Edited versions of the bout were shown in movie theaters in 1970. [65] Ali's early style was so unusual that he was initially discounted because he reminded boxing writers of a lightweight, and it was assumed he would be vulnerable to big hitters like Sonny Liston. [84], In 1988, Ali and Frazier joined George Foreman, Larry Holmes, and Ken Norton in Las Vegas for the making of the film Champions Forever. Muhammed Ali, then known by his birth name of Cassius Clay, began his professional boxing career in 1960. "[31] Amidst the media and public outcry over Ali's stance, the Illinois Athletic Commission refused to sanction the fight, citing technicalities.[32]. Dundee refused. Undaunted by his loss to Frazier, Ali continued to rack up the wins, including four KOs in 1972. If I was young, I'd have danced for fifteen rounds, and Joe wouldn't have ever caught me. In an era when it might take months or years to set up a title defense, it's amazing that in 1966, Ali defended his heavyweight title five times, against five different opponents, including four KOs. [40] Foreman, increasingly angered, threw punches that were deflected and did not land squarely. KO 6, July 20. Then there was Ali's rapid-fire jab—three to five jabs in succession rapidly fired at his opponents' eyes to create a blur in [the latter's] face so he wouldn't be able to see [Ali's] right hand coming behind it. The fight was set for February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach. In the 12th round, Frazier began to tire, and Ali scored several sharp blows that closed Frazier's left eye and opened a cut over his right eye. Boxer Muhammad Ali steps away from a punch thrown by boxer Joe Frazier during their heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden in 1971. During this part of the bout Ali did some effective counter-punching, but for the most part absorbed punishment from a relentlessly attacking Frazier. These statements of confidence unsettled his taller opponent, whom Los Angeles Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had offered a record-setting contract, conditional on Chamberlain agreeing to abandon what Cooke termed "this boxing foolishness,"[41] and he did exactly that. During the lead up to the bout, Terrell repeatedly called Ali "Clay", much to Ali's annoyance. [24] The entire fight lasted less than two minutes. Midway through the first round, Liston was knocked down by a difficult-to-see blow the press dubbed a "phantom punch." "[69], An unconventional "dancing" style of footwork was popularized by Ali in the 1960s. One was a jab that Ali called the 'snake lick', like cobra striking that comes from the floor almost, really low down. When told by Joe Louis that the injury was a "left arm thrown out of its socket," Clay quipped, "Yeah, swinging at nothing, who wouldn't!"[22]. [82] In 1970, Ali had stated: "Me and Joe Frazier will be buddies. In 1973, Ken Norton broke Ali's jaw while giving him the second loss of his career. So keep on bragging, keep on sassing and always be outrageous. Despite this, Clay taunted Liston during the pre-fight buildup, dubbing him "the big ugly bear", stating "Liston even smells like a bear" and claiming "After I beat him I'm going to donate him to the zoo. "[50] Today it is considered by some to be one of Ali's most influential fights and CBS Sports said the attention the mixed-style bout received "foretold the arrival of standardized MMA years later. [48] Ali was only able to land two jabs while Inoki's kicks caused two blood clots and an infection that almost resulted in Ali's leg being amputated. muhammad ali on newspaper front page tributes - muhammad ali boxer stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images American Heavyweight boxer Cassius Clay , training in his gym, 21st May 1965. 1975-10-01. There are at least 308 records for Muhammad Ali in our database alone. harvnb error: no target: CITEREFHauser2004 (, refused to be inducted into the armed forces, Boxing record for Boxing career of Muhammad Ali, "BoxRec: All time pound for pound ratings", "BoxRec ratings: world, heavyweight, active and inactive", "Sugar Ray Robinson wins split decision from Ali", "ESPN Classic Ringside: Top 10 Heavyweights", "Fight by fight: Muhammad Ali's legendary career", "How Muhammad Ali's fascination with pro wrestling fueled his career, inspired MMA", "Clay Wins Title in Seventh-Round Upset As Liston Is Halted by Shoulder Injury", "Cassius Clay vs. Sonny Liston - 1964 Boxen", "Clay Undergoes Surgery; Fight Is Off Indefinitely", "Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston I & II - Highlights (Ali Becomes World Champion & Phantom Punch Fight! George Foreman then took over and acted as Ali's shield for the next 10 minutes. [7] In December 2007, ESPN listed Ali second in its choice of the greatest heavyweights of all time, behind Joe Louis. He found a five-acre site on a Pennsylvania country road in the village of Deer Lake, Pennsylvania. "[91][92] Soon the two were wrestling on the floor, until they were separated by onlookers. AFP news.com.au February 8, 2021 11:52am But, aside from his most