They say that the Melbourne Cup is the race that stops the nation, but two heavyweight title bouts in the 1970s involving Muhammad Ali stopped the world.
On October 30, 1974 Ali fought George Foreman in Zaire, in ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’.
In 1975, Ali fought Smokin’ Joe Frazier in the Philippines, in ‘The Thrilla in Manila’.
Roarers will have to be in their 50s to have seen those two epic fights that will live in the sands of time.
The ‘Rumble’ was bizarre on three counts. It was the first promotion by Don King of the frizzy hair, as though he’d jammed his fingers in the power point. A three-day non-stop music festival was the lead-in to the fight, and it was fought at 3am local time to catch prime time in the Eastern Zone of the USA at 10pm.
It more than lived up to expectations.
Foreman (25) looked every inch a world champion, taking on Ali (then 32) and not the Ali of old. Foreman’s record was 40-0 with 37 knockouts, Ali 44-2, with 31 KOs. They both stood 191 cm – Foreman tipped the scales at 100kgs, Ali 98.
Amid all the hype, Ali found his best form, he wanted to prove to himself he was still ‘The Greatest’ against his unbeaten opponent. He proved it beyond doubt.
He kept picking off Foreman with deadly accurate punching, it was Ali at his clinical best. The constant peppering tired Foreman, who lost his proven power and precision, the result was inevitable.
Ali knocked Foreman out 2 minutes and 58 seconds into the eighth round. It was arguably Ali’s finest performance. Scribes were quick to rate the fight the greatest event of the 20th century. Few could, or even wanted to argue.
On October 1, 1975, the Ali-Frazier fight was just as epic. The Thrilla in Manila was coined by Ali in the lead-up, when Ali called Frazier a “gorilla”.
In one of his countless quotes, Ali predicted the fight would be, “A killa, and a thrilla, and a chilla, when I get the Gorilla in Manila”.
And that’s exactly what it turned out to be.
As was his wont, Frazier kept moving forward, hitting Ali with everything but the kitchen sink, while Ali danced around picking Frazier off with his precision jabs, and the odd hook.
But in the sixth round, Frazier caught Ali with two thundering blows to the head, a minute apart. For a lesser man than Ali, it was lights out. But because he was The Greatest, Ali fell back on the ropes both times, and safely saw out the round.
Frazier was no oil painting either, as Ali kept picking him off. By the 13th, Frazier could hardly see his eyeslids were so swollen, forcing referee Eddie Futch to call halt in between the 14th and 15th rounds to hand Ali the decision by a TKO.
The fight was both brutal and brilliant by both of them, two great gladiators.
Since then, as we all know, tragedy has struck Muhammad Ali. In 1984 he was officially diagnosed as suffering from Parkinson’s disease, but he was obviously ill well before that.
To see him now, just a shadow of his former sensational self as one of the greatest athletes of all-time, is destroying.
Smokin’ Joe died of liver cancer on November 7, 2011, aged 57, but he had played his part in boxing immortality.
George Foreman is still going strong, another super athlete. He retired in 1977, became a preacher, but the ring still beckoned, and he made a comeback in 1994 to knockout 27-year-old Michael Moorer.
Foreman became the oldest world heavyweight champion at 45, and the second oldest world champ in any division after Bernard Hopkins, who is the current world light heavy champion at 49.
Foreman was a successful entrepreneur as well, his George Foreman Grills sold over 100 million units worldwide.
In 1999 he sold the naming rights to the grill for $138 million, but he showed no vision when he named his five sons, among seven daughters.
Try George Jr, George III, George IV, George V, and George VI.
Must have been hell at the meal table.
peter tibbits
Guest
I agree. I'm surprised someone with Lord's standing as a sports journo would miss that.
Johnno
Guest
But Glen, why then did Golovkin have his fight vs Geale in New York? And why does Pacquio bother fight in the states vs all those Mexcians challangers, when why not fight in Manilla not Las Vegas, if foriegn fighters are so unpopular in the states? I hear what you saying, but some foreigners fight in the states. Tzsyu fought in states too. Calzaghe and Kessler fought in Wales and pulled 50-70,000 for the fight in Cardiff. Klitschko's though always fight in Germany
Glenn Innes
Guest
In fact Americans now look at Boxing a bit like they look at Soccer...a global sport that they do not dominate any more...so enter cage fighting to fill the void, all American with the odd fighter from Brazil or Japan for novelty value.Chuck in the fact that white Americans seem good at it (unlike boxing ) and you can easily see the appeal of cage fighting to insular hearland America.
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
You are correct in saying that there are simply more entertainment options today. People were less sophisticated in analysing the marketing of the fights, which were built up as they approached. In Australia, Ali was probably more popular than in many parts of the USA. Paradoxically, for a country with a history of ingrained racism, Australia tended to sympathise with Ali in the way he had been treated by his own government. Many Australians admired him for his willingness to follow his beliefs. This sort of mythology informed the fights. I saw many of his fights on television, and I admired his ability to adapt his technique to a wide range of opponents. No boxer entered the ring knowing how he would fight ; they knew he had speed (often too quick to be seen in real time), power and defence -- but they didn't know if he would use those attributes, or how he would. The "rope a dope" technique was one example, but I also remember 1 match (can't remember the opponent) where Ali placed his left hand in front of his opponent's face. He waited patiently for the boxer to brush him aside, as he couldn't see anything but the glove, and as soon as he did, Ali's right crashed in. From that point, Ali had proven he was tactically stronger.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Johnno - That is the key issue...Americans will stop to watch two Americans fight or an American fight an Englishman but they are not much interested in watching a Ukranian fight a Bulgarian regardless of the merits of the fighters, which means no American media hype , which means zero interest in the English speaking world outside of the dwindling number of hardcore fight fans. For example if Golovkin was American there would be some hype, but he is from Kazakhstan so who cares outside boxing tragics?
