions we are working on. in most patients, we believe it is a combination of a genetic predisposition plus environmental factors. there are genes that increase your predisposition for parkinson's and also genes that can because of, although not all people that have them always .evelop the disease we believe there is a genetic predisposition, but in addition, an environmental factor. we know that patients with similar genes that carry similar genetic background, some develop the disease, and some don't. it seems it is both factors. host: that goes to an issue articled in a slate.com about the boxing legend, mohammed all the where members of his family think it was not the boxing that led to his disease. members of his fa

the boxing great also battled parkinson ea parkinson's disease for 30 years. >> reporter: the tributesad ali are growing in louisville, kentucky where the champ grew up and learned to box. >> one thing he showed people you can come from the gutter and rise above any obstacle. >> reporter: flags have been lowered to half staff as people mourn the death of a three time heavyweight champ and a crew saider for peace. >> it's like he reached his hands out to everybody. it didn't matter race, creed or color. it's like you're part of me because you are a human being. >> he did belong to the

i don't know if he thinks about parkinson's.e doesn't think about what his limitations are now or what it may keep him in doing. he always thinks about what he's going to do tomorrow. i think hen he looks back at the films, it inspires him as well. >> reporter: she told us he can still speak with her some in the morning but the medication he takes for the parkinson's makes it difficult by noon. there's such conversation going on between the two of you all the time now. >> well, yeah. muhammad -- i understand muhammad's signals. some of it is a silent conversation. i can tell what he wants or what he's thinking. >> reporter: also, a photo of the day she met him in the museum. is this the famous picture? >> that's it. as you see, i haven't changed much, diane. >> reporter: then 22-year-old, cassius clay teased his awe struck little neighbor. did he remember saying to you i'm going to marry you when you grow up? >> yes, but i found out he said that to a lot of little girls. he didn't say it to just me. >> reporter: he had just been

hahave any parkinson's? >> i think it could he have been punched and taking a lot of hits in the ring. if you look at his picture around you look at his case, what you will see is somebody that got parkinson young in their 30s, diagnosed in their 40s, started on one side of the body, not on both sides of the body, responded to these medications that we give to parkinson's patients, it is likely he actually had park sons disease and on top of that maybe some of the speech slurring where from being hit in the ring, there's a clear picture that we understand a little bit more that this looks like regular par-- parks sons diseas. >> i have watched him face the disease with grace and humor and he has inspired countless patients to do the same. we have lost a great warrior against parkinson's. i know you spent many years with him and his family as well and when you describe his out loloo and despite the parksen soinson had this positive out look. >> yes, absolutely, to getting to know his family and had a wonderfu

he also had a parkinson's center in phoenix. it is very important that we keep doing that in his memory. >> is there a way to slow it down? >> yes, talk to your nutritionist. there is herbs that can mimic what dopamine is. you keep taking more and more of it. talk to an expert in centers of excellent. it is the way to go. i want to emphasize this deep brain stimulation is a real entity. for a lot of people that tried everything else and fails, now it is making a big difference by putting the mid fiber midbrain and using a pacemaker. it is a real entity. thank you so much. >> thank you. so we're going here now. a ground breaking study that may give doctors a new tool in the fight against pancreatic cancer. why oral health may play a critical role in the early detection of this often deadly disease. a heart attack doesn't care if you run everyday, or if you're young or old. no matter who you are a heart attack can happen without warning. if you've had a heart attack, a bayer aspirin regimen can help prevent another one. be sure to

parkinson's affect the muscles.ately it affects the muscles we can't see, which is why we get the breathing problems which apparently is what ali had at the end of his life. what's important about muhammad ali and parkinson's is that he became the face of parkinson's very early on. i mean this was back in the mid-'80s before people really talked so much about the diseases and medical challenges that they were facing, and he faced it and he talked about it and he faced it with such elegance. >> elizabeth cohen, thank you. >>> boxing promoter don king had a long history with muhammad ali. back in 1974 he promoted the heavyweight championship fight between he and george foreman that became known as the "rumble in the jungle." >> he also promoted the fight between ali and joe frazer thrilla in manila. he spoke earlier about what ali means to him. >> he will never die. the success, the goal he was after. he was just fabulous. so he was just -- he was a great human being and a champion of the people, the greatest of all t

