George Foreman vs. the Toronto Five

In 1975, the former heavyweight champion George Foreman faced off against five opponents in a single afternoon in Toronto. Each bout consisted of three three-minute rounds. Muhammad Ali, who had recently fought Foreman in the iconic 'Rumble in the Jungle,' was present at ringside, providing commentary for the ABC television network. Foreman, aiming to restore his reputation, took on respectable fighters including Alonzo Johnson, Pedro Agosto, Mac Foster, Terry Daniels, and Boone Kirkman. Despite the boos from the crowd, Foreman emerged victorious in all matches. 'I put on a show. I fought five guys, and I made it through. It was a big victory for me,' Foreman said afterward.

Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio 'The Pelican' Inoki

Nine months after his final fight against Joe Frazier in the 'Thrilla in Manila,' Ali was back in action, this time in Tokyo. In June 1976, he faced the massive Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki, earning a cool $6 million for the bout, which was held at the sold-out Budokan and billed as the 'Toughest Man on the Planet' contest. Ali had nicknamed Inoki 'The Pelican' due to his prominent chin. The match turned into a bizarre spectacle, with Inoki lying on the canvas mostly kicking, while Ali dodged and threw just six punches over 15 rounds.

Muhammad Ali vs. Lyle Alzado

In July 1979, at the age of 37, Ali participated in an eight-round exhibition against the burly American football star Lyle Alzado at Mile High Stadium in Colorado. Ali had recently regained the heavyweight title from Leon Spinks, while Alzado was seeking a new contract with the Denver Broncos. Before the match, Ali taunted Alzado, saying, 'We're friends now, we smile and we laugh. But when the bell rings, we rumble. You've got some nerve. I'm not in shape to fight no Joe Frazier or Foreman, but I'm in shape for a football player.' Despite the hype, only 15,000 spectators showed up, leaving 60,000 seats empty for a lackluster exhibition.

Shaquille O'Neal vs. Oscar De La Hoya

In 2009, the basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal took on other sports figures in a TV series called 'Shaq Vs.' One of these bouts was against boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya in Paradise, Nevada. The fight consisted of four two-minute rounds and a one-minute fifth round. Despite his size advantage, O'Neal was outboxed by De La Hoya, who won unanimously. O'Neal later commented, 'I held back 'cause he was my friend.'

Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor

In August 2017, the undefeated Floyd Mayweather, with 49 professional fights across five weight classes, faced off against Conor McGregor, a mixed martial artist with no professional boxing experience. Mayweather was set to earn $100 million from the highly publicized 'superfight.' After securing a 10th-round TKO victory, Mayweather announced his retirement from boxing.

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