FIGHT OF THE WEEK 3- Joe Frazier vs Muhammad Ali I FOTC (50th anniversary)

**** me I'm slow.

My apologies.

 

Haha, no worries!

 

Yeah, that seemed pretty wide to me, too.

How about that? A reporter I agree with. Granted, it was the 70s. Cheers.

 

I had re-watched it last Sunday when ABC did the anniversary of the fight and I cannot disagree with my score from a year ago. This is how I had it.

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

 

I don't see how it couldn't be10-8. Ali took a pillar to post beating for the last minute of the round after being staggered. He was flopping around like a fish and threw nothing in return. If it were 10 pt must system and you score that 10-9 the scorecard gets scewed.

 

Where is this version Swag not sure i am seeing it on YT. I have to score this tomoz.

 

It's on ESPN Plus. I can give you my account info if you'd like to shoot me a PM.

 

Cats and dogs. Heart and determination. Animosity. Relentlessness. Side of beef. Facial swelling. Durability. Accumulation. Stripped bare.

Round 1: Frazier
Round 2: Ali
Round 3: Ali
Round 4: Even
Round 5: Ali
Round 6: Frazier
Round 7: Frazier
Round 8: Frazier
Round 9: Ali
Round 10: Ali
Round 11: Frazier
Round 12: Frazier
Round 13: Even
Round 14: Ali
Round 15: Frazier

Total: 7-6-2 Frazier

Frazier wears plenty of punches but he evades a LOT as well. Anyone seeing him as having little defense or being a face first swarmer needs to go to specsavers. when he holds off, and it's not often, he is actually an extremely talented defensive fighter. His reflexes and anticipation are eye opening.

Nobody takes it to the body like Ali. Pretty sure that was Jimmy Cannon.

One more recent writer also said if Ali took a punch an iota less well than he did he wouldn't have survived Foreman. I think it's safe to say that about the FOTC as well.

What an event. What a monument to both warriors.

 

Was a while ago I watched it in its entirety, but:

Frazier: Rds 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15

Ali: Rds 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 14

I remember 10 as more ore less even, but if I have to give it anyone it's Ali.

So 8-6-1 or 8-7 to Frazier.

 

3, 10 and 13 were the most difficult to score as I remember, so my scorecard is slightly in Frazier's favour in that regard, but it's probably because of the impact of his punches and his ability to take the initiative.

 

Really late, but I finally scored the fight again...I just checked to see how I scored it last time we did it for Fight of the Week and I gave Ali the same rounds, this time I gave him one more. I scored 9-4-2 for Frazier, scoring 2,12 EVEN, giving Ali 5,9,10,14, giving Frazier 1,3,4,6,7,8,11,13,15. On the 10 point must system it would be 146-139 for Frazier. IMO, Frazier landed the 60-70 hardest punches of the fight, his hooks and an occasional right hand twisted Ali's head many times, and his body shots with both hands were hard. Ali landed a lot of jabs, but he also held a lot and mugged for the crowd. I did give Frazier a 2 point round in the 11th and 15th.

 

9-6 Frazier, though upon repeated viewings I've had it closer at 8-6-1 once or twice. I've watched the fight at least a few dozens times, so 9-6 is the average.

Ali at times looked sensational in the early rounds and to my eyes took most of them. Past the 5th he started looking worse and it kind of progressively went downhill from there; he bafflingly refused to keep his right hand up (I wince every time I watch that fight, wondering why Dundee didn't scream at him to keep the damn thing up. It might have changed the course of the whole Event).

Joe essentally dominated the fight as a whole, and I'll say it again and again: his intense hate for Ali made him the most unbeatable heavyweight in history on that lone night imo.