50 years ago today:

And Foreman is still around to talk about.

 

Down goes Frazier!

 

Is there a bigger style mismatch between 2 ATGs who fought each other?

This was just an annihilation.

 

When this fight took place I was 16 and had been watching fights with my dad for eight years. I never saw him get so animated about a fight as he did when the final knockdown looked like it had lifted Frazier into the air. He was yelling at the TV and happily crowed to me that Foreman would kill Ali. Happy to say he was wrong about that one.

 

With this destruction of Frazier… would you say George became the Heavyweight division’s first ‘boogeyman’?? Nobody envisioned that happening to Frazier I bet. I wasn’t around then but I’m sure everybody included other heavyweights were shocked as hell

 

I love it when people relate watching fights with their Dads.

I was very young in 1980 for Leonard vs Duran - free to air, unreal. I didn’t know much about Roberto but my Dad had waxed lyrical about him before - particularly accenting on Duran being an animal.

I asked Dad who he thought would win. He said “Just let me see Duran after he takes his robe off” (to visually assess his condition).

Upon seeing same, and Duran did look in amazing shape, Dad more or less said “Duran has got this”. I’ll never forget that. And then we went on to yell and scream (happily) together during one of the best fights I’ve ever seen. Great memories.

 

I would say Liston was the first Bogeyman at least (going back in time) Coop.

What Sonny did to Patterson (and twice) was monstrous - and that’s without mentioning other devastating Liston victories.

 

That’s true. Good call. And let’s not forget even a young George was intimidated by Liston while being a sparring partner

 

What we’d give for footage of at least one sparring session between Sonny and George.

Louis didn’t try on the intimidation stuff like Liston, Foreman and Tyson but as I’ve read, sheerly by way of prior ring performances, The Bomber still had more than a few opponents quaking in their boots before first bell.

Now that’s intimidation without even trying.

 

That's an awesome memory. Happily for me, my adult son and I now share these moments. From being stunned when Marquez kayoed Pacquiao to rooting against each other in Chocolatito-Estrada 3 we are having a great time.

 

That’s great to hear Fog. If anything, but still not so much, my boys are more attuned to the UFC.

With the possibility of Francis Ngannou crossing over, they might become quasi boxing fans, even if only temporarily.

 

I recall it like it was yesterday. Nobody could believe that the unbeaten Frazier had just got absolutely annihalated. Then while the shockwaves were still subsiding two months later,Ken Norton upsets Muhammad Ali. The heavyweight division suddenly became a four man show instead of a two man one.