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Muhammad Ali told me he could make me world champion – I turned him down

Published

4 hours ago

4 June 2026

Few, if any, fighters would turn down the opportunity to train alongside Muhammad Ali. John Dino Denis did.

The world lost the incomparable Ali a decade ago in June of 2016. Sadly, the number of men that either boxed, sparred or shared a ring with ‘The Greatest’ in exhibition form has diminished quite considerably these past few years, what with the passing of former Ali rivals Joe Bugner, George Foreman, and a little longer ago, Brian London, Jurgen Blin and others.

One man who is still in great health and loves recalling the time he spent in the ring with the American icon is Denis. Today a sprightly 74-year-old recovering from knee-replacement surgery, Denis boxed Ali twice – in a 1972 exhibition bout, and then again in 1979.

Denis, who carved out a 45-5-2(20) pro record, speaks with Boxing News on the anniversary of Ali’s death, sharing his memories and recalling a particularly intriguing offer.

Tough question to start with: What does Ali mean to you today?

Well, it’s simple – Ali was one of the greatest heavyweights ever. He was one of the greatest fighters ever. He made it all look so easy. He was a big man, and he had quick hands, and he was so fast on his feet. I would watch him and try to copy some of the things he did. I liked the way he would move around and use his left hand. I saw how he did it, and I tried to make my left hand a good weapon. I did that. In fact, I caught Ali with a sharp left to the face when we sparred in Boston. He stuck his face out at me, and I tagged him pretty good. He wanted to kill me after that (laughs).
But, really, there’s nobody who doesn’t know the name Muhammad Ali, even the young kids today. He was such a great showman. He made the sport fun. Ali was funny to be around; he was also such a beautiful athlete. Ali is to boxing what Michael Jordan is to basketball. I thank him so much for basically giving me the defining moments of my career; he and George Foreman, who I fought in 1976.”

How was Ali in your first exhibition with him compared to the second one in 1979? Did you see any decline in the second bout?

Well, the first exhibition, Ali was in his prime; he was on the top of his game. The second time, he was out of shape. In Boston [the first exhibition], Ali was so playful. I actually got to the press conference late, and as I was walking in with my father, my uncle, and my brother, Ali saw me, and he hid behind a wall, and he jumped out and started throwing punches at me. He said, ‘Ain’t you afraid of me, boy!’ I told him I wouldn’t be here if I was scared. And then he said he wanted to box me first and knock me out. He ended up boxing me last; he boxed three guys that night. I was in actuality very intimidated by him. I was just 22 at the time. But I did catch him with that left jab; we boxed three rounds. After, he came to my room and he asked me what nationality I was, and I told him, French-Canadian, Italian. He said to me, ‘That can’t be right, you’re too fast for a white guy, you must have some black in you!’
Ali asked me to go train with him, full-time in Deer Lake; he said he’d make me champion of the world. My dad said to me, ‘Go! Go! Go!’ And looking back, I really should have. But I was a young kid, and I was afraid to do it, to leave my hometown and everything. But I look back now, and I realise that, well, being around good fighters all the time, great fighters in Ali’s case, makes all the difference in a career. Boxing is all about knowledge. Yeah, I should have taken him up on his kind offer; I really should have. But I said no, and he took Larry Holmes under his wing instead.
Another story I have of Ali. I was down in Florida, just two days before my fight with Foreman, and he [Ali] was down there making his movie [‘The Greatest’]. I came out of the 5th Street Gym, and he stopped everything; he stopped production of the movie. He walked over to me, and he started dancing around me, throwing punches, telling me how to beat Foreman! It was great that he’d remembered me, it really was. But it’s funny, because for the Foreman fight, I was trying to dance around in the ring during sparring, doing some of the stuff Ali told me to do, and I caught my foot on the canvas somehow, and I sprained my ankle. I could hardly walk. So Ali kind of cost me that fight, with me trying to adopt his tactics (laughs). But I do think I won the first couple of rounds against Foreman.” (Dino was stopped in the fourth round by Foreman, this in October of 1976)

And the second exhibition you had?