famous bouts—like the 1975 "Thrilla in Manila" when he knocked out Joe Frazier—many of his boxing accomplishments are lesser known. [72], Ali's footwork notably influenced martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, who studied Ali's footwork and incorporated it into his own Jeet Kune Do style of hybrid martial arts in the 1960s. Charlie Powell, Pittsburgh. Joe Frazier. [179][180] Ali had several fights broadcast on early pay-per-view home television: [Frazier] was harder for me than Liston or Foreman, because he had what I was vulnerable to—a good in-close left hook. From then until the end of 1963, Clay amassed a record of 19–0 with 15 wins by knockout. Muhammed Ali, who died in 2016, is widely considered to be the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. That's when I decided enough is enough. [citation needed], Of his later career, Arthur Mercante said: "Ali knew all the tricks. [14], In 1960 Clay left Moore's camp, partially due to Clay's refusal to do chores such as washing dishes and sweeping. Soon after the Liston fight, Clay changed his name to Cassius X, and then later to Muhammad Ali upon converting to Islam and affiliating with the Nation of Islam. He told interviewer David Frost, "If you think the world was surprised when Nixon resigned, wait 'til I whup Foreman's behind! However, Ali soon appeared to tire and adopted the "rope-a-dope" strategy, frequently resorting to clinches. Fact is, I don't give a damn. In a 1997 interview, Frazier expressed no regret for the words he had used for Ali at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. [92][94][c], According to veteran boxing commentator Ronnie Nathanielsz, during the buildup to Thrilla in Manilla, Ali once awakened Frazier in the middle of the night by constantly screaming. Foreman was considered one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history. Ali was 32 years old, and had clearly lost speed and reflexes since his twenties. It was a bout that would inspire Sylvester Stallone to create the acclaimed film, Rocky.[46]. They want me to love him, but I'll open up the graveyard and bury his ass when the Lord chooses to take him. Everyone laughed, except Frazier. However, Clay's superior speed and mobility enabled him to elude Liston, making the champion miss and look awkward. Nope. Muhammad Ali: Record. Clay was knocked down by both Sonny Banks and Cooper. Cleveland Williams, Houston. This physical change led in part to the "rope-a-dope" strategy, where Ali would lie back on the ropes, cover up to protect himself and conserve energy, and tempt opponents to punch themselves out. In the sixth, Clay dominated, hitting Liston repeatedly. After Ali's title defense against Zora Folley on March 22, he was stripped of his title due to his refusal to be drafted to army service. Muhammad Ali's boxing record: 56 wins, 5 losses, 37 knockouts. "[44] Ali was wildly popular in Zaire, with crowds chanting "Ali, bomaye" ("Ali, kill him") wherever he went. Instead, Ali traveled to Canada and Europe and won championship bouts against George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper, Brian London and Karl Mildenberger. Clay had met Dundee in February 1957 during Clay's amateur career. Joe stayed on me, always on my chest, and from out of nowhere he'd throw the hook. Ali fought one last time, against Trevor Berbick, in the Bahamas, losing a 10-round decision—and his title. BoxRec ranks Ali as the fourteenth greatest boxer, pound for pound, of all time with 716.4 points. He said Frazier was "too dumb to be champion", that he would whip Liston "like his Daddy did", that Terrell was an "Uncle Tom" for refusing to call Ali by his name and continuing to call him Cassius Clay, and that Patterson was a "rabbit." His final record of 56 wins and 5 losses with 37 knockouts has been matched by others, but the quality of his opponents and his overwhelming success during his prime placed him among boxing’s immortals. Ali denied the accusations of cruelty but, for Ali's critics, the fight provided more evidence of his arrogance. Ali was 25% faster than Robinson, even though Ali was 45–50 pounds heavier. In assessing the fight, analysts pointed out that Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, who had given Ali four tough battles and won two of them, had both been devastated by Foreman in second-round knockouts. [note 1][4] Boxing magazine The Ring named him number one in a 1998 ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras. [9][10], These early fights were not without trials. [40] This forced Ali to become more stationary and exchange punches more frequently, exposing him to more punishment while indirectly revealing his tremendous ability to take a punch. At this time Ali was continuing his legal fight to get his boxing license back, and Frazier was the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But there were at least six different ways Ali used to jab. He added, "I am the greatest! "Frazier is too dumb to be champ." Leon Spinks, the boxing icon who took the heavyweight title off Muhammad Ali in one of the sport’s biggest