The Stuff of Legends
Patrick Triplett
Published by Patrick Triplett at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Patrick Triplett
Three men. Three names. Foreman, Frazier, Ali. To those over the age of 50 that's all it takes to invoke a knowing nod, almost in reverence. For them first names aren't needed. Though different in so many ways, the three will be forever linked in sports folklore. It is impossible to think of one without conjuring up memories of the other two. Between 1971 and 1975 their paths crossed, creating arguably the greatest five year period in the history of heavyweight boxing.
In January of '71 Joe Frazier was heavyweight champion of the world, George Foreman was the reigning heavyweight Olympic champion, and Muhammad Ali was the most famous unemployed person on the planet. Stripped of his championship title in 1967 for refusing induction into the military, Ali was virtually broke and wasn't allowed to fight – anywhere. His anti-Vietnam sentiments outraged conservatives and inspired young liberals across America. To some he was a villain. To others a hero.
Having won the title in1964 by beating a heavily favored Sonny Liston, Ali dominated the sport over the next three and a half years. Gifted with the power of a heavyweight and the foot and hand speed of a middleweight, Ali played with opponents, taunting and humiliating them before putting them away. By 1967 he was considered virtually unbeatable. Only the Federal Government could stop him.
Joe Frazier gained the vacated heavyweight title in an elimination tournament, going undefeated in his professional career and knocking out 23 of his first 26 opponents. A savage puncher with a lethal left hook, “Smokin' Joe” took over the title that Ali had dominated and desperately wanted back.
Though Frazier technically held the belt, the majority of boxing fans considered Ali to still be the true champion, unfairly stripped of his title, and demanded they be allowed to fight to determine the undisputed championship. Due in large part to public outcry, Ali's suspension was finally overturned by the Supreme Court in 1970. The two best fighters in the world were finally allowed to meet and settle things in the ring.
Frazier, at 27 was clearly in his prime, while Ali, nearing 30 and not having fought in over three years, needed to regain what he could of his former self. Ali fought two tuneup fights in 1970 and looked rusty. The foot speed and lightening fast hands that had once defined him were conspicuously missing. Still, the self-proclaimed “Greatest” guaranteed victory over Frazier, and his multitude of adoring fans had little doubt that he would back up his words as he had done so many times before.
Meanwhile, a third fighter was coming onto the scene. George Foreman turned professional after the '68 Olympics and began destroying one opponent after another. In his first 32 pro fights, Foreman amassed a record of 32-0, with 29 knockouts, 26 of which were in the first two rounds.
But the focus of attention still centered on Ali and Frazier. The long awaited “Fight of the Century” finally became a reality in 1971. To say it was the most anticipated fight in history would be an understatement. It was the first and only time in the annals of boxing that two undefeated fighters would meet for the heavyweight championship.
The hype leading up to the match was unprecedented. Never before had anyone seen the likes of this. Two men who had never come close to tasting defeat were about to face one another to prove who was best. The event would not only transcend boxing, it would transcend sports.
The atmosphere on that night in Madison Square Garden was electric. Countless celebrities were in attendance. Journalists from every major newspaper in the Country were there to cover the event. People who had never before witnessed a boxing match stood in the streets watching closed circuit telecasts on giant screens. On the night of March 8th, 1971, time stood still.
The fight lived up to the hype – and then some. In a vicious 15-round battle of skill, endurance and will, Frazier knocked Ali down in the final round to secure the decision. It did not come without a price. Frazier would spend the next three weeks in a hospital from complications including concussion, internal bleeding, hypertension, accelerated heart rate and kidney malfunction. Rumors spread that he was dying.
Though Ali survived in better shape physically, the loss was a devastating blow. He had waited nearly four years for this moment and let it slip away. He wanted a rematch as soon as Frazier could heal. But George Foreman would put a major dent in those plans. In January of 1973 Frazier and Foreman met for the championship in Kingston, Jamaica, with Frazier a heavy favorite to retain the title. Shockingly, Foreman knocked the champion down six times in the first two rounds to claim the heavyweight championship and turn the boxing world on its ear.
For the first time in a decade, neither Ali nor Frazier held the title. It now belonged to a massive, muscular brute who relegated quality opponents to punching bags. Foreman continued his incredible streak over the next two years, knocking out every opponent he faced within two rounds.