Yeah, that was in ’79, in Providence, Rhode Island. But before that, and I’m not sure what year it was, but it was before my fight with Foreman. Anyway, Ali contacted my management, and he was going to go on an Asian tour of 12 countries, to box exhibitions. He wanted me to go, and he sent Jimmy Ellis down to box with me, to see how I did with him, and I boxed Jimmy for three rounds. Later, they [Ali’s team] said they wanted me to go with him to Asia. I was really excited about it, and I signed contracts. But the deal fell through, because they, the various countries, they couldn’t provide Ali with adequate security.
The second exhibition, Ali wasn’t in shape. In ’72, he was moving around like he was 25 years old. By ’79, he was a little out of shape. Angelo Dundee came to my dressing room, and he told me to take it easy on Ali when I worked with him. I had no problem with that. I was always a gentleman in the ring; I would never take advantage of Ali when he was out of shape. I was just honoured to box him again, you know. In ’72, I never held back; I wanted to get up that ladder as high as I could. In ’79, I held back, but only a little bit, really. He wore headgear in ’72, but we didn’t wear it in ’79. Ali wore a full jumpsuit, or training suit, in the second exhibition. He really wasn’t in good physical shape then, and to be honest, I did feel quite bad for him at the time. It was just for money by then, I think. I didn’t want him to come back the way he did, and fight Larry Holmes. But Ali carried on too long, as so many of us [boxers] do. I did so myself. Ali, I think, made that bad decision simply because he really needed money.
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Do you have anything negative to say about Ali as a person? It’s tough because we all love him so much…

Well, it’s not really my right to criticise anybody, but at the time, the only thing Ali did that I wasn’t too happy with was when he refused to go to war and fight for his country. I wasn’t too happy about that. It was his decision, but if he had gone to Vietnam – which a lot of kids did when they didn’t want to go – he would have just boxed exhibitions; he wouldn’t have seen any combat. And when he threw the gold medal into the river, why he did that, throwing away a medal his country gave him, I don’t know why he made that decision. To me, to win an Olympic medal for your country is one of the highest honours, you know… But who am I to judge Ali, or anyone else?”

Do you have anything else you’d like to say about Ali?

I do think it’s great how Ali affected us all. You know, Ali made so many people famous – he made Howard Cosell famous. Ali was so great for the game. Really, Ali made Angelo Dundee famous. Angelo was a great trainer, but anyone could have trained Ali. Ali had a gift from God. He was destined to become champion; he was just exceptional.
Also, I must say, as this seems to come up a lot these days – how would Ali do against Mike Tyson! I really believe, no doubt about it, Ali would have destroyed Mike Tyson. Tyson came up with heavyweights that were not in any way as dangerous as most of the ’70s heavyweights. Tyson’s biggest virtue was getting inside on an opponent; he used his lack of size to his advantage. But Tyson, though he was fast, Ali’s ability to stay on the outside would have made it so that Tyson wouldn’t have even got close to him. Ali would have kept the fight long; he would have never let Tyson get close to him, and he would have busted Tyson up. That’s my pick. I’ll pick a great boxer over a great slugger any day. And don’t forget, Ali had a big, big heart, and he sure could take a punch. He was just special, and it’s an honour to be able to speak to you about him.

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Cristopher Sanchez’s scoreless streak over, but Phils nip Padres

Published

13 minutes ago

4 June 2026

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Jun 3, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) and catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) talk during a San Diego Padres challenge in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Cristopher Sanchez extended his franchise-record scoreless streak to 50 2/3 innings before finally allowing a run, and the Philadelphia Phillies hit a pair of late homers to squeak out a 3-2 win over the visiting San Diego Padres on Wednesday.

Sanchez (7-2) did not allow a run in May and found out earlier Wednesday that he was named the National League’s Pitcher of the Month. He was just as sharp in his first June outing, putting up zeroes until Jackson Merrill’s RBI single with two outs in the seventh.

In all, the Dominican left-hander yielded one and four hits in seven frames, walking one and striking out eight. His scoreless streak is the fifth-longest in major league history and the longest ever by a left-handed pitcher.

