No, and theres no evidence to suggest that Lee was an effective enough grappler to overcome such an enormous size disadvantage. He knew Lewis personally and says Lewis told him one of the hardest kicks he'd ever endured was from Bruce Lee. 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. Ali retired in the early 1980s and died in 2016, but remains the biggest boxing icon ever. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. And there you have it. Throughout the years, Muhammad Ali has been involved in so many hypothetical fight scenarios. Muhammad Ali is arguably one of the greatest boxers of all time, known for his speed and agility in the ring. 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. 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. He was worlds ahead of everyone else. 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. (The Pussycat was torn down in 2000, but the marquee was rebuilt for the film.). 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. 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. Im getting to know how he thinks and moves. Bruce knew he could never win a fight against Ali. 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. "That's a little Chinese hand. All rights reserved. But more than 40 years later, Lee vs. Ali is still a debate that peoplelove to have. Bruce Lee can't even use most of his kicks, because of how much larger Ali is. The up-and-coming martial arts star Lee did befriend Tate and trained the actress for 1968's "The Wrecking Crew," according to Polly. He was persistently challenged by stuntmen on the set of Enter the Dragon, and lets just say he emerged undefeated amid a shower of blood and teeth. The influence Ali had on him is undeniable. Its a fictional character. One has to wonder if this will come up when the new Bruce Lee documentary airs on ESPN on June 7. Tate then introduced Lee to her husband, director Roman Polanski, who trained with him as well. 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]." "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 . Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. 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. Nicholas Raymond is a staff movies & TV features writer for Screen Rant. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. "It was all in the way he moved - the way he moved made him famous. 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. Naturally, were talking about Bruce Lee. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Peter finds it hard to keep himself occupied, since Catherine managed to jail all his friend at the end of last season. 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. He admires combat, and boxing is a closer approximation of combat as a sport. The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening," Bob Gunnell . 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." And it was apparently a conversation that Lee himself had with one of his directors. The four friends did dine at the Hollywood landmark El Coyote on the night of the murders before going back to Tate's home. Muhammad Ali would win, because Bruce Lee was an actor and not actually an athlete. The one thing that cannot be ignored in all this is that Lee was not a professional fighter. Like Ali, Lee was electric when he got up on his toes and his grace was something to behold. This philosophy was arguably the precursor to mixed martial arts. Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Ali's image from the screen. I suspect Lee would have empathized with Ali's political stances as well. "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. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Bruce set up a wide full-length. In 1981, world famous boxer Muhammad Ali once talked a suicidal man off the ledge of a building. Some people thought Lee would be able to dominate Ali in a fight, while others argued Ali would knock Lee out easily. At four months old (April 1941), the Lee family returned to Hong Kong. So yeah, Lee was probably right. Muhammad Ali, in a fight: "My hands are registered as lethal weapons." Hed kill me.". His career has started to . 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. Legendary Boxer Muhammad Ali Has Died at Age 74. 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.. In his later fights, Ali weighed in at about 230-pounds. Brad [Pitt] would not be able to beat up Bruce Lee, but Cliff maybe could. Did Ali fight Tyson? MUHAMMAD ALI was once stood up by Elvis Presley - who turned up "drunk or high" at 4am to watch the boxing legend in a sparring session. The legendary boxer remains an icon who stands tall in the history of the sport. You will be redirected back to your article in, Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Unlike the Inoki affair, we can choose our rules. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. Offline. 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. Lewis was a heavyweight kickboxer; Lee was 5-foot-8 and weighed less than 150 pounds. Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Ali's image from the screen. While fighting, Ali constantly moved his feet around, making it difficult to determine what he was going to do next. Filmmakers were able to re-create "pretty much building-for-building what Spahn Ranch used to look like," says Schuler. 'That's a little Chinese hand. Assuming Polly is correct, Tarantino may have either misread the passage originally or be misremembering Lee's description. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Bruce Lee was tiny, and Muhammad Ali was a heavyweight! "Everything you see there is the real Musso & Frank's," says Schuler. Quentin Tarantino broke his silence on the backlash to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood during the films recent Moscow press conference. Bruce Lee fans have also taken Tarantino to task for the outcome of the fight scene. Muhammad Ali would win, because Bruce Lee was an actor and not actually an athlete. The problem was that Ali arrived at the Budokan Hall to face off with Inoki and nobody was laughing. "Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. 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. But in a devastating twist of fate, the Hong Kong actor didn't live to see his big breakout moment. Similarly, Basketball Hall ofFamer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote a piece for The Hollywood Reporter that blasted Tarantino for his "sloppy and somewhat racist" depiction of Lee. Cadwell found the depiction to be "just . Muhammad Ali, who has long been called "The Greatest of All Time," was at the center of national attention during his days as a professional fighter. "Bruce revered Cassius Clay; he never claimed he could beat the champ," says Polly. 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In a straight boxing match, Lee, a 5-foot-7 lightweight, or junior welterweight at best, would have no chance. 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.". For starters, it features two of our generation's best actors (Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt) in the lead roles. 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. Bruce was screening a Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] documentary. "Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee are the most recognizable faces in the world," Inosanto says. Alright? Not sure if this was intentional, but apparently Bruce Lee was known to carry a gun at all times, in case some crazy fan decided to pick a fight. Many people close to Lee have raised concerns about the portrayal in this film. Instead of simply doing as he was instructed, LeBell grabbed Lee and placed him on his shoulders, running around the set as the Kato actor supposedly asked the judo expert to "put me down or I'll kill you!" "I went and worked out with [Lee] at his school," LeBell was quoted as saying. But the next section of his answer is the one I find the most illuminating: "Could Cliff beat up Bruce Lee? At that time, many people were wondering what would happen if Ali crossed paths with Lee. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is now playing in theaters. JKD54. THE RING SHOP (CLICK HERE). Plus Muhammad Ali was way bigger than Bruce Lee. I saw it in Thailand. Furthermore, Lees martial arts philosophy was built on the idea that a fighter shouldnt be stuck on a particular style. 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. The Japanese giant kicked at Alis legs for 15 rounds and absorbed a handful of jabs. Bruce Lee was a man who could flow like water, scream like an animal, and spin some nunchucks like nobody's business. But would he really have been stronger than Ali? 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. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. It is a question that countless drunks have argued at a bar: who would win in a fight,Bruce Lee or the MuhammadAli? Lee's global popularity is matched by only one other person, Inosanto says. 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. 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