Write On Sports

It has now been exactly 33 years since Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier met for the third and final fight between these two great warriors of the ring. It is again a reminder of just how quickly time flies, for it seems like it was only a few short years ago that the evening television news would remind us that Ali was fighting this evening by broadcasting a short clip of Ali making a loud and firm prediction of what he was going to do. You would see and hear Ali proclaiming:

“It’ll be a chiller, and a killer, and a thrilla
when I get the gorilla in Manila!”

Of course, Joe Frazier did not take too kindly to these sort of announcements, but then those who really understood Ali knew that it was just hype and that it was not meant to be taken literally. It was a tactic used for the fight, meant to psyche out the opponent, not to disgrace him. For the Ali that many of us knew was a kind, gentle, and charitable man who, on most occasions, was surprisingly quiet and humble.

But for the purposes of promoting the fight and getting to his opponent, Ali would whip things up into a frenzy if he was able to do so. And on this particular night, while he was the Heavyweight Champion, he was on top of the world and Joe Frazier was his for the taking. A somewhat older Frazier, who had been battered by George Foreman - the same Foreman who Ali knocked out - would be easy pickings now and another payday, so Ali thought. Frazier, on the other hand, had other ideas. He was dead set on taking the title away from Ali.

This fight would begin with Ali looking much stronger than he was in the other two Ali-Frazier bouts, and more dominant through the first couple of rounds. But in the middle rounds, in typical Joe Frazier fashion, we began to see why he was called “Smokin’ Joe”. Frazier began to ’smoke’ and Ali was in for the fight of his life. It was a hot night, and the two of them went at it full force for many rounds. Ali would later claim, “It was the closest thing to death…”, referring to the tremendous pace and energy used and needed to continue on in this fight.

But when the “smoke” cleared, it was Muhammad Ali, the Greatest of All Time, who would come away victorious, as he found a second wind and would put on Joe Frazier a series of blows through rounds 12, 13, and 14 until Frazier’s trainer, Eddie Futch, said “Enough”, and the fight was stopped after the 14th round. Muhammad Ali had retained his title in one of the greatest, and most grueling, heavyweight title fights in the history of boxing.

To read more about the life and career of the great Muhammad Ali, get the biography of Ali called, “The Dancing Master” - by N. Hamid.

You can also visit our website at http://www.muhammadali-life.com

M. Dean
Write On Sports

(Reprinted from September 2007)

When you look at Muhammad Ali’s life and boxing career, you may notice that the month of September has been both a very eventful month and a very difficult month for the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.

First, in 1966 he fought Karl Mildenberger in Germany, which he won by a 12th round knockout. Second, in September 1972, he had his 2nd showdown with former champion Floyd Patterson in New York, winning by a knockout in the 7th. In September 1973, Muhammad Ali met Ken Norton in the 2nd of their three fights, this time avenging his previous, broken-jaw loss to Norton. Ali won this time on a 12-round decision.

In September of 1976, things got a bit tougher for Muhammad Ali. He and his wife of many years, Khalilah Ali, filed for divorce. In the same month in 1976, Ali had his third and toughest bout with Ken Norton in New York’s Yankee Stadium. This fight was extremely difficult for Ali, although he got the close decision in a hard-fought 15-round battle.

The next September, 1977, didn’t turn out to be too much easier for Muhammad Ali, as he did battle with hard-hitting Earnie Shavers in one of Ali’s toughest battles. After retirement, whenever Ali was asked, “Who hit you the hardest in all of your fights?”, Ali would always say, “Earnie Shavers”. It was an extremely difficult fight for Muhammad Ali, and was one of several fights that should have been his last.

September 1978 marked both a great triumph for Ali and a very historic fight on the same night. He had lost his title in a previous match with Leon Spinks, so on this historic September 15th night, Muhammad Ali became the first heavyweight in boxing history to win the title 3 times, by defeating Spinks in a 15-round rematch in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was also historic because it would be the final victory in boxing for the great Muhammad Ali.

Three more Septembers in later years would be much worse for Muhammad Ali. In September 1984, Muhammad Ali would be diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Then in September of 1987, Ali would lose his long time motivator and cornerman, Drew “Bundini” Brown, who passed away that month.

Even worse for Muhammad Ali was September of 1994, when his dear mother died at the age of 77.

September has been a very difficult and historic month for Muhammad Ali, in a life and career which has seen many triumphs, trials and tribulations. And through it all, Muhammad Ali has come out of it as a world hero, the most famous face on the planet earth, and as far as boxing is concerned, he was as he said he was: The Greatest of All Time.

For more on the life and career of Muhammad Ali, see the new book, “The Dancing Master: A Concise Biography of Muhammad Ali“. Also visit the website at www.muhammadali-life.com.

