Why did it take Frazier 3 years to give Ali a rematch?

[boxingbuff]

Stander made a fight out of it for 3 rounds though. He got Frazier's attention with a strong right hand in the first round. Frazier did not seem to be in peak form in my opinion.



I do think it was a more polished performance than his previous one against Daniels, which he dominated, but was also hit in:

[boxingbuff]

But Frazier was always a slow starter wasn't he?

[TheGreatA]

But Frazier was always a slow starter wasn't he?

Not always. Watch him against Zyglewicz, who was equally as good (or bad) as Daniels or Stander. He may have been a slow starter against Ali, Quarry and Ellis but those fighters were a class above.

[boxingbuff]

Not always. Watch him against Zyglewicz, who was equally as good (or bad) as Daniels or Stander. He may have been a slow starter against Ali, Quarry and Ellis but those fighters were a class above.

Frazier said in his book that Zyglewicz was the worst fighter he ever fought.He said he was "scared to death" before the fight when Frazier stared at him when the referee was giving them instructions.He said he turned white then blue,and so many colors from being scared he didn't know what color he really was,Lol

Frazier started slowly both times against Bonavena too.He started slowly against Buster Mathias,and got knocked down early by Bruce.Frazier was a slow starter.Unless he fought a real tomato can.

[TheGreatA]

Frazier said in his book that Zyglewicz was the worst fighter he ever fought.He said he was "scared to death" before the fight when Frazier stared at him when the referee was giving them instructions.He said he turned white then blue,and so many colors from being scared he didn't know what color he really was,Lol

Frazier started slowly both times against Bonavena too.He started slowly against Buster Mathias,and got knocked down early by Bruce.Frazier was a slow starter.Unless he fought a real tomato can.

He didn't fight scared from what I saw. Daniels and Stander weren't really any better than him. I wouldn't say that he started slowly against Bonavena, Mathis, he was just in there against competitive fighters and took over when the opponent started to tire. It was not that Frazier somehow got better as the fight progressed, he was just like a machine who would keep going for 15 rounds and eventually the opponent would wilt.

[fight_professor]

FOTC is tough as. I rewatched it for the nth time just the other day, it was brutal. Not as much as Manila, but enough. As guys have explained, recovery and then losses for both plus letting it simmer to boost returns etc.

Frazier was whupped pretty badly in the 2nd fight, and of course we all know the war that happened after that.

They should have 1 more fight. In a "veterans" tourney. :P