So Ferdy Pacheco basically says, dude, you've got to quit because your body is,

it can't take this kind of beating. You're starting to experience really bad damage. He tells

that to Ali and Ali refuses to quit. And so Ferdy Pacheco quits because he just said, I don't want

to be around for this. And what he said is, I don't want to be around when Ali comes up to me and

doesn't know who I am. He doesn't know my name because he's taken such a bad beating. So he quits

Madison Square Garden refuses to host any more of his fights because they are also aware of the

physical decline and the damage. So this is all things that are knowable at the time. But he keeps

going. He eventually ends up in Las Vegas where he takes such a beating from Larry Holmes

that Larry Holmes cries after the fight. It was so upsetting to him. What happened? Then Ali

can't even get licensed in the United States, which is pretty remarkable because it wasn't really

high standards to get licensed. But he can't. So he ends up fighting in the Philippines in some

crazy fight where all the boxers had to share gloves and they were using a cowbell. I mean,

it was just, it was, you know, it's what you would expect, right? And some low rent, you know,

unlicensed fighters fighting in the Philippines. And then we know what happened, right? Horrible

physical and mental decline because he just really stuck around too long in a situation where

people around him were very clear like they were quitting on him because they were saying to him

you need to quit. And then when he refused, they were walking away. So this is the thing about

perseverance versus quitting is that context matters.

I'm Streny Rowe and this is the unmistakable creative podcast where you get a window into the

stories and insights of the most innovative and creative minds who've started movements,

built driving businesses, written best selling books and created an insanely interesting art.

For more, check out our 500 episode archive at unmistakablecreative.com.

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