fox is also battling parkinson's disease. >> it's a challenge. and inspiration to follow through on what we're trying to do. >> together they became the most prominent faces of the disease, they even went to congress to fight for research and funding. it was how ali continued to command a room despite the crippling diagnosis that stands out. >> if you want to be anonymous walk in a room with muhammad ali. >> parkinson's disease may have been the fight of ali's life, one that will continue despite the fact that he's gone. >> he's a giant. to live in a time when giants walk among us and he was one. >> one way ali's legacy will continue is the parkinson's center he helped establish and bears his name in the phoenix area, it provides cutting edge technology. reporting from the digital operations center, aundrea cline-thomas, "nbc 10 news." >>> and you can read more about ali's life and legacy and see inside this home which he used to own in cherry hill. that's all on our nbc 10 app. >>> new at 11:00, philadelphia police are investigating a deadly mys

parkinson's had ailed him since the mid-80s. and people will debate what role that had in his, or what role boxing played in the role that he had parkinsons. it impacts motor skills and people who know knew m him in recent years saw him as a shell of his former self-. and beyond that he was afraid to be in the public eye. and he certainly wasn't afraid to continue to be a global ambassador and fight for the freedom of people, prisoners of war in different countries around the world. he was the guy that could broker deals that seemingly other world leaders couldn't. and muhammad ali was a world leader in a unique kind of way. so more picture, and we'll walk a timeline with muhammad ali as he goes through the years. right up until a couple months ago in april he was pictured. so we'll run the it there. >> and even though you talk about the frailty that came with parkinson's that twinkle in the eye was always there. >> and people loved that. >> we'll talk about what that meant, and gary is really on to something by saying at one ti

he had decreased blinking, and he had a typical parkinson's tremor. >> reporter: parkinson's is most common in older adults. ali was only 42. >> i thought some of the symptoms were too early for classical parkinson's' disease and this was most likely going to be due to some trauma, multiple trauma to the head. >> reporter: his handlers told him he was not as quick as usual in the famous "thrilla in manilla" fight against joe frazier in 1975, almost a decade earlier. >>ha slowed his reaction time. that probably led to him being beaten up too much in the ring, and that probably worsened the trauma to his brain. >> reporter: the boxer, once so fleet of foot, could not sidestep his illness, but he raised awareness of parkinson's and became a champion for others living with the disease. no surprise. that's what a champion does. even as his illness progressed, ali remained a figure of grace under pressure. he helped raise more than $100 million for the muhammad ali parkinson's center in phoenix. >> pelley: fascinating, jon. thank you. when we come back, a celebration fothe first family. li

and parkinson's makes you just the opposite.e's a constant reminder, i think, of our own mortality. they want him to always be the way he was. and that's not life. it's not the way it is. >> reporter: strangely, those who knew him best said ali never understood just how much he meant to people until the night he was the surprise and secret choice to light the flame at the olympic games. >> oh, my! >> reporter: there he stood before a packed stadium and 3 billion more around the world, very much loved, still and forever the greatest. >>> when we come back, muhammad ali's very public controversies and challenges. my conversation with david remnick, author of "muhammad ali: king of the world." ato speed up your car insurance search.r ways here's the latest. (fast sound effects) problem is, we haven't figured out how to reverse it. for now, just log on to compare.com... plug in some simple info and get up to 50 free quotes. choose the lowest and hit purchase. now... if you'll excuse me, i'm late for an important function. compare.co

they truly loved the man. >> ali was a sports legend and a humanitarian and a champion for parkinson's awareness. what do you think his greatest legacy is. >> muhammad ali is one of those guys, whatever you have and whatever situation or whatever distress you're in, you have to make that day your best day. he never complained. people say he may have suffered, but he never told me he suffered because he enjoyed himself so much. he really loved being muhammad ali. >> mr. foreman, in the ring he wasn't quiet. i know that oftentimes he spoke to his adversaries during the poundings. did you get that chat from him any time? >> yeah, i beat him up a couple of rounds and he got me and then all of a sudden when i thought he was at his lowest point, he whispered, is that all you got, george? show me something. i said i can't wait to get this conversation over with. >> george foreman, what a ple sir. thank you for being with me. >> thank you. >>> it was reaction on the campaign trail as well today. hillary clinton tweeted that ali was unmatched not just in power and skill but also in courage and

