Muhammad Ali and His Ides of March (Second of Two Parts)
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 29 Mar 2020
Frazier drops Ali.
The Ides of March was originally simply a Roman date or division of days in a month. But it became a symbol of something ominous when it was on this date Julius Caesar was assassinated by a cabal of senators out to save the Republic from his dictatorial ambition.
For some reasons, Ides of March has come to mean not just a particular date or day but the whole of the month itself. Hence when an accident, tragedy of calamity happens within the month, people are apt to attribute it to Ides of March.
Talking of boxing and one of its biggest figure, in fact widely recognized as the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali, the month of March proved not only very challenging but even ominous.
In his nearly two decade as pro boxer, Ali figured in seven bouts held in the month of March and while he was victorious in most of these fights, he also suffered two of his biggest defeats. And in the fights that he won, circumstances both inside and outside the ring would test his character and pose questions about his abilities moving forward.
ALI VS JOE FRAZIER (1st Meeting) March 8, 1971
After more than three years of forced inactivity, Ali eventually got back his boxing license in 1970 following a US Supreme Court decision upholding his right to seek exemption from military draft and service on account of his religious conviction.
But already holding the world heavyweight championship was Joe Frazier who won universal recognition following a tournament to fill the vacancy where he defeated among others fellow top contenders Jerry Quarry and Jimmy Ellis, Ali's friend and former sparring partner.
Ali had to fight his way to world ranking and title contention meeting consecutively Quarry and tough Argentine Oscar Bonavena between October and December 1970. He easily defeated Quarry by third round technical knockout but needed nearly all of fifteen rounds to stop Bonavena to win the vacant NABF heavyweight title.
By virtue of his victory over Bonavena who had previously lost two close bouts to Frazier, Ali earned the right to challenge for and regain the heavyweight championship he never lost in the ring in the first place.
Billed as the Battle of the Century, the Ali-Frazier bout was the richest fight at that time with each man guaranteed $2.5 million each, the largest payday for any athlete or entertainer then.
With most the USA and more than fifty countries paying to watch the fight live from Madison Square Garden, Ali tried to relive his championship peak form from the 60s but barely back after more than three years of ring absence, he was still rusty.
Ali showed flashes of his old brilliance in the earlier rounds using his speed, fancy footwork and rapid fire combination to dominate Frazier. But by the middle rounds, it became clear that he could not sustain the pace and Frazier begun to cut the ring and put him into the ropes and corners where Joe punished him with hooks to the head and body.
Ali was able to rally and keep the fight close by the championship rounds, snapping Frazier's head back with solid combos while backing up and moving out of the corners. But near the end of the 14th round, he nearly went down from a ponderous hook by Frazier.
Frazier clinched the win by downing Ali with a powerful left to the jaw for the mandatory eight count. Ali to his credit finished on his feet but absorbed heavy punishments in doing so.
Referee Arthur Mercante had it 8-6-1 while judges Artie Aidala had it 9-6 and 11-4 in rounds won for a unanimous decision in favor of Frazier
The fight more than lived up to the expectation and fans worldwide celebrated the event as well worth their while and money. Frazier's stock and popularity soared to all time high while questions were raised about the future of Ali's just restarted ring career.
ALI VS KEN NORTON (First Meeting), March 31, 1973
By this time, Joe Frazier was already unseated brutally by George Foreman who scored a shocking second round technical knockout in Kingston, Jamaica on January 22, 1973 to lift the heavyweight championship.
Frazier did not fight the rest of 1971 after beating Ali as he savored his victory and rested from his injuries. He had two title defenses against easy opponents in 1972 and that probably did him in against the streaking Foreman.
Ali on the other hand made up for lost time by inserting ten fights--and ten wins, five in defense of his NABF title--between July 1971 and February 1973 or a space of less than two years!
Ali was on an overdrive to earn a shot versus Foreman. He decided to take another fight near the end the following month, March 1973 against a little known former Marine turned pro boxer by the name of Ken Norton for the 6th defense of his NABF heavyweight title.
Ali was in a haste--he even agreed to fight Norton in his hometown San Diego, California--and in so doing, he wasted an opportunity for an immediate crack at Foreman.
Clearly underestimating and looking past Norton, Ali was not prepared to what Norton brought to the ring that March 31, 1983 at the San Diego Sports Center---rugged athleticism, toughness and a fighting style much akin to that of Doug Jones earlier and Frazier in 1971 that tested him sternly from the get go.
Norton broke Ali's jaw as early as the second round and Ali and his corner had to hide that injury from Norton's knowledge as Ali tried to salvage a losing fight while secretly fighting hurt.
Ali did not convince the scoring referee and one of the judges who both scored the fight for Norton 7-4-1 and 5-4-3. The second judge gave it to Ali, 6-5-1, for the split decision verdict.
Ali earned $210,000 while Norton took home his then biggest purse of$50,000.
Norton said a book by Napolean Hill, Think and Grow Rich where the author wrote, " Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later to the man who thinks he can" inspired him in his win over Ali.
The usually eloquent Ali was reduced to saying, "Imagine having your jaw broken and you have to fight ten more rounds."
Though he got back at Norton in their rematch a few months later, still it was Norton who got the first shot against Foreman.
Foreman easily knocked out Norton in their fight early in 1974 and that raised serious questions about the capability of Ali to be competitive much less to survive against Big George in the event of their title confrontation.
Of course, Ali overcome all the challenges and proved the doubters wrong in cementing his billing as the GOAT.
But he never fought in any major testy bout in the month of March again (the March 24, 1975 title defense against the Bayonne Bleeder, Chuck Wepner does not count in my books)
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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