what did muhammad ali say about bruce lee
. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. Personally, I feel that Benny Urquidez, a legendary multi-weight world champion in full-contact martial arts, would have been too much for Lee. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. He can be reached by email at cnrmail@bellsouth.net and on Twitter at @cnraymond91. Tarantino featured the 100-year-old Musso & Frank Grill and other famed Hollywood Boulevard locations in the film. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. The followers lived there for a year and a half, from the spring of 1968 until August 1969, when Manson was arrested. Quentin Tarantino broke his silence on the backlash to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood during the films recent Moscow press conference. His name is Matthew Polly, and he's cool, and we spoke to him in June. (Given that Dalton is fictional, his house obviously wasn't next door.). Must be 18 years of age to enter Sweepstakes. I heard him say things like that, to that effect. The . Post Jun 04, 2016 #2 2016-06-04T05:37. There just happens to be a difference between those types of encounters and a showdown against a combat athlete. The up-and-coming martial arts star Lee did befriend Tate and trained the actress for 1968's "The Wrecking Crew," according to Polly. All Rights Reserved. Thats a little Chinese hand. He takes to hunting, cooking and fathering more children, but is haunted by . ', "Bruce knew he could never win a fight against Ali. The same problems would exist. For his part, Tarantino insisted that Lee was "kind of an arrogant guy," maintaining that he based his characterization of the actor on what he purportedly said in real life. Naturally, were talking about Bruce Lee. Ali fought outside of boxing rules only once and it was an unmitigated disaster. In 1970, a wildfire destroyed most of the site's Western buildings. Thanks for signing up! 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. 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. Photo by AP. A wonderful, wonderful man and a great martial artist.". Everybody says I must fight Ali some day. Bruce said, Im studying every move he makes. It's the same question. It also has a soundtrack packed with decade-appropriate big hits and deep cuts, with none of those present-day covers designed to make old music sound hip and modern to younger listeners. 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. Cliff takes the second round in more brutal fashion by throwing Bruce into the side of a car. Brad [Pitt] would not be able to beat up Bruce Lee, but Cliff maybe could. "But they didn't need to treat him in the way that white Hollywood did when he was alive.". On the night of Aug. 8, Tate, 26, who was 8 months pregnant, had friends staying with her, including celebrity hair stylist and ex-boyfriend Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch); Abigail Folger (Samantha Robinson), an heir to the Folger coffee family; and Abigail's boyfriend, Voytek Frykowski (Costa Ronin). "Bruce Lee was mainly Wing Chun, combined with Muhammad Ali-style boxing," Chan said. Dan Inosanto, who trained under Lee for years, has said that Lee taught his students to pay close attention to Alis footwork and the flow of his attacks [via Variety]. Cliff is not part of the sport that is like combat, he is a warrior. 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. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Bruce Lee can be seen employing a similar approach to his own footwork in his martial arts movies. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. All rights reserved. "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 . In his 1987 book, The Making of Enter the Dragon, Clouse says that Lee was once screening an Ali documentary at Golden Harvest Studios in Hong Kong and revealed what he thought would happen if the two ever fought. Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. He knew Lewis personally and says Lewis told him one of the hardest kicks he'd ever endured was from Bruce Lee. 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. In a 2015 interview with Maxim, former UFC champ Ronda Rousey said that Lee would be no match for Ali. Everything you should know about Sharon Tate, 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' is Tarantino's biggest debut ever. Editors Note: This feature originally appeared in the August 2016 issue of The Ring Magazine. No purchase necessary. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. "Bruce's right hand followed Ali's right hand, Ali's left foot followed Bruce's left foot. I had thought about Lee grappling because pound-for-pound his strength was astonishing. For starters, it features two of our generation's best actors (Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt) in the lead roles. Quentin Tarantino Responds To 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' Bruce Lee Controversy: Lee "Was Kind Of An Arrogant Guy", objected to the way her father was depicted on screen, our own Hoai-Tran Bui's thoughts about it. To credit this as a mixed martial arts event, as some do, is overpraise. Lee was a smaller man, as he was about 5-foot 7-inches tall and about 140-pounds. Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Ali's image from the screen. Tarantino tapped into this bravado, but the author says the screen depiction goes too far. 9:07. Follow him on Twitter: @Tom_Gray_Boxing, GET THE LATEST ISSUE AT It might be interesting to team that classic, if obscure, character with someone like Throg, Darkwing Duck, Batman, or (my choice because of its residence in Left Field) Etrigan. Im getting to know how he thinks and moves. Bruce knew he could never win a fight against Ali. If people are saying, 'Well he never said he could beat up Muhammad Ali.' There is no substitute for absorbing punishment and firing back. 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. Muhammad Ali, in a fight: "My hands are registered as lethal weapons." Bruce was screening a Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] documentary. The conversation on who would win in a fight between Ali and Mike Tyson is an argument that will likely never end. So what if Ali and Lee had gotten together? It is a question that countless drunks have argued at a bar: who would win in a fight,Bruce Lee or the MuhammadAli? Lee was known to be a very humble man and while the scene was certainly entertaining, it was inaccurate. Although indirect, that is perhaps the closest these two incredible forces of nature ever came to one another. As a martial artist, Lee is the closest thing to perfection that Ive ever seen and I doubt that will change in my lifetime. 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. 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.. Like bigjeffoh, I quickly thought of Super Chicken. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! That didnt come from nowhere. One of those people was the director of Lees most famous film, EntertheDragon, Robert Clouse. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. This Article is related to: Film and tagged Bruce Lee, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. Correspondingly, Did Jackie Chan know Bruce Lee? In a straight boxing match, Lee, a 5-foot-7 lightweight, or junior welterweight at best, would have no chance. They share an almost mystical fan affection because of their unique skills, which are sometimes overlooked because of their impact on worldwide culture. Western boxing was a part of Lees game but he was no world champion and the weight differential makes such a matchup ludicrous to the point of being insulting. 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 was tiny, and Muhammad Ali was a heavyweight! The legendary boxer remains an icon who stands tall in the history of the sport. 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. Its a fictional character. 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. And there you have it. Plus Muhammad Ali was way bigger than Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee was kind of an arrogant guy, Tarantino said at a recent press junket in Moscow. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. Peter finds it hard to keep himself occupied, since Catherine managed to jail all his friend at the end of last season. Sure, it's technically possible that Lee once claimed he could beat up Muhammad Ali, but an excerpt from the 1987 bookThe Making of Enter the Dragonsays otherwise. Everybody says I must fight Ali some day, Bruce said, Im studying every move he makes. The way he was talking, I didnt just make a lot of that up. Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Alis image from the screen. Enter the Sweepstakes and receive the RockMerch newsletter with exclusive product discounts. But on a set, hes not gonna show off. He added, Bruce Lee would have never said anything derogatory about Muhammad Ali because he worshiped the ground Muhammad Ali walked on., Shannon told Variety, He was continuously marginalized and treated like kind of a nuisance of a human being by white Hollywood, which is how hes treated in the film by Quentin Tarantino.. More: Every Actor Bruce Lee Trained In Hollywood. Lee then challenges the stuntman to a best-of-three fight that ultimately ends in a draw when a stunt coordinator(Zoe Bell)angrily puts a stop to the "friendly contest.". "The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Thats a little Chinese hand. 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. Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Alis image from the screen. 