>> reporter: in his last years, ali was humbled by parkinson's disease but his reputation burnished by charitable works was in tact and untouchable. his appearance at the start of a '96 olympics when he got a second gold medal to replace the one he tossed away at the rome one decades earlier was the high point of the atlanta spectacle. and at the london stage, he was so frail and now silent, and still the star of stars. truly unforgettable. >> that was lester holt reporting. the tributes to ali are pouring in from around the country. and around the world. we get more tonight from morgan radford in ali's home town of louisville, kentucky. >> reporter: he was called the greatest of all time, but to them he was just dad. >> it is very rough at this point for the family. all family members are having a tough toim. >> reporter: as a family mourns their father, the world celebrates a legend. paying tribute generations too young to remember his right cross. and those who can still see it when they close their eyes. >> he was my childhood hero and he was just amazing. >> you say boxing and you

he passed away after this 32-year battle with parkinson's disease. muhammad ali, don't know if you are aware, he was born cassius clay in 1942 in louisville, k kentucky and started boxing at the age of 12. he went on of course to become three-time world heavyweight champion. >> as so many people know, in 1964 he joined the nation of islam, changed his name to muhammad ali after his retirement as parkinson's disease began to take away his motor skills, he became really an ambassador of peace and he raised millions of dollars for charity. the boxing champ was married four times. he is survived by nine children. >> muhammad ali led a pretty inspirational life when all is said an done. obviously has incredible boxing career but he had such strong work for hx causes and he never stopped fighting for what he believed in. he is known as a very principled man. >> and he always spoke out, quite clearly. cnn's wolf blitzer takes a look now at the boxing legend's life. >> this is the legend of moment ali. the greatest fighter there ever will be. >> reporter: he

three years later at the age of 4 2 he was diagnosed with parkinson's. this time he would have someone else in his corner. he married loni who he met in 1963. little loni didn't even know who he was. together they have faced the toughest face of ali's life. while ali grew physically weaker over the years, he could still inspire, lighting the olympic flag and raising millions for charity and speaking out for peace and of september 11th. and his life was in the silver screen by will smith. >> absolutely did not want to be the dude that messed up the muhammad ali story. >> reporter: smith said his transformation will have a lasting impact in his life. >> improfoundly changed. there's a bittersweet emotion i feel from playing this role that i'll never be that great. >> the united states honors muhammad ali. american to see and admire a black men. it was ali who made them listen. >> he was a credit to his race. the human race. i think of the final analysis, muhammad ali did us all a great service. >> reporter: ali tweeted i set out on a journey of love, of se

and parkinson's makes you just the opposite.e's a constant reminder, i think, of our own mortality. they want him to always be the way he was. and that's not life. it's not the way it is. >> reporter: strangely, those who knew him best said ali never understood just how much he meant to people until the night he was the surprise and secret choice to light the flame at the olympic games. >> oh, my! >> reporter: there he stood before a packed stadium and 3 billion more around the world, very much loved, still and forever the greatest. >>> when we come back, muhammad ali's very public controversies and challenges. my conversation with david remnick, author of "muhammad ali: king of the world." every time i drive. ...want my number? and cash back for driving safe. and the power to automatically find your car... i see you car! and i got the power to know who's coming and when if i break down. ...you must be gerry. hey... in means getting more from your car insurance with the all-powerful drivewise app. it's good to be in, good hands.

