ALI VS. FRAZIER I - THE REAL FIGHT OF THE CENTURY
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 08 May 2015
The Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao unified world welterweight championship was dubbed "The Fight of the Century." But boxing fans and scribes around the world bombarded the over-hyped encounter with criticisms due to Mayweather's run and clinch style and Pacquiao's inability to fight 100% effectively because of his shoulder injury.
That fight failed to live up to its much publicized billing and paled in comparison to the first match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier which was also called "The Fight of the Century." Both boxers that time hugged the limelight of the international media. Ali was stripped of his world heavyweight title because of his failure to join the Vietnam war military draft due to his Muslim religious beliefs. Frazier, like Pacquiao read the Bible and loved to sing, was the world heavyweight champion.
Ali, who called himself the People's Champion, challenged Frazier, that time the current champion, at the Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971. Interests soared high as both fighters were undefeated. The showdown was the most anticipated heavyweight title fight, similar to that of the Mayweather-Pacquiao tussle.
The fight was filled with celebrities and boxing stars. It was a unique rumble because it was the first time in the history of world boxing that an undefeated former heavyweight champion fought against an unbeaten defending champion. At that time, Ali's record was 31-0 with 25 knockouts.
Frazier won the title against Jimmy Ellis in 1970 and at that time of fight his record was 26-0 with 23 knockouts. When they climbed atop the ring Frazier was 27 while Ali was 29.
Both fighters inked a guaranteed purse of $2.5 million, which was the biggest that time. All seats in The Garden was sold out a full month before the fight and ringside tickets were sold at a record breaking price of $150.
Ali was a boxer and Frazier was a puncher and their matchup was perfect for each other's style. Ali had excellent footwork and speedy hands while Frazier had his most destructive left hook plus the unshakable determination to wear out his opponent.
Ali weighed 215 pounds for the fight while Frazier weighed 205?. Ali said he will knock Frazier out in six rounds. But Frazier kept chasing after Ali whose flamboyant legwork added glamour to the action-packed contest. Unlike Mayweather who obviously zoomed away from Pacquiao's punches for fear of bring thrashed.
The splended event lasted for 15 rounds where both giants ferociously showed great boxing to the delight of the 20,455 spectators of The Garden and the 300 million who watched in
closed-circuit television around the globe.
With 49 seconds left in the 11th round, Frazier cornered Ali and with his vaunted left hooks caused Ali to go down on his knees. He just hanged on until 2:34 of the 15th round when Frazier unleashed a solid left hook and dropped Ali again.
The fight was decided by the judges as follows: Artie Aidala, 9-6 for Frazier; Bill Recht, 11-4 for Frazier and referee Arthur Mercante had it 8-6, with one even round, for Frazier.
The unforgettable event motivated Ali and Frazier to face each other two more times. In Ali- Frazier II in January 28, 1974, Ali won by unanimous decision and in The Thrilla in Manila in October 1, 1975, Ali won by TKO when Frazier failed to answer the bell on the 15th round.
The "real" Fight of the Century set the tone for one of the most dramatic trilogies in boxing history. Theirs is the fiercest rivalry in the annals of prizefighting. They give their best when they fought each other.
The "latest" Fight of the Century, the most expensive match ever, frustrated millions of fans who expected another Ali-Frazier like classic. If ever a Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch would be realized, we just keep our fingers crossed.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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