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The Fight of The Century - Muhammad Ali vs Frazier
A 16x20 Inch Colour Glossy Photograph of Muhammad
Ali and Joe Frazier taken from the Press Pack issued by
Madison Square Garden. The fight was unique in that, for
the first time in history, it matched an unbeaten former
heavyweight champion against the unbeaten current champ.
Muhammad Ali was stripped of his title after refusing induction into
the Army in 1967. Since he had not lost the crown in the
ring, Muhammad Ali proclaimed himself the People's Champion.Signed
in Blue Sharpie by BOTH Ali and Joe Frazier and comes complete
with Online Authentics Certificate.
We only have one of these signed photographs
in Colour left. All Postage costs will be calculated at
checkout. This item will be shipped Unframed in a protective
tube within 7 days.
£2,495.00
The Fight of the Century
IN THIS era of over-hyped fights and paper champions, promoters
artfully build fights with catchy superlatives and clever
nicknames. At times, the fight itself cannot match its bombastic
buildup. However, there remains one fight that truly lived
up to it's billing. The first contest between Muhammad Ali
and Joe Frazier was simply called "The Fight of the
Century."
To this day, the billing rings true.
When Ali challenged Frazier at Madison Square
Garden on March 8, 1971, the ramifications reached far beyond
the boxing ring. America had just emerged from the turbulent
1960s and the nation was divided. Ali was still held in
contempt by much of the country. He was viewed as a brash,
draft-dodging, Muslim who embodied the defiance and spirit
of both the anti-war movement and the radical chic. Frazier
-- who read the Bible and liked to sing -- was held up as
the conscientious, blue-collar champion.
THE SHOWDOWN was the most anticipated heavyweight
title fight since Joe Louis defeated Max Schmeling in their
1938 rematch at Yankee Stadium. It remains a night to remember.
Of those who participated that evening, seven
have been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of
Fame in Canastota, New York. They are Ali, Frazier, referee
Arthur Mercante, matchmaker Teddy Brenner, Garden president
Harry Markson, Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee, Frazier's trainer
Eddie Futch and a broadcast team that included Don Dunphy
and Archie Moore.
Futch, a six-decade veteran of the sweet science,
has said he has never seen a night like it before or since.
There were more than 700 working press credentials issued
for the fight and at least 500 more were turned down. The
fight was a happening with celebrities such as Barbra Streisand,
Bill Cosby, Sammy Davis Jr. and Hugh Hefner sitting ringside.
Dustin Hoffman and Diana Ross were chased out of the press
section but Frank Sinatra had a position along the ring
apron as a photographer for Life Magazine.
The fight was unique in that for the first
time in history it matched an unbeaten former heavyweight
champion against the unbeaten current champ. Ali was stripped
of his title after refusing induction into the Army in 1967.
Since he had not lost the crown in the ring, he proclaimed
himself the People's Champion. As he entered the ring against
Frazier, his record stood at 31-0 with 25 knockouts.
IN ALI'S absence, Frazier won recognition as heavyweight
champion by the New York State Athletic Commission after
stopping Buster Mathis in 1968 and universal recognition
in 1970 after defeating WBA champion Jimmy Ellis. As he
climbed into the ring, his record was 26-0 with 23 knockouts.
Frazier was 27 years old and in his prime.
Ali was 29 and had completed two tune-up fights after three
years of inactivity. He first returned to the ring with
a third-round TKO of Jerry Quarry on October 26, 1970 and
then stopped Oscar Bonavena in the 15th round on December
7, 1970. Both opponents were formidable contenders. Following
the Bonavena fight, Ali called for Frazier.
The showdown between Ali and Frazier was the
only fight that mattered and the participants were each
compensated with a guaranteed purse of $2.5 million, a record
at the time. The Garden was sold out a full month before
the fight and ringside tickets were going for a record $150.
The promotion of the fight took an ugly turn
when Ali chided the champion as an Uncle Tom and said that
most white Americans would be rooting for Frazier. Ali later
claimed he was trying to hype the fight, but at the time
Frazier was under constant guard by police because he received
death threats before the fight.
Mercante recalled being in awe of the atmosphere,
which included Hollywood stars and national politicians
as well as former champions Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey.
The night was simply electric. Once the fighting started,
it got even better.
IF STYLES make fights, then there has never
been a pair of fighters who complemented each other more.
Ali was the boxer and Frazier the puncher. The key to Ali's
success was his speed. He possessed lightning-fast hands
and had a left jab that could dictate a fight. He also had
enough agility and footwork to escape danger. Frazier's
best punch was a devastating left hook but his greatest
asset might have been his indomitable will. A fight with
Joe Frazier was a war of attrition. It was a war he was
used to winning.
Ali weighed 215 pounds. Frazier weighed 205½.
From the opening bell it appeared that inactivity caused
Ali to lose a touch of his hand and footspeed. He chose
to stand flatfooted and go to war on the champion's terms.
It might not have been the best strategy, but it made for
marvelous action. For 15 furious rounds, Frazier stalked
Ali with his sweeping left hook while Ali countered by flashing
his jab and stiff left-right combinations. They fought at
a pace that seemed more accustomed to lightweights.
Ali predicted a sixth-round knockout but it
was Frazier who carried Round 6. He pinned Ali to the ropes
and battered the former champion to the head and body. Ali
remained on the ropes and absorbed punishment, offering
only token resistance. He launched three pitter-patter punchers
as if he were playing "Patty Cake" with the champion.
Later, Mercante would remark that Ali gave away rounds,
such as the sixth. At one point in the eighth round, Mercante
instructed him to fight.
The momentum changed in the ninth round when
Ali backed Frazier up under a barrage of left-right combinations.
They traded blows until the bell and the round was a clear
statement from Ali -- it's not over yet. However, it would
nearly end in the 11th. With 49 seconds left in that round,
Ali was trapped in a corner and then rocked by a Frazier
hook. Another hook buckled Ali's knees as he fell into the
ropes. Ali stumbled across the ring with Frazier in pursuit.
He was talking to Frazier and taunting him, never letting
on how hurt he really was. Amazingly, Ali would survive
the round.
Frazier put an exclamation mark on the night
at 2:34 of the 15th round. As Ali prepared to launch a right
uppercut, Frazier unloaded a left hook and dropped Ali.
Again, Ali would survive the round, but the fight was already
lost. The scoring by rounds was as follows: Judge Artie
Aidala, 9-6 for Frazier. Judge Bill Recht, 11-4 for Frazier.
Mercante had it 8-6, with one even round, for Frazier.
THE FIGHT was witnessed by 20,455 at the Garden
and it has been estimated that 300 million more watched
it across the world on closed-circuit television. The live
gate generated $1.3 million.
Ali and Frazier set the standard that night
at the Garden. They would meet two more times and their
rivalry stands as one of boxing's most dramatic trilogies.
Boxers will forever battle punchers, but few will do it
with the skill, grace, courage and determination of Ali
and Frazier.
They brought the best out of each other and
out of the sport of boxing.
