", was a professional boxing bout contested on October 2, 1980, in Las Vegas for the WBC and vacant The Ring heavyweight championships.

Look for Ali to decision Holmes," said Rollie Schwartz, past national chairman of the AAU Boxing Commission prior to the fight.

[3] After defeating Leon Spinks to regain the WBA heavyweight title on September 15, 1978, Ali announced his retirement in June 1979.

On March 5, he agreed to fight John Tate, the new WBA heavyweight champion, in a bout tentatively scheduled for June.

"[5] On April 28, it was officially announced that Ali and Holmes would box on July 11 in Rio de Janeiro at the 165,000-seat Maracanã Stadium.

Rio de Janeiro State Sports Superintendent Ricardo Labre said, "The chances are 99.9 percent against the bout being held here."

[9] Due to concerns for Ali's health, the Nevada State Athletic Commission had the former champion examined at Minnesota's Mayo Clinic as a prerequisite to being granted a boxing license.

His neurological exam was conducted by Dr. Frank Howard, whose report contained the following information: Ali showed a slight degree of missing when he tried to touch his finger to his nose, he had difficulty in coordinating the muscles used in speaking, and he did not hop on one foot with expected agility.

[10] Ali claimed to overuse the medication Thyrolar while training,[clarify] which may have contributed to his sluggish performance during the fight.

Most famously, ABC's Wide World of Sports commentator Howard Cosell lamented that the fight was difficult to watch and that, given the legend Ali was, the referee should stop it.

Holmes' insistent and rudimentary assembly of punches and combinations put on full display the aging Ali's inability to mount sufficient defense and meaningfully attack opponents.