This is an entry in an occasional series of posts looking back at the Ring Magazine Fights of the Year from 1970 to 2009.
Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali met for the first time in 1971, when Frazier defended his unified (WBC & WBA) Heavyweight championship. This was a heavily hyped fight: The announcers (including Burt Lancaster and Archie Moore!) were calling this the “Fight of the Century” before a punch was thrown. The fight (almost) lived up to the hype, as a fast-paced and competitive bout began immediately, and evolved into a intriguing and uncertain contest. Joe Frazier ultimately received a unanimous decision, a decision I concur with, despite seeing the fight as somewhat closer than any of the official scorers.
Overview
The basic pattern of the fight was established in the first round, and never really changed: Frazier came forward throwing a good mix of power shots to Ali’s body and head, seeking to trap him against the ropes while using movement to avoid counterattacks. Ali backed up, trying to outmaneuver Frazier while potshotting his head with jabs and combinations. This pattern didn’t vary much; for instance, aside from a period of (highly ineffective) aggression in the middle of the 12th, I don’t recall Ali ever taking the offensive.
What did change a lot was the relative success of the fighters in implementing their strategies. Some rounds saw Ali completely befuddle Frazier, while others saw Frazier’s power stagger and chase Ali. Frazier would tend to have the edge in scoring as the aggressor in a close fight, and this is probably why he won.
Reaction
This fight began as an entertaining but not spectacular affair, becoming closer, tenser, and more dramatic only as it went on. Although the fight was competitive throughout, it usually seemed that Ali was in command; his style was just suggestive of a man who could easily outmaneuver his opponent. Looking at my scorecard, the key to Frazier’s victory was his rally in the 10th, 11th, and 12th rounds, which gave him the points to compete for the victory, and the knockdown in the 15th, which sealed it.
The official scorecards were unanimously for Frazier, with referee Arthur Mercante scoring it 8-6-1, and the two judges 9-6 and 11-4 (on the rounds basis in use in 1971). I scored it more closely, 143-142 Frazier on the 10-point must system, or 7-7-1 on a rounds basis.
On my card the knockdown was essential, as Ali looked to be on his way to winning the last round. (I had him winning the 13th and 14th as well.) It should be noted that the knockdown didn’t matter officially; at worst, had Ali won the last round, Frazier would still have received a majority decision victory.
Round Notes
These are my raw notes on the fight. FWIW.
1: Ali looks much bigger. Also faster. Frazier coming forward, bobbing and weaving, Ali backing up, parrying and counterpunching effectively enough to stop Frazier several times. Frazier working the body (somewhat effectively), Ali headhunting (and landing convincingly). Ali seems much more effective.
2: Very exciting round. Frazier able to pressure Ali to the ropes several times, and capitalize effectively. Frazier’s attack more balanced between body and head. Ali’s strategy remains much the same, and yields some devastating-looking shots. Ali’s round, but narrowly.
3: Same pattern at a slower pace; both fighters seem to have adjusted their defense. For the most part Ali is more effective with his pot-shotting, but at the end of the round Frazier lands a great left hook to the head that seems to stagger Ali. For this, I award him the round.
4: Now the pace picks up again. Ali is by and large more effective, although Frazier lands some very flashy hooks to the head. They don’t seem to faze Ali, however, and don’t seem to be part of effective combinations, so I can’t give this one to Frazier. Even.
5: We seem to be in a pattern, as this round was much like the 4th, except more in Ali’s favor. Frazier wins 30s of the round with some good hooks, Ali wins 2:30 with counterpunching and jabs or 1-2 combinations.
6: Frazier more effective with his strategy: able to drive Ali back to the ropes and land to the body effectively. Ali’s counterpunching almost evens things up, but Frazier wins as the aggressor.
7: Ali’s defense and counterpunching both look sharper, and win him the round. Frazier looks like he’s beginning to push many of his punches.
8: A strange round. The early part seems to favor Ali, but then Frazier is able to trap him on the ropes. While there, however, they exchange blows that don’t seem to have much behind them, aside from the occasional heavy shot from Frazier. At one point Frazier pulls Ali off the ropes by the forearms, then the pattern resumes on the other side of the ring a few moments later. Both guys look tired, one or both may be attempting to set a trap. Frazier’s round.
9: Both fighters look tired. Relatively even for most of the round, with a slight edge to Frazier on the basis of aggressiveness. Around the 2:00 mark, Frazier lands some heavy shots that would ordinarily win him the round, but Ali rallies in the last 20s to take it on the basis of clean, hard punches that seem to wobble Frazier.
10: The pace picks up again. A tough round to score, as both men land effectively … Ali somewhat more so, but Frazier’s aggression might have tipped this round in his favor. Frazier by a whisker, based on a last-second left hook.
11: Very exciting round. Ali begins strongly, then gets caught with a hook that puts him in the corner. Then he ends up on the canvas, which is ruled a slip. (I think Frazier was robbed of a legitimate knockdown here, but the camera angle isn’t the best.) Ali wins the next part of the round, counterpunching, then playing possum on the ropes and surprising Frazier with a sudden counterattack. Frazier comes back and rocks Ali, who for all his clowning seems legitimately wobbled. Frazier’s round.
12: Frazier begins well, landing isolated put powerful long punches. Ali’s counterpunching seems to have deserted him for the first half of the round. Around the midway point, Ali comes forward for the first sustained period I can recall in the fight, albeit ineffectively, missing with wide shots. In the final minute the usual pattern reasserts itself, with a pursing Frazier running into a (now more effective) counterpunching Ali. Frazier on aggression.
13: Another very close round. It begins like the first third of the fight, with Ali winning points with effective counterpunching against Frazier’s isolated (if powerful) punches. In the back half of the round, however, Frazier backs Ali against the ropes where they trade. Frazier probably holds a slight edge here, but I award the round to Ali based on his early work.
14: The counterpuncher won this one. Ali.
15: Ali begins well, but then Frazier catches him and knocks him down. Frazier clearly wins the round, but is very tired. There were several moments in this round when I believe that Frazier could have gotten the knockout, had he not been so exhausted.