see how booking is helping patients with parkinson's.to sesame place before little kids become big kids. before dress up turns to make-up. and tag becomes hashtag. and don't miss our brand new show, the magic of art featuring abby cadabby. come to the only place that makes little hearts race. get unlimited visits with a season pass for 6 payments of less than $19. sesame place >>> new this morning a study suggests u.s. kids get 2 million concussions a year from playing sports and other activities. of those half a million kids receive no treatment at all. the estimate is based on 2013 data from emergency room visits, hospitalizations, doctor's visits and concussion reports made to high school athletic trainers. >>> nbc's american ninja warrior is all about strength and physical endurance. for someone with parkinson's disease the challenges of the game may seem impossible but one texas woman is trying out for the show and trying to defy perceptions of her illness. >> if you look at allison, you would never know three years ago she was near

and parkinson's makes you just the opposite.s a constant reminder, i think, of our own mortality. they want him to always be the way he was. and that's not life. it's not the way it is. >> reporter: strangely, those who knew him best said ali never understood just how much he meant to people until the night he was the surprise and secret choice to light the flame at the olympic games. >> oh, my! >> reporter: there he stood before a packed stadium and 3 billion more around the world, very much loved, still and forever the greatest. >>> when we come back, muhammad ali's very public controversies and challenges. my conversation with david remnick, author of "muhammad ali: king of the world." (avo) after 50 years of designing cars for crash survival, subaru has developed our most revolutionary feature yet. a car that can see trouble and stop itself to avoid it. when the insurance institute for highway safety tested front crash prevention nobody beat subaru models with eyesight. not toyota. not ford or any other brand. subaru eyesigh

he died on friday at the age of 74 and suffered for decades from parkinson's, a disease most likely caused by boxing, and a family spokesperson talked about the emotional final moments with ali. >> monday night he was in the hospital but in fair condition, and we expected that to be the case. you know, muhammad battled back many times and we expected it to happen this time. the family was called when things became more serious, and still had a lot of hope it was going to turn around, but it became clear in discussions with loni ali and his doctors his condition was not going to be improving, and they were to bring all family in in the last 24 hours, they were given time to say good-bye. >> as the world mourns the loss of the legend, so does his hometown, louisville, kentucky. the american flag was lowered to half-staff and the mayor paid tribute to muhammad. >> muhammad ali belongs to the world, but he only has one hometown. the louisville lip spoke to everyone, but we heard him in a way nobody else could, as our brother, our uncle, and our inspiration. >> nbc's craig melvin joins us from

parkinson's funding.kinson'sy, the agenda is not been fully funded. aere is $100 -- there is short-haul -- a shortfall for this year alone. time is of the essence. the tragic underfunding may lead to missed opportunities for better treatment and a cure. nih have ane opportunity to see effective treatment and possibly a chore if the necessary funding was made available. mohammed has never been one to do anything halfway and he has on doing anything second-best. nih and congress to not only -- to not go halfway on the agenda. the federal government must work hard to reach the goal of finding a cure. our challenge to you today is to champion this research to fully fund the parkinson's disease research agenda by submitting $300 million for year three. together, let's knock parkinson's disease down for the count. thank you very much. [applause] >> some tweets from the campaign trail that the death of mohammed ali. donald trump says, she was truly --e was truly a great champion and a wonderful guy. he will be m

parkinson's. can you talk a little bit about that battle. >> well, that was a much more private battle to begin with. i think after the torchlighting in atlanta at the olympics in 1996 it became a much more public battle. ali was proud to use himself and to have everyone else use him as the example of how to live with it, how to fight it, how to learn about it. you know, people were more apt i think in many respects to get into the better understanding of parkinson's disease when they realize it affected the champ. so he became an ambassador in that sense and it became public and it has been -- >> it sounds like we just lost our guest there. we are talking about the life and legacy of muhammad ali who is dead this evening. we're learning his funeral will be in lieu equiouisville kentuc somebody who is a transformative figure who began his career in boxes after his bike was stolen when he was just a 12-year-old kid in louisville. someone who was told by a police officer who happened to be a boxing

