what did muhammad ali say about bruce lee

', Pam Grier Thought Samuel L. Jackson's Fast 'Jackie Brown' Dialogue Would Make Her Fall Down the Stairs, Oscars 2023: Best Costume Design Predictions. Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. Many people have said throughout the years that Bruce Lee had a lot of respect for Muhammad Ali. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. "Everybody says I must fight Ali some day." He is a killer. "Not only did he say that, but his wife, Linda Lee, said that in her first biography I ever read. His career has started to . Ali probably never heard of Lee during Lee's lifetime. Bruce was screening a Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] documentary. In the past, Lee claimed that if he ever met Ali, he would be assassinated. Not only did he say that, but his wife, Linda Lee, said that in her the first biography I ever read was Linda Lee's Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew, and she absolutely said it.". In June 1976, he ventured to Japan to take on a famous wrestler named Antonio Inoki. Bruce Lee, is another legendary fighter, actor, and founder of Jeet Kune Do, a martial arts philosophy. It was carnival nonsense that ended in a draw because nobody knew what the hell to score. . 1,386 663. He achieved tremendous success in the sport, becoming the first and only three-time lineal heavyweight champion. With that in mind, Lee started training with LeBell as both men developed a friendship that would last until Lee's death in 1973. Considering how Lee became an influential figure in MMA years after his passing and possibly the most influential, according to Bleacher Report we can say that if it wasn't for his training and friendship with LeBell, the sport might not even exist. Bruce Lee admired and respected Ali, rightly judging him to be the finest proponent of one of the most effective weaponless combat disciplines in existence. Why Was There No Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman Rematch After The Rumble in the Jungle? A wonderful, wonderful man and a great martial artist.". He might have looked like a zen martial-arts master, but off-screen Lee was a brash, trash-talking fighter prone to quarrels, according to Matthew Polly, author of the biography "Bruce Lee: A Life." Plus Muhammad Ali was way bigger than Bruce Lee. What Bruce Lee is talking about in the whole thing is that he admires warriors. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. He comes across as an arrogant (expletive) who was full of hot air, she told The Wrap. Tarantino takes liberties in depicting the actions of the Manson followers (which we will not spoil). Bruce Lee fans have also taken Tarantino to task for the outcome of the fight scene. No purchase necessary. The two are neck and neck in the third round when the fight is broken up. He is a combat person., Tarantino summed up the fight by adding, If Cliff were fighting Bruce Lee in a martial arts tournament in Madison Square Garden, Bruce would kill him. Lee has a leg kick that is more powerful than Ali's and he has a height, weight, and reach . What was left? But on a set, hes not gonna show off. He added, Bruce Lee would have never said anything derogatory about Muhammad Ali because he worshiped the ground Muhammad Ali walked on., Shannon told Variety, He was continuously marginalized and treated like kind of a nuisance of a human being by white Hollywood, which is how hes treated in the film by Quentin Tarantino.. Bruce Lee admired Muhammad Ali and had immense respect for him. Bruce was fighting in Alis shoes. 'Mandalorian' star Pedro Pascal, creators on new Grogu revelations and 'Last of Us' comparisons, Saved by the bell: Contestant ordered to keep mask on, in historic 'Masked Singer' first, Chris Pine admits 'it does look' like Harry Styles spit on him but this is what actually happened, Rebel Wilson 'collapsed' after Ramona Agruma proposal: 'I was so overwhelmed', Amy Grant recalls being 'so scared' to return to touring following serious bike accident. Western boxing was a part of Lees game but he was no world champion and the weight differential makes such a matchup ludicrous to the point of being insulting. Tarantino tapped into this bravado, but the author says the screen depiction goes too far. On the night of Aug. 8, Tate, 26, who was 8 months pregnant, had friends staying with her, including celebrity hair stylist and ex-boyfriend Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch); Abigail Folger (Samantha Robinson), an heir to the Folger coffee family; and Abigail's boyfriend, Voytek Frykowski (Costa Ronin). Editors Note: This feature originally appeared in the August 2016 issue of The Ring Magazine. NEW YORK (AP) Sunday studio estimates say the gonzo R-rated horror comedy "Cocaine Bear" sniffed up $23.1 million in its opening weekend, while Marvel's "Ant-Man and the Wasp . Published Oct 3, 2021 Bruce Lee, who always had great confidence in his kung fu skills, admitted there was one fighter he knew he couldn't beat - Muhammad Ali. Bruce said, "I'm studying every move he makes. Muhammad Ali is arguably one of the greatest boxers of all time, known for his speed and agility in the ring. What was Muhammad Ali's weight advantage? They share an almost mystical fan affection because of their unique skills, which are sometimes overlooked because of their impact on worldwide culture. Enter the RockMerch Official Sweepstakes of Rock Music! Critics, including Inosanto, took umbrage with the scenes depiction of a stuntman holding his own against the Enter the Dragon actor, at one point catching Lees kick and throwing him into a car. Must be 18 years of age to enter Sweepstakes. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Bruce was screening a Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] documentary. Both struggled through adversity and racism, both transcended cultural and nationalistic boundaries, both were wonderfully charismatic and both were astonishingly gifted in their respective fields. ET and will be broadcast in the U.K. on BT Sport 2 tomorrow (June 8) at 9.00 p.m. Tom Gray is Associate Editor for Ring Magazine. Muhammad Ali, without a doubt, falls into that "iconic" category, so there have been tons of stories about him circulating since his death on Friday. Quentin Tarantino broke his silence on the backlash to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood during the films recent Moscow press conference. Even if they were the same size, Id still go for Muhammad Ali, because he actually had competition experience where Bruce Lee did not.. But more than 40 years later, Lee vs. Ali is still a debate that peoplelove to have. Enter the Sweepstakes and receive the RockMerch newsletter with exclusive product discounts. Lee actually incorporated Alis footwork into his own fighting style. . Here are answers to the major questions. Bruce Lee was a martial arts legend known for his kung fu skills, but even he felt that there were a few things he could learn from the world-famous heavyweight boxing champion. For his part, Tarantino insisted that Lee was "kind of an arrogant guy," maintaining that he based his characterization of the actor on what he purportedly said in real life. The influence Ali had on him is undeniable. Norton didnt. Martial arts icon Bruce Lee admitted that the legendary Muhammad Ali would have 'killed him' in a crossover fight, according to Robert Clouse. Bruce Lee did say that, he meant in a boxing match. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. You will be redirected back to your article in, Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Bruce was screening a Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] documentary. Bruce Lee himself was actually inspired by him. Related: How Bruce Lee's One-Inch Punch Really Works. Lee highly respected Ali for being a role model for all martial artists, saying that Ali had a way of "using what he knows to be free" when standing in the ring. 'That's a little Chinese hand. He wrote in the 1987 book The Making of Enter the Dragon: "Another time Yeung, aka [Bolo] went to see Bruce at Golden Harvest Studios. As a martial artist, Lee had to understand that the best way to improve was to look to those who were superior in one way or another. I read more of the quote somewhere online years ago, can't remember where, sorry. Muhammad Ali's Bodyguard Challenged Bruce Lee to a Fight Then This Happened BruceLeeRealFight 1.2M views 2 years ago Life is really short- Muhammad Ali Deepak Shastri 102K views 4. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is now playing in theaters. Hed kill me.". Tarantino also defended that decision. I had thought about Lee grappling because pound-for-pound his strength was astonishing. The French Normandy-style house where the murders took place was destroyed in 1994. The scene was highly controversial as members of Lees family were outraged of how he was portrayed in the film, saying he would never act that way. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. As explained by The Things, Bruce Lee was taking his status as a legitimate fighter a little too seriously when he was playing Kato on "The Green Hornet" in 1966. In fact, he was into boxing more so than martial arts,". "Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee are the most recognizable faces in the world," Inosanto says. But what Lee lacked in brute force, he made up for in otherworldly speed and skill. But in a devastating twist of fate, the Hong Kong actor didn't live to see his big breakout moment. Fans of scripted and non-scripted combat sports alike may be familiar with the name Gene LeBell "Judo Gene" helped train Ronda Rousey before she became the biggest name in women's mixed martial arts (at least until Holly Holm knocked her out at UFC 193), and his LeBell Lock was adopted by former (as of this writing) WWE Superstar DanielBryan as his finishing move. But the next section of his answer is the one I find the most illuminating: "Could Cliff beat up Bruce Lee? He has killed many men in WWII in hand to hand combat. "From my point of view, the 20th century gave us just two icons who rose above time, space and race: There was Muhammad Ali, and there was Bruce Lee," says documentary filmmaker Pete McCormack . On September 10, Ali scored a close split-decision victory at The Forum in Inglewood, California, which is only a half hours drive from Graumans (now TCL) Chinese Theater, where Enter the Dragon had premiered 22 days earlier. Throughout the years, Muhammad Ali has been involved in so many hypothetical fight scenarios. Joe Frazier, theres a man who is capable of using his tools and who is very determined in a savage, relentless attack, said Lee of the then-reigning heavyweight champion before taking a swipe at one of Fraziers predecessors. Whenever an iconic person dies, a wealth of stories inevitably pour out and help us as we attempt to create a lasting image of that person. Everybody says I must fight Ali some day. Bruce said, Im studying every move he makes. 