Frazier knocked Ali down for only the third time in his career in the final round of their first meeting.
Considering that the sport of boxing is known for using hype to try and turn the most mundane match into a “must see moment”, you might question the validity of a fight dubbed the “Fight of the Century.” However, when undefeated heavyweights Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali met in the ring for the first time at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971 there was little question that this was a special night and an important moment in the history of boxing.
Perhaps not since the second Louis-Schmeling fight more than 30 years earlier had a heavyweight fight been as anticipated.
The fight matched the controversial Ali, who had been stripped of the Heavyweight Title after refusing induction into the military, against the man who had ultimately taken his place as the Heavyweight Champion.
The 29-year-old Ali entered the fight with a career record of 31-0 (25 knockouts), including two victories in tune-ups since being reinstated after a three and a half year layoff from the sport.
The 27-year-old Frazier was in his prime with a 26-0 record, including 23 wins by knockout.
This battle of titans brought out many of the stars of the day, including Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster, Dustin Hoffman, Diana Ross and Woody Allen. Just to ensure they were close to the action, Sinatra served as a photographer for Life magazine and Lancaster served as a “color commentator” on the television broadcast. Read the rest of this entry →
Few gave Buster Douglas a chance against Mike Tyson.
It was one of the most stunning and shocking upsets in boxing history. The unbeatable fighter beaten by a classic underdog.
Before February 11, 1990, there was a growing belief that Mike Tyson (known as the baddest man on the planet) could not be defeated.
Few believed that James “Buster” Douglas, who had lost the IBF title to Tony Tucker in 1987, would be more than another early casualty when he faced the dominant Tyson in Tokyo. He was considered a 42 to 1 longshot by Las Vegas.
Though the fight was close from the beginning, when Tyson knocked down Douglas in the ninth round most experts believed it was over.
However, rather than fading away, Douglas regained his strength and in the 10th round threw the punch that would forever change boxing.
Instead of a decade of Tyson dominance, the 1990s saw a plethora of boxing champions and began its slow fade from relevancy.
The loss also proved the beginning of the end for Tyson. His dominance now broken, Tyson was never again the Baddest Man on the Planet and eventually landed in prison and then obscurity.
Below are highlights from the fight, including the deciding blow by Douglas.
Happy 68th Birthday to three-time Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali.
In honor of the 68th birthday of one of the great sports personalities of the 20th Century, Sports Then and Now has selected some YouTube moments to remember the remarkable career of the self-proclaimed “Greatest of All-Time.”
Born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942 with the name Cassius Marcellus Clay, Muhammad Ali emerged on the boxing scene in 1960 when he won Light Heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Olympics.
He defeated Sonny Liston to win the Heavyweight Title on February 25, 1964 and held it for more than three years with nine title defenses before he was stripped of the title after refusing induction into the U.S. Army.
Ali returned to the ring in 1970 and claimed the WBA and/or WBC Heavyweight Championship two more times during his career. Overall, he went 56-5 in his career, including 22 wins where he either won or regained the WBA and/or WBC Heavyweight title.
Below are some videos featuring the greatness of Muhammad Ali:
