Ali vs. Frazier is one of the most important fights in the history of heavyweight boxing. It is arguably one of the most important fights in boxing history overall. Ali and Frazier were both undefeated heading into this fight. Ali was 31-0 and Frazier was 26-0. Many people remember this as the ‘Fight of the Century’.
Ali’s trilogy with Frazier contributes to his case as the greatest boxer ever. Without further ado, let’s dive into this crucial boxing match between two heavyweight fighters at the top of the division and the trilogy that it started.
Ali vs. Frazier 1: The Background
The fight attracted the attention of quite a few Americans, even those who didn’t usually follow boxing. This is largely because of the two fighters’ stances on the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was a divisive topic in the United States at the time.
The Two of Them Had Become Political Symbols
Ali famously opposed the Vietnam War and refused to be drafted into the military. This led to boxing authorities stripping Ali of his titles and preventing him from boxing for several years. On the other hand, Frazier supported the US involvement in the Vietnam War. The two had become symbols of the contrasting views on this contentious issue.
Additionally, both Ali and Frazier disliked each other intensely. Both men had a claim as the world heavyweight champion. This first fight would settle which one of them was truly the legitimate heavyweight champion of the world. Many predicted Frazier would win since this was Ali’s first fight since he was banned from boxing due to his refusal to be drafted.
Frazier Hands Ali His First Professional Loss
The fight was a back-and-forth affair. Ali took control of the fight in the first five rounds. He landed many effective jabs on the shorter Frazier and did serious damage.
However, Ali started tiring after the sixth round. Frazier took advantage of this and asserted himself in the fight. Additionally, he even knocked down Ali in the fifteenth and final round. This proved decisive as the judges awarded Frazier the unanimous decision victory. Ali had lost for the first time in his professional boxing career.
The Aftermath of the First Fight
Following the defeat, Ali did not publicly accept the outcome of the fight. He tried to paint it as a ‘White Man’s Decision’. Despite this, Muhammad Ali didn’t seek an immediate rematch and instead fought Ken Norton twice, winning once and losing once.
As for Frazier, he did not retain the title for much longer. George Foreman knocked down Frazier six times in only two rounds in his knockout win. Foreman was now the world heavyweight champion.
The boxing world didn’t have to wait long for the Ali-Frazier rematch, though.
Ali vs. Frazier 2: “Super Fight II”
The buildup to this rematch makes it clear that there was bad blood between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. The two of them even fought in the middle of an interview at ABC’s studios in New York City. New York City hosts many boxing matches and its famous Madison Square Garden would be the site of Ali-Frazier 2. As a result of this, it is fair to say the anticipation for this fight was significant.
Ali Evens the Score with Frazier
Despite the anticipation, the second fight between Ali and Frazier lacked the drama of their first encounter. Frazier landed 42% of his punches and Ali landed 25% of his punches. The majority of the fight consists of Ali clinching with Frazier.
Some moments break up this rhythm, but clinch-work makes up most of the fight. At the end of the fight, the judges awarded Ali the victory by unanimous decision. The scorecards were close, but Ali had avenged his earlier loss to Frazier.
The win made Ali the NABF heavyweight champion. This title is an important regional title that sets one up to compete for a world heavyweight title. Ali went on to shock the boxing world by defeating George Foreman to reclaim the heavyweight title in October 1974.
Ali vs. Frazier 3: “Thrilla in Manila”
The trilogy bout between Ali and Frazier happened in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, on October 1st, 1975. As usual, Ali trash-talked Frazier prior to the bout. Ali admitted that this was part of a strategy to upset Frazier so that Frazier would fight with anger and Ali could take advantage of that.
This fight deserves its moniker of ‘Thrilla in Manila’. Once again, Ali started off strongly, landing effective punches while staying out of Frazier’s range. However, Ali’s ‘rope-a-dope’ strategy backfired. Staying on the ropes is what allowed Frazier to land effective punches on Ali, especially to the body.
The fight became more even. However, there was a turning point in between the eleventh and twelfth rounds. Frazier’s cornerman, Eddie Futch, instructed Frazier to approach Ali while standing upright instead of while bobbing and weaving. Ali capitalized on this and landed quite a few effective punches with his left and right hands.
Ali battered Frazier in the fourteenth round, with Frazier’s eyesight limited due to swelling. With Frazier taking significant damage and hardly able to see, Futch stopped the fight after the fourteenth round. Ali-Frazier 3 was a brutal fight with both fighters taking significant damage. Later on, Ali claimed that his trilogy bout with Frazier pushed him to his limits and that that was the closest he had been to dying.
Regardless, Ali had won his trilogy with Frazier.
Current Perception of the Ali-Frazier Rivalry
Most boxing fans now consider Ali vs. Frazier one of the best rivalries in boxing history. The trilogy bout is particularly notable for its brutality. This rivalry is also significant because it helped reestablish Ali as an elite heavyweight boxer. It served as a contrast between two people representing different views on the Vietnam War, at least in their first fight.
In any case, the majority of boxing fans remember Ali’s trilogy with Frazier as iconic and era-defining.
There Are Plenty More Sports Rivalries to Cover
Quite a few rivalries exist in modern sports. There will be more coverage of these rivalries on our website shortly. Check back soon for more sports rivalry content.