[The] cruel disease has trapped him in a speechless cocoon. But dancing eyes, magic tricks and a few bars of a familiar tune on a piano are all signs that there’s still some sting in the bee.

“It’s remarkable,” said Jimmy Walker, a Valley businessman who will join Ali tonight (5 p.m.) for a 10th year in a fund-raiser at the Marriott Desert Ridge Resort. “He’s doing this for the 10th time without ever missing it.”

Nobody disputes that Parkinson’s has taken an inevitable toll on Ali, 64, who is expected to move into a new home in Paradise Valley within a couple of months. But the dire reports that began circulating last October turned out to be exaggerated, like much of the legend surrounding Ali.

“He’s giving it his very best,” said Walker, who has raised about $30 million for Parkinson’s research through the annual event.