During the Oilers 40th Anniversary Season, EdmontonOilers.com is looking back at the history of the franchise weekly with Throwback Thursdays.
EDMONTON, AB - Dave Semenko played the role of enforcer for the Oilers for parts of 10 seasons from 1977-87, tasked regularly with the protection of 'The Great One' on the ice.
But a bout with 'The Greatest' would be one of the hardest assignments of his career.
On June 12, 1983, Semenko traded his hockey gloves for boxing gloves for a three-round exhibition with former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in front of an Edmonton crowd of 6,000 strong at the Northlands Coliseum.
THROWBACK THURSDAY: Semenko punches above his weight
EdmontonOilers.com examines the time the late Dave Semenko traded his hockey gloves for boxing gloves for three rounds in the ring against Muhammad Ali in June of 1983.
![THROWBACK_Semenko_Ali](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_ratio16_9-size20/f_png/prd/e0r1mlqk46qsdzxxbpwd.png)
![THROWBACK_Semenko_Ali_2](https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_ratio16_9-size20/f_png/prd/nmcu44epjzgpf5nur7vq.png)