Joe Fraser: He never forgave Mohammed Ali until the end of his life. The best fight in boxing history, the Muhammad Ali fight, Joe Fraser I should have apologized

The news of the death of Joe Frazier does not leave anyone indifferent who has ever seen this warrior in the ring. Boxers of many generations learned from his fights, and the confrontation between Frazier and Muhammad Ali became iconic. the site remembers and shows the famous trilogy that once made boxing the most spectacular sport.

03/08/1971. Ali–Frazier I

The retrospective opens with a story about the first fight of the famous trilogy of the greatest American heavyweights Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, which took place on March 8, 1971 at New York's Madison Square Garden and was recognized by many experts as the best fight of the last century.

In three years, Ali will return to the ring, but his royal place will already be taken

Having refused to serve in the American army because of the Vietnam War, in 1967 the invincible champion Muhammad Ali was stripped of his title, disqualified, and almost ended up behind bars. Three years later he will return to the ring, but his royal place will already be firmly occupied by another brilliant boxer - Joe Frazier, nicknamed Smoking.

In 1970, the state of Georgia gave Ali the right to compete in the ring. In the first fight in three and a half years, Mohammed defeated Jerry Quarry in three rounds, and two months later he also defeated Oscar Bonavena. Ali was again at the top, but it was impossible to call him the best heavyweight, since Joe Frazier held the titles in both boxing organizations - WBC and WBA.

A fight between two unbeaten Americans was inevitable. Without him, fans simply refused to recognize any of them as a true champion, despite Ali's past achievements and Frazier's titles.

By the middle of the fight, Frazier’s relentless pressure still exhausted Ali.

The fight took place on March 8, 1971 at New York's Madison Square Garden. Ali won the first rounds, successfully countering Frazier's pressure with multi-punch combinations. Mohammed was not as flexible and swift as before, but even this form was enough for him to seize the initiative. However, by the middle of the fight, Frazier’s relentless pressure still exhausted Ali, and he increasingly began to find himself pinned against the ropes.

In the 11th round, Joe almost sent Mohammed to the floor of the ring with a powerful left hook, but he managed to do it in the 15th round with a precise blow to the jaw. Ali quickly got up and continued to fight, but he no longer had a chance to win the fight. By unanimous decision, the judges declared Fraser the winner: 8-6, 9-6 and 11-4.

After the fight, his face swollen from bumps and bruises, Fraser will say: “I was ready to do everything to win, and nothing could stop me from doing so. If Ali had at least 9mm pistols in his hands, I would have gone through them too.”

01/28/1974. Ali–Frazier II

After losing the first match, The Greatest promised to take revenge on Joe. And he got this chance when the boxers met in a rematch on January 28, 1974.

After the boxers' first fight in 1971, their fates developed differently.

Ali crushed everyone in his path until in 1973 he ran into the steel fists of Ken Norton, losing the fight by a majority vote of the judges and receiving a broken jaw. The defeat was considered more accidental than natural, and the greats are mistaken, especially half a year later, Mohammed took revenge. But no matter who the American met, no matter what he talked about in the interview, everyone was waiting for information about only one fight - a rematch with Joe Frazier.

Everyone was waiting for information about only one fight - the rematch between Ali and Frazier

Things went a little worse for Fraser. If Ali had nothing to lose by entering the ring, then Joe risked his two titles every time. Terry Daniels and Ron Stander were unable to provide Smoking with worthy competition, but George Foreman put Joe down in the second round in 1973. Fraser was left without titles and without universal worship. And the most unreasonable ones immediately rushed to declare that Joe’s previous victories, and mainly over Ali, were completely accidental.

The public wanted a second fight, and they got it. But if in 1971 the boxers fought for universal recognition, this time they had to fight for the future - both had already crossed the thirty-year mark and only a victory would allow one of them to fight for the championship title again.

The fight took place on January 28, 1974, again in a crowded New York Madison Square Garden.

This fight was nothing like the first. Ali was so invulnerable and fast that Frazier managed to hit him with his blow a few times. Mohammed himself attacked so sharply and variedly that already in the second round he almost sent his opponent to the floor after a protracted attack, but the referee, who thought that the bell had sounded to end the round, saved Frazier from at least a knockdown.

Fraser was shocked but not broken

Fraser was shocked, but not broken. He continued his mighty pressure and occasionally managed to hit his opponent with tangible blows to the body, but this was very little to turn the tide of the battle. In addition, Joe's main weapon - his left side - misfired over and over again.

Later the fight took on a more tactical character. Ali managed to completely outplay Frazier while standing at the ropes due to his speed and reaction, attacking his opponent from all possible positions and so quickly that Joe, it seems, at some point simply stopped understanding what next action to expect from Mohammed.

Following the results of 12 rounds of the fight, the judges unanimously gave the victory to Ali - 6-5, 7-4, 8-4.

Mohammed was beaming with joy, making his favorite caustic one-liners and looking forward to a quick championship fight with Foreman. At that moment, Ali thought least of all about Frazer, but just a year later he would have to remember the Smoking One, so well that he would never fall out of his memory.

