Not sure if I'd go along with Ali being cajoled into doing something he didn't really want to do.I don't believe anyone could do that if he felt it was alien to his nature. Yes there are a lot of parasites in sport, you've only got to look at Blatter and his henchmen to realise that.

I think his promo tours were for the benefit and for the encouragement of young boxers, those coming up, and those thinking about it. Here was a man who was devoted to his art, and his illness meant nothing to him in the great scheme of boxing. It was his life, his vocation, and his love, and I think he really enjoyed these tours, and his Parkinson's wasn't going to impinge on that. I'm sure he thought it much better anyway than lying on some sun lounger, being fed grapes and Milk Shakes by some flunky. Not sporty minded in any way, even less so by boxing, but 'Legend' is a word that is bandied about freely these days. But Ali was - IS - a Legend. And as Evo alluded to, I don't think there was anyone on the planet who wasn't aware of who, and what he was.

R.I.P.