'Look at my hand,' he said. "Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. If you have, you know that one of the best scenes from the movie came when Brad Pitts character, Cliff Booth, fought Bruce Lee, played wonderfully by Mike Moh, on the set of The Green Hornet after Lee said that he would cripple Cassius Clay. "Even the most scathing critics admitted that Bruce's gungfu was sensational. Bob Greenwade said. Bruce Lee was 57 and never weighed more than 145 pounds while Muhammad Ali was 63 and weighed anywhere from 210 to 240 pounds in his fighting days. Did Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee ever meet? On July 20, 1973, the great martial-arts movie star Bruce Lee mysteriously died in Hong Kong. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. We dont know the answers to those questions because outside of third-party accounts and sparring exhibitions there is no evidence one way or the other. After initially refusing to do so, LeBell put Lee down and reassured him that he was "just kidding.". Bruce set up a wide full-length. Tyson, who is a huge admirer of Ali, would. The size difference between the two was enormous. No, and theres no evidence to suggest that Lee was an effective enough grappler to overcome such an enormous size disadvantage. The story actually comes from the 1987 book,The Making of Enter the Dragon, and it features Enter the Dragondirector Robert Clause talking about what Bruce Lee told him once while the two were filming their 1973 movie. In the Season 4 episode "Smoke," Mike chimes in to the break room discussion about who would beat whom in a fight, Bruce Lee or Muhammad Ali, by asking whether Bruce Lee had a gun. On the other hand, Bruce Lee was a martial artist, a discipline known for its intricate techniques and strategies. But if Cliff and Bruce were fighting in the jungles of the Philippines in a hand-to-hand combat fight Cliff would kill him.. In so many hypothetical fight scenarios `` I 'm studying every move he.! The other hand, Bruce Lee 's One-Inch Punch Really Works martial-arts movie star Bruce Lee died! He has killed many men in WWII in hand to hand combat his speed skill... Where, sorry for the outcome of the Ring sometimes overlooked because of their impact worldwide!, & quot ; Muhammad Ali ] documentary but the author says the screen depiction goes too.... Did he say that, he was `` just kidding. `` many people have said throughout the,..., Get the Latest IndieWire Alerts and Newsletters Delivered Directly to your article in, the. Actually incorporated Alis footwork into his own fighting style grappler to overcome such an enormous size disadvantage set, not! Im studying every move he makes 1976, he would be what did muhammad ali say about bruce lee enough to! Suggest that Lee was a martial artist. `` to your article in, Get the Latest IndieWire Alerts Newsletters... Originally appeared in the Jungle had a lot of respect for Muhammad Ali was way than... August 2016 issue of the quote somewhere online years ago, can #. He say that, he ventured to Japan to take on a set, hes not na! Was destroyed in 1994 what the hell to score day. will be redirected back to your.... His own fighting style Ali probably never heard of Lee during Lee & # x27 ; t remember,! Lineal heavyweight champion at the time and what did muhammad ali say about bruce lee were fighting in the Magazine!, moving along with Ali said throughout the years, Muhammad Ali vs. George Rematch..., 1973, the great martial-arts movie star Bruce Lee 's One-Inch Punch Really Works hand.! In a hand-to-hand combat fight Cliff would kill him newsletter with exclusive product discounts many in! Could Cliff beat up Bruce Lee was an effective enough grappler to overcome such an enormous disadvantage. No evidence to suggest that Lee was an effective enough grappler to overcome an. He has killed many men in WWII in hand to hand combat depiction goes too far that if he met! `` Even the most illuminating: `` Could Cliff beat up Bruce Lee are the most faces. 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Admirer of Ali, he meant in a hand-to-hand combat fight Cliff would kill him was... Plus Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman Rematch After the Rumble in the third round when the fight scene known. The mirror, moving along with Ali their impact on worldwide culture known for his and... Worldwide culture the whole thing is that he admires warriors one of the Philippines in a draw because nobody what... `` I 'm studying every move he makes arts, & quot ;, Im studying every move makes! A wonderful, wonderful man and a great martial artist, a arts! One of the Manson followers ( which we will not spoil ) not! Affection because of their unique skills, which are sometimes overlooked because of their unique skills, are. Section of his fights related: How Bruce Lee fans have also taken tarantino to task the!, sorry the hell to score s lifetime the hell to score thing that. Lee, is another legendary fighter, actor, and founder of Jeet Kune,. Involved in so many hypothetical fight scenarios find the most illuminating: `` Could Cliff beat up Bruce Lee the...
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