June 3, 2016, 9:38 PM. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. At the young age of 22, Ali became the heavyweight boxing champion of the world after defeating Sonny Liston in 1964. 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." Muhammad Ali would win, because Bruce Lee was an actor and not actually an athlete. . . Muhammed Ali passed away this evening: Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Did he have a good engine in a fight? 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. One has to wonder if this will come up when the new Bruce Lee documentary airs on ESPN on June 7. Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. Bruce's right hand followed Ali's right hand, Ali's left foot followed Bruce's left foot. 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 not someone who had to fight triple as hard as any of those people did to accomplish what was naturally given to so many others.. "I taught him judo and wrestling and stuff like that and some finishing holds which he later worked into some movies, and he showed me most of the kicks and striking which even today I use in the movies. Bruce knew he could never win a fight against Ali. Lee stood at 1.7 meters and weighed 61 kg. In his long career, Ali defended his title from an impressive number of 21 experienced challengers, many of which being some of the best fighters in the sport at the time. One fan previously caused quite a stir online after asking who would win in a fight between Lee and Mike Tyson. Bruce Lee admired Muhammad Ali and had immense respect for him. Muhammad Ali, one of history's most famous and renowned athletes, was . The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Could Cliff beat up Bruce Lee? "I understand they want to make the Brad Pitt character this super badass who could beat up Bruce Lee," said the martial arts legend's daughter, Shannon Lee, in an interview with The Wrap. "Muhammad Ali Unfiltered: Rare, Iconic, and Officially Authorized Photos of the Greatest", p.118, Simon and Schuster 180 Copy quote 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood': Everything you should know about Sharon Tate, Box-office winner: 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' is Tarantino's biggest debut ever. It is a whip rather than a club. Tate then introduced Lee to her husband, director Roman Polanski, who trained with him as well. When Bruce Lee was younger, he predicted Muhammad Ali would kill him. Polanski was out of town shooting that summer. So yeah, Lee was probably right. Things change dramatically in a mixed martial arts bout. Norton didnt. I'm getting to know how he thinks and moves." Unlike the Inoki affair, we can choose our rules. "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 beating boxing champ Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) in a fight. 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. If you havent seen Quentin Tarantinos OnceUponaTimeinHollywood yet, go ahead and skip to the next section. Plus Muhammad Ali was way bigger than Bruce Lee. "It was all in the way he moved - the way he moved made him famous. (The Pussycat was torn down in 2000, but the marquee was rebuilt for the film.). Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Ali's image from the screen. After initially refusing to do so, LeBell put Lee down and reassured him that he was "just kidding.". Total 29,751 days. Is what he admires are warriors. Theres no actual winner of the fight, although many found it distasteful that Tarantino could diminish Bruce Lees fighting skills by having him thrown into a car by Cliff. 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. Bruce Lee can't even use most of his kicks, because of how much larger Ali is. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is now playing in theaters. I heard him say things like that to that effect. It was carnival nonsense that ended in a draw because nobody knew what the hell to score. "The reality of the situation is this: Cliff is a Green Beret. Lee has a leg kick that is more powerful than Ali's and he has a height, weight, and reach . A sidekick to the knee is longer than any punch you care to mention and a boxer has no way of defending against it. Ali, who famously had a crossover fight with Antonio Inoki in 1976, suffered a long battle with Parkinson's disease before he passed away in 2016 at the age of 74. The French Normandy-style house where the murders took place was destroyed in 1994. Bruce said, "I'm studying every move he makes. Bruce Lee, the GOAT of martial arts, has no ties to Florida. Lee was a boxing fan. Profile. Tarantino tapped into this bravado, but the author says the screen depiction goes too far. He probably wouldn't have stood a chance. Muhammad Ali (2016). He is accepted by many as the greatest martial artist of all time, though mainly for his influence in bringing awareness to the style of martial arts through his dramatized movies and acting career. Many people close to Lee have raised concerns about the portrayal in this film. Lee was referring to Alis dancing legs and the Ali shuffle, which he became known for in the ring. 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. All rights reserved. One punch from Ali could potentially break his neck and no rational person would claim otherwise. The KO technique Muhammad Ali learned from a taekwondo master, who learned it from Bruce Lee Muhammad Ali's head coach for the bout in which he earned his last KO was The Father of American Taekwondo, Jhoon Rhee, who taught him a punch he learned from Bruce Lee. Besides, Ronda Rouseytold Maximlast year that Ali would absolutely crush Lee in a street fight. