He lost to future world light welterweight champion Gene Hatcher in San Antonio, but he beat former world title challenger Maurice Termite Watkins at "The Battle of the Champions'" undercard in Miami, to complete his 1982 boxing campaign.
After the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003, Ali met with Maurice Watkins, a former professional world title challenger who had been assigned by the American government to train Iraq's Olympic boxing team.
He stopped former WBC lightweight champ Esteban De Jesús in the 13th round in July 1980 on the Holmes-LeDoux undercard; decisioned Termite Watkins over 15 on the Holmes-Ali undercard; won a 15-round nod over Jo Kimpuani on yet another undercard for a Larry Holmes fight (this time it was vs. Leon Spinks); went to Indonesia to decision Thomas Americo; and, in his last bout leaving the ring as champion, decisioned Obisio Nwankpa in Nigeria.
Escalera became a wrestler before returning to boxing, and had a strong comeback as a Lightweight, beating men like Maurice Watkins and Gene Hatcher before suffering a detached retina and retiring from boxing for good in 1983.
Maurice Ravel | Maurice Chevalier | Maurice Maeterlinck | Maurice Richard Arena | Watkins Glen International | Watkins Glen | Maurice Delafosse | Maurice Sendak | Maurice Gibb | Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus | Maurice Elvey | Maurice Duruflé | Maurice Béjart | Maurice | Maurice Tourneur | Maurice Merleau-Ponty | Watkins Glen, New York | Saint-Maurice | Maurine Dallas Watkins | Maurice Richard | Maurice LaMarche | Maurice Kanbar | Maurice Jarre | Maurice Fitzgerald | Maurice de Saxe | Maurice Bishop International Airport | Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne | Maurice Utrillo | Maurice Petty | Maurice Lucas |