It has been a long time since I watched this fight, but did the second and third knockdowns in the 15th rounds have some controversy to them? I remember Ali not going to a neutral corner and then getting quickly on an off-balance Oscar before he could really get set. Seems to me that the fighter scoring the knockdown is supposed to go to and stay in the neutral corner until the referee waves him back into action. The ref lost control of the situation, as I recall. Do I have things correct or am I just getting senile?
Without youtubing it and going strictly from memory, balance had nothing to do with it. Ali landed a left hook (of all things) in that last round and Oscar was gone. He kept getting up but the legs were gone from under him. He just couldn't stand up after that one-in-a-million shot and Ali's follow-ups were pinpoint. It was like Michael Nunn taking out Sumbu Kalambay in 1 round. You just had to say to yourself, WTF!
One of many things Ali got away with in his day. Oscar got up and Ali was right there to deck him again.
Not Cortez. I just did some google searching and the referee for Ali-Bonavena was Mark Conn. Conn was highly regarded as a referee and the fight was one of his last assignments. He was well into his 60s at the time of the fight. I also looked at the 15th rd on youtube. Ali did not go to a neutral corner at all after the first knockdown. Oscar was barely up before Ali put him back down. After the second knockdown Conn tried hard to get Ali to a neutral corner, but Ali wouldn't stay in the corner and he quickly closed in on Bonavena and sent him down for the third time. Ali didn't do what he was supposed to do, especially between the first and second knockdowns. The ref just couldn't keep control of him, from what I see. Of course, in fairness to Conn, controlling Ali was easier said then done.
Good call on this one. Okay it makes no difference in the larger scheme of things as Ali was going to win anyway, but rules are rules. Yet it's not even a talking point when this fight is discussed.
Yeah, Ali made it old school, Jack Dempsey style. It's funny after the second knockdown Ali refuses to go anywhere as the referee tries to hold him back, and actually brushes the referee's arm away. I think referees were often intimdated by his personality.
I shamelessly yutubd it (15th rd) as shud b done prior 2 replying 2 sach e topic. I did woch it in z past entirely, bat since it is n interesting topic i wonted 2 rifresh may memori ebaut it. Ali did not w8 in e neutral corner, and nor did hi w8 4z referi 2 call him out of wer hi woz.
Not trying to turn Ali's record into a losing one, but there is no fighter in history who was granted more favoritism or got away with more. Name one. Ali was sick of Bonavena and desperately wanted the fight over, so he imposed his will on the situation. No points taken, no DQ, just an unfair knockout to Bonavena.