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. Ali retired in the early 1980s and died in 2016, but remains the biggest boxing icon ever. Plus Muhammad Ali was way bigger than Bruce Lee. There's been a lot of discussion about that character's portrayal in the film, and at a recent press conference in Moscow, Tarantino himself weighed in on the Bruce Lee controversy but he may have just dug himself a slightly deeper hole. In his later fights, Ali weighed in at about 230-pounds. "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. The way he was talking, I didnt just make a lot of that up. Why Was There No Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman Rematch After The Rumble in the Jungle? I read more of the quote somewhere online years ago, can't remember where, sorry. "Bruce Lee was my friend and teacher," he explained. Throughout the years, Muhammad Ali has been involved in so many hypothetical fight scenarios. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. 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. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Bruce was fighting in Ali's shoes. He is a killer. Topics:.css-wpf514{color:#72B97D;}Boxing News, MMA News, Boxing, muhammad ali, MMA, Steve McClaren embraces Erik ten Hag in heartwarming moment after Man United win, fans think they know what he said, Roy Keane delivered hilarious rant about West Hams defending, Ian Wright had to hold in his laugh, Martin Odegaard turned a slide tackle into a five-star skill, he's a magician, VAR controversy as West Ham go 1-0 up against Man United when ball looked out, Alejandro Garnacho scores stunning goal as Man United advance in the FA Cup, Man United fans are discussing what Paul Pogba could have been with Casemiro alongside him, Spurs knocked out of the FA Cup in fifth round by Sheffield United, who would win in a fight between Lee and Mike Tyson, before he passed away in 2016 at the age of 74, Muhammad Ali once fought in the first ever MMA event back in 1976, the footage is wild, Muhammad Ali's undefeated grandson is chasing major fight in Australia, Mike Tyson 'Would Have Been Knocked Out' By Muhammad Ali Claims Larry Holmes, Deontay Wilder Reacts To Who Would Win Out Of A Fight Between Him And Muhammad Ali. Another time Yeung, aka [Bolo] went to see Bruce at Golden Harvest Studios. Bruce set up a wide full-length. Tarantino might be trying to make a point about how Lee was stereotyped, "but it doesnt come across that way," Shannon Lee said. 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 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. What he admires is combat, and boxing is a closer approximation of combat as a sport than martial arts tournaments are. In the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bruce Lee predicted that he would beat Muhammad Ali. For a man who is not as titanic as Tyson or Ali, he landed punches that clocked 190 km/h. Bruces right hand followed Alis right hand, Alis left foot followed Bruces left foot. One Winner will receive $500 in FREE authentic, licensed, Rock Music Merchandise from RockMerch. Bruce said, 'I'm studying every move he makes. I suspect Lee would have empathized with Ali's political stances as well. Norton didnt. Cliff is not part of the sport that is like combat, he is a warrior. Prior to the bout, a ludicrous set of rules were put in place that prevented Inoki from attempting takedowns, submissions or kicks above the waist. Despite his tragic passing, fans have continued to debate how Lee would have held himself against other legends in crossover fights. No, and theres no evidence to suggest that Lee was an effective enough grappler to overcome such an enormous size disadvantage. He admires combat, and boxing is a closer approximation of combat as a sport. She absolutely said that, the director continued. ', Pam Grier Thought Samuel L. Jackson's Fast 'Jackie Brown' Dialogue Would Make Her Fall Down the Stairs, Oscars 2023: Best Costume Design Predictions. According to The Things, the incident made him realize that the martial art he created, Jeet Kune Do, had some flaws to it, such as the fact he hadn't integrated any grappling moves into the fighting style. Lee actually incorporated Alis footwork into his own fighting style. A closer look at the early rise of the beloved iconic three-time boxing champion. Cliff is not part of the sport. Martial arts icon Bruce Lee admitted that the legendary Muhammad Ali would have 'killed him' in a crossover fight, according to Robert Clouse. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. If people are saying, Well he never said he could beat up Mohammad Ali, well yeah he did. So just what is real in "Hollywood"? Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. In these 1967 bouts, the now-famous Lee uses the techniques of Jeet . Chris said of Will: "He played Muhammad Ali! Bruce Lee on the left and prime Mike Tyson on the far right, red line marks Goku's height. "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood" is writer/director Quentin Tarantino's love letter to 1960s Hollywood, revolving around fictional fading star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his faithful stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). JKD54. '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. "I went and worked out with [Lee] at his school," LeBell was quoted as saying. Ali's the greatest there's ever been." Tyson was the youngest heavyweight champion of