Muhammad Ali Quotes: Pt 2 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jimmy Ellis

This fight was a strange one for Ali as Ellis was one of the few boxers that he knew from his own stable (26th July 1971). Ellis lived in the shadow of Ali as both were from Louisville and both had sparred thousands of hours together, if anyone knew how Ali boxed it was Ellis. What made it even stranger was that Angelo Dundee was in the Ellis corner and not Ali's. Priot to the match the Supreme Court quashed his five year prison sentence and overturned the draft conviction, and at last Ali felt he was free. Ellis came out strong, but Ali was in no danger at any stage and in the fourth gave a right jab that shook Ellis.

The rest of the fight was like a sparring contest for Ali, who ended it in the twelfth. Both embraced, Ali showed a sign of care for one of his rivals.

Answer: Jerry Quarry

The first fight between the two had ended with Quarry gaining a cut in what was the Ali comeback fight. Quarry stood little chance as Ali was feeling mean and mocked his rival "Your punches don't hurt me and I have no respect for you". Quarry huffed and puffed but Ali was in no mood to lessen his grip on this fight and by the fifth he was in full Louisville Lip mode with "this is an easy way to make a livin'" The fight ended in round seven. Chuvalo's second bout saw Ali win on a point's decision after twelve rounds (1st May 1972). Patterson fought Ali for the second time and like the first fight was beaten this time in the seventh (20th Sep 1972). Lewis fought Ali once and was knocked out in the eleventh (19th July 1972).

Answer: Ken Norton

Norton had been paid just $300 in his previous fight and no one saw his talents coming until this famous night in San Diego (31st March 1973). Round two saw Norton, trained by Eddie Futch (the man who engineered the Frazier victory over Ali), throw a right hand jab that broke Ali's jaw. Angelo Dundee wanted the fight stopped immediately and asked Ali to stop the fight, "No I can beat this sucker, he won't touch my jaw". Dundee was impressed with Ali's courage but Norton held firm and won the fight on a narrow points decision, to inflict Ali's second pro fight defeat.

Answer: Ken Norton

Ali's words got better, "Is he still the faster and most beautiful man in the world? or is he growing old or slow? I took a nobody and created a monster. Now I have to punish him bad..." Ali prepared for this fight with great care; he was in the best shape of his life.

He wanted to show the world that his best was still to come. The opening rounds saw Ali pick Norton off at will and he held a big point's lead, but Norton was no quitter and by the last round of twelve the cards were level. Ali won on points which Norton felt was an injustice, but he never questioned Ali's greatness, "Ali was a man who knew the ins and outs of boxing totally, he could psyche you out mentally, he could psyche you out physically, and while you were doing certain things, he was master of boxing and he would counter that".

Answer: Joe Frazier

George Foreman was the king of the ring after he destroyed Frazier who in turn had beaten Ali. Many thought that Ali would win this at a canter. Frazier had suffered significantly in his first fight with Ali, and had spent three weeks in hospital due to kidney damage; he also had problems with his right eye. Frazier made a pre fight comment about how he put Ali in hospital, Ali responded, "Why d'you say that Joe? Everybody knows I went to hospital for ten minutes; you were there for three weeks. You ignorant." Joe Frazier then "lost it" and, after he tore his ear piece out, he grappled with Ali on the floor. Ali dominated the fight, however, and no matter how Frazier tried, Ali's superior technique had overcome his rage.

The older man won with ease in twelve.

Answer: George Foreman

Foreman was champ, he was unbeatable, but Ali was waiting to outsmart him, and outsmart him he did. Seven years after his last title fight Ali was ready and the 'rumble in the jungle' was born. Foreman had won his previous eight fights inside six minutes, which included the beatings of Frazier and Norton.

The fight was fought in the African country of Zaire and the purse was a huge $10 million split between the two fighters. The original date of the fight was cancelled due to an injury in training to Foreman, the cut above his eye made the fight take place five weeks later.

The weather was hot, the ropes were slack, Dundee had them tightened, no one was really aware of the significance of the ropes being fixed but it would be one of Dundee's finest calls. Prior to the fight Ali came out with the line "What's the matter? Ain't nothin' more than another day in the dramatic life of Muhammad Ali" and he walked to the ring confident.

