The movie's location manager, Rick Schuler, found another site about five miles away which had also been used as a set for Westerns. Ali could do things that Lee couldnt, and vica verca. Bruce Lee was a martial arts legend known for his kung fu skills, but even he felt that there were a few things he could learn from the world-famous heavyweight boxing champion. Because he was offered $6 million for what appeared to be an exhibition with a joke-laden buildup. I read more of the quote somewhere online years ago, can't remember where, sorry. Maybe he was cocky in as far as martial arts because he was very sure of himself. June 3, 201602:13. "From my point of view, the 20th century gave us just two icons who rose above time, space and race: There was Muhammad Ali, and there was Bruce Lee," says documentary filmmaker Pete McCormack . Similarly, Basketball Hall ofFamer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote a piece for The Hollywood Reporter that blasted Tarantino for his "sloppy and somewhat racist" depiction of Lee. In these 1967 bouts, the now-famous Lee uses the techniques of Jeet . "Bruce Lee was kind of an arrogant guy," Tarantino said at a recent press junket in Moscow. Watch Lee in any of his movies and youll get frequent glimpses of swift lateral movement. "Bruce Lee would have never said anything derogatory about Muhammad Ali because he worshiped the ground Muhammad Ali walked on. However, much of the setup is accurate. Legendary Boxer Muhammad Ali Has Died at Age 74. The followers lived there for a year and a half, from the spring of 1968 until August 1969, when Manson was arrested. He admires combat, and boxing is a closer approximation of combat as a sport. The film depicts Lee (played by Mike Moh) swaggering around the set of "Green Hornet,". You will be redirected back to your article in, Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Lee is introduced holding court for everyone who will listen, bragging that he could beat boxing champ Cassius Clay, a.k.a. Look at my hand, he said. In June 1976, he ventured to Japan to take on a famous wrestler named Antonio Inoki. Bruces right hand followed Alis right hand, Alis left foot followed Bruces left foot. June 3, 2016, 9:38 PM. I was reading the Tyson vs Lee thread and I thought he'd have a chance here. Bruce Lee first introduced nunchucks in the films in Fist of Fury and again in The Way of the Dragon before Inosanto was cast in Lee's unfinished film Game of Death, where the pair go at each . We dont know the answers to those questions because outside of third-party accounts and sparring exhibitions there is no evidence one way or the other. Critics, including Inosanto, took umbrage with the scenes depiction of a stuntman holding his own against the Enter the Dragon actor, at one point catching Lees kick and throwing him into a car. The weight and height advantage is massive. Muhammad Ali eats Bruce Lee for breakfast. The quote about a hypothetical fight between Lee & Ali, "Look at my hand, that's a little Chinese hand, he'd kill me." Did Bruce Lee really say this? With that in mind, Lee started training with LeBell as both men developed a friendship that would last until Lee's death in 1973. There just happens to be a difference between those types of encounters and a showdown against a combat athlete. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is in theaters now. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Why Was There No Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman Rematch After The Rumble in the Jungle? Like bigjeffoh, I quickly thought of Super Chicken. Quentin Tarantino broke his silence on the backlash to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood during the films recent Moscow press conference. Lee then challenges the stuntman to a best-of-three fight that ultimately ends in a draw when a stunt coordinator(Zoe Bell)angrily puts a stop to the "friendly contest.". Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali.Bruces right hand followed Alis right hand, Alis left foot followed Bruces left foot. "Bruce Lee was often a cocky, strutting braggart, but Tarantino took those traits and exaggerated them to the point of caricature," says Polly, who takes exception with Lee boasting about beating boxing champ Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) in a fight. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. In his long career, Ali defended his title from an impressive number of 21 experienced challengers, many of which being some of the best fighters in the sport at the time. Even if they were the same size, Id still go for Muhammad Ali, because he actually had competition experience where Bruce Lee did not. The story of Ali was unearthed in the 1970s by Mass Appeal. The Best Picture Race Got a Lot More Confusing This Week, Tom Cruise Made the Rounds This Week, but Other Oscar Nominees Got More Applause Than Top Gun: Maverick, These Oscar Categories Are the Hardest to Predict, Translating the Unconscious Into Images: The Cinematography of Bardo, Poker Face Takes Viewers on a Cross-Country Road Trip Without Leaving New York, Why TR Looks Different from Every Other Movie of 2022, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. 1,386 663. There's been a lot of discussion about that character's portrayal in the film, and at a recent press conference in Moscow, Tarantino himself weighed in on the Bruce Lee controversy but he may have just dug himself a slightly deeper hole. (The Pussycat was torn down in 2000, but the marquee was rebuilt for the film.). With that, the recent passing of Ali and some Ali-Lee chatter on social media in mind, we thought it would be interesting to explore a mythical Battle of Icons.. On July 20, 1973, the great martial-arts movie star Bruce Lee mysteriously died in Hong Kong. But this doesnt mean the name "Bruce Lee" needs the name "Muhammad Ali" to be great. Bruce set up a wide full-length. I played Pookie (in New Jack City). Despite his tragic passing, fans have continued to debate how Lee would have held himself against other legends in crossover fights. While fighting, Ali constantly moved his feet around, making it difficult to determine what he was going to do next. "'Everybody says I must fight Ali someday.' IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. The influence Ali had on him is undeniable. The tale unfolds during the turbulent summer of 1969, when Tate's horrifying murder dominated headlines. 88) (3/11), Matthew Polly (@MatthewEPolly) August 12, 2019. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Inosanto pointed to a line in Tarantino's script where Bruce Lee makes a dig at Muhammad Ali and said Lee "would have never said anything derogatory about Muhammad Ali because he worshiped the . Gavin Evans is a contributor for Complex Media. 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood': What's truth, what's pulp fiction? Enter the Dragon director Clouse, who worked closely with Lee for the 1973 cult classic, revealed that the Hong Kong-American former actor opened up about the outcome of the fight. Brad [Pitt] would not be able to beat up Bruce Lee, but Cliff maybe could. Western boxing was a part of Lees game but he was no world champion and the weight differential makes such a matchup ludicrous to the point of being insulting. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. Here's how the fighting style of martial arts legend Bruce Lee was influenced by the moves of heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. As two of the biggest icons of their time and with both being associated with fighting, one in the ring and one on the big screen, the conversation on who wins a dream fight between Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee was a common one back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a conversation thats still had today. Lee, who was aware of this, paid close attention to this. Lee set up a wide mirror so that he could follow along with Alis movements as they occurred on screen. The lead jab is a feeler, wrote Lee in a chapter of the book entitled Tools. It is the basis of all other blows, a loose, easy stinger. Lee passed away in 1973 at the age of 32 from cerebral edema, which could have been caused by a reaction to prescription painkillers. It might be interesting to team that classic, if obscure, character with someone like Throg, Darkwing Duck, Batman, or (my choice because of its residence in Left Field) Etrigan. Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Cliff is not part of the sport that is like combat, he is a warrior. Muhammad Ali would win, because Bruce Lee was an actor and not actually an athlete. . Quentin Tarantino responded to criticisms of the arrogant portrayal of Bruce Lee in his latest film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, claiming that it isnt so inaccurate after all. Post Jun 04, 2016 #2 2016-06-04T05:37. Alright? He has killed many men in WWII in hand-to-hand combat. Bruce was a south paw which meant he lead with his right so the mirror projects evey See more 5y Edited Hed kill me.". Why? Tate then introduced Lee to her husband, director Roman Polanski, who trained with him as well. She absolutely said that.. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. He wrote in the 1987 book The Making of Enter the Dragon: "Another time Yeung, aka [Bolo] went to see Bruce at Golden Harvest Studios. One critic wrote: 'Those who watched him would bet on Lee to render Cassius Clay senseless if they were put in a room and told that anything goes." But despite how things came off in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the man born Lee Jun-fan didn't think he stood a chance against the man formerly known as Cassius Clay. If I say Cliff can beat Bruce Lee up, he's a fictional character, so he could beat Bruce Lee up.". They broke into the home and committed the grisly ritualistic killings after midnight (Steve Parent, a fifth victim, isn't depicted in the film). Lee was a smaller man, as he was about 5-foot 7-inches tall and about 140-pounds. 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood': Everything you should know about Sharon Tate, Box-office winner: 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' is Tarantino's biggest debut ever. Thats a little Chinese hand. That said, the only way Bruce Lee could theoretically beat him is if he embraced more grappling techniques and avoided trading blows. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Ali probably never heard of Lee during Lee's lifetime. While filming a movie, Chan recalled when Lee appeared and started doing his thing. Bruce Lee was a man who could flow like water, scream like an animal, and spin some nunchucks like nobody's business. . Hed kill me. But what if The Greatest took on another famous icon, someone that didnt actually fight for a living but is still regarded as one of the greatest martial artists of all time? If people are saying, Well he never said he could beat up Muhammad Ali, well yeah, he did. Muhammad Ali, who has long been called The Greatest of All Time, was at the center of national attention during his days as a professional fighter. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. No, and theres no evidence to suggest that Lee was an effective enough grappler to overcome such an enormous size disadvantage. Lee passed away in 1973 at the age of 32. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood" is writer/director Quentin Tarantino's love letter to 1960s Hollywood, revolving around fictional fading star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his faithful stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). 8 yr. ago Damn. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Unlike the Inoki affair, we can choose our rules. Did Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee ever meet? "Look at my hand," he said. It's a fictional character. (Given that Dalton is fictional, his house obviously wasn't next door.). Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee never met. Bruce challenges Cliff to a three round fight, easily winning the first round by kicking Cliff to the floor within seconds. He was worlds ahead of everyone else. He knew Lewis personally and says Lewis told him one of the hardest kicks he'd ever endured was from Bruce Lee. "Everything you see there is the real Musso & Frank's," says Schuler. He takes to hunting, cooking and fathering more children, but is haunted by . The two are neck and neck in the third round when the fight is broken up. If you're a fan of 1960s pop culture, Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" is a must-watch. 3. What he admires is combat, and boxing is a closer approximation of combat as a sport than martial arts tournaments are. "The philosophy of Lee is more powerful than the martial arts of Lee," says Little, author of "The Warrior Within: The Philosophies of Bruce Lee." "Everything that Bruce Lee did flowed from his mind and his thinking." And it flowed from his pride in his Chinese heritage as well. And if youre not accustomed to that you will lose. ET and will be broadcast in the U.K. on BT Sport 2 tomorrow (June 8) at 9.00 p.m. Tom Gray is Associate Editor for Ring Magazine. Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Ali's image from the screen. One can understand where Lee was coming from but while Sullivan didnt impress him, the likes of Muhammad Ali and Jersey Joe Walcott most certainly did. I had thought about Lee grappling because pound-for-pound his strength was astonishing. As explained by The Things, Bruce Lee was taking his status as a legitimate fighter a little too seriously when he was playing Kato on "The Green Hornet" in 1966. At that time, there were many people who debated about what would happen if Ali crossed paths with Lee. Ali's career ended cus he was suffering from Parkinson's. A featherweight vs heavyweight fight is murder. Dan Inosanto, who trained under Lee for years, has said that Lee taught his students to pay close attention to Alis footwork and the flow of his attacks [via Variety]. Redirected back to your article in, get the Latest IndieWire Alerts and Newsletters Delivered to... Chan recalled when Lee appeared and started doing his thing of Lee Lee. 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