by Don Fernando
(San Francisco)
I would say Bruce Lee, of course. But that isn’t blind belief, but careful look at the facts. Start with James DeMile, mag interviews, YouTube views. He can say with authority that he considers Lee the best up to this day.
There is no world-class athlete that is his own coach; Bruce took the old tried and true, and difficult route of being his own coach, a la Musashi the Japanese sword master, and others. In a bare knuckle bout with a Pacquiao Bruce would win; the ease would depend on how much rules there are. The closer to real fighting, the easier for Bruce to win. In all out combat, no chance any boxer / MMA today could win. They do not have Bruce’s innate talent and drive to develop that talent to genuis, not to mention mental focus, intelligence, etc. the total package. The best boxers all bow to Lee; Sugar Ray Leonard say’s Lee is the greatest, quote. The best fighters can determine Lee is par excellence; the lesser fighters will say nah, I could have taken him.
Lee in latter life developed a deadly training device, razor sharp, electrified; anyone who says he could take him would first have to master this device if he dared to be ‘in the running.’
He didn’t back down from Triads, nor Tony Bennett’s bodyguards in Vegas (he defeated them under five seconds, see Bruce Thomas’ book), nor a host of bad cats who were out to take his head off, including DeMile; DeMile says the seattle guys, mostly big experienced guys said “Bruce could beat us all at the same time.” what other fighter engenders that respect? Not an Ali, nor any other legendary boxer. Just for fun, Bruce would put his hand on a butcher block on the movie set and dare the cooks to cleaver down. What fighter has that confidence/craziness? His kick snapped a heavy bag’s chain; he kicked one guy at Julie Andrew’s house 12 feet in the air and then he backpedled another 100 feet to land in the flowers!
To say Lee wasn’t the real thing is to close one’s eyes to history.