Muhammad Ali’s name conjures images of his unparalleled fearlessness and contagious self-confidence. His very presence, characterized by an almost beast-like determination and an unshakable belief in himself, firmly secured his place among the greatest individuals to ever walk the earth.
For those fortunate enough to have lived during his era, Ali is hailed as the epitome of courage, the ultimate “baddest” and boldest figure in the annals of sports history. The stories of his audacious feats are well-documented, portraying a man who was an intimidating force within the boxing ring while, beyond it, he was as tender as a blooming flower, brimming with love and compassion.
Throwback to 1976, the last of Ali’s glory
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Many boxing fans rue the fact that they could never witness his boxing greatness live but his memories live on in the footage that still exists. One such clip of him fighting has been doing the rounds on the internet and it has left the users online in a buzz.
The clip, uploaded on X showed Ali’s fight with then underdog Richard Dunn in 1976. The two were in Munich, battling it out for supremacy and the title of the World Heavyweight Champion, with Ali holding claim to the previous two championships.
Ali won by knocking out Dunn in the fifth round in 1976. This was Ali last knockout victory in his boxing career.#boxing #History #Historical #boxingnews #Ali #knockoutfights #knockout #tremor #viralvideo pic.twitter.com/RpumOiLxoA
— normalcy (@Itsnormalthat) September 4, 2023
The clip showed the duo sparring and was from the fifth and final round of a long and fierce battle. None of the pundits back then gave Dunn a chance of surviving the first three rounds but to everyone’s surprise, the Englishmen held his own and managed to fend off “The Greatest”. He managed to keep him at bay for five rounds and showed the world his boxing prowess against arguably the best to be born.
The secret behind the final KO
This 1976 fight in Munich is famous for being the last fight that Muhammad Ali won with a knockout. The clip showed the final few seconds of the fight and the moment Ali stamped his authority over Dunn. The final knockdown came in the form of a super-fast short right hand, that left Dunn on the floor.
Richard did not realize what hit him and fell to the floor instantly. Ali perhaps aware of what he has done, was already pumped up and maybe in early celebrations of his victory. The referee started his countdown and it was all over, Ali was the champion for a third consecutive time.
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Later revelations unveiled that the iconic short-arm jab, now celebrated as Ali’s ultimate knockout move, had its origins in a lesson he gleaned from taekwondo grandmaster Jhoon Rhee. Known as the ‘AccuPunch,’ Jhoon Rhee attributed its deadly precision to none other than the legendary Bruce Lee.
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It was a stunning revelation about how two great athletic personalities of the previous century came together, for a defining moment in the history of boxing.
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