Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II John Tate and Gerrie Coetzee for the vacant WBA title. "We knew Muhammad Ali was going to retire," Arum said, "but as long as he delayed, I couldn't make definite plans." However, in October 1980 Ali returned to face WBC Champion Larry Holmes but was stopped by TKO in the 10th round. He then retired for good after a lackluster loss to Trevor Berbick in December 1981, thus making this fight the final win in Ali's career. Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II, was a professional boxing match contested on September 15, 1978 in
Muhammad Ali vs. Buster Mathis Muhammad Ali vs. Buster Mathis Muhammad Ali and Buster Mathis fought each other in a twelve-round boxing match at the Astrodome in Houston on November 17, 1971.Ali dominated the fight throughout and won easily on points. Ali knocked Mathis down twice in eleventh round and twice again in the final round but refused to move in for a knockout out of compassion for Mathis. Ali had joked before the fight that "I'm going to do to Buster what the Indians did to Custer". One of the fight posters promoting the match said "Be there when the Mountain comes to Muhammad".