Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier! A quesiton

One of the boxing sites says this was the first "Boxing telecast" Home Box Office did.

 

You could be right of course but just observing it as it happened his reaction was the same as my brother and me regardless of who we all thought would win.

 

I saw a clip of Cosell saying he thought Foreman would win...but you didn't know in those days (1973), if Cosell said it before or after the fight. In fact in this clip, Cosell said he thought Foreman would beat Frazier pretty bad.

 

In the Cosell special, Cosell tells Foreman he'll call the Frazier fight like it is, whether it be Frazier killing him or him killing Frazier.

Interesting side note: Cosell wasn't at ringside for Ali-Foreman. He was busy with Monday Night Football.

 

"Another lonely voice, though considerably louder and more aggravating, was Cosell's. By 1973 Cosell had become almost bigger than the sports he broadcast. He'd been a fixture on much of the fight coverage, had come to be identified with the political left that had freed Ali from his exile, and had reached through to even bigger audiences as the self-styled and highly self-absorbed intellectual on Monday Night Football. Probably half of America hated him; probably half loved him. But there was little question that he was a knowledgeable and important asset to sports entertainment, possible even an authority when it came to boxing.

Here in Jamaica, Cosell was once more telling it like he thought it was, reminding listeners that he'd "been with George in Mexico City when he took out the Russian, Ionis Chepulis, on a TKO [technical knockout] in the second round." That was all he needed to have seen. He advised, "There are going to be some shocked people in the world." "

http://thestacks.deadspin.com/down-goes-terror-how-a-scared-george-foreman-shocked-j-1606266380

 

Great link Nighttrain. That was what I remembered too from being at the CCircuit telecast....that someone else (Dunphy) did the CCircuit call (and how about Pearl Baily as "color commentator?) (I believe Burt Lancaster did color at the Ali-Frazier FOC).

"Once again, Cosell had been overlooked for the closed-circuit broadcast (those duties went to Don Dunphy once more, although this time his color commentator would be singer Pearl Bailey). But he would provide his braying expertise for the Wide World of Sports delayed telecast and would inform and annoy his print brethren in the meantime."

 

Mixture of Don Dunphy & H. Cosell calls of the fight.

https://vimeo.com/7371178

 

Thanks. Tell me you are making up the Pearl Bailey thing!

 

Pearl Bailey is true. In many of the Closed Circuit fights, in the late 60's to mid 70's, the promoters stuck some "Celeb" for color, with the quality announcer.

The Celeb in most case didn't have a clue about boxing.

 

Flip Wilson WAS my all time bizarro world choice for his work on the Thrilla in Manila. He made Burt Lancaster sound like Al Bernstein. I am going to have watch it,

Pearl Bailey?! It could have been worse, it could have been Ferddie Pacheco.

 

not at all imo, I think he was truly amazed at how powerful Georges shots were :bbb

 

Steelers 24, Falcons 17. I was watching MNF the night of October 28, 1974 as coverage bled past midnight into Tuesday, October 29. I've never even seen a Cosell blow by blow recall of Ali-Foreman, and have always assumed one did not exist, because everybody knew Howard was in Pittsburgh. Bob Sheridan nailed the live ringside call though, and Frazier made a sharp observation with, "He's using the old pro skill on George, and George is falling for it!" while other guest commentators also noted after action got underway that Ali really seemed to have Foreman's number.

 

It kind of reminds me of David Frost being overcome with excitement at the sudden end of the Foreman Vs Ali Fight...

" He's Done It... He's Done It...THe Great Man Has Done It..."

 

Flip Wilson and Hugh O'Brian were both providing commentary, and were annoying as hell to listen to. Ken Norton was there ringside as well; a very well-spoken guy who, having been in there with both fighters (fought Ali, sparred with Frazier), could have given a lot of insight. But Dunphy seemed content to let the Hollywood celebs blab away, overlooking Norton's more valuable contributions ...