EVENT: FRAZIER vs. ALI I
YEAR: 1971
Champion Joe Frazier and challenger Muhammad Ali were both guaranteed a then-record $2.5-million purse for the fight. Dubbed “The Fight of the Century,” the bout lived up to the hype. It went the full 15 rounds, and was a back-and-forth tussle until round 11, when Frazier landed a solid left hook that shook Ali. After that, the champ didn’t look back. Frazier was awarded the victory via unanimous decision, dealing Ali his first professional loss.
EVENT: ALI vs. FRAZIER II
YEAR: 1974
The rematch between Ali and Frazier wasn’t considered as entertaining or meaningful as the first encounter, since no title was on the line. But there was still a lot of buildup to the fight, including a pre-fight scuffle during an interview on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. The fight went to Ali by unanimous decision, prompting Frazier to declare he got robbed. His take: He was more aggressive and landed harder punches. Obviously, the judges didn’t agree. There was a rubber match between the two that you may have heard of — The Thrilla in Manila. But it didn’t take place at MSG. Ali won by TKO.