The opening round saw Ali throw a solid array of right jabs which surprised Foreman, then Ali threw in his famous tactic, he took to the ropes, dodged and ducked all that was thrown at him by the champ. Foreman was lost as to what to do, Ali was taking his shots, nothing seemed to work, and Foreman became more and more aware that his juice was running low. Ali continued to repeat his 'rope-a-dope' tactic and throw in lines like "Is that all you got, George? You disappoint me. My grandma punches harder than you do...You supposed to be bad..." The rounds ticked by, Foreman was sucking the hot air in, Ali mocked him, and in the sixth round Foreman knew he was being out classed.

The seventh round saw Ali take more blows, but now he was throwing his own, and in the eighth Ali took his chance -- he landed two solid straights and a wicked left hook then a perfect right, Foreman was down, the count reached ten, and referee Jack Clayton ended the bout. Ali has won again, a fantastic win and one that would go down in the annuals of sporting history.

Answer: Joe Frazier

The 'Thrilla in Manilla' was for many the greatest fight ever. Both Ali and Frazier had beaten each other and the champ did not want to lose again. The build up followed a now familiar pattern, Ali jotted out his famous poem "It will be a killer and a chiller and a thrilla when I get the gorilla in Manilla". Frazier bit back "Look at my beautiful kids. How can I be a gorilla? I want to hurt him, I don't want to knock him out, I want to take his heart out" The fight showed greatness from the start, Ali showed all his class, Frazier all his guts and determination, it became intense, ferocious and a real slug fest.

The chat continued as Ali took a shot to the jaw "They told me Joe Frazier was washed up." "They lied, Champ they lied!" Frazier replied. Ali was getting hit big by Frazier and the punches were smashing themselves into Ali's body, but he would not go down, Frazier was relentless yet the champ kept going.

The thirteenth round was bad for Joe, the fourteenth was worse, one of the hardest rounds of boxing ever contested, Ali threw punch after punch after punch into the face of Frazier which just swelled to an awful swelling. Both men were totally wrecked, Frazier sat down, his trainer Eddie Futch stopped Frazier from leaving his stool "sit down, son, its over.

But no one will ever forget what you did here today". The war of words ended, both men were in terrible pain and Ali said "He bought the best out of me and the best fight we fought was in Manilla. That fight, I could feel something happening to me, something different from what I felt in fights before....So I'm sorry Joe Frazier is mad at me. I'm sorry I hurt him. Joe Frazier is a good man. And if God ever calls me to a holy war, I want Joe Frazier fighting beside me."

Answer: Jean-Pierre Coopman

After the epic of the previous fight, it was back to earth with a bump and a fight that Ali thought was ridiculous (20th Feb 1976). Coopman celebrated before the fight by drinking champagne, and in the pre match conference the Belgian tried to kiss the champ due to his happiness of fighting Ali. And this came to light when the fight began, Ali went into his usual clinch to test the strength of his opponent, he came out laughing.

He leaned over the ropes and said to one of the TV broadcasters "You guys are in trouble, ain't no way you're gonna get all your commercials in". Ali kept the fight going till the fifth before ending the bout with the happiest loser ever seen.

Answer: Larry Holmes

Ali had fought twice against Leon Spinks losing in fifteen (15th Feb 1978) and then regaining his title also in fifteen (15th Aug 1978). The career of the great one was coming to an end and over two years passed before the fight with the hard hitting Holmes (2nd Oct 1980). Ali knew it was a fight too far and many though it was a big error.

The on set of his Parkinson's problem was beginning, he should never have been given a license to fight, his speech had already begun to deteriorate and he was suffering with some motor function. Holmes took no pleasure beating Ali. Dundee threw the towel in at the end of round eleven, the greatest was no more, he had guts, that was apparent, but his class was no longer there in the ring.

Answer: Trevor Berbick

Berbick had just lost a fight to Holmes and both men were in no shape to put on a spectacle. Don King who held the rights to Berbick was negotiating terms with the James Cornelius a member of the Nation of Islam. King got out of his depth and was beaten up.

The real fight took place on 11th Dec 1981; the only good thing was that Berbick lacked the skill to give Ali a savage beating. In these sad circumstances, a career that had brought such drama and joy to the world came to a close.