Despite neither holding the belt, the rivalry between Ali and Frazier intensified to an even higher level. Ali continued to claim that he was the rightful champion and that Frazier was inferior, both as a fighter and a man. He mocked Frazier relentlessly and demanded a rematch. Finally, Frazier, still stinging from the loss to Foreman, obliged.
The rematch was held once again in Madison Square Garden in January of 1974. Ali, ever wary of Frazier's deadly left hook that floored him in their fist fight, was content to move around the ring and counter-punch, winning the decision and avenging his only defeat. But it was a hollow victory. He wanted the championship belt back. And the only way to get it was defeat a man who by now was thought to be invincible. In October of '74 Foreman agreed to fight Ali for the title in Zaire, Africa.
Now 33, Muhammad Ali was widely viewed by ring experts to be past his prime and gave him virtually no chance to beat Foreman. Some even feared for his life and tried to talk him into canceling the fight. The odds were 8-1 against Ali, with most analysts predicting Foreman to continue his string of knockouts within two rounds.
In what would become known as “The Rumble in the Jungle,” Muhammad Ali stunned the experts and the world by not only winning, but knocking out Foreman in the eighth round. Ali's strategy was to lean against the ropes and allow Foreman to punch himself out. It worked to perfection. The victory restored Ali's place in history as one of the all time great fighters. The defeat shattered the image and confidence of Foreman, who would not fight again for two years.
The news of the fight spread throughout the world and elevated Ali to legendary status. A poll taken in 1975 ranked him as the most famous person in the world. All that remained for Ali was to defeat his long-time nemesis in the rubber match. Frazier not only accepted the challenge, he relished it.
Frazier's dislike for Ali had by now grown into a deep-rooted hatred. He felt slighted after having beaten Ali in their first fight and not gaining the respect he deserved. Their second match only intensified Frazier's bitterness, claiming that the judges unfairly favored Ali by allowing him to hold and not give Frazier room to punch.
The third fight was to take place in Manilla, Philippines, in October 1975. Ali, following his pattern of belittling Frazier, had no clue that he was building up a growing fire inside his opponent. While Ali was clowning, Frazier was deadly serious. He not only wanted to beat Ali, he wanted to beat him up.
In one of the epic fights of all time, forever known as “The Thrilla in Manilla,” Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier stood toe to toe and redefined the sport. Frazier relentlessly attacked Ali from the opening bell despite taking incredible punishment. By the 13th round both of Frazier's eyes were nearly closed from the non-stop beating of Ali's jabs. But he kept going, throwing wild, devastating punches hoping to land just one, seemingly at the price of his life.
By the end of the 14th round both fighters were totally spent. They had given everything they had within them. Frazier sat on his stool, blood pouring from his eyes, mouth and ears, ready to go at it for one more gut-wrenching round. Ali slumped in his corner, totally exhausted, telling manager Angelo Dundee that he was dying and to cut off his gloves.
Despite Frazier's insistence to continue, his corner refused to allow him to take further punishment and stopped the fight. Ali tried to stand up in celebration, but immediately fell to the canvas, unconscious. Frazier, blinded and bloody, was helped out of the ring. Boxing fans had witnessed a spectacle never before seen in the sport. Those in attendance stood in awe, almost as spent as the two men who laid their lives on the line for a piece of immortality.
The two fighters were never the same after that night. Frazier fought Foreman again in 1976 but clearly had nothing left and was knocked out in five rounds. Ali continued to fight, but with his skills eroding, lost to the likes of Ken Norton, Leon Spinks and finally Larry Holmes before retiring. Foreman would not face Ali again, and was never the same fighter, physically or mentally, after their match in Zaire. He continued to fight, spending the next 20 years trying to recapture the title before finally winning it back in 1994 at the improbable age of 43. But boxing by then had become a fading sport, it's popularity a mere fraction of what it once was, when the heavyweight champion was revered as the most popular figure in all of sports.
Foreman, Frazier and Ali. Three men who transcended their sport into a testament of the human will. Their place in history is firmly entrenched. Their place in folklore will live on by those who saw them in their prime and passed down to generations who know them only by name and through grainy highlight footage. One thing is certain. We will never see their likes again.