we know a lot about parkinson's and in terms of what caused it or why does someone get parkinson's verses causes as well as environmental causes. we still need more information. right now there is not a blood test that could do or a study that i can order to diagnose someone. research is very important. we need to know more. >> that's what i understand and there are some false positives for parkinson's. >> some of the symptoms over lapping with symptoms of other conditions. >> we got to stop there. people make sure you have a chance to research parkinson's and other diseases that's in curable. >> that'll do it for us. >> eric shawn continuing our coverage of the death of muhammad ali at the top of the hour. ...clear for take off. see ya! when you're living with diabetes. steady is exciting. oh this is living baby! only glucerna has carbsteady, to help minimize blood sugar spikes. and try new glucerna hunger smart to help you feel full. 80% of recurrent ischemic, strokes could be prevented. and i'm doing all i can to help prevent another one. a bayer aspirin regimen is one of those steps i

he was diagnosed with parkinson's. it became hard for him to walk and to speak and in 2005 he was awarded the medal of freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, bestowed by the president. in a statement today, president obama said that mohammed ellie - - mohammed ali spoke - - shook up the world. people who loved him. >> one helluva rumble. >> he died as he lived, surrounded by people who loved him. this time it was only close friends and family, today his daughter said in a statement our hearts are literally hurting but i i am happy that he is free now. and bob is his spokesperson and close friend. he was in the hospital when he passed away. his wife first took him to the doctor on tuesday. they went home with some medication. >> it didn't help, so we checked him into the hospital. we assumed it would be a short stay as it was before. but within 24 hours it became worse, and lonnie called and i could tell that there was an issue. >> she flew to phoenix on friday to be by his bedside. his close friend john ramsey w

three years later, at the age of 42, he was diagnosed with parkinson's disease. and when ali grew physically weaker over the years, he could still inspire, lighting the olympic flame in atlanta and speaking out for peace in solidarity with all muslims in the wake of september 11th. >> the united states honors muhammad ali. >> reporter: in 2005, president bush awarded ali the presidential medal of freedom. >> the man to beat me hasn't been born yet. i'm the world's greatest. i'm the greatest. >> reporter: and in so many ways, muhammad ali lived up to his word. robin roberts, abc news, new york. >> muhammad ali was so much more than a legendary boxer. he will be remembered for standing his ground in some of the fights that shaped our nation. raised in a deeply segregated south, refusing to report for duty in the vietnam war, his protests inspiring so many. here's abc's byron pits. >> reporter: so many tonight remembering muhammad ali, not just for his gifts in the ring, but for his impact on the civil rights movement. the president and mrs. obama saying in statemen

but ali's longest fight of course was against the parkinson's. and some doctors are not convinced the boxing led to it. here is linsey davis. >> reporter: questions tonight about the punishing hits muhammad ali took and whether they contributed to his debilitating disease. >> he personally felt that he did not get parkinson's from boxing. >> reporter: while some would presume those thousands of blows to the head would be a factor, studies show only a slightly higher risk for parkinson's in people with repeated head injuries. >> muhammad appeared to have very typical parkinson's disease. i think the only real difference is his young age of on set. >> i can't talk no more. i'm all messed up. >> reporter: in fact, one of the doctors who diagnosed ali with parkinson's in 1984 now says he believes ali had the disease even earlier, before he climbed into the ring with larry holmes in 1980. >> he never said why me. and that can be encouraging for some other parkinson's patients. >> reporter: encouragement that can be found in these pictures taken just t

it's already clear he did have parkinson's disease.t disclosed whether his brain will be donated to research. jim avla, abc news, scottsdale. >> all side of his body several years after he retired. then it just progressed from there. he responded to some treatment including dopamine but it slowly progressed. >> this question though, it's not new. joe frazier because they had such a big rivalry used to say looking at ali once he did come down with parkinson's saying i caused that. that was kind of said in a strange manner. but these questions have been arise for quite some time. people always criticize mayweather because he never gets hit. but when you see all the studies coming out about concussions, it's hard to blame him. >> absolutely. should mention that michael j. fox, the actor suffering from parkinson's for the last 25 years now, he tweeted out a message on friday night after we learned the news. he said ali was a warrior for the cure and expressed his thanks for all that he did to try to find a cure for parkinson's. >> he made

