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.”
2. “He may be ‘The Greatest,’ but I’m ‘The Latest.’”
4. “The only way I’ll ‘fall’ is by tripping over your incumbent form.”
6. “I don’t want to knock him out. I want to take his heart out.”
8. “You’re gonna have to call me ‘The Exorcist,’ ’cause I’m gonna beat the devil out of him.”
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.
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