Comments Thread For: Ali-Frazier Fight Was Watched Live By Estimated 300 Million Worldwide 50 Years Ago Today

[champion4ever]

A prime Muhammad Ali would've dusted the floor with Joe Frazier that night. It was clearly obvious that Ali was no longer the same fighter he once was in the first half of his career. That three and a half year lay off had aged and took a lot out of him. His timing was off, he was no longer as fast or had the same amount of energy, that he once had earlier in his career; Which is why he was laying on the ropes so much throughout the first Al/Frazier fight and subsequently developed the rope a dope style because he knew that could no longer dance for fifteen rounds without getting tired in the second half of his career.

[Larry the boss]

1971 Tunney's record stood until Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali each earned $2.5 million for their heavyweight title fight.

1974 The heavyweight champion George Foreman

earns $5 million and the

former champion Ali

earns $5.45 million for

The Rumble in the

Jungle.


$7.5 million

1980 The defending

welterweight

Ray Leonard is

guaranteed this

amount against

Roberto Duran.


$30 million

1996 Tyson earns this as a challenger in his knockout of the defending heavyweight champion Frank Bruno

[QballLobo]

Back then the Heavyweight champion was one of the most recognizable people in the world. Hasn’t been that way since Tyson’s prime.

[Roadblock]

Free to air television makes all the difference.

Look at these numbers .

Aired as scheduled on January 14, 1973 Elvis 'Aloha from Hawaii' was the first global concert satellite broadcast, the PR stating it as reaching approximately 1.5 billion viewers live and on USA TV delay.

[boxinglife8]

Numbers dont lie boxing now aint nothing compared to what it used to

[The D3vil]

And people argue that boxing isn't in decline?

[Oldskoolg]

That’s what happens when you have the sport of boxing accessible to the public rather than PPV and apps

[SweetPbfAli]

Better days for boxing.

[TheGR8TESTOAT]

Boxing today, 600-800K Views are considered "Solid to Good Ratings" in this ERA. The World use to STOP for big boxing matches/super fights. Now I question if Boxing will ever break 1 Million PPV Buys (here in America)...a legit 1 Million Buys and not numbers that are embellished to make a Promotion and Network look good

I remember Trinidad vs Whittaker doing a 16.5 Rating on HBO which is just insane! HBO was in far less homes at that time compared to now

yeah bro my pops would tell me all kinds of stories about this fight and the rest of Ali's biggest fights and SRL, Hagler etc. when he talks about these I kinda get jealous we got F'd over by not even being alive during most of the GOAT matchups and different era when there was no promoter networks BS. I'm wondering if boxing will ever come back to that???

[15round]

Numbers are impressive, Keep in mind back in those days there 3 total channels, and also this was world wide. Mayweather vs Pac did 90 million world wide viewership, Canelo vs Mayweather, 55 million, Canelo vs GGG 40 million. It's not 300 million but pretty good considering there's 500 thousand channels and apps.

Great point. That wasn't long after the first walk on the moon. What are people going to watch? Hollywood Squares, Leave it to Beaver or the Moon walk. A, B, or C?