All over in eight says Ali

Press, 11 September 1980, Page 26

All over in eight says Ali

NZPA-Reuter Las Vegas The former world heavyweight boxing champion, Muhammed Ali, wHose confidence is going up as his weight goes down, left no doubt yesterday that he believed the World Boxing Council title-holder, Larry Holmes, would not go the distance in their match next month. Ali arrived at Las Vegas to begin final training for his 15-round title bout against Holmes, on October 2 at Caesar’s Palace. “The bell won’t ring for round nine,” says Ali, who didn’t look as pudgy round the middle as he did when he was in Las Vegas last month. “It’ll be all over by then.” Ali said he weighed 220 pounds — down four pounds from what he said he weighed on Monday in Los Angeles. At first the 38-year-old Ali said he would fight Holmes at 217 pounds but later changed his mind and adjusted the figure to 223, saying he might be too weak at the lighter weight. Ali, who has not fought in almost two years, was quiet and restrained when he got off the plane but was his usual animated and boisterous self as a crowd congregated to wish him well and ask for autographs. “It won’t be no contest;” proclaimed Ali to. the more than 100 people who followed him through the airport. “It. won’t be, close. I’ll eat him up, chew him up and spit him out” “Holmes is a bum. I am the king' of kings. Holmes thinks he has a chance because he’s younger, but he doesn’t know it all. All he knows is what I taught him, not all that I know.” Holmes, aged 31, was a sparring partner for Ali in the early 1970 s and the champion believes that that is an advantage he can put to good use on October 2. Holmes has fought three times this year, knocking out all three opponents to tie Joe Louis’s record for consecutive knockouts in heavyweight title defences at seven. Holmes arrived in Las Vegas last week.