WBC Countdown to #FuryWhyte Greatest Heavyweight Fights by OPUS: #FrazierAli I

The first of three epic encounters between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. They were both undefeated. Joe was the champion and Ali the champion whod been stripped of the title, after refusing the draft for military service in Viet Nam due to his religious beliefs. After a three and a half year enforced ring absence, Ali fought twice prior to this, stopping Jerry Quarry in three and poleaxing Oscar Bonavena in the fifteenth and final round. It wasn`t enough to properly prepare for a peak condition Joe. Ali started sharp and fast, but Joe`s crunching body shots and left hooks to the head showed him and slowed him. Joe caught Ali with a humongous left hook to the jaw in the eleventh and Ali wobbled, cunningly playing possum, sagging into the ropes in exaggerated fashion. Joe, who thought Ali was playacting, slowly and purposefully advanced on what`s been since called his SLOW MARCH. Joe dropped Ali with a terrific left hook in the fifteenth, Ali went down hard, but got up at four and fought back bravely. Joe won a unanimous decision. It was a truly great fight.

WBC Countdown to #FuryWhyte Greatest heavyweight fights by OPUS: #FrazierAli I

The first of three epic encounters between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Joe got a unanimous decision victory. pic.twitter.com/eVoEKuj7Oy

— Mauricio Sulaiman (@wbcmoro) April 12, 2022