Let’s take a have a look at the 2 former Olympic Gold Medalists and world heavyweight champions Muhammad ‘The Biggest’ Ali and ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier.
Each were born within the south. Ali in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942 and Frazier in Beaufort, South Carolina on January 12, 1944.
Frazier would find yourself moving to Recent York before settling into North Philadelphia, PA. Ali would eventually move to seventieth and Overbrook in Philadelphia, then Cherry Hill, Recent Jersey.
Their amateur records have been given with quite a few statistics. Normally, Ali’s amateur profession record was given at 69-6 with 22 stoppages. Frazier’s often listed at 38-2 with 37 stoppages.
Ali went to the 1960 Rome Olympics in Italy. It’s been said he lost within the heavyweight trials to Percy Price, however it could never be verified. Within the Olympics, he won the sunshine heavyweight Gold Medal, winning all three bouts. He would sign with a gaggle of investors called the Louisville Sponsoring Group.
Frazier was 2-1 within the Olympic trials losing to Buster Mathis who broke his right middle finger so Frazier went because the alternate within the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He scored three knockouts, breaking his left thumb stopping the Soviet boxer in his third bout. Then defeated the German by decision to win the Gold Medal. He would sign with a gaggle of investors called Cloverlay, Inc. when he turned pro.
In March of 1968 Frazier 19-0, stopped Mathis, 23-0, in 11 rounds for the vacant NYSAC world title at Madison Square Garden, NY.
While Frazier was winning the Olympics in 1964, Ali, 19-0, won the heavyweight title in February of that 12 months, stopping Sonny Liston, 35-1, after six rounds on the Convention Center in Miami, FL.
In February of 1970 Frazier won the world title stopping Jimmy Ellis after 4 rounds at Madison Square Garden. Ellis had split with Ali (then Cassius Clay) within the amateurs losing to him in the professional’s.
Ali had 9 title defenses before having his license revoked in June of 1967 attributable to refusing induction into the military. He was capable of go to court and never to prison but was not capable of get his boxing license renewed in any state.
From August of 1967 when he knocked out Zora Folley, 74-7-4, at Madison Square Garden until October of 1970 he was inactive earning a living doing speaking engagements at colleges throughout the states.
The state of Georgia re-instated Ali’s license in September 1970, when he returned to the ring the next month, stopping Jerry Quarry, 37-4-4, in 3 rounds in Atlanta. Next, in December, he stopped Oscar Bonavena, 46-6-1, at Madison Square Garden before signing to fight Frazier, 26-0, the then-world champion at Madison Square Garden in March of 1971. Ali was knocked down in the ultimate round, losing the choice to Frazier.
Ali would win his next 10 fights before losing to Ken Norton, 29-1, by split decision, having his jaw broken supposably within the second round. He won the rematch over Norton and two fights later defeated the then former world champion Frazier, 30-1, in January of 1974 for his NABF title by decision at Madison Square Garden.
In Ali’s next fight, he knocked out the 1968 Olympic Gold Medalist after which world champion ‘Big’ George Foreman, 40-0, who had defeated Frazier for the title. Ali stopped Foreman in Zaire, Africa, in eight rounds, winning the title for a second time.
After three title stoppages, Ali, 48-2, met Frazier for the third time within the Philippines, ‘The Thrilla in Manila’ while well ahead after 14 rounds when Frazier, 32-2, was unable to proceed.
Frazier would again be stopped by Foreman and draw with Floyd ‘Jumbo’ Cummings, 15-1, ending his profession in December of 1981 with a 32-4-1 and 27 stoppages record.
Ali would go on to win his next six fights, including one other win over Norton in February of 1978, losing to the previous 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist Leon ‘Neon’ Spinks, 6-0-1, by split decision in Las Vegas, NV. Ali won the rematch, winning a record world title for the third time. He announced his retirement after that, only to return to the ring, losing to Larry Holmes, 35-0, by stoppage for the one time in his profession, after ten rounds in October of 1980. Then, in December of 1981, he lost his final bout to future world champion Trevor Berbick, 19-2-1, in Nassau.
Ali’s daughter Laila ‘She Be Stingin’ Ali, 9-0, would defeat Frazier’s daughter Jacqui, 7-0, in June of 2001 by majority decision. She ended up at 13-1, winning several minor titles. Ali ended with a 24-0 record before retiring. She won the WIBA Super Middleweight title in 2002 and the WBC title in 2005 before retiring.
Last Updated on 03/17/2025