fox was diagnosed with parkinson's at the age of 29. >> before i was diagnosed with parkinson's, i admiredlass, his style. his stoicism, and his belief in what was right. i met him and joined with him in a common fight. who else would you want in your corner? >> we won't stop fighting until there's a cure. >> i'm still better. >> reporter: fox says a phone call from ali, helped him to embrace the cause. >> he said in a soft voice, i'm glad you're in this fight with me. it was a formative moment of my life. it was an amazing moment. and i realized we were part of something bigger. >> reporter: ali and his wife created the muhammad ali parkinson's center in 1997. >> lonnie told me, muhammad gets excellent care because he's muhammad ali. and we want everyone to get this care. >> reporter: ali worked to raise money to combat parkinson's until the very end. h coming two months before he passed at the annual celebrity fight night event. while many have speculated boxing caused ali's disease -- >> muhammad ali goes down. >> reporter: his doctors and other experts say that might not be the case. f

and i don't know if he thinks about parkinson's. about what's, you know, what his limitations are now or what it may keep him from doing. he always thinks about what he's going to do tomorrow. and i think when he looks back at those films, i think it inspires him as well. and sometimes i think he's in awe of himself. >> reporter: she told us he can still speak with her some in the morning, but the medication he takes for the parkinson's makes it difficult by noon. there is such conversation going on between the two of you all the time now. >> well, yeah. so, we have -- i understand muhammad's signals. and it's sort of a, some of it's a silent conversation. i can look at his face, i can tell what he wants or what he's thinking. >> reporter: also in the museum, a photo of the day she met him. is this the famous picture? >> that's the famous picture. >> reporter: that's what we talked about. >> as you see, i haven't changed much, diane. >> reporter: then, 22-year-old cassius clay teased his awestruck little neighbor. did he remember sa

the globaling boxing champ died friday of septic shock after a long bat billion parkinson's. a public memorial in louisville kentucky will be friday night. former president bill clinton, bryant gumbel, and billy crystal will deliver eulogys. >> he loved the jacksons. he loved, you know, to play around and have fun and laugh and whooefr. and so he is such a great person. he inspired me in many ways. >> at the national constitution center, he received the liberty medal for his leadership in the pursue of freedom. a pair of boxes gloves could be drawing more attention in the next few days. the american history museum got the gloves in 1976. read more about his life and legacy and get more information on his home in cherry hill he used to own. it is all on the nbc 10 app. >> coming up next, going all of the way and not giving up any time soon. we'll have more on why bernie sanders says the democratic convention here in philadelphia. >>> now to our decision 2016 coverage, hillary clinton is edging closer to the democratic presidential nomination. clinton won the u.s. virgin island

>> he tried not to have the parkinson's. i know he tried to do the things he was doing when he was well. because i seen him when he was well. >> and seen him with the parkinson's, and how he was-- how he talked to me i could tell, you know. and he didn't like having what he had. but, you know, there's nothing you can do about it, and that's what happened to him. but he didn't stop being muhammad ali. he still wanted to tell jokes. he still wanted to be-- you know, make people happy. >> nin l your time. >> you're welcome, take care. >> ninan: still ahead on the cbs weekend news, the fight that the call just came in. she's about to arrive. and with her, a flood of potential patients. a deluge of digital records. x-rays, mris. but with the help of at&t, and a network that scales up and down on-demand, the hospital can be ready. giving them the agility to be flexible & reliable. because no one knows & like at&t. try duo fusion!ing antacids? new, two in one heartburn relief. the antacid goes to work in seconds... and the acid red

he suffered from parkinson's disease. a disease most likely caused by boxing. he was surrounded by his family when he died. a family spokesperson talked about those emotional final moments with ali. >> monday night he was in the hospital and he was in fair condition and we expected that to be the case. muhammad battled back many times and we expected it to happen this time. the family was called when things became more serious. still had a lot of hope that goithz it was going to turn around but it became clear in discussions that his condition wasn't going to improve so, you know, they were able to bring all family members in the last 24 hours when we knew that things weren't going to improve. they were given time to say good-bye. >> as the world mourns the loss of the legend so does muhammad ali's hometown of louisville kentucky, the american flag was lowered to half staff and the mayor paid tribute to ali. >> muhammad ali belongs to the world but he only has one hometo hometown. [ applause ] >> the louisville lip spoke to everyone but we heard him in a way no