upsets, has died aged 67. The strategy was dramatically successful in the George Foreman fight, but less so in the first Joe Frazier bout when it was introduced. On August 11, 1970, with his case still in appeal, Ali was granted a license to box by the City of Atlanta Athletic Commission, thanks to State Senator Leroy R. ", It was around this time that Ali started struggling with vocal stutters and trembling hands. He didn't have to do what he did. I'm the prettiest thing that ever lived. Feb. 7 (UPI) --Leon Spinks, the heavyweight boxer who upset Muhammad Ali in 1978, has died, according to The Firm, a Las Vegas public relations firm. Ali sparred less than two dozen rounds in preparation for the fight, and was seriously out of shape by the opening bell. KO 7, Feb. 20. Liston fought better in round two, but at the beginning of the third round Clay hit Liston with a combination that buckled his knees and opened a cut under his left eye. Video. A look at how Ali … [100], In a 2001 interview with The New York Times, Ali again apologized to Frazier for calling him names which, Ali claimed, was done to promote their fights. This allowed him to quickly move to wherever he wanted in the ring. Life and times of Muhammad Ali. [84], According to Ali, Frazier's style of boxing made him a tougher opponent for him than Liston or Foreman because he was vulnerable to Frazier's in-close left hook. After the fight, Homles went back to his dressing room and cried. "[104], In 2011, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of his first fight with Ali, and the year of his death, Frazier reiterated that he had forgiven Ali. Facebook; Twitter; Flipboard; Print; Email; close. The bout, which was held at Yankee Stadium, resulted in Ali winning a heavily contested decision that was loudly booed by the audience. Disciplined, world-class boxers chased Ali and threw themselves off balance attempting to hit him because he seemed to be an open target, only missing and leaving themselves exposed to Ali's counter punches, usually a chopping right. At the end of the first round, Clay opened up his attack and hit Liston repeatedly with jabs. Alfredo Evangelista, Landover. "[21], At ringside post fight, Clay appeared unconvinced that the fight was stopped due to a Liston shoulder injury, saying that the only injury Liston had was "an open eye, a big cut eye!" [30] The following table lists known ticket sales/buys for Ali fights at closed-circuit venues/theaters: Professional boxing was introduced to pay-per-view home cable television with several Muhammad Ali fights, especially the Thrilla in Manila fight between Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975, which was transmitted through HBO. His retirement was short-lived, however; Ali announced his comeback to face Larry Holmes for the WBC belt in an attempt to win the heavyweight championship an unprecedented fourth time. [8], Clay made his professional debut on October 29, 1960, winning a six-round decision over Tunney Hunsaker. A rematch occurred in September at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. "[87], Immediately after Thrilla in Manilla, Ali summoned Frazier's son Marvis to his dressing room and apologized for the things he had said about Frazier. Alonzo Johnson, Louisville. [84], Later that day, Frazier started walking towards Ali after having had too much to drink. In an interview in 1974, Ali said that, prior to his later fight with Foreman, a one-time member of Liston's entourage offered him a liniment that could be applied to boxing gloves and that would cause a blinding, temporary stinging of the eyes. So if you waited until he got into range to punch back, he beat you every time. Ali began to win frequently in 1961, including a number of quick knockouts. Ali opened the fight moving and scoring with right crosses to Foreman's head. KO 7, July 22. Ali defended his title twice during the year—once in February and again in March. While banned from sanctioned bouts, Ali settled a $1 million lawsuit against radio producer Murray Woroner by accepting $10,000 to appear in a privately staged fantasy fight against retired champion Rocky Marciano. The defeat of Frazier set the stage for a title fight against heavyweight champion George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, on October 30, 1974—a bout nicknamed The Rumble in the Jungle. An Uncle Tom. Leon Spinks, who won Olympic gold and then shocked the boxing world by beating Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight title in only his eighth pro … On several occasions in the early rounds he played to the crowd and shook his head "no" after he was hit. Herb Siler, Miami Beach, Florida. [57], The fight took place on October 2, 1980, in Las Vegas Valley, with Holmes easily dominating Ali, who was weakened from thyroid medication he had taken to lose weight. In winning this fight at the age of 22, Clay became the youngest boxer to take the title from a reigning heavyweight champion. [96][d] When Marvis conveyed Ali's contrition to his father, Frazier commented that Ali should have communicated this to him directly. On