In boxing history, there have been very few people who could challenge the great Muhammad Ali. And this is one of the reasons he is arguably the greatest of all time. But there was one fight that nearly happened, that could have changed boxing history. And it was not with any boxer, but it was with 7-foot NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain.
Back in the day, there was talk that there was a fight in the plans between Muhammad Ali and Wilt Chamberlain. Ali was the hottest product in sports while Chamberlain was a superstar in the NBA. Standing at 7-foot-2, Chamberlain had freakish athleticism and was insanely strong.
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But Ali was on another level in boxing. Chamberlain may have been huge, but he had never boxed professionally in his life. So this made an increasingly interesting matchup. And it nearly came true.
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When the idea of the fight was floated around, many thought it was a joke. The draw of the fight was there, but Chamberlain was not a boxer. Ali made quick work of the best boxers in the day and fighting Chamberlain would have possibly been easy pickings. Even Ali thought this was a joke at first.
The fight between Muhammad Ali and Wilt Chamberlain nearly happened
He said,” He challenged me a few years ago… I thought he was joking, but I found out from other Black basketball players, that he’s a good fighter. He’s beat a few of them on the court, much bigger than me… He’s strong… was telling the story where he held the back of his big car while somebody changed his tires.”
Imago
Wilt Chamberlain (R), the pro basketball great, threw a knockout punch into a proposed heavyweight fight between himself and former champion Mohammed Ali (L) 4/22 by demanding a tax free guarantee of $500,000. Chamberlain, who was supposed to make his pro boxing debut in the Astrodome 7/26/71, originally had agreed to fight for $500,000 or 25% of the gross receipts, but decided a few minutes before the contract signing ceremonies 4/22 that he wanted the sun after taxes.
Chamberlain also confirmed that the match was proposed and he was very close to signing it. And the match was supposed to happen at the Houston Astrodome. He added that his trainer and manager said he had the tools to do well in the boxing ring.
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But the fight never happened, even though it was in discussion. Had it happened, it would surely have been one of the fights of the century.
Who do you think would have won? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Written by
Edited by
Veer Badani