Bruce Lee 's widow, Linda Lee Cadwell has also taken issue with Quentin Tarantino 's portrayal of her late husband in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Prior to the bout, a ludicrous set of rules were put in place that prevented Inoki from attempting takedowns, submissions or kicks above the waist. MUHAMMAD ALI was once stood up by Elvis Presley - who turned up "drunk or high" at 4am to watch the boxing legend in a sparring session. 'Look at my hand,' he said. ", The Incident That Inspired The Bruce Lee Scene In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. One has to wonder if this will come up when the new Bruce Lee documentary airs on ESPN on June 7. Hed kill me. Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Alis image from the screen. No purchase necessary. Bruce Lee fans have also taken Tarantino to task for the outcome of the fight scene. Search. The documentary Bruce Lee30 for 30, Be Water airs on ESPN tonight (June 7) at 9.00 p.m. The story actually comes from the 1987 book,The Making of Enter the Dragon, and it features Enter the Dragondirector Robert Clause talking about what Bruce Lee told him once while the two were filming their 1973 movie. 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? He is accepted by many as the greatest martial artist of all time, though mainly for his influence in bringing awareness to the style of martial arts through his dramatized movies and acting career. But this doesnt mean the name "Bruce Lee" needs the name "Muhammad Ali" to be great. She absolutely said that, the director continued. "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. George Dillman, who trained with both the People's Champion and Bruce Lee, revealed the two icons then went antique shopping after the King of Rock and Roll sobered up. In the Season 4 episode "Smoke," Mike chimes in to the break room discussion about who would beat whom in a fight, Bruce Lee or Muhammad Ali, by asking whether Bruce Lee had a gun. One Winner will receive $500 in FREE authentic, licensed, Rock Music Merchandise from RockMerch. If you ask me the question, Who would win in a fight: Bruce Lee or Dracula? Its the same question. I heard him say things like that to that effect. YOU GET TO CHOOSE your own prize! If Bruce Lee truly believed that Ali could defeat him, that would be reason enough for Lee to take inspiration from him. 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. . Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. The Japanese giant kicked at Alis legs for 15 rounds and absorbed a handful of jabs. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. Laila Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have told a couple of excellent stories about Ali thus far, but one of our favorites comes to us courtesy ofMass Appeal, which dug up an old Ali tale from the 1970s. Bruce Lee can be seen employing a similar approach to his own footwork in his martial arts movies. . Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. In 1964, Rhee met Bruce Lee at Ed Parker's International Karate Championship in Long Beach, California. But if Cliff and Bruce were fighting in the jungles of the Philippines in a hand-to-hand combat fight Cliff would kill him.. (The Pussycat was torn down in 2000, but the marquee was rebuilt for the film.). To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders, Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications, .css-n1h13z{color:black;color:#fff;}@media (prefers-color-scheme:dark){.css-n1h13z{color:#fff;}}Published15:16,09 January 2020 GMT.css-qdg7d1{color:#72B97D;}@media (prefers-color-scheme:dark){.css-qdg7d1{color:#72B97D;}}| Last updated23:14,09 January 2020 GMT. He likely has more accurate strikes, and is significantly more durable. Bruce was fighting in Ali's shoes. "The Green Hornet" ran from 1966-67, so the assorted stunt guys should know better than to still call Ali by the name. Not only did he say that but his wife, Linda Lee, said that in her first biography I ever read. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Cliff is not part of the sport that is like combat, he is a warrior. 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. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. 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. But what Lee lacked in brute force, he made up for in otherworldly speed and skill. She absolutely said that.. Bruce Lee on the left and prime Mike Tyson on the far right, red line marks Goku's height. Cadwell found the depiction to be "just . Cliff is not part of the sport that is like combat, he is a warrior. Post Jun 04, 2016 #2 2016-06-04T05:37. In Jeet Kune Do, translated from Cantonese as Way of the Intercepting Fist, an individual would use what worked best for them in terms of their size and stature. Who would have thought that in a film which ostensibly involved the Manson murders, one of the biggest talking points weeks later would center on Bruce Lee? Inosanto said, He was never, in my opinion, cocky. When it came to kung fu, Lee taught against sticking to traditional stances and forms and wholeheartedly believed that martial artists should be willing to adapt and learn from other sources. Bruce set up a wide full-length. Many people have said throughout the years that Bruce Lee had a lot of respect for Muhammad Ali. Bruce was screening a Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] documentary. 