Muhammad Ali was petrified when one of his biggest rivals pulled out a gun and pretended to fire shots at him.
In his spectacular career, ‘The Greatest’ amassed a massive reputation for his trash-talking prowess. On one occasion, Ali annoyed Joe Frazier so much that the pair ended up fighting during a television interview.
However, things didn’t always play out exactly how the charismatic athlete wanted.
In a moment of terror, Ali sprinted away from a boxing legend.
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Muhammad Ali was terrified when Sonny Liston pretended to shoot at him
When Muhammad Ali got the opportunity to fight Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship of the world, he was willing to do whatever it took to get under his rival’s skin.
‘The Louisville Lip’ turned up at his opponent’s house with a bullhorn and relentlessly badmouthed him at every opportunity.
Unsurprisingly, eventually, Liston came to the end of his tether.
The reigning champion was in the middle of a blackjack game at the Desert Inn Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, when Ali approached him.
When his nemesis started shouting his mouth off, Liston calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun.
In a moment of madness, the icon began firing, resulting in Ali sprinting into the distance, jumping over blackjack tables in a desperate bid to get out of the building.
Little did the future King of the division know that the gun was filled with blanks, as Liston knew he was coming and prepared appropriately.
However, while the Arkansas fighter came out on top in that instance, it was Ali who eventually took home the bragging rights, winning both of their fights inside the ring via stoppage.
Muhammad Ali wasn’t sure whether he’d have beaten a boxing legend
Throughout his career, it’s fair to say Ali oozed confidence, with an unshakable self-belief that he had the capability to beat anyone who dared set foot in the ring with him.
From Liston to Frazier, the slick boxer compiled an absolutely fantastic resume.
However, there was one fighter he’s not entirely sure he would’ve overcome.
In an interesting interview, Ali revealed how one boxing legend might’ve beaten him.