In his heyday, Muhammad Ali was not only the most famous athlete in the world; he was also the most loquacious. It?s not for nothing that one of his first nicknames was ?The Louisville Lip.? He could always be counted on to whip out a quip as snappy as his jab. Here?s an example, from an exchange with sportscaster Howard Cosell during Ali?s first reign as world heavyweight champion (1964-1967):
Cosell: ?You seem awfully truculent today, Champ.? Ali: ?I don?t know what ?truculent? means, but if it?s something good, that?s me.?
For all the verbiage Ali directed toward his opponents and the world in general, every now and then his targets managed to fire back. Here are some of the sharpest zingers Ali?s ring foes aimed at ?The Greatest.? See if you can guess who said what. Answers are at the end of the quiz.
1. ?I think he should be arrested for impersonating a fighter.? a. Sonny Liston b. Jerry Quarry c. Joe Frazier d. Al ?Blue? Lewis
2. ?He may be ?The Greatest,? but I?m ?The Latest.?? a. Ken Norton b. Trevor Berbick c. Leon Spinks d. Larry Holmes
3. ?Why you no go in army? You chicken?? a. Alfredo Evangelista b. Oscar Bonavena c. Tony Esperti d. Karl Mildenberger
4. ?The only way I?ll ?fall? is by tripping over your incumbent form.? a. Joe Bugner b. Richard Dunn c. Jimmy Ellis d. Archie Moore
5. ?I think ?Cassius Clay? is a beautiful name.? a. Ernie Terrell b. Joe Frazier c. Floyd Patterson d. Jean-Pierre Coopman
6. ?I don?t want to knock him out. I want to take his heart out.? a. Cleveland Williams b. Earnie Shavers c. George Chuvalo d. Joe Frazier
7. ?Old man, go back to your rocking chair.? a. Larry Holmes b. Jimmy Young c. Ron Lyle d. Trevor Berbick
8. ?You?re gonna have to call me ?The Exorcist,? ?cause I?m gonna beat the devil out of him.? a. Mac Foster b. George Foreman c. Earnie Shavers d. Chuck Wepner
Click here for answers
So, how did you do? I hope you had fun, and Happy New Year to all.
Charles R. Saunders is the author of several books including Sweat and Soul: The Saga of Black Boxers in the Maritimes from the Halifax Forum to Caesars Palace. Considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on boxing in Canada, he is the current Vice-President of Boxing for the Society of North American Sports Historians and Researchers.