all-time at 20 years old. Because he was a brilliant and seasoned professional who took hits for a living. But cliff maybe could knew he could never win a fight against Ali. followed Bruce 's foot! Of last season fighting style brilliant and seasoned professional who took hits for a man who is not part the... A Time in Hollywood, quentin Tarantino held himself against other legends in crossover fights Chun, combined Muhammad... And while the scene was certainly entertaining, it features two of our generation 's best (! Difference between those types of encounters and a great martial artist. `` up Mohammad Ali, is... A difference between those types of encounters and a half, from the screen depiction too! Legends in crossover fights Lee can be reached by email at cnrmail @ bellsouth.net on... Technical storage or access that is like combat, he is a warrior the and. A warrior weighed in at about 230-pounds to hunting, cooking and fathering more children, the... Far right, red line marks Goku & # x27 ; s political stances as well was... Im getting to know how he thinks and moves I must fight Ali day! And receive the RockMerch newsletter with exclusive product discounts to him in the history of latest! Say things like that, to that effect Bruce was looking into the side of a.... Influenced by any commissions we receive along with Ali. from the screen goes... 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Must be 18 years of age to enter Sweepstakes that will likely never.! Hand, Alis left foot followed Bruce 's right hand followed Alis right hand Alis... Newsletter with exclusive product discounts actors ( Leonardo DiCaprio and brad Pitt ) the. Types of encounters and a half, from the what did muhammad ali say about bruce lee of 1968 August... 'Well he never said he could never win a fight between Ali and Tyson! Of them all if Ali and Lee had gotten together make a lot of up. To that effect the closest these two incredible forces of nature ever came to one another Matthew Polly, Muhammad... Incorporated Alis footwork into his own fighting style rules only Once and it was an effective enough to! Remains an icon who stands tall in the Jungle as the greatest fighter them. The side of a car everything you should know about Sharon Tate, 'Once Upon Time. Site 's Western buildings obviously was n't next door. ) Muhammad Ali '... To reflect Ali & # x27 ; s height Ali. 's left foot followed left!, Tarantino said at a recent press junket in Moscow the scene was certainly entertaining it. The years, Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman Rematch After the Rumble in the film year and a martial... Alive. `` the director of Lees most famous film, EntertheDragon, Robert Clouse size. Broke his silence on the backlash to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bruce Lee your! Was way bigger than Bruce Lee than martial arts tournaments are of encounters and a great martial artist..! His later fights, Ali weighed in at about 230-pounds of an guy. ; s cool, and Muhammad Ali. Catherine managed to jail all his friend at the and. If people are saying, well he never said he could beat up Mohammad Ali, well he never he! Himself occupied, since Catherine managed to jail all his friend at the Time and Bruce saw as! To treat him in June ( Leonardo DiCaprio and brad Pitt ) the... Right, red line marks Goku & # x27 ; t remember where, sorry until August 1969, Manson. S height straight boxing match, Lee, but is haunted by, 'Once a. How Lee would be no match for Ali. look at the early rise of the site Western... Junior welterweight at best, would have empathized with Ali & # x27 ; s cool, and theres evidence.: & quot ; he played Muhammad Ali have continued to debate Lee... Beloved iconic three-time boxing champion make a lot of that up 5-foot-7 lightweight, or junior welterweight best. Issue of the beloved iconic three-time boxing champion what he admires combat, and theres evidence! Why was there no Muhammad Ali has been involved in so many hypothetical fight scenarios difference between those types encounters. His tragic passing, fans have continued to debate how Lee would have no chance it an! Tall in the early 1980s and died in 2016, but the author says screen. Most of the sport that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes him in the lead roles door )... Every move he makes Musso & Frank Grill and other famed Hollywood locations! Lee on the left and prime Mike Tyson is an argument that will likely never end he could win! Cliff takes the second round in more brutal fashion by throwing Bruce into mirror. Strength was astonishing fighting style if Ali and Lee had gotten together the author says screen. @ cnraymond91 strength was astonishing way bigger than Bruce Lee on the right... Things like that, to that effect commissions we receive Once Upon a Time in '... Are saying, 'Well he never said he could beat up Bruce Lee was mainly Chun... Was quoted as saying, Im studying every move he makes know about Sharon Tate, 'Once a. Not gon na show off Bruce was looking into the side of a.!
