Ali-Frazier I - Your Scorecard?

I just scored this fight. I have no dog in this fight but here is how my card ended up looking.

Boxing Scorecards

Ali-Frazier I

10-10
10-9
10-9
9-10
10-9

9-10
10-9
9-10
10-9
10-9

8-10 (or should it be 8-10 .. Ali was in serious trouble)
10-10
10-10
10-9
8-10 (knock down)

144-143 Ali or 143-143 Draw

Modern scoring - 144-143 Ali or 143-143 draw - I wasn't sure on rules but if a 10-8 is typically only awarded for a knock-down then round 11 was 9-10 Frazier, but I feel it was an 8-10 round based on the trouble that Ali was in.

Old scoring - Ali, 7-5-3.

Overall then, I have Ali winning or maybe a draw. This surprised me, because overall I felt Frazier edged the fight... but when checking my scorecard and tallying it up, realised that Ali had won, or at best it was a draw on my card.


Thoughts, and your cards?

 

I really did try to judge honestly... really assumed Frazier would win on my scorecards after adding it up, and I felt he won the fight as an overall impression.

What does this say about the scoring system? Maybe I judged badly, but I tried my best.

..Definitely feel Frazier deserved the decision regardless of my scorecard. He wasn't a lucky winner.

 

Frazier did control the pace but Ali used his genius to snatch several middle rounds IMO by timing Frazier consistently on his advances, sometimes with quite staggering accuracy. It was truly impressive.

I'm sorry to have disappointed you with my scorecard and maybe my technique for judging the fight is very bad. I can only try harder next time.

 

Fine... watching again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_TgAc4ESQ4

Round 1: Ali 10-9 ... 1-0
Round 2: Ali 10-9 ... 2-0

At first I had round 1 10-10, but watching again I think Ali won the round.
Ali was busier in round 2, Frazier landed maybe the best shot of the round but Ali landed way more punches..

Ali wins the first two rounds IMO...

Round 3: 10-10 ... 2-0-1

Frazier was trying to impose his will but Ali keeps picking him off and beating him to the punch and is scoring way more landing blows. Frazier buzzes Ali toward the end, which doesn't undo most of Ali's superior work in this round, but it's enough for me to call the round even.

Round 4: Ali 10-9 ... 3-0-1 .. but honestly this could be even or 9-10.. and first time round I scored it 9-10.

I was tired earlier.. this time I see Ali totally dominated the round with amazing accuracy on the stiff jab and straight right.. UNTIL the last 30 seconds, where Frazier again lands a good blow that puts Ali in a bit of trouble, and he somewhat capitilises until the end of the round. But, Ali's work was so so good in the first two minutes, that this time I don't see it as enough to sway the round even to a draw. Amazing how you can come to some totally different round scores when watching a fight again.. LOL.

Rounds 3 and 4 are HARD to score.

Round 5: Ali 10-9 ... 4-0-1

Frazier is still landing some success with the left hook but he felt a bit lazy this round and didn't pressure Ali enough, who kept picking Joe off with good accuracy particularly in the second half of the round.

Round 6:Frazier 10-9 ... Ali leads 4-1-1

Ali takes a breather and doesn't catch Frazier much coming in, who sees good success with his left hook and overhand right .. Ali letting Frazier work on him as he spends a lot of time against the ropes.

Round 7: Ali 10-9 ... Ali leads 5-1-1

Frazier is starting to really make it his fight, but he doesn't get enough work done and neither does Ali up to 2 mins. But then Ali shows off magnificent timing and showmanship with a beautiful combination, and then defends mostly successfully in the corner while picking Joe off some still. A little bit of genius steals the show for me and Ali claims the round against the grain.. as Frazier really is now forcing his will on proceedings and starting to force Ali to fight his fight, as Ali tires.

Round 8: Frazier 10-9 ... Ali leads 5-2-1

Frazier has done the work that now sets up the rest of his fight. He's unrelenting and Ali looks fatigued. Frazier is really going to work now and it's a fight on his terms.

