Though Muhammad Ali retired immediately after the Spinks vs. Ali II bout, in which he reclaimed his Heavyweight Championship Title, offers came in trying to promote a bout with WBA Lght Heavyweight Champion Mike Rossman. Fight promoters in New York were trying to get a bout for the early-Spring in 1979, at Yankee Stadium. Or Madison Square Garden, possibly in February 1979. But a promotion team in Buenos Aires, Argentina had come up with $6,000,000 for the bout. Ali was a set to sign, but then demanded another million, for a $7,000,000 fight purse, for a February 1979 bout. The plan was for Muhammad Ali to fight Mike Rossman in Buenos Aires, and no one cared whether it was for a WBA Title or not. On the Buenos Aires undercard, Victor Galindez would fight for the vacant-WBA Light Heavyweight Title (to be vacated by Rossman). If Muhammad Ali and Victor Galindez won, an Ali vs. Galindez bout would be promoted for another Buenos Aires bout, later in the year.
I must confess i do enjoy watching Mike Rossman Fights, His style was by the Numbers, Hands up, Hard Jabs, Crunching right hand, heavy left Hook, and back to the Jab to create the safety zone, absolutley perfect for a mentally bloated, overconfident sporadic aggressor like the stale galindez, but give Mike someone who can slip his Jab, and they deny him from establishing this platform to build on, A little bit of movement and a pesky Jab took Al Bolden to within seconds of points rendering, until Mike found he Punches to stop him, as a style indicator it does no favours to Mike I would expect Ali after the elation of the Spinks revenge win, to have continued his downwards slide, certainly hs mental stamina and appetite for vigerous training would be impared, so Ali may well come in Circa 220lb but would probably see Mike as a Mathodical stright-Line stalker that his Legs would enable him to keep half a step ahead of, and failing that, his ability to negate and mess an opponent about might not be challenged by Mike's very predictable advance. If Mike could throw off the Shackles of his constrained style, and go "unpredicable Hell for Leather " for a number of Rounds he might have Ala Spinks he might of had chances, but Ali immediately post Spinks II, even an Ali just Flicking punches, should be able to read Mike's "Boxing by Numbers" style, Negate him up close, and prod and cuff to a decision, a rather unedifying spectalce fear, with Mike perhaps offering thanks that he didnt have to fight te Ali of a few years ago. Would Ali stop there or start calling out old sparmate - Eddie Bossman Jones...? I for one am thankful this remained on paper only.
It was all a 'money thing'. February 1979,,,,,$6,000,000 for Ali for his fight with Mike Rossman ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,($4,000,000 for Ali, and $2,000,000 for his manager) Ali and Muhammad were trying to squeeze another $1,000,000 out of the Argentinian promoters, but it all back-fired. Mike Rossman was to get $1,000,000, plus a guarantee to fight on Ali's next undercard, if he continued on with his 'good-bye tour'. When the promoters hit a snag in coming up with an additional $1,000,000, they asked Herbert Muhammad to drop his fee (managers cut) to $1,000,000 instead of ($2,000,000). He said NO, and told the promoters to drop Mike Rossman's fight purse from $1,000,000 to $250,000, and give Ali and himself the remaining $750,000, then they would sign (giving them a net of $6,750,000, $4,500,000 for Ali and $2,250,000 for Herbert). Rossman's managers flipped out, when they were asked to take $250,000, instead of the $1,000,000 guarantee. They walked out on the deal.
I don't blame them. To expect Rossman to step up and face the heavyweight champ of the world, and only get a fraction of the earnings was pretty unreasonable IMO.
It was to be promoted like a Joe Louis vs. Billy Conn fight. As a little note, Victor Galindez was to fight for the vacant-WBA Light Heavyweight Title on the February undercard. And he would have been next in-line for a fight versus Muhammad Ali in August (after the Muhammad Ali's contract with Herbert Muhammad expired). Probably netting Ali another $5,000,000+.
There was also talk of Muhammad having 'one final fight'against Alfio Righetti. Pity he never stayed out after Spinks 2.
None of these potential bouts, ie. Victor Galindez, Mike Rossman or Alfio Righetti would have done anything for Ali, except perhaps lined his pocket, and looking at how he got screwed by King in the Holmes and Berbick fights, I doubt he would have collected as much as advertized. Ali had already been taking on soft touches for the better part of nearly two years, and with the loss to spinks along with some razor thin decisions, people were already questioning his legitimacy at this point.. Had he faced some of those other guys, he would have been mightily criticized for record padding, and may even have been stripped of the last remaining fragment he had left. I have always said that muhammad should have called it quits after his third meeting with Joe Frazier... Winning the title a third time, wasn't worth losing to Leon Spinks and the Young, Norton, and Shavers bouts left nothing but controversy and probably a few too many shots to the head. I love the man, but like so many, he simply couldn't pull the plug in a timely fashion.
Muhammad Ali versus Victor Galindez in Buenos Aires,,,,,,,100,000+ fans in an outdoor soccer stadium. Everything fell apart, because of Herbie's greed,,,,,,,,,,'no soup for you'
:good Yeah. As I keep saying,the Manilla fight would have been the perfect moment for Muhammad to hang them up.
Even though it doesn't hurt having the additional names of Shavers and Young on his resume, I actually think that his legacy would have turned out looking better had the Thrilla been his last appearance. Richard Dunn, Alfredo Evangelista and Jean coopman did nothing for him... His winning the title a third time is often overshadowed by a loss to a 7 fight novice who would never amount to anything.. The third Norton fight is more commonly billed as a loss by most people as opposed to a win, and in some cases, so is the Young bout.... I won't even go into the Holmes and Berbick fights...
In 1979, Nobody really cared about Muhammad Ali's legacy. Most realized, it was about $$$$ MONEY. I don't think anyone would have cared if he went with 15-Rounds with Mike Rossman in Argentina for $6,000,000+. It was just a dog-n-pony show by then. Even a bout with Victor Galindez would have been fun for the Argentinian's too. But after that,,,,,,,,nothing else.
