This seems like the perfect time for a rematch. Ali had looked great in Quarry 2. The performance seemed to back up the claim that he had needed time and fights to get back as much as possible of his old self. And at 30 he wasn't that old yet. He also called out Frazier right after the finish, from memory. So does anyone know why it didn't happen? What were people saying at the time? @mydinnerwithconteh @JohnThomas1
My guess is what Fraziers team wanted to cash in on easier defences before fighting Ali. They knew Ali fight would be a big payday and a guaranteed one. Why not make easy money and delay the rematch a bit?
Frazier was also tired of Ali's antics leading up to and after FOTC when Ali made claims that he lost because it was "a white's man decision". So he was perfectly fine with waiting out for a rematch and thought Foreman was more deserving first.
That's how I see it. I think that Yank Durham realised what the first Ali fight took out of Joe so he was n't in a hurry to throw Frazier back in with Ali too soon.
Frazier may have won the FOTC but Ali also beat the living caca out of him that night. Durham was looking out for Joe’s interests, not giving fans what they might have wanted.
Timeline was everything, IMO. Frazier had defended his title against Stander in May and Ali-Quarry took place in June. But Ali fought Al Lewis in July and Patterson in September. Now these fights had to be already lined up. The Lewis fight took place in Croke Park in Dublin so this was going to be huge and was just not scrawled on a contract quickly. Also, the Patterson fight was in the Garden and they have things mapped out well in advance. So I think contractually, Ali was obligated for a few months (I won't even talk about the Foster fight just those in close proximity). Frazier, on the other hand signed for Foreman in November, so one would think negotiations were taking place in early fall. So I do think the timeline had a bit to do with it.