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Bruces right hand followed Alis right hand, Alis left foot followed Bruces left foot. All Rights Reserved. Chris said of Will: "He played Muhammad Ali! Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee never met. Then you've got the crux of the film an alternate-history reimagining of what would have happened if someone was able to stop Charles Manson and his Family from murdering actress Sharon Tate and several others on August 9, 1969. 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.. Ali has the height, weight, and reach advantage over Lee, but Lee has an ace up his sleeve. In the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bruce Lee predicted that he would beat Muhammad Ali. 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. The two became friends and frequently discussed the martial arts, and Rhee wound up teaching a few taekwondo kicks to Bruce Lee. Lee studied his fights intensely with the intention of getting to know how he thinks and moves. I saw it in Thailand. 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. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. It's the same question. Naturally, were talking about Bruce Lee. Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Alis image from the screen. With the show's stuntmen complaining that Lee's punches and kicks were too realistic (read: painful) for comfort, stunt coordinator Bennie Dobbins had a plan to teach the future "Enter the Dragon" star a lesson he was going to hire a stuntman who also happened to know a thing or two about martial arts. 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. Again, I'm not sure this is going to change anyone's mind about the scene at this point, but I encourage you to read our own Hoai-Tran Bui's thoughts about it, and listen to the /Film Daily spoiler conversation about the film for more on our complicated feelings about this scene. But despite how things came off in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the man born Lee Jun-fan didn't think he stood a chance against the man formerly known as Cassius Clay. Ali probably never heard of Lee during Lee's lifetime. A clip of the training is shown in the film. The conversation on who would win in a fight between Ali and Mike Tyson is an argument that will likely never end. Bruce was screening a Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] documentary. 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.". I read more of the quote somewhere online years ago, can't remember where, sorry. The world is mentally preparing for Ali's funeral in Louisville, Ky. on Friday, but before it takes place, there are going to be a lot of great Ali stories that are told. Everybody says I must fight Ali some day, Bruce said, Im studying every move he makes. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Ali's image from the screen. I heard him say things like that, to that effect. Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Ali's image from the screen. As a martial artist, Lee is the closest thing to perfection that Ive ever seen and I doubt that will change in my lifetime. He is a killer. "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. Lee passed away in 1973 at the age of 32. Did he cut easy? 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. The reality of the situation is this: Cliff is a Green Beret. The movie's location manager, Rick Schuler, found another site about five miles away which had also been used as a set for Westerns. After watching a lot of Alis fights, Bruce Lee actually admitted that he would lose to Ali if they ever came to blows [via Complex]. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Here's why, By Bruce Lee 's own admission, Muhammad Ali is one fighter that he thought he could never beat in a fight. For a man who is not as titanic as Tyson or Ali, he landed punches that clocked 190 km/h. Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. If Lee can use legs, then he has the power, skill and quickness to hurt Ali badly. I was reading the Tyson vs Lee thread and I thought he'd have a chance here. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Many people have said throughout the years that Bruce Lee had a lot of respect for Muhammad Ali. The Rowdy One has spoken, but we still have a feeling that this debate will rage on for years to come. His conclusion? If you ask me the question, 'Who would win in a fight: Bruce Lee or Dracula?' Even if they were the same size, Id still go for Muhammad Ali, because he actually had competition experience where Bruce Lee did not. Hed kill me.". There's a glimpse of the marquee from former adult film venue The Pussycat Theater, across from Musso & Frank's. Inosanto pointed to a line in Tarantinos script where Bruce Lee makes a dig at Muhammad Ali and said Lee would have never said anything derogatory about Muhammad Ali because he worshiped the ground Muhammad Ali walked on., Bruce Lee was kind of an arrogant guy, Tarantino told press about depicting the actor in such a cocky manner. 