My new style on the ropes is called the "Rope-A-Dope."

Ali is naming—and marketing—an in-ring tactic as if it were an artistic “style.” “Rope-a-dope” refers to leaning back on the ropes, inviting an opponent to throw heavy punches that mostly glance off or are absorbed, with the aim of tiring the attacker and creating openings later. The quote captures Ali’s showman’s instinct: he turns a defensive, energy-conserving strategy into a memorable phrase that frames the fight on his terms. It also signals psychological warfare—suggesting forethought and control—while implying the opponent is being lured into wasting effort.