Muhammad Ali’s last fight in 1977 had been a lackluster win over the limited Alfredo Evangelista in May. It was obvious the two-time champ had slowed down a great deal, and at 35, was nearing the end. He signed to fight the hard punching Earnie Shavers in September at Madison Square Garden,and I don’t think he realized what a difficult task it would turn out to be,
Shavers visibly hurt Ali in the second round, and on a few other occasions as well. The champ would later say “He hit me so hard, it rattled my ancestors in Africa.” The September 29th bout was on NBC tv, and I remember watching it on the new 19 inch color tv my mom had purchased. The judge’s scores were broadcast live that night, something I didn’t care for.
As the fight progressed, Ali dug deep and boxed well. He landed solid combinations throughout the bout, and almost finished Shavers in the closing rounds. He won a tough, but unanimous decision in what would be the last really good and solid performance of his illustrious career. Closing in on 36, the years had caught up to Ali, and his days would turn out to be numbered.
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