The Ring awarded it to Joe Frazier in this year. As deserving a candidate as Joe was,I think that Muhammad Ali was even more so. The reason ? Well,even though Joe unified the title by beating Jimmy Ellis then defended it against Bob Foster,Ali's resume was even tougher. After a 3 1/2 year lay off,he came back to beat Jerry Quarry,who was on par with Ellis,and beat Oscar Bonavena after that. Just in case anyone thinks that my Ali bias is showing through,I will redress this by saying that although Muhammad fully deserved subsequent fighter of the year awards in 1974 and 1975,he should n't have received it in 1978. All he did that year was redress a loss to Leon Spinks to whom he should n't have lost to in the first place. I admit that Larry Holmes should have got it that year. I shouild add that Bonavena was a much tougher opponent than Foster was.
Frazier put on two spectacular performances and was the champ. I'd speculate that Napoles or Olivares might have been fancied for it only both of them were upset at the year's end
I get your drift,but considering the circumstances,Ali's performances exceeded Frazier's. As I've implied,I've no problem whatsoever about Joe getting the award in '70,I just figure that Ali deserved it that little bit more.
I think the biggest high way robbery was 1936. Schmeling beats, drops and ko's the mighty Joe Louis and who gets fighter of the year of 1936?? Yep Joe Louis. Its like after Ali Frazier 1, in 1971, they gave the award to Ali.
Are you talking about the RING fighter of the year award ? It was Frazier who won it in 1971 !! I agree with your sentiments about the 1936 one.
I know Frazier got the award in 71. I just saying it would be akin to giving the award to Ali in 71 which would compare to what happen in 1936.
Ali was the event but the fights were average ... he was very lucky the Quarry fight ended on an early cut as he was already tired after two rounds and Jerry was just about to start ... the Bonavena fight was incredibly gutsy but it was a terrible fight with a freak ending ... Frazier looked far more impressive.
I don't know that he was tired,,,he did burn allot of energy showing us he still had the speed, but he was in primed condition and weight and wasn't known for being winded. Jerry was sharp also and had just missed a big right hand, it would have been interesting the rest of the way!
