Muhammad Ali's Wits“Too ugly to be champion.” Speaking about Leon Spinks “Holmes is so ugly, his grandmother said when he started to cry the tears would stop and roll down the back of his head.” Before fighting Larry Holmes. “I took a nobody and created a monster. I made Norton so famous, he even got on The Dating Game.” Speaking about his loss to Norton “Not with anybody else.” Ali, asked if he’d ever been in love “I told my corner, ‘I’m gonna fight my way, I’m gonna do it my way, and shut up!’ I let him waste energy while I laid on the ropes. They now call it the rope-a-dope.” Telling how he defeated George Foreman. "What's 300 years of looking at that white Jesus gonna do to a man's mind? Oh, man, whatcha talkin' about?" "Oh, I'm gonna be so pretty for this fight. My boxing, my dancing, my reflexes, my complexion." "Oh, we'll win the next fight, easy. No decision, no doubt. I didn't do any of this before the last fight. No sit-ups, no running, no boxing. This'll show him." "No belly, no jaws. I'm killin' myself for the first time in my life." "Never have I worked so hard. I'm gonna go out like a champion, dancin' and movin.' I feel it now." “The bull is stronger but the matador is smarter.” Talking about the rope-a-dope “Magnificent Patsy.” Describing George Foreman after the fight. “Everyone stop talking now! Attention I told you all my critics I told you that I was the greatest of all time... I told you today that I’m still the greatest of all time! Never again say I’m gonna be defeated! Never again make me the underdog until I’m about 50-years-old! I told you I’m the real champion! I told you I’m the champion of the world! All of you bow! All of my critics crawl!” Ali after beating George Foreman. “Whatever truculent means if it’s good, I’m that.” When told by Howard Cosell that he was behaving “extremely truculent.” “When I’m dancin’ and runnin’ I’m looking pretty and winnin’ but I ain’t hurtin’.” “The most spectacular wonder human eyes have ever witnessed.” “This face is worth billions.” “Howard Cosell is nobody’s fool. He’s everybody’s fool.” “Sometimes Howard makes me wish I was a dog and he was a fireplug.” “This is the story about a man with iron fists and a beautiful tan. He talks a lot indeed about a powerful punch and blinding speed.” Speaking about himself. “Howard Cosell would rather shave a wild lion with a dull razor than fight me. “There are no pleasures in a fight but some of my fights have been a pleasure to win.” “I’m so beautiful I should be chiseled in gold.” “I’m the best. I just haven’t played yet.” Talking about his skills at golf “When you come to the fight, don’t block the aisles. And don’t block the door for you may all go home in round four.” Before fighting Archie Moore, who was KO’d in round four “He was old and I was new. And you could tell by the blows I threw. I swept that old man clean out of the ring for a new broom sweeps ‘most anything.” After fighting Archie Moore “Henry Cooper is nothing to me! If this bum goes over five rounds, I won’t return to the United States for 30 days, and that’s final! I’m not even worried about this big bum Cooper will only be a warm-up until I get to that big ugly bear Sonny Liston!” Before winning by TKO over Cooper in England in the fifth round “That’s no jive; Cooper will fall in five.” | 