The first time I ever watched professional boxing match was on February 16, 1970. It was on Wide World of Sports ,and it was Joe Frazier vs. Jimmy Ellis in Madison Square Garden. Joe had been champ since 1968, while Jimmy Ellis had outpointed Jerry Quarry to win the WBA belt Ali had relinquished. Nothing was better than watching a fight on free tv and in this case on ABC with Howard Cosell.
Joe was a local Philadelphia favorite, and not knowing much about the sport, I tuned in out of curiosity. The whole thing was one-sided, and Joe overwhelmed Ellis from the start. Frazier knocked Jimmy down twice in the fourth round, and his cornerman Angelo Dundee wouldn’t let him answer the bell for the fifth round.
It sparked a curiosity in me but at only 9, I was really more interested in the upcoming baseball season. Over the years my love for the sport would grow, but not really until after high school.
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