Ali vs. Frazier: the Fight of the Century

[The Noose]

Im downloading the fight now, i should have it uploaded later.

[Frazier's 15th round]

From ESB:

"An article in the Winnipeg Free Press from March 17, 1973 claims that in the first fight between Frazier and Ali, Frazier landed 579 punches while Ali landed 592 punches. If accurate, this is far higher than the highest number of punches landed in heavyweight title fights in recent years. Even taking into account that the fight was 15 rounds this still seems incredible."

So much for Ali outlanding Frazier 3:1.

[QueensburyRules]

Maybe I'm nuts, but it's come up a lot lately (and in the past) and it bothers me. I have Ali winning at least 8-9 rounds in this fight, with the big rounds (11 and 15) of course going to Frazier. While Frazier showed incredible heart, stamina, and had Ali out on his feet in the 11th, I believe that Ali won on points and on rounds. Since the fight was scored by rounds, I think that Frazier may have been gifted by a change of heart from the judges as the fight progressed. Not that Frazier didn't fight a spectacular fight, I just think that Ali was taken a bit.

Your thoughts....

- -back in the day as a kid, easy to buy into Ali claim that The Man stole his title.

Once I saw it years later did I realize Ali and his fans were the ones robbing Joe of his credit for BTFO Ali.

Magnificent fight!

[slasher092]

my favourite fight of the 3 , frazier 9 - 6

[PRINCEKOOL]

I enjoyed this documentary more than 'The Thrilla in Manila' HBO documentary.

Frazier was in a bad way after the fight.

[a.rihn]

My impression is that boxing fans generally feel the Ali/Frazier fights were better and tougher than the Ali/Foreman fights. Does that seem true to you?

Yet Ali/Foreman holds a larger place in the popular imagination, is more well-known, talked about, and beloved to casuals and non-boxing people. I have my own thoughts, but why do you think this is the case?

[johnbook]

By the scoring they had then Ali did win. This was not the 10 pt must system with an extra point for a KD or overwhelming rd. Just a 0 or 1.

The rds Frazier won he won big, but Ali did win more rds. There was much talk after that judges had Ali ahead but after KD in the 15th they changed all their scores.

So people should score that fight with the old system and to me Ali won 8 or 9 rds.

[QueensburyRules]

By the scoring they had then Ali did win. This was not the 10 pt must system with an extra point for a KD or overwhelming rd. Just a 0 or 1.

The rds Frazier won he won big, but Ali did win more rds. There was much talk after that judges had Ali ahead but after KD in the 15th they changed all their scores.

So people should score that fight with the old system and to me Ali won 8 or 9 rds.

- -If Ali won the most rds, he would've won the fight...Duh!!!

Frazier won the most and wide on the two judges cards. Only Mecante had them close to use the supplementary scoring system.

The sidenote is msg matchmaker Teddy Brenner caught Dundee and Ali loosening the ropes the day before the fight aka Zaire and ordered them to vacate the building so they could secure a regulation ring.

[club fighter]

Well.... .. I guess I'm going to show my age here.

This is the fight that got me started as a boxing fan. I was 11 years old, it had one of the biggest buildups in fight history, and it was playing closed-circuit at the cow Palace just a few blocks from my house. My whole grammar school was wrapped up in the "Ali" thing, as he just recently changed its name, and everybody in my school thought he was going to win, except me and one other kid.... we took a lot of grief for it.

It was easily one of the most competitive and exciting matches so those who feel that Ali won are not totally out of line, or should be chastised for the view, but you have to keep in mind this was a time before "Sweet science" really sunk in on the fans of the sport. The momentum in the bout went back and forth several times, and you can easily see how judges at that time might not give Ali those rounds where he backpedaled and stung Joe with the jab and straight right, while giving Joe (the champ) some of those rounds just on the basis of pressing the action and moving forward.

The unanimous decision speaks for itself, with the champ sealing the deal with the devastating knock down, and having Ali out on his feet on several occasions, while Joe never looked like he was in trouble at any point in the bout.

History has that one right, and most of the kids at my school resented me and the other kid for the rest of the semester.

[BattlingNelson]

- -If Ali won the most rds, he would've won the fight...Duh!!!

Frazier won the most and wide on the two judges cards. Only Mecante had them close to use the supplementary scoring system.

The sidenote is msg matchmaker Teddy Brenner caught Dundee and Ali loosening the ropes the day before the fight aka Zaire and ordered them to vacate the building so they could secure a regulation ring.

Source for the Brenner claim?