Ali was uncharacteristically silent before his February 1978 bout with Leon Spinks. One of his only prefight poems was in response to a fan that wished him luck. "Don't need no luck with The Duck."  was his reply.

Leon Spinks won the fight by a split decision. Ali regained his title in a September rematch that same year.

Other memorable Nicknames:
Sonny Liston  - The Bear
Charlie Powell  - The Beast
Cleveland Williams  - The Pussycat
Floyd Patterson  - The Rabbit
Joe Frazier  - The Gorilla
George Chuvalo  - The Washerwoman
George Foreman  - The Mummy
Larry Holmes  - The Peanut
Earnie Shavers  - The Acorn