Joe Frazier won a portion of the heavyweight title in 1968, then unified it in February of 1970 with an easy 4th round knockout. That is the first fight I remember watching on ABC’s Wide World of Sports as a kid. When Muhammad Ali was stripped of the heavyweight championship in April of 1967 for refusing induction into the United States Army, he did not box for 3 and 1/2 years. Finally, in October of 1970, he met and defeated Jerry Quarry in Atlanta, Georgia, and stopped him on cuts in three rounds. After a 15th round knockout of tough Oscar Bonavena two months later at Madison Square Garden, Ali signed to meet the champ Joe Frazier on March 8, 1971 at the same Garden in New York City.
At the time, I was in 5th grade, but was very aware of what was billed as ‘The Fight of the Century’. I devoured the articles about the bout in Sports Illustrated, and remember vividly seeing a copy of the $2.5 million checks each man received for the fight. By the time fight night arrived, I found myself rooting for Muhammad Ali to win, and was excited when March 8th rolled around. That Monday night, I went to sleep while my older brother lay on our living room floor, and listened to a round by round description of the bout on the radio. When I awoke the next morning, I was upset to learn that Joe Frazier had won the fight, and settled for reading about it in the sports pages that night, and when my next issue of Sports Illustrated came in the mail.
Just being a kid at the time, I wasn’t aware of the details, but as a long time boxing fan, realized it truly was the ‘Greatest Fight of All Time’ to me. Two undisputed, great heavyweight champions meeting in the ring is something that will never happen again, and it is a moment etched in boxing history. I have seen the fight countless times by now, and the action was spectacular from the opening bell until the fifteenth round came to a close. Joe dropped Ali in the 15th, hurt him badly in the 11th, and proved that he was the better fighter, and deserving of the title ‘Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World’. It’s an event that will never be duplicated, shown live to hundreds of millions around the world on closed-circuit TV from Madison Square Garden in New York City, at the time the mecca of boxing. Those who were live in the Garden that night say it was hard to describe the electricity in the air, and the magic that the night created. Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali painted a canvas with their own blood that night, and it’s a beautiful piece of art that every boxing fan cherishes.
FOLLOW ME ON TIKTOK AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
LISTEN TO MY PODCAST ON SPOTIFY AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