Sanchez did not allow a baserunner until the third and did not give up his first hit until the fourth. Walker Buehler, meanwhile, held Philadelphia scoreless until the fifth, when doubles by Bryson Stott and Adolis Garcia gave the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Sanchez struck out two more in the sixth and then got the first two outs of the seventh before Ty France doubled down the third base line. Merrill followed with a base hit to left, but Brandon Marsh’s throw was too late as Sanchez’s scoreless streak came to an end.

After a lengthy ovation from the Citizens Bank Park crowd, Sanchez retired Jase Bowen on a liner to left to end his night after only 84 pitches (64 strikes).

The game did not stay tied for long, however, as J.T. Realmuto homered off Jason Adam (2-1) to open the seventh. Three batters later, Kyle Schwarber added a solo shot of his own – his MLB-leading 23rd homer – to make it 3-1.

San Diego got one run back against Brad Keller in the eighth before Jhoan Duran slammed the door in the ninth for his 14th save.

Buehler, who spent a portion of last season with the Phillies, allowed one run and four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked two.

The Padres have lost eight of their last nine games, including all five they’ve played against Philadelphia.

–Field Level Media

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‘ODI Should Die’: Lalit Modi Gives IPL-Style Plan To ‘Save’ Test Cricket

Published

26 minutes ago

4 June 2026

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Archetype of the modern T20 revolution and former Indian Premier League (IPL) Chairman Lalit Modi has issued a stark ultimatum regarding the survival of cricket’s longest format. He warned that traditional, bilateral red-ball series are on an absolute path to extinction unless radical commercial interventions are introduced to recapture global audiences. Speaking to ANI in London, the 62-year-old sports administrator argued that franchise-driven models are no longer just an alternative, but the necessary lifeline needed to subsidise and sustain Test cricket’s heritage.

“I am saying that Test matches on bilateral will die,” Lalit Modi stated bluntly. “The next prediction of mine is that now they should allow IPL-type (T20-type) Test matches. The next thing that they should be doing is for Test matches to come in.”

Lalit Modi’s blueprint for the future of international cricket requires a ruthless pruning of the calendar, specifically identifying One-Day Internationals (ODIs) as obsolete dead weight.

“One-Day (ODI) should die. The test should survive. Test is a very important part,” he insisted.

Lalit Modi acknowledged that red-ball cricket cannot compete financially with short-form leagues, but argued that sustainability lies in franchise corporate backing rather than government boards.

“Unfortunately, (Test cricket) will die if it’s not taken over by club cricket because of no viewership on a global level. So it will be a loss leader. I’m not saying everything has to make money… You don’t have to have profit in everything. You’ve got to do something for the game too.”

Lalit Modi’s warning lands at a time when the traditional cricket calendar is facing unprecedented squeeze from franchise leagues and ICC events.

The structural vulnerabilities of the five-day game were fully exposed earlier this year when a massive 124-day lull separated the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney from the subsequent Pakistan-Bangladesh series, a competitive gap almost mirroring the historic shutdowns seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This prolonged red-ball drought was primarily driven by scheduling conflicts with the IPL 2026 season and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, underscoring franchise cricket’s absolute dominance over prime broadcast windows.

To bridge the generational gap, Lalit Modi reiterated his highly debated proposal, previously floated on The Overlap Podcast alongside former England captain Michael Vaughan, to merge IPL fan loyalty with the red-ball game.

“Let the IPL teams own Test cricket teams,” Lalit Modi explained. “You got the youngsters, you got the loyalty factors… At least play one [exhibition] in a season between each other just to get their youngsters back into the game. That’s going to be like club cricket. You have club cricket in everything, but the primary has to be country versus country.”

For the World Championship format, he proposed a strict, premier country-vs-country format played globally every year to preserve national pride and elite athletic standards. For IPL owners, he proposed field-independent Test squads for limited windows to engage younger, digital-first audiences by leveraging T20 club loyalties.

Lalit Modi also proposed shifting five-day Tests to four-day, day-night matches to counter declining stadium attendance and align with modern media consumption habits.