all battled with parkinson's disease for 32 years.n advocate for parkinson's research. >> i'm going to remember him as just a very, very courageous person. courage in taking on a disease that no one has a cure for. and living that life with dignity. he was not afraid to be seen in public. >> memorial services and tributes are already being planned in his hometown. lexington, kentucky. one memorial service is about to take place in a short time from now. his body is being transported from arizona to lexington, kentucky, where he will be laid to rest. his family says thank you for everyone who continues to provide support, thoughts and prayers doing this difficult time. we will send it back to you. >> ray, thanks for the live report. 6:33 is our time. it's been three days since a suspect shot two fremont police officers. one of the officers is doing better, but the other remains in critical condition. suspect died early thursday morning after hiding out in a house. alyssa harrington revisited the house to see how the neighborhood was do

the diagnosis that he was afflicted with parkinson's disease.fter two decades of redefining the heavyweight division, ali was forced to retire. his lifetime record, 56 victories, just five defeats. but he never retreated from living a very public life. in 1996, ali provided one of the most poignant moments in sports history. with 3 billion people watching, he lit the olympic flame at the summer games in atlanta. his hands trembling but never wavering. ali remained the consummate showman. as his condition grew progressively worse, ali struggled each day to whisper a word. his hands and legs shook, and his voice quivered. >> i am the greatest. >> reporter: yet his spirit was never shaken, and he never slowed down from serving as an ambassador for peace and a mediator in world conflicts. in 2005, ali was presented with the presidential medal of freedom award, the nation's highest civilian honor. >> when you say the greatest of all time is in the room, everyone knows who you mean. [ applause ] >> reporter: and tributes for the champ continue. >> how

about parkinson's. he always thinks about what he's going to do tomorrow. >> the quick jabs. the quick wit. >> i tell you, cosell. >> i like to know what you're going to do when you retire from boxing. >> the playful joking. >> do you believe in fidelity? nobody's listening. >> he was a credit to his race. the human race. >> tonight, a highlight reel on the life of a hue roe. muhammad ali, the greatest of all time. good evening on this saturday, i'm elizabeth vargas. muhammad ali once said, "i figured if i said it enough, i would convince the world that i really was the greatest." well, it didn't take much convincing, once you saw him in the ring. and it wasn't just his prowess in the ring that made him an honoring the legendary boxer who died last night in arizona at the age of 74, after being off life support. ali's final resting place will be in his hometown of louisville, kentucky, and our ryan smith is there right now, outside the muhammad ali center where his fans have been sharing memories and th

for the last 30 years he's been afflicted by parkinson's disease.he possible toll of so many blows to the head in the ring. his fight bringing greater awareness to the disease. >> tremendous sacrifice on his own dignity. muhammad ali has made us better. >> hands up. hand double jab. >> reporter: novato boxing club owner susan howard calls ali her hero. his pictures and fight posters cover the walls. >> just very sad because he's somebody that i've followed pretty much my whole life. >> reporter: howard met ali at a book signing in berkeley in the '90s, but she never forgot how the boxing legend commanded the room. >> i just saw him, and i went -- it took my breath away. >> reporter: ali's life led howard to her own career in pro boxing and kickboxing. she learned a lot from the man who invented self-promotion. >> he was trying to draw people in, and he did a great job at it. >> reporter: reaction to ali's death was quick across the bay area. >> i think his boisterous character played off really well. and i see him adds an influence on the world. >>