It is difficult to believe that it has actually been 37 years since the “Fight of the Century” between two undefeated Heavyweight Champions: Muhammad Ali - The Dancing Master - and Smokin’ Joe Frazier. This tremendous sporting event took place on March 8th, 1971, exactly 37 years to this date, in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

It would be a night to remember. Ali had his title stripped from him for refusing the draft, and Frazier had inherited the title in an elimination tournament. Both fighters were undefeated and both had legitimate claims to the title of Heavyweight Champion of the World.

On this night, Muhammad Ali would put so many knots, lumps, and bruises on Joe Frazier that his head looked like a sack of potatoes. However, Frazier took it all and kept right on top of Ali all night, eventually sending Ali to the canvas in the 15th round with a memorable round-house left hook. While that may have finished off many a fighter, this was the great Muhammad Ali. He took that shot, went down, and was up by the count of 3.

The fight went the distance, and Frazier would capture a unanimous decision and retain the Heavyweight Championship, while Ali suffered his first defeat. Frazier, incidentally, would spend the next 2 weeks after this fight in the hospital.

They would eventually fight two more times, with Ali winning handily, by a 12-round decision, in a later Madison Square Garden rematch a few years later, and then with Ali stopping Frazier after the 14th round in the famous Thrilla’ in Manila.

The March 8th fight in New York, and their 3rd fight (The Thrilla’ in Manila) are both regarded as two of the greatest fights in the history of boxing. And after so many years, it seems like it was only yesterday.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

Evander Holyfield is probably making the same mistake that many boxers, including Muhammad Ali, made. He is “pushing his luck”, so to speak, by continuing on, and on, and on in a brutal sport which wreaks havoc on the brain.

He is 45 years old, which is old for a golfer, and yet he is still in there, taking punches to the beanie which shakes up the brain inside the head and causes problems. On Saturday night, in Moscow, he lost a unanimous decision to Sultan Ibragimoiv of Russia. Yet Holyfield seems intent to continue on, even though his own trainer, Ronnie Shields, does not seem to want him to do so.

Evander should take a lesson from boxers of the past. He should get out with his faculties intact before it is too late. Some boxers did not, and it would have been better for them if they did.

Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it.

M. Dean
Write On Sports/Muhammad Ali Life

Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton

When you look at Muhammad Ali’s life and boxing career, you may notice that the month of September has been both a very eventful month and a very difficult month for the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.

First, in 1966 he fought Karl Mildenberger in Germany, which he won by a 12th round knockout. Second, in September 1972, he had his 2nd showdown with former champion Floyd Patterson in New York, winning by a knockout in the 7th. In September 1973, Muhammad Ali met Ken Norton in the 2nd of their three fights, this time avenging his previous, broken-jaw loss to Norton. Ali won this time on a 12-round decision.

In September of 1976, things got a bit tougher for Muhammad Ali. He and his wife of many years, Khalilah Ali, filed for divorce. In the same month in 1976, Ali had his third and toughest bout with Ken Norton in New York’s Yankee Stadium. This fight was extremely difficult for Ali, although he got the close decision in a hard-fought 15-round battle.

The next September, 1977, didn’t turn out to be too much easier for Muhammad Ali, as he did battle with hard-hitting Earnie Shavers in one of Ali’s toughest battles. After retirement, whenever Ali was asked, “Who hit you the hardest in all of your fights?”, Ali would always say, “Earnie Shavers”. It was an extremely difficult fight for Muhammad Ali, and was one of several fights that should have been his last.

September 1978 marked both a great triumph for Ali and a very historic fight on the same night. He had lost his title in a previous match with Leon Spinks, so on this historic September 15th night, Muhammad Ali became the first heavyweight in boxing history to win the title 3 times, by defeating Spinks in a 15-round rematch in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was also historic because it would be the final victory in boxing for the great Muhammad Ali.

Three more Septembers in later years would be much worse for Muhammad Ali. In September 1984, Muhammad Ali would be diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Then in September of 1987, Ali would lose his long time motivator and cornerman, Drew “Bundini” Brown, who passed away that month.

Even worse for Muhammad Ali was September of 1994, when his dear mother died at the age of 77.

September has been a very difficult and historic month for Muhammad Ali, in a life and career which has seen many triumphs, trials and tribulations. And through it all, Muhammad Ali has come out of it as a world hero, the most famous face on the planet earth, and as far as boxing is concerned, he was as he said he was: The Greatest of All Time.

For more on the life and career of Muhammad Ali, see the new book, “The Dancing Master: A Concise Biography of Muhammad Ali“. Also visit the website at www.muhammadali-life.com.