“The only way Test cricket will work, somebody’s going to shoot me for saying this. First time I’m saying this. Let the IPL teams own Test cricket teams. You got the youngsters, you got the loyalty factors. You play your country versus country, without doubt, that’s premier. I’m saying you have it as a world championship that goes around the world every year, you play those without doubt, but also so that it doesn’t disappear, you have exhibition matches starting off with it–teams playing test cricket. At least play one in a season against each other just to get their youngsters back into the game. That’s going to be like club cricket. You have club cricket in everything. But the primary has to be country versus country,” Lalit Modi had said.

He reminded administrators that modern audiences simply lack the luxury or patience to watch five days of cricket under the sun when global sport is available on demand, emphasising that the “hook” of the game must change if it intends to survive.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Shreyas Iyer To Become New India T20I Captain? Report Makes Big Claim On BCCI Move

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39 minutes ago

4 June 2026

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Shreyas Iyer To Become New India T20I Captain? Report Makes Big Claim On BCCI Move

Shreyas Iyer in action for Indian cricket team© AFP

Shreyas Iyer is all set to become the Indian cricket team skipper for the T20I series against Ireland and England with Tilak Varma replacing Axar Patel as vice-captain, according to a report by Dainik Jagran. The report claimed that Suryakumar Yadav will be removed from captaincy just months after winning the T20 World Cup 2026 and he will be informed of the decision on Thursday as the BCCI Apex Council will meet online to discuss the captaincy situation. The report went on to claim that the decision regarding Shreyas becoming the captain has already been taken and it will be ratified at the meeting.

According to the report, head coach Gautam Gambhir wanted Sanju Samson to replace Suryakumar as the T20I captain but BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar was not convinced. Some members of the selection committee were also reportedly not in agreement with Gambhir as they believed that Samson has not been consistent enough.

Sources claimed that although Samson played a big role in clinching the T20 World Cup for India, several selectors did not consider him to be a long-term captaincy option. They also believed that it was too early to trust him with the responsibility.

Shreyas, who was not a part of the T20 World Cup-winning squad, led Punjab Kings to the IPL 2025 final where they lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In IPL 2026, the team were off to a sensational start but failed to reach the Playoffs after losing six consecutive matches.

Iyer was a top performer for his side with the bat as he scored 498 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 168.81. He scored a century and five half-centuries and will reportedly replace Suryakumar in the No. 4 position.

The report also claimed that there were no discussions over a possible call-up for Rajat Patidar even after impressing with the bat and leading RCB to two consecutive IPL titles.

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Fan runs onto court trying to take selfie with Wembanyama during Knicks win

Published

52 minutes ago

4 June 2026

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The New York Knicks began their pursuit of their first title since 1973 on Wednesday night in a matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs clung to a seven-point lead at halftime, setting up a back-and-forth second half and a tight fourth quarter. But amid the tension of a tightly contested fourth quarter, an overexcited fan briefly stole the spotlight in pursuit of what he hoped would be a once-in-a-lifetime photo.

The unidentified fan ran onto the court midway through the game’s final quarter, appearing to try to take a selfie next to Wembanyama.

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Fan being detained by security on basketball court

A fan is detained by security after running onto the court during the fourth quarter of Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 3, 2026. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The fan came from the sideline opposite the team benches, starting from behind the play and running into San Antonio’s offensive end. The person was quickly pulled from the court by two security guards, and it did not appear the person made any contact with Wembanyama or any New York players.

Fan taking a selfie with Victor Wembanyama on basketball court

A fan runs onto the court and takes a photo with Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter of Game One in the 2026 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 3, 2026. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

Play was stopped for about a minute before the game resumed with a jump ball. The fan was taken out of the court area through a baseline tunnel.

KNICKS FANS WOULD SAVE MONEY FLYING TO SAN ANTONIO FOR NBA FINALS GAMES INSTEAD OF BUYING MSG TICKETS

Earlier in the game, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson limped to the locker room after Spurs forward Harrison Barnes was pushed into his right knee. Brunson returned in the second quarter with his knee heavily wrapped, then appeared to tweak his left ankle later in the game after a Spurs player stepped on him while he contested a shot. He stayed in the game after the second scare.

