Frazier Ali I is surprisingly fairly one sided

He had perfected his rope a dope style. Ali also had gotten bigger by 1975. I think he took some shots in Manila that would have knocked him down in their previous fights.

After the 3rd fight Eddie Futch made the comment that Ali was too big and that didn't sit well with Frazier.

 

I didn't know that. Interesting.

 

I agree. Joe was savage that night. Ali was able to strafe him a few times, but there were large stretches of the fight where he was just trying to fend off Frazier's relentless assault to body and head. Joe even started clowning Ali after a point; not that that tells the story of the fight, but there was a definite momentum with Joe after the first couple of rounds that stayed with him until the final bell.

 

9-6 for Frazier with two knockdowns ( 11th and 15th )

Ali was close to being stopped in round 11. Ali lost clearly.

 

I scored this recently and I guess I had it closer than most. But remember, this was scored on NY's rounds basis. A very flawed system because it prevents you from giving Joe extra points for the 11th and 15th rounds.

Round 1: Ali
Round 2: Ali
Round 3: Even
Round 4: Ali
Round 5: Frazier
Round 6: Frazier
Round 7: Even
Round 8: Frazier
Round 9: Ali
Round 10: Ali
Round 11: Frazier
Round 12: Frazier
Round 13: Frazier
Round 14: Ali
Round 15: Frazier

Total: 7-6-2 Frazier

I watched the Don Dunphy version, which remarkably enough had Burt Lancaster and Archie Moore doing color commentary. Lancaster was even up in the ring afterwards with a microphone. But regardless, a great fight.

 

I think round 7 was Frazier's and round nine, perhaps Ali's best.

 

Frazier wasn't in the hospital after the fight to flirt with nurses and eat their food. He was there because he took hard one two's all night long. He walked through them, and should be given credit for it, but he was walking through hard blows that night, which would've been telling blows against most others.

 

I find it interesting that most people score round 9 for Ali. I guess that shows that what happens at the end of the round is more impacting to scoring. Frazier beat Ali from pillar to post for 2:45 seconds of the round. Dunphy said "Ali's in real trouble now"! That last flurry by Ali was sweet and it got him back into the fight but Joe won that round.

 

ETM, wow! This goes to show how subjective scoring is. I just watched that 9th round twice now and had it completely different than you. Let me first say it was a great round and one that makes me reminisce about two fighters of this caliber and the sustained action they produced. As far as the round goes, I had Ali controlling the round for the first 1:50 (app.) before Frazier got Ali in the corner and started to unload. By the time Ali got himself out of the corner, took another couple of shots and then resumed control of the round, only 35 seconds had elapsed before Ali let loose for the last 30 seconds (again app.). Again, this is all in the eye of the beholder.

 

I thought Ali took on solid comp going in vs Quarry & Bonavena, but those 2 fights were inside of 6 months from exile to Frazier.

You think he should have fought a few more opponents? Or should have given more time in between/both?

And the treatment was just awful. Hearing stories about his kids being told their dad was an uncle tom. I bet Joe wanted to literally 'do' Ali that night.
Legendary Nights Documentary said that before Joe passed away his voice message on his phone was a taunt/rhyme that he made Ali lose his speech...Thats a deep wound, man.

 

I scored the 9th round for Frazier. He landed the harder, cleaner punches for the first 2:15-2:20 of the round, and slipped or deflected almost every punch Ali threw with any conviction. Frazier missed a lot but Ali wasn't able to make him pay (seemed like he was too tired). Ali landed some hard punches later in the last :40, but I didn't think it was enough to catch up and steal the round.

 

Exactly right.

 

Went and saw the FOTC on March 8, 1971 on closed circuit TV....Ali couldn't do anything with Joe that night.....you would have had to kill Frazier that night...he wasn't going to lose!!! There was no discussion after the fight that Ali won the fight...all that crap has only appeared in the last few years.Frazier left everything in the ring that night in '71...he was never the same again!!! The biggest fight of my lifetime!!!

 

I'll have to go back and watch it again. It has been awhile. Thanks for watching it. I

 

I just remember in some old doco I watch years ago they were sayin he came back too soon.
3 years off n fights Frazier within 5 months.
Might b just an excuse.