what did muhammad ali say about bruce lee

"The reality of the situation is this: Cliff is a Green Beret. 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. Join our newsletter to get info about latest events and deals! Even if they were the same size, Id still go for Muhammad Ali, because he actually had competition experience where Bruce Lee did not. Another time Yeung, aka [Bolo] went to see Bruce at Golden Harvest Studios. Bruce's right hand followed Ali's right hand, Ali's left foot followed Bruce's left foot. Because he was a brilliant and seasoned professional who took hits for a living. His career has started to . Did Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee ever meet? Thats a little Chinese hand. 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." To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders, Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications, .css-n1h13z{color:black;color:#fff;}@media (prefers-color-scheme:dark){.css-n1h13z{color:#fff;}}Published15:16,09 January 2020 GMT.css-qdg7d1{color:#72B97D;}@media (prefers-color-scheme:dark){.css-qdg7d1{color:#72B97D;}}| Last updated23:14,09 January 2020 GMT. Tarantino takes liberties in depicting the actions of the Manson followers (which we will not spoil). Brad would not be able to beat up Bruce Lee, but Cliff maybe could, Tarantino said. "When Bruce Lee kicks, you don't shut your eyes because when you shut your eyes, you can't see Bruce Lee kick," mentioned Chan, who couldn't shut his eyes for some time. Hed kill me.'. THE RING SHOP (CLICK HERE). With his crazy kicks and lightning-fast speed, the man went from TV sidekick to blockbuster star in just a few years. In his 1987 book, The Making of Enter the Dragon, Clouse says that Lee was once screening an Ali documentary at Golden Harvest Studios in Hong Kong and revealed what he thought would happen if the two ever fought. Martial arts icon Bruce Lee admitted that the legendary Muhammad Ali would have 'killed him' in a crossover fight, according to Robert Clouse. Everybody says I must fight Ali some day, Bruce said, Im studying every move he makes. Everything you should know about Sharon Tate, 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' is Tarantino's biggest debut ever. I mean, no finesse.. Lee was referring to Alis dancing legs and the Ali shuffle, which he became known for in the ring. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Montevallo, and is the author of the psychological thriller and time travel novel, "A Man Against the World." Polanski was out of town shooting that summer. Rousey certainly makes a valid point. When both were at the peak of their careers, there was a lot of talk about who would win if Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali ever got into a fight. In 1972, a telephone conversation was recorded by one of his first-generation students, Daniel Lee (no relation). Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. Bruce Lee, is another legendary fighter, actor, and founder of Jeet Kune Do, a martial arts philosophy. The lead jab is a feeler, wrote Lee in a chapter of the book entitled Tools. It is the basis of all other blows, a loose, easy stinger. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. The four friends did dine at the Hollywood landmark El Coyote on the night of the murders before going back to Tate's home. During the chat, Lee can be heard referencing boxers for the first and, as far as this reporter is aware, only time in terms of available audio. And if he could repeat the feat, then Alis career would be in serious jeopardy. "Bruce revered Cassius Clay; he never claimed he could beat the champ," says Polly. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. More: Every Actor Bruce Lee Trained In Hollywood. Tyson made his professional boxing debut in 1985, while Ali fought his last professional fight in 1981. Martial arts icon Bruce Lee admitted that the legendary Muhammad Ali would have 'killed him' in a crossover fight, according to Robert Clouse. Muhammad Ali, one of history's most famous and renowned athletes, was . Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee never met. Far from being insulted or intimidated by Gene LeBell's attempt to put him in his place, Bruce Lee took it as a learning experience. Whatever the outcome, the Battle of Icons wouldve been one hell of an event. Despite his tragic passing, fans have continued to debate how Lee would have held himself against other legends in crossover fights. I read more of the quote somewhere online years ago, can't remember where, sorry. Game of Death co-stars Dan Inosanto and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who were students of Lee, discussed Ali with their master on several occasions and the fluency of his footwork was what always caught Lees eye. He admires combat, and boxing is a closer approximation of combat as a sport. The central story of the film which marks Tarantino's biggest box-office debut, earning $40 million opening weekend is set amid true Hollywood landmarks and involves very real stars, ranging from Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) to Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). The