Did any fighter's ever boast the way Ali did pre-Ali?

Hell yes.

It is probably as old as the sport.

 

Nice to see a Derek Sanderson mention. You don't see his name much anywhere let alone on a boxing forum. That being said, I think Joe Namath may hive beaten Derek to the punch by a year or two.

 

My Grandfather always said that local celebrity Cowboy Harry something-or-another was exactly like Ali in the way he always predicted knockouts in his coming fights. (KO 1 round, 2 rounds, 3 rounds, etc.) And he was always right. The problem was it was Cowboy being knocked out instead of the other guy, as predicted.

 

Pioneering sports attorney and agent Bob Wolfe represented Derek Sanderson and made Turk the then highest paid athlete in professional sports in 1972. After his pass to Bobby Orr (who purchased Wolfe and Associates three years after Wolfe's death) won the Boston Bruins the Stanley Cup in 1970, there was a run in New England and especially Boston area hospitals on babies named Derek. All those boys would now be in their mid 50's now.

 

Speaking of that, Hall of Fame baseball player Derek Jeter's middle name is Sanderson.