Jalen Brunson attacks the basket during the Knicks’ 105-95 Game 1 victory over the Spurs in the NBA Finals (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images))

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Brunson finished with 30 points, leading the Knicks in scoring.

The Knicks ultimately secured a 105-95 win over the Spurs in Game 1, marking New York’s 12th consecutive playoff victory.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

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New York Knicks storm back to beat Wembanyama’s Spurs in NBA finals opener

Published

1 hour ago

4 June 2026

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Jalen Brunson scored 30 points as the New York Knicks erased a 14-point second-half deficit to stun the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 and take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals on Wednesday.

Knicks talisman Brunson shrugged off an early injury scare to inspire a magnificent fightback and give New York a precious early advantage in the best-of-seven series, with game two set for Friday.

Brunson upstaged Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama with a masterful clutch fourth quarter display, scoring 13 points in the final frame as the Knicks closed out a win to silence an expectant home crowd in Texas.

The game was tied with just over two minutes to go, but Brunson marshalled the Knicks brilliantly and a late burst of scoring put the game out of the Spurs’ reach.

“Just sticking together — it wasn’t really our night and wasn’t really my night most of the night but we kept finding a way, kept chipping away,” Brunson said afterwards.

The Knicks playmaker said the team’s “chemistry” had helped them climb out of their 14-point hole in the third quarter.

“Just knowing we have each other’s back — there’s a lot of things we could have done better, but I think our togetherness was really the biggest difference,” added Brunson, who left the court in the first quarter with a knee injury before returning.

Brunson was one of four Knicks to finish in double figures, with Karl-Anthony Towns adding 18 points, OG Anunoby 17 and Landry Shamet 13.

Wembanyama led San Antonio’s scoring with 26 points but had a poor shooting night, making just 6-of-21 from the field while pulling down 12 rebounds with three blocks.

“I was bad tonight, it’s not more complicated than that,” said Wembanyama, who denied nerves had been a factor in the Spurs defeat.

“It definitely felt special for sure, but nothing close that could be an excuse,” Wembanyama said. “It was not a factor in our performance.”

Stephon Castle had 17 points and Dylan Harper and Julian Champagnie added 16 points apiece.

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Muhammad Ali told me he could make me world champion – I turned him down

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Muhammad Ali told me he could make me world champion – I turned him down

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Cristopher Sanchez’s scoreless streak over, but Phils nip Padres

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‘ODI Should Die’: Lalit Modi Gives IPL-Style Plan To ‘Save’ Test Cricket

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Shreyas Iyer To Become New India T20I Captain? Report Makes Big Claim On BCCI Move

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Fan runs onto court trying to take selfie with Wembanyama during Knicks win

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New York Knicks storm back to beat Wembanyama’s Spurs in NBA finals opener

Brunson injury scare

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Muhammad Ali told me he could make me world champion – I turned him down

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Cristopher Sanchez’s scoreless streak over, but Phils nip Padres

‘ODI Should Die’: Lalit Modi Gives IPL-Style Plan To ‘Save’ Test Cricket

Featured Video Of The Day

Shreyas Iyer To Become New India T20I Captain? Report Makes Big Claim On BCCI Move

Featured Video Of The Day

Fan runs onto court trying to take selfie with Wembanyama during Knicks win

New York Knicks storm back to beat Wembanyama’s Spurs in NBA finals opener

Brunson injury scare

Mike Leach nominated for 2027 College Football Hall of Fame class

3 Best options to win the 2026 WWE Queen of the Ring and 4 worst options

#7. Jade Cargill shouldn’t be Queen of the Ring again

#6. Establishing Jacy Jayne and Fatal Influence as major players

#5. Too much, too soon for Sol Ruca

#4. Lyra Valkyria breaks through

#3. Charlotte Flair doesn’t need another title shot

#2. IYO SKY wins the 2026 WWE Queen of the Ring

#1. WWE makes a bad call with Liv Morgan

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