Ali-Frazier I scorecards: 11-4!?!

tbh i can see it

 

Well, it’s arguable that Ali won the first 4 rounds and I don’t think that was the ceiling for him.

I happen to have the FOTC that much closer than most.

It seemed they were also scoring points for Joe for his ability to take numerous head shots.

Ali was kinda the villain going into this fight.

Ironically, the fight itself gained him that much more respect thereafter.

 

I watched it again recently. I agree with Referee Mercante. 8-6-1 for Frazier. It was not a blowout, but Joe Frazier clearly won. I can easily see scoring it 9-6, as Judge Aldala had it. I could also understand if someone had it 7-6-2. I agree with the OP that 11-4 is out of line for that fight.

 

To be fair they had Ali winning by 5 points in the 3rd fight which I also don't side with.

 

I had it 8-7 for Frazier giving him two 2 point rounds in the 11th and 15th.

 

I had it 8-6-1 Frazier when I last saw it in 2023.

 

I know a few have mentioned 10-8 rounds for Frazier, but remember, this was scored on NY's rounds-basis. No extra points for a hugely dominant round or a round where a knockdown occurred. The fighter simply wins the round. The only time one could apply extra points was if their scorecard came up dead-even. Then extra points for a knockdown could be applied to render a verdict.

My score:

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

 

We saw it closed circuit that night in Boston. There was never any discussion that Ali won the fight. That's only because of "revisionists" and trolls online. Ali was past it in 1971...Frazier had won the vacant title and had been fighting regularly. Stopping Jerry Quarry on a cut in October 1970...and struggling over 15 rounds with Oscar Bonavena in December 1970 doesn't mean you're ready for prime Joe Frazier. Joe was working his ass off in camp to prepare for the FOTC...Ali was talking how he was gonna stop Joe in the 6th round...it will be "No Contest"...showing up at Frazier's camp..."I'm gonna do this...I'm gonna do that!" He couldn't do anything with Frazier that night. A boxer hates to fight a swarmer...and Joe was one of the best ever! If it wasn't for Joe...there would have no action at all..."Look...Ali's up on his toes!"...yeah...until Joe nails him with a left hook...then he grabs Frazier to steady himself and shakes his head "No"...he didn't hurt me"...Yeah...right. Ali just lying on the ropes...the crowds booing him...until Joe pulls him off of the ropes and starts pounding him again! In the 11th round Frazier nails him with a big left hook...Ali almost goes down...he staggers into the ropes...the crowd is going wild...then in the 15th...Frazier lands the left hook from hell and Ali goes down flat on his back...tassels on his shoes flying in the air...Ali gets up at the count of 4 and steadies himself on the ropes. Joe attacks and belts Ali with 2 more big left hooks. Ali's not shaking his head anymore! Ali won a few rounds...but all the major action was from Joe Frazier. Frazier was not going to lose that night...he wanted to kill Ali. Before Ali made his comeback in 1970...he borrowed money from Frazier...(Ali was basically broke)...and Joe worked behind the scenes to help Ali get his boxing license back. Then as the fight nears...Ali saying s**t about Joe and his family...Joe received death threats...his kids need police protection to go to school...etc. The FOTC...the "pea shooter" against the "howitzer"...Ali had nothing to keep Joe away from him that night. Joe left everything he had that ring at MSG...Frazier was never the same again! Biggest fight of my lifetime. The whole world was watching that night!

 

9-6 Frazier,

 

Hi Buddy.
Neat breakdown of this most prestigious fight, thanks, not so sure that I would describe Ali's punches as peashooters, far from it, the fighter of 71 was a bigger, stronger, fighter and hit a lot harder than the 60s version, Frazier took career defining punches during the fight as you yourself alluded to, hard thudding shots time and again struck Frazier's swollen features, his face changing shape before our eyes, most pundits, and posters have Frazier winning, me I am not so sure, mind you he paid a heavy price for his undoubted bravery, as I have said here before he was one of a kind, like his nemesis fighters like them come along once in a lifetime.
stay safe Rocky, chat soon buddy.
Mike.

 

This is generally how I see it, with the sole exception that I thought that round seven was close, although I still had it for Frazier. I do agree that to score that fight for Ali you have to give him quite a bit of the benefit of the doubt.

The only rounds that all three judges agreed on were 2 (Ali), 3 (Frazier), 4 (Frazier), 9 (Ali), 11 (Frazier), and 15 (Frazier).
Recht thought that Frazier won the first round, and Mercante thought that Frazier won the fourteenth.
Mercante had Ali winning the sixth and seventh, and he had the twelfth round even. Aidala had Ali winning the eighth.

My card, which means nothing:
Frazier: 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15
Ali: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 14