I see no reason Ali would duck Bobick at a time when we was fighting the likes of Foreman Norton and Frazier . Bobick had not beat the names needed to fight Ali at the time so I could see him "backing out" so that Bobick could beat a name like Norton first in order to make more money from a Ali Vs Bobick fight . But as said before He was ko'd and soon after was ko'd by lesser fighters in his comeback.= time was never right.
Bobick was ranked as one of the leading contenders at the time the Ali/Bobick fight was signed (4th ranked contender according to The Ring), and though the fights with Norton, Tate, and Knoetzee showed Bobick's limitations and that the tremendous hype he recieved wasn't worthy, that is not how he was percieved in the late months of 1976 or going into the Norton fight (where the fight was considered a pick'em going into it...Ali thought Bobick would beat Norton even)...Hindsight is very much different, my friend.
Teddy Brenner extensively talks about his version of the Ali/Bobick situation in his book, "Only The Ring Was Square".
Agreed on hindsight being different; but it just is beyond me to even conceive of Ali saying "no" to anyone.....that just wasn't in his make-up; especially, pardon the connotation here, to a white fighter. A White fighter, like a Jerry Quarry for instance, usually meant more money.
Maybe I've just been an Ali fan for too long to get passed this bias; but I can't imagine him ducking anyone. His whole image was confidence, as he once told Cosell. And no offense to the late Teddy Brenner; but he was a promoter, which means...well. Let's just say any promoter who tells a story is selling someing, IMO.
I don't know. I'm gonna have to look into this 'cause that notion is honestly beyond me. :nonono:
Ali Ducked Bobick? Now that's some funny shit.
First, why would Ali fight Bobick to begin with? Who did he beat?
In his two biggest fights, Norton and Tate, what happened? That's right, he got kayoed.
Ali did not duck Bobick.
Bobick was ranked as one of the leading contenders at the time the Ali/Bobick fight was signed (4th ranked contender according to The Ring), and though the fights with Norton, Tate, and Knoetzee showed Bobick's limitations and that the tremendous hype he recieved wasn't worthy, that is not how he was percieved in the late months of 1976 or going into the Norton fight (where the fight was considered a pick'em going into it...Ali thought Bobick would beat Norton even)...Hindsight is very much different, my friend.
Teddy Brenner extensively talks about his version of the Ali/Bobick situation in his book, "Only The Ring Was Square".
Ali Ducked Bobick? Now that's some funny shit.
First, why would Ali fight Bobick to begin with? Who did he beat?
In his two biggest fights, Norton and Tate, what happened? That's right, he got kayoed.
Ali did not duck Bobick.
ali was funny like that...he fought some of the biggest fighters of all time but ducked a few odd ones now and then ...he musta really spotted something we didnt
The story in Teddy Brenner's book (the man who put the Ali/Bobick, Norton/Lyle card together and dealt with the whole situation first hand) was that Ali got cold feet once he 'heard' how dangerous Bobick could be, and Brenner also had the opinion that Bobick being a white heavyweight had a lot to do with Ali backing out.
ali was funny like that...he fought some of the biggest fighters of all time but ducked a few odd ones now and then ...he musta really spotted something we didnt
Ali was just about done fighting when Bobick became a top contender . In 1977 he fought Ken Norton if he would have won he would have had a title shot soon after but it just didn't work out .
There were talks of a Ali/Bobick fight before that, Darren, and in fact in the late months of 1976 Ali & Bobick actually signed to fight each other as part of a MSG doubleheader scheduled for the spring of '77...Norton vs Lyle being the other half of the heavyweight doubleheader.
Ali backed out of the fight, Norton versus Bobick was scheduled in it's place, and Ron Lyle was left out in the cold.
Because Ali ducked him, that's why.
Ali was just about done fighting when Bobick became a top contender . In 1977 he fought Ken Norton if he would have won he would have had a title shot soon after but it just didn't work out .