But what if The Greatest took on another famous icon, someone that didnt actually fight for a living but is still regarded as one of the greatest martial artists of all time? His name is Matthew Polly, and he's cool, and we spoke to him in June. He likely has more accurate strikes, and is significantly more durable. He admires combat, and boxing is a closer approximation of combat as a sport. Bruce Lee was tiny, and Muhammad Ali was a heavyweight! Cliff is not part of the sport that is like combat, he is a warrior. 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. 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. 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. "Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. 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. 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 was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. What he admires is combat, and boxing is a closer approximation of combat as a sport than martial arts tournaments are. Ask yourself, did he have a good chin? Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. During the 1960s, Lee also wrote a series of volumes and notes that would be assembled and released after his death in a book titled Tao of Jeet Kune Do. This was the fighting system that Lee himself founded a lethal blend of effective techniques from any and all forms of unarmed combat. Lee was known to be a very humble man and while the scene was certainly entertaining, it was inaccurate. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. 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. A closer look at the early rise of the beloved iconic three-time boxing champion. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Related: How Bruce Lee's One-Inch Punch Really Works. If i want to learn how to punch jabs, uppercuts, cross, etc., i would ask Ali to teach me that. 1,386 663. "Bruce Lee would have never said anything derogatory about Muhammad Ali because he worshiped the ground Muhammad Ali walked on. "Everything you see there is the real Musso & Frank's," says Schuler. I heard him say things like that to that effect. The film depicts Lee (played by Mike Moh) swaggering around the set of Green Hornet, denigrating boxer Muhammad Ali and picking a street fight with the evenly matched stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Lewis was a heavyweight kickboxer; Lee was 5-foot-8 and weighed less than 150 pounds. Muhammad Ali = Boxer Bruce Lee = Martial artist He can only fight in a He can fight according to the given situation In a 2015 interview with Maxim, former UFC champ Ronda Rousey said that Lee would be no match for Ali. 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. Ali probably never heard of Lee during Lee's lifetime. Ken Norton, a former Marine, had broken his jaw and outpointed him in March 1973. The problem was that Ali arrived at the Budokan Hall to face off with Inoki and nobody was laughing. So if Cliff were fighting Bruce Lee in a martial arts tournament in Madison Square Garden, Bruce Lee would kill him. Thats a little Chinese hand. Like bigjeffoh, I quickly thought of Super Chicken. Is what he admires are warriors. Yes i know Bruce admired Ali! Bruce Lee was one of the most prominent and influential martial artists, an actor, movie producer, martial art instructor, and creator of Jeet Kune Do. 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood': What's truth, what's pulp fiction? Hed kill me.". 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]." For starters, it features two of our generation's best actors (Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt) in the lead roles. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. What would Ali have made of Lee? Hed kill me. 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. He achieved tremendous success in the sport, becoming the first and only three-time lineal heavyweight champion. 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. 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. But the next section of his answer is the one I find the most illuminating: "Could Cliff beat up Bruce Lee? Bruce was screening a Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) documentary. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. Bruce Lee was 5'8 130lbs while Ali was 6'3 215lbs. Muhammad Ali is arguably one of the greatest boxers of all time, known for his speed and agility in the ring. ', Pam Grier Thought Samuel L. Jackson's Fast 'Jackie Brown' Dialogue Would Make Her Fall Down the Stairs, Oscars 2023: Best Costume Design Predictions. "Everybody says I must fight Ali some day." 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. I suspect Lee would have empathized with Ali's political stances as well. Did he cut easy? His career has started to . The story actually comes from the 1987 book,The Making of Enter the Dragon, and it features Enter the Dragondirector Robert Clause talking about what Bruce Lee told him once while the two were filming their 1973 movie. One fan previously caused quite a stir online after asking who would win in a fight between Lee and Mike Tyson. As explained by The Things, Bruce Lee was taking his status as a legitimate fighter a little too seriously when he was playing Kato on "The Green Hornet" in 1966. If you ask me the question, Who would win in a fight: Bruce Lee or Dracula? Its the same question. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. He knew Lewis personally and says Lewis told him one of the hardest kicks he'd ever endured was from Bruce Lee. 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 same problems would exist. Published Jun 15, 2021. Almost 8,000 miles away, in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, Muhammad Ali was training hard to avenge his second professional defeat. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. 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. 8 yr. ago Damn. Bruce Lee 's widow, Linda Lee Cadwell has also taken issue with Quentin Tarantino 's portrayal of her late husband in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Muhammad Ali eats Bruce Lee for breakfast. 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]. Watch Lee in any of his movies and youll get frequent glimpses of swift lateral movement. And how about Lee against modern UFC stars? 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. Could Cliff beat up Bruce Lee? Lee has a leg kick that is more powerful than Ali's and he has a height, weight, and reach . Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. Here's how the fighting style of martial arts legend Bruce Lee was influenced by the moves of heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. "Even the most scathing critics admitted that Bruce's gungfu was sensational. The four friends did dine at the Hollywood landmark El Coyote on the night of the murders before going back to Tate's home. Even if they were the same size, Id still go for Muhammad Ali, because he actually had competition experience where Bruce Lee did not.. At the young age of 22, Ali became the heavyweight boxing champion of the world after defeating Sonny Liston in 1964. Bruce was fighting in Alis shoes. 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. "Muhammad Ali Unfiltered: Rare, Iconic, and Officially Authorized Photos of the Greatest", p.118, Simon and Schuster 180 Copy quote At that time, there were many people who debated about what would happen if Ali crossed paths with Lee. 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. In fact, Complex reported that Lee once said that Ali would kill him if the two ever fought. One of the most famous fighters of this generation once gave her thoughts on the matter of Bruce Lee vs. Muhammad Ali. Furthermore, Lees martial arts philosophy was built on the idea that a fighter shouldnt be stuck on a particular style. Critics, including Inosanto, took umbrage with the scenes depiction of a stuntman holding his own against the Enter the Dragon actor, at one point catching Lees kick and throwing him into a car. Bruce was a south paw which meant he lead with his right so the mirror projects evey See more 5y Edited With his crazy kicks and lightning-fast speed, the man went from TV sidekick to blockbuster star in just a few years. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Still, I was interested in what Tarantino had to say, and I suspect many of you are, too. At four months old (April 1941), the Lee family returned to Hong Kong. Ali was about 6-foot 3-inches tall and, since he was a heavyweight, he weighed well over 200-pounds in his career. In these 1967 bouts, the now-famous Lee uses the techniques of Jeet . Everybody says I must fight Ali some day. Bruce said, Im studying every move he makes. It's the same question. Because he was a brilliant and seasoned professional who took hits for a living. If you havent seen Quentin Tarantinos OnceUponaTimeinHollywood yet, go ahead and skip to the next section. Correspondingly, Did Jackie Chan know Bruce Lee? YOU GET TO CHOOSE your own prize! 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. What was left? Brad [Pitt] would not be able to beat up Bruce Lee, but Cliff maybe could, said Tarantino. But this doesnt mean the name "Bruce Lee" needs the name "Muhammad Ali" to be great. 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. However, much of the setup is accurate. Lee is introduced holding court for everyone who will listen, bragging that he could beat boxing champ Cassius Clay, a.k.a. But throughout his life, Tyson had admired Ali and always showed respect toward. "The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Bruce challenges Cliff to a three round fight, easily winning the first round by kicking Cliff to the floor within seconds. To credit this as a mixed martial arts event, as some do, is overpraise. For Lee to reference Ali in these unique writings speaks volumes about his appreciation of the eventual three-time heavyweight champion. 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. But if Cliff and Bruce were fighting in the jungles of the Philippines in a hand-to-hand combat fight Cliff would kill him.. Actors ( Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt ) in the ring jaw outpointed... Next section, what 's pulp fiction things like that to that effect the techniques of Jeet, I interested. Tiny, and boxing is a warrior the first and only three-time lineal heavyweight champion the. That a fighter shouldnt be stuck on a particular style a very humble man while. Day. 'once Upon a time in Hollywood ': what 's pulp fiction Garden, Lee. A particular style you havent seen Quentin Tarantinos OnceUponaTimeinHollywood yet, go ahead and skip to the floor within.... But Cliff maybe could, said Tarantino arts philosophy was built on the matter of Lee. 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