June 1, 1976, Ali removed his shirt and jacket and confronted professional wrestler Gorilla Monsoon in the ring after his match at a World Wide Wrestling Federation show in Philadelphia Arena. Williams had once been considered among the hardest punchers in the heavyweight division, but in 1964 he had been shot at point-blank range by a Texas policeman, resulting in the loss of one kidney and 10 feet (3.0 m) of his small intestine. Willi Besmanoff, Louisville. [48] After Ali's death, The New York Times declared it his least memorable fight. and "The tree will fall" during a shared interview. Associated Press. Ali was reportedly unable to block the punch when Rhee first demonstrated it to him. Throughout most of the bout, however, Ali was able to circle away from Frazier's dangerous left hook and to tie Frazier up when he was cornered, the latter a tactic that Frazier's camp complained of bitterly. He defeated boxers including Tony Esperti, Jim Robinson, Donnie Fleeman, Alonzo Johnson, George Logan, Willi Besmanoff, LaMar Clark, Doug Jones and Henry Cooper. At the time, Spinks had only seven professional fights to his credit, and had recently fought a draw with journeyman Scott LeDoux. [82], On January 23, 1974, five days before their second fight, Ali and Frazier had a public altercation captured on television. Afterwards, he announced he was retiring from boxing to practice his faith, having converted to Sunni Islam after falling out with the Nation of Islam the previous year. Almost no-one associated with the sport, not even Ali's long-time supporter Howard Cosell, gave the former champion a chance of winning. L 10. Clay won by … Proposed motivations include threats on his life from the Nation of Islam, that he had bet against himself and that he "took a dive" to pay off debts. Ali was allowed to return to fighting and scored his first professional win in three years with a KO of Jerry Quarry in October. Trevor Berbick (20-2-1) Fri, 11 Dec - 1981. round 10 of 10. Johnson. But in February Ali was reclassified by the Louisville draft board as 1-A from 1-Y, and he indicated that he would refuse to serve, commenting to the press, "I ain't got nothing against no Viet Cong; no Viet Cong never called me nigger. Holmes' trainer Richie Giachetti said, "Larry didn't want to fight Ali. I'm fighting for the little man in the ghetto.' ", "Muhammad Ali's Main Bout: African American Economic Power and the World Heavyweight Title", "History of Prizefighting's Biggest Money Fights", "Revisiting 'The Rumble in the Jungle' 40 years later", "Mike Tyson May Fight George Foreman In Biggest Money Match: $80 Million", "Ali, After a Slow Start, Stops Lyle In 11th Round of Championship Bout", "54 Facts you probably don't know about Don King", "The RING Archive: Muhammad Ali and the pussy cat", "Ali-Shavers Bout Most Watched In TV History", "How a bizarre 'bout of the century' between Muhammad Ali and Antonio Inoki led to a firm friendship", "McGregor-Mayweather reminds me of Ali-Inoki and could be the same sort of fiasco", "Jet Pollster Bannister To Call Ali-Norton Fight", "CBS was big winner when Spinks beat Ali", "Ali maps plans to retire with cameras running", "Fight Viewers Second Only To TV's 'Roots' Series", "Invitation To Murder: Cassius May Get A Crack At Liston This Summer", "Clay-Jones Fight First Garden Sellout in 13 Yrs", "Muhammad Ali v. Floyd Patterson boxing ticket", National Museum of African American History and Culture, "Ali wants Frazier after TKO over Quarry", "Clay-Quarry fight to gross $3.5 million", "The Promoters Loved the Fight But Some Fans Call It 'a Bore, "Ali—Old Punch Gone—Still Gets Big Offers", "Zaire's fight promotion opens new gold mines", "Promoter likes format used for Mon. [39] He fought Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden in December, an uninspired performance that ended in a dramatic technical knockout of Bonavena in the 15th round. [101] However, subsequently Frazier commented that Ali should apologize directly to him instead of apologizing through a newspaper. Liston rose after he had been down for about 20 seconds, and the fight momentarily continued. Ali then agreed to a third match with Joe Frazier in Manila. At the end of round four, Clay was returning to his corner when he began experiencing blinding pain in his eyes and asked his trainer, Angelo Dundee, to cut off his gloves. Ali, weighing in … [66] Ali's punches produced approximately 1,000 pounds of force. "[79], Ali and Frazier knew they would become wealthy if Ali returned to the ring. Alejandro Lavorante, Los Angeles. According to Dave Wolf, the reason for Frazier's hospitalization was hypertension from which he had been suffering before the fight. "[92][93] Frazier then snapped; removing his studio earplug, Frazier reached across to Ali, protesting the use of the word "ignorant. Throughout this incident, Ali remained oblivious to what was going on.[84]. In the eighth round, Ali taunted Terrell, hitting him with jabs and shouting between punches, "What's my name, Uncle Tom ... what's my name?"
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