Larry Holmes stopped Muhammad Ali in their 1980 fight, marking the only time Ali was defeated inside the distance in his career. The bout took place on October 2, 1980, when Ali made an ill-advised return to the ring after a two-year absence at the age of 38.
Ali's professional career saw him lose only four times. He avenged his defeats against Ken Norton and Leon Spinks but couldn't do the same with Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick. George Foreman once said about Ali, "The only thing that would truly beat his foe was time."
Holmes found himself in a tough spot during the fight. He felt he couldn't win regardless of the outcome. Holmes explained:
"If I beat Ali, his body was old, he couldn't fight no more, should've quit."
During the bout, Holmes tried to end the fight early to prevent further damage to Ali. He pleaded with the referee to stop the fight, but got a surprising response.
"I told the referee 'stop this fight,' and he says to me 'shut up and box.' They told me 'shut up and fight keep beating him up.'"
Holmes then changed his approach, pulling his punches to encourage Ali to quit. He said, "I was not hitting him hard no more. I was just hitting him trying to make him quit."
The two fighters even had a brief exchange during the fight:
Holmes: "I still love you man" Ali: "If you love me why you beating me up then?" Holmes: "It's part of the game..."
The fight ended with a tenth-round stoppage. Holmes later reflected on the event:
"It wasn't a victory; it was a tragedy. I saw him, not as the legend, but as a man, a brother, trying to hold onto what made him 'The Greatest'."
Ali's career came to an end in 1981 at the age of 39, following a points loss to Trevor Berbick. This final defeat prompted Ali to hang up his gloves for good, closing the chapter on one of boxing's most storied careers.
