Ali - Frazier II what's your scorecard?

I've scored it for the first time recently and was suprised that on my card Frazier won.

Even with Ali holding back of his head multiple times in each round. How the hell ref didn't warned him?

I was focusing on power punches landed and I put great notice on clean and hard body punching (I wonder why so many pro judges don't, maybe they weren't hit good under the ribs or to the stomach).

Ali was the one to score more with his jab (which never seem to bother Joe) and short flurries (which not many were clean)

Frazier was able to caught Ali's jaw multiple times with his hooks (mostly left, but he also suprised Ali with some rights). He also attacked ali's body like a madman - but have to admit that he wasn't as effective as in the first fight.

It was hard listening to Cossell's bias on Ali. He talked like he and Ali were college room mates. He saw Ali landing even when he was beating up air and was often mute when Frazier landed big hooks to the head.

Here is my scorecard:

Muhammad Ali - Joe Frazier II

1. 10-9 clear. Ali moving, jabbing and throwing combos. Frazier chasing him, bouncing and going to the body. Ali holds Frazier behind his head in close. Ali shuffles a little

2. 9-10 Frazier lands powerful hooks to the body and scores upstairs. Ali circling to his right fighting fromoutside, lands a quick righ that pushed Frazier back for the first time. Perez stops the action to early and calls fighters to finish the round, Ali fights without his mouthpiece

3. 9-10 Quick exchange early and Frazier taking better of it (Cossell Ali bias is irretating), Frazier attacking the body, chasing, nice left to the head. "Get off that ropes" from Ali's corner and Ali does that. Frazier popping his gloves, stimulates himself, smiling, Ali jabbing and then holding Frazier behind his head

O.J Simpson on the screen. Talks about live scoring by the judges:
George Castellano Ali 3-0, George Gordon 2-1, Tony Perez 2-1 all for Ali

4. 10-9

Cossel: 200748 fans at MSG, 1,053,688 gate

Ali hits more with his jab, Frazier throws dangerous hooks but misses often, Ali holds Frazier behind his head multiple times in close

Frazier's right eye starts to blood, Ali standing

5. 9-10 Frazier connects to the belly, chest and head early. Brown: float like a butterfly, Frazier active and aggressive, clear round for him, he slips and dodges many of Ali's punches

6. 10-9 Brown: all night long! Ali lands short combo when Frazier is talking to him, Frazier throws heavy punches but misses, Ali score sith light jabs and flurries, holds Frazier behind his head, Ali sits in the corner after the bell and stands up before the next bell

7. 9-10 big left to the head by Frazier early and another, Joe pushes Ali to the ropes, claer round for Joe

O.J 4-2-1, 5-2, 4-2-1 - all judges gave 7th to Frazier for the first time

8. 9-10 Ali starting with flurries that were blocked, Frazier lands to left hooks to the head, Brown: you have to box champ, you have to box! Frazier going to the body, ali again holds him too much, Ali tries to flurry, Frazier closes the round with great right to the head, Ali suprised after that punch, a little blood from the nose
9. 10-9 Frazier is dancing and smiling in the corner, taunts Ali and invites him to fight, Joe lands clean power punch early, but later Ali scores with jabs, counters and flurries

O.J: 5-3-1, 6-3, 5-3-1 all for Ali

10. 9-10 Frazier hits Ali's jaw early then goes to the body and lands nice right lead, ends round with godd left hook to the head, Ali's left hand again behind Frazier's head in clinches

Cossell: Larry Merchant has Ali well ahead and said that Frazier needs a knockout to win

11. 9-10 Frazier starts strong, throws powerful punches but most of them miss, continues to throw to the body and the chest. Ali lands 2 short, light left hooks from the backfoot, Frazier misses left hook but lands with a right under the ribs, Dundee: stay there, stay there, when Ali is in the center of the ring, Dundee 15 seconds! Ali scores tith jab

O.J: 6-4-1, 8-3, 6-4-1 Ali

12. 9-10 Ali waits for the bell, Brown next to him talking to his ear with passion, wild exchange from the start, Frazier swinging with hooks, Ali scores some short jabs, Dundee: stay there Muhammad, stay there goddamit! great left hook by Frazier to the jaw, Ali is cornered, Dundee: stay out of there! Ali lands flurrie on the backfoot, Ali jabbing and shufflin', Frazier swings wild and is blocked by Ali, Frazier attacks but Ali holds him up in the last seconds of the fight, close round.

112-116 Frazier (!)

Well, I know that probably most will put some **** on me but I don't give a damn.

 

Your absolutely right, no way that Ali "dominated" this fight or even a single round. Listening to Cossell gives you a confusement. Probably the best punch for Ali was his right hand in the 2nd after which Frazier's legs trembled a little bit and still I gave that round to Joe because earlier he landed nice, clean hooks.

 

Throughout the bout, Frazier complained to Perez that Ali was holding in the clinches. "The only violation," Perez said, "is if you held and hit at the same time. Ali was holding but he wasn't hitting." Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, occasionally complained to Perez between rounds.

I wonder how would Ali's career look like if he didn't get nods in all his close contests. I had Norton winning all 3 fights against him and had a draw on my card against Jimmy Young.