Yes it's true, Muhammad Ali suggested this bout to Dick Tiger associate - Lew Burston. The Heavyweight Champion versus the Light-Heavyweight Champion. Just after the bout with Zora Folley, Muhammad Ali suggested this bout, and said he could sell it to the public, as he would claim a bad right hand, and only fight Dick Tiger with his left hand. Muhammad Ali had suggested, either Miami Beach, or the Island of Bermuda, as he had heard of a promoter on the Island willing to put up the 'cash'. Muhammad said, if he could get a 'pass' out of the United States, June in Bermuda would be great. The 38 year-old, 5' 8" Dick Tiger was all for it, as long as Muhammad Ali would 'stay to true to his promise' of 'the left-hand only.' Dick Tiger had suggested the 'fight name', as 'The Battle for Biafra', 'The Tiger versus The Panther', with a poster of Dick Tiger, portraying a 'ferocious Tiger' and Muhammad Ali as the 'quick Panther'. It sounded good.
Dick Tiger wins this hypothetical via strength Giardello would also beat hypothetical Ali via wizardry
Yes Pachilles, I agree, as the 'anchor punch' wouldn't work on the 5' 8" 'Crouching Tiger', as 'Little Dick' would crouch down and get even lower, to maybe 4 feet. A 'left handed only' Ali would have trouble here, as 'Old Dick' would focus on the belt line of the Heavyweight Champion, taking away his 'erect stature'.
Tiger would've been too strong for Ali to handle. Ali never had the power of a Bob Foster to put Tiger out, and other than that there was no stopping the Tiger.
The Great A Dick Tiger was a 'marvelously' conditioned athlete, despite his age {almost 38} at 5' 8" and 170 lbs., he was a 'muscular dynamo'. The 71" reach, would actually work to his advantage, as he would have been 'glued' to the Muhammad Ali. Lew Burston said, if the boxing ring was limited to 15' x 15', and Ali would fight with the left hand only, Dick Tiger would have won. Promoter, Reginald Gouvrney in Hamilton, Bermuda - had $700,000 on the table in March 1967, as he had wanted that Heavyweight Championship real bad.
No, Reginald Gouvrney of Bermuda did come up with money, but not the $700,000 that he said he had. It was somehwere around $450,000, with Muhammad Ali to get $250,000 and Dick Tiger to get $100,000, and with the other $100,000 going to the Biafran Relief Fund. But , Muhammad Ali could not get out of the United States to go to Bermuda.
Typical Ali and i'll tell u what's more typical : Ali's right miracleously heals just during/prior 2d fight , or "d brave warrior" decides 2 risk it after all and goes through insurmountable pain (but only 4 normal human beings , not 2 "D Greatest") and uses his right in 1 amazing "upset" over "a game" opponent who just proved his worth by looking good 4 a few rds (Ali let him of course , but don't ever state it) . No doubt Tiger would have made a better opponent even than shot Doug Jones .
Thank God this one never came off. It would have been a total mismatch. Ali,at this time,was the best we ever saw of him.
Frank Times 2, It could have happened like you said. Muhammad Ali fights with his 'left hand only' within a 15' x 15' ring, and after 11-Rounds with the 'squat-bull' Dick Tiger, Ali is behind on the Scorecards. Then, 'a mircale', between Rounds 11 and 12, some Bermuda Doctor rushed to Ali's corner and starts massaging his hand, and applies a 'special liniment' to his wrist. Muhammad Ali comes out for Round 12, and suckers Dick Tiger in, and then starts dropping right-hands on the 5' 8" 38 year-old. Late in the Round, Tiger goes down from the barrage from the bigger 6' 3 1/2" -215 lb., Heavyweight, where he is counted out.
yes , this is 1 detailed scenario of how i c it going . u got d idea this time . Xcept that i doubt d counted out part , i think that it's a bit Xaggerated . Not Xactly 1 of my scenarios after all .
Frank (2x), Muhammad Ali makes claims before the fight with Dick Tiger, that he's nursing an injured right hand wrist, and that he's not sure he can use it versus Dick Tiger. But he doesn't want to cancel the Bermuda fight. In Rounds 1 thru 4, Muhammad Ali stays 'true to his word', and only boxes with the left hand. The bout is 'Even' on the Scorecards thru 4-Rounds. Then in Round 5, Ali throws a right hand that lands on Dick Tiger's 'rock-hard head', and Ali then turns to the crowd of 28,000 Bermuda fans, and whinces in pain, as he falls back into the corner, nursing his right wrist. Dick Tiger sensing an opportunity, rushes in and scores at will.
d previous 1 was much closer 2 what i meant , just not a clean KO , probably . But then Foster KOd Ihetu so it is possible , do not know how much probable .
