Ring Magazine ranking Ali during his suspension

As I remember Fleischer said he would continue to recognize Ali as champ until he got his day in court.When Ali later made a statement saying he had retired The Ring recognized the winner of the Frazier v Ellis fight.I think this is correct.

 

Muhammad Ali was ring Magazine's World heavyweight Champion, until a Self imposed retirement annoucement in Feb. 1970 stating he would give the belt to the FRAZIER-ELLIS winner, Ring magazine has since changed history and has now Ali the Champion until the battle of the century, this is not right, nor true, and I have the Magazines to prove it.

 

That is correct. Ring Magazine continued to list Ali as champion until February 3, 1970 when they took Ali at his word that he had retired. The following issue of Ring had the title listed as vacant and subsequent issues listed Frazier as champ following the Frazier-Ellis unification fight on February 16, 1970. Ring also stated that if Ali should return to the ring he would be listed as the #1 contender.

 

Some time in the last decade or so Ring published - somewhere (internet? in a mag?) - that they considered Ali the champ until he lost to Frazier in the FOTC. I'm thinking it was on a list of divisional champions on their website. I just had a look over there and didn't find anything, so I'm only going by memory. But I do remember reading it somewhere; obviously Ronny remembers this too.

I suspect that this bit of revisionist history - Ali was champ until losing the FOTC - by Ring has subsequently been walked back, though I could be wrong.

As already stated in this thread, Ring's original position was that Ali was champ until "retiring" in February 1970 and Frazier won the vacant belt against Ellis later in the month.

During 1967-1970 Ring maintained that Ali was champion until he a) lost his title in the ring; b) announced his retirement; or c) lost his draft evasion Supreme Court case. Nat Fleischer articulated this stance in the magazine, IIRC, several times. Unfortunately, I no longer have the mags to prove it.

 

Yes , At the battle of the century JOE FRAZIER was they world champion, and by everyone! Today on the Ring Magazine site, they have changed history. And if you see their history of heavyweight title fights. Muhammad Ali will be listed as Champion 3/8/71. (Not Right!) . Of course, they WBA DID NOT EVEN HAVE MUHAMMAD ALI RANKED! At the time he first fought Frazier!- And only ranked him after,- he'd won a supreme court battle that June 29, 1971

 

your reading on the web annually those came out in February issues of the year, covering Decembers, So I would say Publication of Ring's May 1970 (covering March 15, 1970 rankings) Frazier was proclaimed as they undisputed World Heavyweight Champion. (Here it is).

Ring Magazine:
May 1970 (Month Ending March 15, 1970)
Champion: Joe Frazier
1- Leotis Martin
2- Jimmy Ellis
3- Mac Foster
4- Oscar Bonavena
5- Sonny Liston
6- Jerry Quarry
7- George Chuvalo
8- Al Jones
9- Henry Cooper
10-Jose Ibar Urtain

 

Ali was not even Ranked (December Publication -1970 Ring Magazine) when he defeated #1 Ranked Jerry Quarry scheduled for 15 rounds. -Here lies the rub , that now Ring's website had Ali as Champion up to the "Battle of the Century!" -NOT SO. "Smokin" Joe Frazier was everybody's World Heavyweight Champion, WBA, WBC, Ring, Boxing Illustrated, World & International Boxing, I do not understand where Ring would even want to change its history now.
My findings are not BOXREC
Its the actual Ring Magazine site, list of Champions

Officially Frazier won his undisputed Title by beating Jimmy Ellis. not Muhammad Ali

 

I have the magazines, Ali was PULLED FROM THE Rankings May 1970 Issue (March 15, 1970) Officially announced his retirement.

 

And yet when Tyson was officially champ in 88 Ring mag had spinks as there lineal champ.They actually said Tyson won't be recognized until if and when he beat Spink s .Which to a boxing fan made sense .

 

I recall Tyson's management saying that at the time... that they Mike wouldn't consider Tyson champion until he beat Spinks. Spinks fought every year (which Ali didn't / couldn't do during the period in question), didn't lose, and didn't announce his retirement (which Ali did). He wasn't the best in the division, but he was champ.

It's pretty much the same situation we had with Foreman nearly a decade later and, maybe, with Patterson back when Liston was beating all comers (though of course Patterson wasn't stripped by any "governing bodies").

 

Ali referred to himself as the "People's Champ", knowing Joe Frazier was the Heavyweight Champ going into the FOTC.

 

Be nice if they "revised" the middleweight rankings from the last few years. Cotto and Alvarez as champs but Golovkin only #1 contender? Even after he beat Alvarez? And they have him listed as #1 p4p but not #1 in his division?