Muhammad Ali Quotes: Pt 1 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Tunney Hunsaker

This was the first pro fight for Clay and it took place at the Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky (Clay's home town) on 29th October 1960. The fight lasted six rounds and Clay won it on an easy points decision.

Answer: Donnie Fleeman

Prior to this fight, Clay took to sparring with the big Swedish fighter Ingemar Johansson. There are conflicting stories on how Clay humilated the world champion during a sparring contest. Johansson was in the Fifth Street Gym where Clay was training, Clay shouted across, "I'll go dancing, with Johansson".

The pair took to the ring and Clay jabbed Johansson so many times that the Swede lost his cool, threw a punch, missed, and had Clay mocking him with the line "You shouldn't be fighting Patterson (the world title bout was Johansson vs. Floyd Patterson), I should."

Answer: Willi Besmanoff

Clay had little respect for Besmanoff telling a reporter that, "I'm embarrassed to get in the ring with this un-rated duck. I'm ready for top contenders like Patterson and Liston, Besmanoff must fall in seven".

Answer: Archie Moore

Archie Moore didn't really want this fight. For him, as the faded former champ, it was a final big pay day; for Clay it was the first real big hitting name on his CV and one he wanted to destroy. The Louisville Lip was well in his element prior to this fight and indeed predicted "Moore to fall in four". The old timer did take offence and came up with the line stated in the question.

Answer: Henry Cooper

The fight with Cooper was the first one of Clay's career to see him put down on the canvas. The fight was to spark life and controversy when the London born fighter hit Clay with 'Enery's Ammer'. Clay was knocked so hard that Dundee could see his protege had been hurt. The bell came to Clay's rescue and what followed some say was one of the worst acts of sportsmanship to have ever been seen in the ring.

To buy some time for Clay, Dundee asked to change the glove that so happened to have a small tear in it, this was allowed and it gave Clay the extra minute to get his thoughts together. Clay came out in the fifth and set about making Cooper's face look a total mess, the Londoner could not hold on and hit the floor to lose by knockout.

Answer: Sonny Liston

Liston was a hard, mean fighter and nobody outside the Clay ranks gave Cassius a hope of beating or even leaving the ring alive. Clay, however, had other ideas and he predicted "He will go down in eight, to prove I am great". He wanted to know everything about Liston prior to the fight; he was in the Chicago crowd to watch Liston destroy Patterson, he read about the hardships and the prison life Liston had endured.

He knew that for sheer strength Liston was more than his match, so Clay needed another weapon, the weapon of psychological warfare. He set about taunting Liston; he nicknamed him the "Big Ugly Bear". In Las Vegas Liston was losing at craps, Clay mocked him: "Look the big ugly bear can't even shoot craps, he can't do nothin right".

Answer: Floyd Patterson

Ali was incensed when he heard Patterson say "I will win it back for America" in reference to Ali being a Muslim. Ali was not taking this fight lightly; Patterson had found some form and was summoned to see Frank Sinatra who allegedly backed Patterson stating that many people in America were behind him, hoping he would win back the title. Ali was not happy and for the first time in his career he was cruel, he was non plussed; he wanted to beat Patterson and beat him well.

He danced around Patterson, hitting him from all angles, taunting him with "Uncle Tom", "No contest! Get me a contender!" The referee was getting annoyed with the chat, Angelo Dundee was telling Ali to finish it, Muhammad took his time, he chose when he wanted to end the fight, he had it at the fifth, and then the sixth, he toyed with Patterson, and waited and waited until the twelfth ... and only then the referee stopped the fight.

Answer: Zora Folley

This was to be the last fight Ali would have for three long years. He had beaten all challengers, he had not even reached his peak, but now he was to lose his first fight, outside the ring. Ali was ordered to appear in Louisville on 11th April 1967 for induction to the US Army. Vietnam was calling and Ali had refused to enter any notion of fighting in a war he felt was unjust.

He became a conscientious objector, and prior to his fight against Folley he lost his appeal. The fight was one of Ali's finest according to Dundee, he fought with real class, "The greatest fight he ever looked was against Folley". What Ali may have achieved in those lost three years will never be known, but to Ali some things were far more important than boxing.

Answer: Jerry Quarry

Ali was back in the ring after his long exile from the sport (it was 26th October 1970). For him, he was not just fighting Quarry, he was fighting for his freedom, for the right to prove that he was correct in his mind and that his convictions were true. Quarry was the first fighter that was younger than Ali, he was hungry, he was good and many thought it was too tough a fight for the deposed champion.

The opening round showed that Ali was back at home, back in the office and looking mean, but Quarry showed he was no mug with some exceptional punches that landed upon Ali.

However, this would only make the man of the moment more determined and in the third it was over.

Answer: Joe Frazier

Frazier was the champ (undefeated), and he was meaning to remain champ. Ali was the former champ (also undefeated). Ali knew that this was going to be a fight that would rock the world and he knew that beating Frazier would take every single piece of skill and class plus guts that he could muster. Madison Square Garden, New York, witnessed a classic, the first leg of what would be three immense match ups between these two different fighters.