how close was an ali v frazier 4th fight to happening ?

I could not really read the link the newspaper print when I try and enlarge it gets to blurry , but as a Frazier fan I think it would of been better if smokin joe had fought Ali rather than Cummings . Although it may of been a terrible victory as smokin joe may of really hurt Ali and a win may of pushed joe into a tittle shot ( as money talks ) and Holmes would of destroyed joe .

 

Pretty close, it light of things at the time. A window was there. Harold Smith was trying to buck the Arum and DKP dominence of the sport at the time. He was putting on some real good fights and throwing big $$$ around and had some real good potential matches on the horizon in addition to this. Saad/EMM rematch was the one I wanted to see.

Once Smith got those bank fraud charges, any hope of Joe and Ali was gone overnight. Smith was the only guy that would have promoted it. But it was possible.

 

Yes,I do recall some talk about a fourth fight. And let's thank God that it never came off ! Sadly,there would have been someone willing to exploit Ali and Joe because of some sick interest in it. As for the outcome ? It would have been a very tedious bout with both men doing slow motion impressions of their former selves resulting a in a close decision going to one or the other with the loser protesting at the end.

 

I also wanted to see a Saad/Mustafa rematch. Would have been great.

 

The Thrilla in Manilla was simply two men past prime no matter how great a fight it was. Joe had been destroyed by George and Ali wanted the 'rubber' victory before he was past it. Are you talking late 70's or 1980?? What would that have proven given their already great legacies?
Accelarated dementia???

 

How close? I think Frazier mentioned something to the press in August 1977 about wanting Ali a fourth time and it was picked up by the newspapers and a few magazines (I remember a World Boxing cover). I could be wrong, but I don't think it ever got beyond that. I think the idea died rather quickly.

 

Joe was going to make a comeback around that time and signed to fight Knoetze in South Africa. He pulled out w/ Hepatitus and the bout--and subsequent 4th bout--was scrapped. Then Joe came back against Cummings when the Ali bout was starting to gain momentum again. This was when Ali was fighting Berbick, I think. Seems to me the Holmes fight had already taken place.

There was a window or 2 but things have to align perfectly and they didn't.

 

Im glad a 4th fight never happened. Although most fans would have rather seen Ali fight Frazier instead of a Spinks or a Berbick or even a Holmes fight. After Thrilla both these guys should have just walked away.

 

You are so..so right. If both men had called it a day after Manilla,their health may well have been of a higher quality in later life.


In 1977,Frazier had this idea of a fourth fight with Ali WITHOUT A TUNE UP ! Someone must have talked some sense into him as he then signed for the soon to be cancelled Knoetzee bout.

 

Absolutely.

 

Well you cant blame Joe for pursuing another fight with Ali. Were talkin about one of the biggest hearts in HW history. But sometimes heart just isnt enough when the body starts to quit on you.

 

I'm sure if they'd both had reasonably impressive wins there would have been at least some discussion about a fourth fight. But that's too big of a "what if" for me.

 

With all due respect doug, would you have wanted both of them to be sipping soup out of a straw at age 50?