Muhammad Ali was always one of the best trash-talkers in the business, but he could also be oddly prophetic early on in his career.
Back in 1962, a fresh-faced Muhammad Ali, then going by his birth name of Cassius Clay, was an exciting young fighter with the world at his lightning-fast feet.
Ali was 15-0 by November 1962 and was building an impressive resume in the Heavyweight division. He was just 20 years old at the time, which made his clash with Archie Moore somewhat of an intimidating one.
Moore was a former Light Heavyweight champion, and at 48, was already considered a legend of the sport, something Ali aspired to be.
That didn’t stop the “Louisville Lip” from unleashing his trademark lip on “The Mongoose” in a spookily accurate prediction of how the fight would go.
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Muhammad Ali predicted he’d knock out Archie Moore in the fourth round
As he promoted the fight between himself and Moore, Ali made a startling prediction for his fight against the man with over 200 fights to his 15.
In 1962, Time Magazine reported on the tough-talking Ali’s prediction for the Moore fight in the days leading up to the bout.
The young fighter wowed journalists with his witty rhymes, claiming he would knock out Moore in four rounds.
“When you come to the fight, don’t block the aisle and don’t block the door.” Ali rhymed.
“I’ll say it again, I’ve said it before, Archie Moore will fall in four.”
While he may have chosen that round for the easy rhyme of “Moore” and “Four”, it proved to be one of Ali’s most prophetic predictions.
Archie Moore lost via TKO in the fourth round to prove Muhammad Ali right
As it turns out, Ali’s funny rhyme was also an accurate description of how that Heavyweight clash would go down.
Ali’s speed in the ring was too much for Moore to handle, as he danced around the ring before peppering him with a series of punches to wear down the former world champion.
Moore looked every day of his 48 years against the man over half of his age as he was dominated throughout, struggling to get a shot away as Ali kept him at bay with his vast reach and height advantage.
By the fourth round, Ali decided to turn up the heat with a crushing combination that sent him to the floor, before raising his arms and dancing in the ring as his opponent lay on the canvas.
This happened two more times before the referee called the fight, validating Ali’s prediction that “Archie Moore will fall in four”.