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. That didnt come from nowhere. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Given the apparent differences between the Bruce Lee vs. Cliff Booth fight scene in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" and how Lee had a much more positive real-life relationship with Gene LeBell, it's not surprising that Lee's friends and family were very critical of how Quentin Tarantino wrote his character. That said, the only way Bruce Lee could theoretically beat him is if he embraced more grappling techniques and avoided trading blows. "The reality of the situation is this: Cliff is a Green Beret. "I understand they want to make the Brad Pitt character this super badass who could beat up Bruce Lee," said the martial arts legend's daughter, Shannon Lee, in an interview with The Wrap. 8 yr. ago Damn. 4 The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. The KO technique Muhammad Ali learned from a taekwondo master, who learned it from Bruce Lee Muhammad Ali's head coach for the bout in which he earned his last KO was The Father of American Taekwondo, Jhoon Rhee, who taught him a punch he learned from Bruce Lee. 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. But again, that's just my take: everyone will have their own opinions on this, and it's absolutely fair to think that the intention of the scene wasn't translated well in the execution. OP did say he based this on the Superman vs Muhammad Ali comic. I played Pookie (in New Jack City). Instead of simply doing as he was instructed, LeBell grabbed Lee and placed him on his shoulders, running around the set as the Kato actor supposedly asked the judo expert to "put me down or I'll kill you!" The film depicts Lee (played by Mike Moh) swaggering around the set of Green Hornet, denigrating boxer Muhammad Ali and picking a street fight with the evenly matched stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). "That doesn't give him a free pass for how he's portrayed in movies." The French Normandy-style house where the murders took place was destroyed in 1994. But more than 40 years later, Lee vs. Ali is still a debate that peoplelove to have. (Muhammad) Alis theory is to picture hitting a fly with a swatter.. Ali, who famously had a crossover fight with Antonio Inoki in 1976, suffered a long battle with Parkinson's disease before he passed away in 2016 at the age of 74. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Speaking to Lee on the set of the 1973 film Enter the Dragon, director Robert Clause recalls the actor stating, "Everybody says . 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. For the record, Lee was 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds, while Ali was 6-foot-3 and more than 200 pounds during their respective heydays. With his crazy kicks and lightning-fast speed, the man went from TV sidekick to blockbuster star in just a few years. Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywoodfeatures Lee in a small role (played by actor Mike Moh), and after the film was released,Lee's daughter objected to the way her father was depicted on screen. A number of people vehemently deny that, and if you're one of them, consider the following: A cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) had claimed the life of this extraordinarily gifted 32-year-old, who would achieve posthumous superstardom when his seminal movie Enter the Dragon was released in U. S. theaters the following month. Muhammad Ali = Boxer Bruce Lee = Martial artist He can only fight in a He can fight according to the given situation He comes across as an arrogant (expletive) who was full of hot air, she told The Wrap. Many people have said throughout the years that Bruce Lee had a lot of respect for Muhammad Ali. The real Lee was a big fan of boxing and "worshipped" Ali. Brad [Pitt] would not be able to beat up Bruce Lee, but Cliff maybe could, said Tarantino. Both struggled through adversity and racism, both transcended cultural and nationalistic boundaries, both were wonderfully charismatic and both were astonishingly gifted in their respective fields. Sure, it's technically possible that Lee once claimed he could beat up Muhammad Ali, but an excerpt from the 1987 bookThe Making of Enter the Dragonsays otherwise. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. 