Glenn Innes
Guest
Mike - There are still great fighters and great fights, the difference is that not many people are interested any more particularly in the English speaking world. Boxing is still big in Latin America, Eastern Europe and parts of Asia (it still rates well on TV in Japan) but the English speaking world has lost interest. One of it's problems is the United States is no longer the production line for champion fighters that it once was, the balance of power has shifted to the former Eastern block in the heavier glamour divisions and latin America in the lighter weights. The problem is Americans are not much interested in watching fights with no American fighting, so boxing just slides of the radar in the States and by extension the rest of the English speaking world. .If they could find a top class American heavyweight it would have a minor resurgence but in the English speaking world it's glory days are sadly long gone.
macca
Guest
how bout they do 'THE SCAM IN VIETNAM ' mundine green rematch. thoughts people?
Bill
Guest
Ali had a joke "fight" against a wrestler, not a karate guy sometime in the middle of 1976 from memory. It was embarrassing watching a guy lyng on his back for the entire bout rolling around the ring trying to corner Ali so he could wrap his legs around him and drag Ali to the floor, so that he could pin him for the win with Ali just circling around the ring, keeping away from the guy by kicking at him and ensuring he stayed out of his reach. Though I remember at one point the wrester was able to get his legs around Ali and brought him down to canvas but the referee called a foul for some reason. Pity, it was the only interesting incident of the entire fight!
Bill
Guest
Sheek Watched a Youtube replay of the first Ali-Fraser bout from March 1971 a few years back and it just re-confirmed my memories of it from the time and why it was justifiably billed as the "fight of the century". I just can't conceive of another fight that was better than this 15 round epic encounter between two undefeated heavyweight champions who had undeniable claims to being the world champion! As the commentator described it during the 10 round - "They're fighting like lightweights now!" And the informed ringside comments from Hollywood star Burt Lancaster during the fight added something to the spectacle too. Simply the greatest fight ever and not just of the seventies!
bilbo
Guest
Done the same as my school sheek, although some of the teachers didnt need much of a excuse . Does anyone remember the fight Ali had with that karate guy.?.
Johnno
Guest
I still reckon boxing stops the World, remember Lewis V Tyson 2002,, and Lewis V Holyfield. Heavyweight boxers, there's not alot of talent around but if Klitschko can find a good challenge people will still watch. Mayweather sells alot of fights. Also all sport you could say doesn't stop the World like it used too. With so much entertainment options and different sports out there, so called super fights or blockbusters don't attract everyone anymore, also the World's population is bigger. But in saying that maybe more people now watch big sport, as ratings always seem higher all the time for big sport. Remember in Asia and Africa not as many people back then had tv there, now there are big middle classes in these parts.
Dan
Guest
Ali won by precision "picking off" George Foreman? No. Ali famously tired Foreman out by covering up and leaning back into the ropes. Foreman punched himself out. It was a brilliant strategic victory for Ali, but it didn't happen the way you describe it.
Tigranes
Guest
The Foremans, Fraziers, Alis of today are more likely to be playing basketball or football rather than putting on the gloves and throwing some leather...these days boxing seems to be increasingly dominated by eastern Europeans, rather than African-Americans, and personally I think the sport is poorer for it.
sheek
Roar Guru
Good morning David, That decade of the 70s Heavyweight division may never be replicated. Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman & Ken Norton - the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Only Norton never became world champion, but he was as good as being one in the eyes of the other three. None could be comfortable with each other inside the ring. There was nowhere to hide. It was a place of true champions. I was at school in 1971 when Ali & Frazier had their first fight. It was such a huge event the school allowed it to be played in every classroom. Although I think the school had another motive in wanting to test their new audio-visual capability. It was a win-win situation for all concerned! I saw the 2nd & 3rd fights live as well as the Ali-Foreman fight. Those were truly extraordinary times for boxing. Will we ever see its like again?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Do they even make them like Ali now? Awesome.
Mike from Tari
Guest
You don't see fights like the Ali v Frazier fights anymore, 2 x 15 rounds & 1 x 12 rounds, I remember the first fight, i didn't see it live as I was working in a paint factory in Rabaul in PNG but I had the radio on, the work came to a halt as all the guys & myself were enthralled by the broadcast, the Boss came into the factory floor to find out why work had stopped & he sat there with us, it was easy to see who they were all supporting as when Ali hit the deck there was complete silence, after the fight ended & Ali had lost the guys had lost their will to work. I was on leave & walked into a pub across the road from Central Station for a coldie & the second fight was on TV so I ordered a counter lunch & stayed the rest of the day, that fight was just as brutal as the first, Ali prevailed. When the Thrilla in Manilla took place I was in Mt. Hagen in PNG, we had TV feed by then so I watched it live, if the first two were brutal this one was ultra brutal, it's no wonder they weren't the same fighters after this fight. Nice article David Lord it brought back memories of my misspent youth.