Round 9: Ali 10-9 ... Ali leads 6-2-1

Ali keeps catching Frazier coming in. It's Frazier's fight but Ali is timing him in the first minute and wins that first minute clearly.Ali on the ropes, holding and clinching. Frazier looking to get some work done and Ali picks him off while Frazier doesn't pull the trigger. Ali int he corner .. NOW Frazier starts going to work... lands a good left hook.. and another. He's evened up the round. I had this as an Ali round last time out . Ali comes back, he's timing Frazier amazingly well, landing sharp combinations. Frazier knows he needs to score but flails and misses. Ali stole the show with his combinations in the last 30 seconds after Frazier evened it up. Ali's round. It's Frazier's fight but Ali is stealing rounds!

Round 10: Ali 10-9 ... Ali leads 7-2-1

Frazier starts round 10 brightly, launching his body work with bad intentions. He's controlling the round. Frazier apparently complains about his eye, but gets back to work. It's not enough for Frazier to back ALi up, he needs to actually get some work done. Ali is picking him off... slick as you like boxing from Ali. Frazier working away. Disappointing round for Frazier. He didn't fire and kept getting timed. Frazier landed some decent blows but despite Ali seeming more tired and being somewhat controlled, he's simply firing off more. He somewhat froze Frazier in that round.

Round 11: Frazier 10-8 ... Ali leads 7-3-1

Nothing to really separate them for the first minute. Both a little weary. Frazier going to work now, digging away. Frazier doing some good gritty work and Ali is doing nothing and is losing the round. Big exchange and Ali perhaps gets the best of it, better timing. HUGE left hook and Ali is in serious trouble! He's reeling.. He stumbles into the ropes! That left hook is money now for Frazier. HUGE round for Frazier, as good as a knock-down.

Round 12: 10-10 ... Ali leads 7-3-2

Frazier with the wind in his sails now and needs to captilise and stop getting caught coming in. Beautiful work from Frazier to open the round - bullish stuff. Frazier looking for that money shot all the time, to clock Ali with that left hook. Ali lands so slappy shots, not heavy scoring.
Frazier going to town and keeping up a good work rate, working the body. Ali goes for some combinations to deter the onslaught from Frazier but misses most of his shots unlike earlier. Still, he's had more success than Frazier in the last minute and persists. It seems to have worked. Round is up for grabs with 30 seconds to go. I don't see enough to really score this anything other than a drawn.

Round 13: Frazier 10-9 ... Ali leads 7-4-2

Ali with sharper work to open. Frazier with a sharp left hook - his best shot.. and another. He's got Ali in the corner now - Ali tying him up. Now Frazier has room to work and he's mixing it up beautifully from body to head. Frazier imposing his will in this round, producing some beautiful work. I had this round a draw earlier when tired, but Frazier clearly won this round.

Round 14: Ali 10-9 ... Ali leads 8-4-2
Frazier is trying to come forwar dand pressure Ali but Ali is timing him and beating him to the punch. He's initiating the offence more often despite being hunted. Beautiful combination of straight punches each one connecting with Frazier's head, like 5 in a row. Frazier dazzled and won this round against the grain. It's OK being aggressive and trying to force the action but one actually needs to throw punches.

Round 15: Frazier 10-8 ... Ali leads 8-5-2

Dat knock-down. Perfection.


Ali wins 8-5-2 or 143-142. A draw would also be fair, but I'm still somehow fine with Frazier winning this fight.. but Ali's reserve and resourcefulness against the grain of this fight after round 5 resulted in him arguably edging many rounds even though he was behind the eight ball. What an effort.

Look, I took another look because everybody else sees it differently but in the end I've still managed to score it for Ali. *shrugs*

 

I'll do the second fight later, I'm all fought out for today, scoring the same fight twice now!!

 

Can you watch the 3rd and 4th rounds and tell me that Ali or Frazier definitely won the rounds? Ali does most of the good work in each round. Frazier gets some success late in the rounds. Round 3 I gave Frazier the benefit of the doubt for clawing the round back despite landing less scoring blows, due to the quality of what he landed, but Ali put on a clinic for portions of round 4. Frazier's later work isn't enough to undo the 2 minutes of sheer quality that Ali put together.

I don't even have an agenda here and even tried to score the fight twice due to the feedback. I prefer Frazier's work overall in this fight because he made it his fight, but Ali stole rounds IMO against the grain of the fight through brilliant resourcefulness. He timed Frazier.

I understand my card is way different to those judges but watch rounds 3 and 4 when you get time and tell me it's so unreasonable for me to score them 10-10 and 10-9 to Ali...?

Also, Frazier didn't do enough in round 5. He let Ali off the hook and did little with his pressure.