, the beginning of parkinson's. train 10i used to miles in the rain, and it gave me pain. today i walk a while and it gives me a smile." [laughter] tom: we can look at pictures of you with muhammad ali. great to see those pictures of you, michael, with muhammad ali. we will bring them up as soon as we get them. you went on a lot of walks with muhammad ali. tell me about what sorts of things you actually -- there you are, there is the picture we've been waiting for. back in 1988. michael: saw him several times but those were the most intimate moments. tom: what did you typically talk about on the long walk? michael: he loved to talk about -- he loved to talk about islam, that's for sure. but at that point he was no longer a militant. he was no longer in the nation of islam. you had transition that she had transition to -- he had transition to a more mainstream sunni version of islam. later he would convert to sufism. ali was never aggressive about promoting islam. what he would often say is if god made us with all th

i it wasn't until losing hisas last fight in n'1981 that ali admitted parkinson's syndrome was the realnemy forcing himnr to take off the gloves for good. >> coming up, we are talking tkg to two maryland boxing m programs who run a program for r people with parkinson's.ar how they're getting patientsat in the ring fighting the disease one punch at a time.e >>> back here at home police needon your help identifyingifyi three men they're calling c persons of inter on a sexualex battery that happened ontterthap metro. the victim says she wasshe approached by these three mensee 9:30 on thursday night on a a yellow line train. tra it was traveling northbound nth from hunting ton. as the train approached braddock road station the woman says the men asked herdo to perform a sexual act. when she refused syshe says thes men assaulted her.ed if you recognize these men, please call police. pol >>> and fox5 is in princen george's county.geor's c more fallout stemming from thefm arrest of a school teacher accused ofccused having a sexual relationshipatns with a female student.de. police arrested vinc

. >> some patients diagnosed with parkinson's disease are looking to muhammed ali for inspiration andhting back against the disease. how hitting the bocking ring helps their symptoms. >> how the price of your tickets will soon affect your frequent flyer miles. what changes american airlines is making to its program. >> tropical storm cole lip moved off the east coast after dumping heavy rains from florida to the carolinas. tropical storm warnings have been dropped for most of the southeast coast but before moving away, colin did dumb app lot of rain that caused flooding and packed winds that toppled trees in places like jackso jacksonville, florida. >> very lucky it didn't hit our house. that would have torn the d a.m. n roof right ow off i think. >> weather survey team is working to determine if tornado touched down near that area. the good news no serious injuries from the storm have been reported. >>> in salt lake city, zoo staff tranquilize a leopard that he had escaped from enclosure. visitor has to shelter in place at the zoo as zookeepers searched for four-year-old i. a the rar

his three decade long battle against parkinson's. >> before i was diagnosed with parkinson's, i admiredeticism, his poise, his class, his style. >> as we look back on our favorite moments with the champ here on "today." >> you always class up the joint. >> reporter: plus, how a mammogram can help reveal your risk for breast cancer and heart disease. what every woman needs to know. >>> matt damon goes back to school. >> let's be honest, this is an honor i didn't really earn. >> the best of the oscar-winner's hilarious commencement speech. today, monday, june 6th, 2016. >>> celebrating from minnesota. >> 60-year-olds from north dakota. >> celebrating our third-year anniversary from florida. >> 24 years and finally a honeymoon! ♪ go crazy, crazy >>> we're back now. 8:00 on a monday morning. 6th day of june, 2016. look what's going on. we have a huge crowd out on the plaza. really good. beautiful day here in new york city. we welcome them all. >> big and boisterous, i might add. >> a little loud. we like that. we've got a lot to get to on this monday morning. let's start with some headlines

>>> muhammad ali's longest bout was with parkinson's disease. tonight, so many asking, is there a connection between a career in the boxing ring and his illness. here's jim avila. >> reporter: this is the last video of muhammad ali in public at a charity event in april. 30 years of parkinson's, a disease that damages the brain's ability to communicate with the body, inflicting tremendous havoc on the champ and causing his public to wonder if there is a link between the hits he absorbed in the ring and the disease that led to his death. >> i think it's quite clear that beatings in the ring will make your brain quite damaged in terms of the inflammation, and then over time, it's quite likely you get a disease like parkinson's. >> reporter: when i first met ali in the mid-1980s in chicago, he was in his 40s and just been diagnosed. just his right arm trembled. three decades later, he couldn't walk or talk. when ali was young, he was almost unhittable, but his later fights were brutal. frazier nearly killed him. norton broke his jaw with one punch,