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. He was worlds ahead of everyone else. Ali fought outside of boxing rules only once and it was an unmitigated disaster. "Look at my hand," he said. 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]. In the film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bruce Lee predicted that he would beat Muhammad Ali. Bruce Lee was tiny, and Muhammad Ali was a heavyweight! He has killed many men in World War II in hand to hand combat. Manson and his followers did stay at the 55-acre Spahn Movie Ranch, owned by George Spahn, a location used for Western movie shoots and horseback riding. I mean, no finesse.. On September 10, Ali scored a close split-decision victory at The Forum in Inglewood, California, which is only a half hours drive from Graumans (now TCL) Chinese Theater, where Enter the Dragon had premiered 22 days earlier. The up-and-coming martial arts star Lee did befriend Tate and trained the actress for 1968's "The Wrecking Crew," according to Polly. If you havent seen Quentin Tarantinos OnceUponaTimeinHollywood yet, go ahead and skip to the next section. The legendary boxer remains an icon who stands tall in the history of the sport. Could Cliff beat up Bruce Lee? Alright? The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening," Bob Gunnell . I heard him say things like that, to that effect. Joe Frazier, theres a man who is capable of using his tools and who is very determined in a savage, relentless attack, said Lee of the then-reigning heavyweight champion before taking a swipe at one of Fraziers predecessors. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Im getting to know how he thinks and moves. Bruce knew he could never win a fight against Ali Look at my hand, he said. Bruce Lee admired Muhammad Ali and had immense respect for him. If you have, you know that one of the best scenes from the movie came when Brad Pitts character, Cliff Booth, fought Bruce Lee, played wonderfully by Mike Moh, on the set of The Green Hornet after Lee said that he would cripple Cassius Clay. And how about Lee against modern UFC stars? The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. Tarantino also defended that decision. He takes to hunting, cooking and fathering more children, but is haunted by . He knew Lewis personally and says Lewis told him one of the hardest kicks he'd ever endured was from Bruce Lee. Not only did he say that, but his wife, Linda Lee, said that in her the first biography I ever read was Linda Lee's Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew, and she absolutely said it.". The weight and height advantage is massive. Lewis was a heavyweight kickboxer; Lee was 5-foot-8 and weighed less than 150 pounds. The central story of the film which marks Tarantino's biggest box-office debut, earning $40 million opening weekend is set amid true Hollywood landmarks and involves very real stars, ranging from Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) to Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). June 3, 201602:13. I'm getting to know how he thinks and moves." "That's a little Chinese hand. By ABC NEWS. 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. JKD54. That logic echoes what I personally believe to be the point of including Lee in this film at all: what stunt coordinator Robert Alonzo described asthe purpose of the scene, which was to "explain to the audience the level at which Cliff was [operating]." Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. But in a devastating twist of fate, the Hong Kong actor didn't live to see his big breakout moment. It also has a soundtrack packed with decade-appropriate big hits and deep cuts, with none of those present-day covers designed to make old music sound hip and modern to younger listeners. The great boxer Muhammad Ali was still using his given name, Cassius Clay when, in 1961 at the age of 19 years old, he posed for some unusual photographs in a Miami swimming pool. Like bigjeffoh, I quickly thought of Super Chicken. Finding oneself is . "If people are saying, 'Well he never said he could beat up Muhammad Ali,' well yeah, he did,"the director continued, via Deadline. Quentin Tarantino broke his silence on the backlash to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood during the films recent Moscow press conference. For Lee to reference Ali in these unique writings speaks volumes about his appreciation of the eventual three-time heavyweight champion. The story of Ali was unearthed in the 1970s by Mass Appeal. 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. But fans have long asked what would have happened if the martial arts legend, real name Lee Jun-fan, fought Ali in a blockbuster dream clash. "Even the most scathing critics admitted that Bruce's gungfu was sensational. Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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