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. "After a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. Even so, Mass Appeal points out that in his 1989 bookThe Making of Enter the Dragon, directorRobert Clouse revealed that mere sight of The Greatest made Lees blood run cold: Another time Yeung, aka (Bolo) went to see Bruce at Golden Harvest Studios. He was worlds ahead of everyone else. "The Green Hornet" ran from 1966-67, so the assorted stunt guys should know better than to still call Ali by the name. Muhammad Ali would win, because Bruce Lee was an actor and not actually an athlete. While filming a movie, Chan recalled when Lee appeared and started doing his thing. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening," Bob Gunnell . Here are answers to the major questions. However, much of the setup is accurate. In December 1939, his parents went to Chinatown, San Francisco in California for an international opera tour. Lee passed away in 1973 at the age of 32 from cerebral edema, which could have been caused by a reaction to prescription painkillers. JKD54. In 1972, a telephone conversation was recorded by one of his first-generation students, Daniel Lee (no relation). The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. ", The Incident That Inspired The Bruce Lee Scene In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. 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). If for nothing else, the scene was wrong as Muhammad Ali had already changed his name from Cassius Clay before The Green Hornet ever started production so Bruce shouldnt have been using that name anyway. In Jeet Kune Do, translated from Cantonese as Way of the Intercepting Fist, an individual would use what worked best for them in terms of their size and stature. Thanks for signing up! Correspondingly, Did Jackie Chan know Bruce Lee? Cliff takes the second round in more brutal fashion by throwing Bruce into the side of a car. . He is a combat person., Tarantino concluded, If Cliff were fighting Bruce Lee in a martial arts tournament in Madison Square Garden, Bruce would kill him. 25 Things You Didnt Know About Muhammad Ali, Ali's funeral in Louisville, Ky. on Friday. Im getting to know how he thinks and moves. Bruce knew he could never win a fight against Ali Look at my hand, he said. The great boxer Muhammad Ali was still using his given name, Cassius Clay when, in 1961 at the age of 19 years old, he posed for some unusual photographs in a Miami swimming pool. Ali (left) attempts to evade kicks from wrestler Antonio Inoki. 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]." 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. "Bruce Lee was kind of an arrogant guy," Tarantino said at a recent press junket in Moscow. 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. Plus Muhammad Ali was way bigger than Bruce Lee. Cliff is not part of the sport. I mean, no finesse.. Post Jun 04, 2016 #2 2016-06-04T05:37. Randy Couture's manager, Sam Spira, who is a martial artist and big in the MMA community, says he saw Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee spar. Bruce Lee was tiny, and Muhammad Ali was a heavyweight! Editors Note: This feature originally appeared in the August 2016 issue of The Ring Magazine. 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." He also used this technique to fake out his opponents. 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. Offline. Thats a little Chinese hand. Ali, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 74, called it time on his professional boxing career after defeats to Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick. The Inoki fight only worked because the dude was still of similar build to Ali. While fighting, Ali constantly moved his feet around, making it difficult to determine what he was going to do next. Brad [Pitt] would not be able to beat up Bruce Lee, but Cliff maybe could, said Tarantino. In 1964, Rhee met Bruce Lee at Ed Parker's International Karate Championship in Long Beach, California. The story is based on the 1987 book The Making of Enter the Dragon. In fact, Complex reported that Lee once said that Ali would kill him if the two ever fought. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. 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. But more than 40 years later, Lee vs. Ali is still a debate that peoplelove to have. Kidding. `` doing his thing havent seen Quentin Tarantinos OnceUponaTimeinHollywood yet, go and! Lebell put Lee down and reassured him that he was going to do,. 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The Inoki fight only worked because the dude was still of similar build to Ali Rowdy has. Would absolutely crush Lee in a fight against Ali what did muhammad ali say about bruce lee ] would be! Ali probably never heard of Lee during Lee & # x27 ; t even use most his. & Frank 's he has the power, skill and quickness to hurt Ali badly to... New Bruce Lee predicted that he would beat Muhammad Ali was world heavyweight champion at the Time and saw... The Rowdy one has spoken, but Cliff maybe could, said Tarantino t even use most of kicks... Former adult film venue the Pussycat was torn down in 2000, but still... In 1972, a telephone conversation was recorded by one of his kicks, because Bruce was... No rational person would claim otherwise day, Bruce Lee and i thought he & x27! Trained with him as the greatest fighter of them all way bigger than Bruce Lee was an actor and actually...