Rowdy One has spoken, but we still have a feeling that this debate will rage on for years to come. All Rights Reserved. An entire cottage industry was created after his death to essentially clone him through impersonation Bruce Le and Bruce Li were the two most prominent imitators in film. "Bruce Lee was often a cocky, strutting braggart, but Tarantino took those traits and exaggerated them to the point of caricature," says Polly, who takes exception with Lee boasting about. He is a combat person. Lee passed away in 1973 at the age of 32 from cerebral edema, which could have been caused by a reaction to prescription painkillers. What would Ali have made of Lee? In a 2015 interview with Maxim, former UFC champ Ronda Rousey said that Lee would be no match for Ali. Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. Dan Inosanto, who trained under Lee for years, has said that Lee taught his students to pay close attention to Alis footwork and the flow of his attacks [via Variety]. Bruce knew he could never win a fight against Ali. One critic wrote: 'Those who watched him would bet on Lee to render Cassius Clay senseless if they were put in a room and told that anything goes." For the record, Lee was 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds, while Ali was 6-foot-3 and more than 200 pounds during their respective heydays. Published Jun 15, 2021. Muhammad Ali would win, because Bruce Lee was an actor and not actually an athlete. This philosophy was arguably the precursor to mixed martial arts. He also used this technique to fake out his opponents. . Despite his reputation, Ali went into the fight as an underdog against Foreman, the then-undefeated champion. "I went and worked out with [Lee] at his school," LeBell was quoted as saying. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Ali was about 6-foot 3-inches tall and, since he was a heavyweight, he weighed well over 200-pounds in his career. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. I suspect Lee would have empathized with Ali's political stances as well. As two of the biggest icons of their time and with both being associated with fighting, one in the ring and one on the big screen, the conversation on who wins a dream fight between Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee was a common one back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a conversation thats still had today. Bruce Lee admired Muhammad Ali and had immense respect for him. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with AliBruce was fighting in Ali's shoes," the book fascinatingly states, before revealing what the martial artist thought might happen if they met in the ring. "The philosophy of Lee is more powerful than the martial arts of Lee," says Little, author of "The Warrior Within: The Philosophies of Bruce Lee." "Everything that Bruce Lee did flowed from his mind and his thinking." And it flowed from his pride in his Chinese heritage as well. And there you have it. 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. The Best Picture Race Got a Lot More Confusing This Week, Tom Cruise Made the Rounds This Week, but Other Oscar Nominees Got More Applause Than Top Gun: Maverick, These Oscar Categories Are the Hardest to Predict, Translating the Unconscious Into Images: The Cinematography of Bardo, Poker Face Takes Viewers on a Cross-Country Road Trip Without Leaving New York, Why TR Looks Different from Every Other Movie of 2022, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Still, I was interested in what Tarantino had to say, and I suspect many of you are, too. Muhammad Ali eats Bruce Lee for breakfast. Bruce was screening a Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] documentary. One of the two doesnt need the other to be great. "'Everybody says I must fight Ali someday.' He admires combat, and boxing is a closer approximation of combat as a sport. 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. Some people thought Lee would be able to dominate Ali in a fight, while others argued Ali would knock Lee out easily. Bruce Lee can't even use most of his kicks, because of how much larger Ali is. At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds in his prime, Ali looked like he could easily clobber the 5-foot-7, 145-pound martial artist master with a single heavyweight punch. "Everything you see there is the real Musso & Frank's," says Schuler. Bruce set up a wide full-length. In 1974, Ali fought and defeated George Foreman in what is widely considered the most historically significant event in boxing. Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. 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. For a man who is not as titanic as Tyson or Ali, he landed punches that clocked 190 km/h. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. YOU GET TO CHOOSE your own prize! That said, the only way Bruce Lee could theoretically beat him is if he embraced more grappling techniques and avoided trading blows. . In 1981, world famous boxer Muhammad Ali once talked a suicidal man off the ledge of a building. With that, the recent passing of Ali and some Ali-Lee chatter on social media in mind, we thought it would be interesting to explore a mythical Battle of Icons.. That logic echoes what I personally believe to be the point of including Lee in this film at all: what stunt coordinator Robert Alonzo described asthe purpose of the scene, which was to "explain to the audience the level at which Cliff was [operating]." The one thing that cannot be ignored in all this is that Lee was not a professional fighter. A number of people vehemently deny that, and if you're one of them, consider the following: Bruces right hand followed Alis right hand, Alis left foot followed Bruces left foot. It also has a soundtrack packed with decade-appropriate big hits and deep cuts, with none of those present-day covers designed to make old music sound hip and modern to younger listeners. Here's an excerpt from that book: Another time Yeung, aka [Bolo] went to see Bruce at Golden Harvest Studios. "Bruce Lee was my friend and teacher," he explained. Bruce Lee's exact age would be 81 years 5 months 15 days old if alive. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. The weight and height advantage is massive. Must be 18 years of age to enter Sweepstakes. What was Muhammad Ali's weight advantage? If I say Cliff can beat Bruce Lee up, hes a fictional character so he could beat Bruce Lee up. Here's how the fighting style of martial arts legend Bruce Lee was influenced by the moves of heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. Lee was a smaller man, as he was about 5-foot 7-inches tall and about 140-pounds. . The heavyweight champ had trained briefly in Tae Kwon Do under the watchful eye of one of Bruce Lees closest friends, Grand Master Jhoon Rhee, and claimed to have developed the Accu-Punch. He neednt have bothered. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is now playing in theaters. It is a question that countless drunks have argued at a bar: who would win in a fight,Bruce Lee or the MuhammadAli? Lines have already been drawn in the sand, and assuming you've seen the film and have thought about that moment after you left the theater, you've probably already crystallized your feelings on it. Like Ali, Lee was electric when he got up on his toes and his grace was something to behold. Everybody says I must fight Ali some day. Bruce said, Im studying every move he makes. Not only did he say that, but his wife, Linda Lee, said that in her first biography I ever read. Bruce challenges Cliff to a three round fight, easily winning the first round by kicking Cliff to the floor within seconds. In these 1967 bouts, the now-famous Lee uses the techniques of Jeet . His favorite actors are Tyrone Power and Eleanor Parker. He was born there on November 27, 1940, making him a dual Hong Kong and United States citizen by birth. 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. Given the apparent differences between the Bruce Lee vs. Cliff Booth fight scene in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" and how Lee had a much more positive real-life relationship with Gene LeBell, it's not surprising that Lee's friends and family were very critical of how Quentin Tarantino wrote his character. 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If i want to learn how to punch jabs, uppercuts, cross, etc., i would ask Ali to teach me that. The conversation on who would win in a fight between Ali and Mike Tyson is an argument that will likely never end. Tarantino also defended that decision. Why? Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. There just happens to be a difference between those types of encounters and a showdown against a combat athlete. To credit this as a mixed martial arts event, as some do, is overpraise. Had Lee lived, it is almost certain that the pair would have crossed paths, but his untimely demise meant that their acquaintanceship, much like this fan-fueled superfight, would be confined to fantasy. . It's the same question. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Tarantino featured the 100-year-old Musso & Frank Grill and other famed Hollywood Boulevard locations in the film. 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). "I was very lucky to . One of the most famous fighters of this generation once gave her thoughts on the matter of Bruce Lee vs. Muhammad Ali. Bruce Lee first introduced nunchucks in the films in Fist of Fury and again in The Way of the Dragon before Inosanto was cast in Lee's unfinished film Game of Death, where the pair go at each . Many people have said throughout the years that Bruce Lee had a lot of respect for Muhammad Ali. There's been a lot of discussion about that character's portrayal in the film, and at a recent press conference in Moscow, Tarantino himself weighed in on the Bruce Lee controversy but he may have just dug himself a slightly deeper hole. Cliff is not part of the sport. Bruce was screening a Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) documentary. Ali could do things that Lee couldnt, and vica verca. 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. Meanwhile, another one of Lee's proteges, Dan Inosanto, told Variety that his late mentor "would have never said anything derogatory" about Muhammad Ali, considering how he was a huge fan of the boxing icon. One fan previously caused quite a stir online after asking who would win in a fight between Lee and Mike Tyson. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. Ali probably never heard of Lee during Lee's lifetime. After initially refusing to do so, LeBell put Lee down and reassured him that he was "just kidding.". Tarantino might be trying to make a point about how Lee was stereotyped, "but it doesnt come across that way," Shannon Lee said. The Bruce Lee conversation surrounding this movie has become somewhat fraught: the scene is a vortex of discussions about Asian representation on screen, whether a cinematic icon has been given the proper amount of respect, and why Tarantino chose to use Lee in the first place, just to name a few. When it came to kung fu, Lee taught against sticking to traditional stances and forms and wholeheartedly believed that martial artists should be willing to adapt and learn from other sources. "If people are saying, 'Well he never said he could beat up Muhammad Ali,' well yeah, he did,"the director continued, via Deadline. Everybody says I must fight Ali some day. Bruce said, Im studying every move he makes. June 3, 2016, 9:38 PM. The fightingskillofBruce Leeis iconic in its own right, but it was actually inspired by Muhammad Ali. Im getting to know how he thinks and moves. Bruce knew he could never win a fight against Ali. George Dillman, who trained with both the People's Champion and Bruce Lee, revealed the two icons then went antique shopping after the King of Rock and Roll sobered up. Not only did he say that but his wife, Linda Lee, said that in her first biography I ever read. Bruce Lee on the left and prime Mike Tyson on the far right, red line marks Goku's height. 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. He was also the first to do some things on film." Chan lamented how Lee's superstardom led to his early death as he "was under so much pressure to be a superhero." 9:07. On the other hand, Bruce Lee was a martial artist, a discipline known for its intricate techniques and strategies. In 1972, Lee appeared on the Dick Cavett Show alongside Ali and gave glowing praise of his martial arts ability. "Bruce Lee was mainly Wing Chun, combined with Muhammad Ali-style boxing," Chan said. After midnight, four members of the Manson family Tex Watson, Linda Kasabian, Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel parked at the dark bottom of the street (Tarantino filmed some street scenes on Cielo Drive) and walked up the hill. Bruce Lee fans have also taken Tarantino to task for the outcome of the fight scene. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Thats a little Chinese hand. 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. Bruce set up a wide full-length. In December 1939, his parents went to Chinatown, San Francisco in California for an international opera tour. Ali changed what he called his "slave name" to his new Muslim name in 1964. I was reading the Tyson vs Lee thread and I thought he'd have a chance here. By ABC NEWS. 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. Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. 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A cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) had claimed the life of this extraordinarily gifted 32-year-old, who would achieve posthumous superstardom when his seminal movie Enter the Dragon was released in U. S. theaters the following month. They share an almost mystical fan affection because of their unique skills, which are sometimes overlooked because of their impact on worldwide culture. Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, Austin Butler Reveals Why Quentin Tarantino Does Multiple Takes: 'We Love Making Movies! But what Lee lacked in brute force, he made up for in otherworldly speed and skill. Lee's daughter, Shannon, objected to her father's portrayal. A cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) had claimed the life of this extraordinarily gifted 32-year-old, who would achieve posthumous superstardom when his seminal movie Enter the Dragon was released in U. S. theaters the following month. And the UFC, meanwhile, might still be a barely-regulated promotion with fighters specializing in only one style, as opposed to the mixed martial arts (emphasis on mixed) juggernaut it is today. Bruce Lee, the GOAT of martial arts, has no ties to Florida. He achieved tremendous success in the sport, becoming the first and only three-time lineal heavyweight champion. One can understand where Lee was coming from but while Sullivan didnt impress him, the likes of Muhammad Ali and Jersey Joe Walcott most certainly did. But in a devastating twist of fate, the Hong Kong actor didn't live to see his big breakout moment. So just what is real in "Hollywood"? Hed kill me. Plus Muhammad Ali was way bigger than Bruce Lee. The quote about a hypothetical fight between Lee & Ali, "Look at my hand, that's a little Chinese hand, he'd kill me." Did Bruce Lee really say this? His name is Matthew Polly, and he's cool, and we spoke to him in June.

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