01.10.1975. Ali–Frazier III

This fight turned out to be one of the toughest in the history of the heavyweight division, for which it received the unofficial name “Thriller in Manila.”

“Death passed somewhere near me today”

The announcement of the third fight between Ali and Frazier did not cause the same enthusiasm among the public as the previous two times. Ali had turned 33 years old by that time, and although he continued to be a champion in two versions, many noted that Mohammed was losing ground with each fight. Fraser is a little younger - 31 years old, but he no longer has titles and universal worship. There were even those who predicted the most boring money fight, which only Don King could persuade the boxers to do.

But only those who knew or saw with what self-torture the rivals were preparing for the upcoming fight guessed what will happen on October 1, 1975 in the ring of the Araneta Coliseum sports complex, which is in the suburbs of Manila, Caisson City (Philippines).

After the battle, the practically blind Fraser (he saw almost nothing in his right eye due to a cataract, and his left one was completely swollen) will be sent to the hospital, and Ali, who can barely move his tongue, will say: “Today, somewhere near me, death passed.” A little later, Mohammed admits that he also did not intend to go into the final 15 round and coach Fraser’s decision to stop the fight was ahead of him by only a few seconds.

Even people far from boxing know about two outstanding fights, one might say, legendary fights. This is a fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, later called the “Rumble in the Jungle,” and a fight (there’s no other way to put it!) between the same Ali and Joe Frazier. Or Smoking Joe, as he was called in the boxing world. In fact, there have been many great fights in the history of professional boxing. But not all of them became so well known to the general public. Ali won both fights - both with Foreman and with Frazier. But if he defeated Foreman clearly and without question, then in the fight with Frazier everything was not so clear. Although Fraser himself, by the way, did not consider “Thriller in Manila” (that’s what that brutal battle was called, the second name is “Manila Meat Grinder”) so outstanding. He preferred to talk about his first fight with Ali.

"Fake Champion"

Joe Frazier won the world title at a time when Ali was just excommunicated from boxing due to his refusal to serve in the army. It is believed that in this way he protested against the war in Vietnam and did not want to go there to kill the unfortunate Vietnamese. But many boxing connoisseurs say that this was just politics, window dressing, a game for the public. And no one, of course, would send a world champion to Vietnam. In general, there was too much politics in Ali's life. Perhaps he did not think that the reaction to his refusal to join the army would be so serious. But this is exactly the reaction that followed. As a result, Fraser turned out to be a “fake” champion. After all, he did not defeat Ali. He remained undefeated. And Joe literally prayed to God to return Mohammed to the ring.

Nixon helped Frazier

Maybe God heard Fraser's prayers, or maybe he was just lucky. One day, Joe attended a reception at the White House. Nixon was president then. And he had to listen to Frazier's request that Mohammed be returned to boxing. At first, Nixon was not impressed and responded in the spirit that there was nothing wrong with the fact that Joe did not meet Ali in the fight for the championship. Like, everything is fair. He broke the law, therefore Fraser is the real champion. But there was probably something in Joe's voice or look. And Nixon understood. He understood and said: “If you want to fight with this man, he is yours.”

Friends are enemies

It is believed that Frazier and Ali were friends for some time. At least Joe really did a lot to get Mohammed back into boxing. In addition, Fraser is said to have supported Ali with money during his forced downtime due to the deprivation of his boxing license. But then, when Ali was brought back into the sport and it became clear that they would meet in the ring, their friendship ended abruptly. And, let's face it, it wasn't Fraser's fault. They became enemies. And until the end of his life, Fraser, it seems, never forgave the king of boxing, which most fans of this sport consider Mohammed to be.

Just business

The fact is that before the fight with Frazier, Ali conducted a very aggressive PR campaign. It was a complete success for him. And, as Fraser later admitted, most of this campaign was carried out by Ali in agreement with his future rival. As they say, nothing personal - just business. But Mohammed would not be himself if he had not played too hard. And he started playing. It was getting ridiculous. Once in New York, where Fraser drove him, and even borrowed him money, Ali, getting out of the car in front of the bright eyes of journalists, began to tell all sorts of nasty things about Fraser, who stood next to him and simply wondered how anyone could do this.

Uncle Tom

But that was not the most offensive thing. The most offensive thing for Frazier was that Ali called him “Uncle Tom.” And this, at least at that time, was the most vile insult for a black person. This meant that this black man was subservient to the whites, that he was their lackey. And this was just when the struggle of blacks for their rights was unfolding in full force in America. Moreover, it was funny in relation to Fraser. Joe never kowtowed to anyone. He believed that the world champion represented the entire world and should behave accordingly. And it was “Uncle Tom” that Fraser Ali could not forgive. Moreover, he did not apologize. Or rather, he apologized, but not to Fraser himself. However, more on this below.

"Fight of the Century"

In early March 1971, Frazier and Ali met in the ring. Both were undefeated before this fight. The fight, which took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, was so intense and spectacular that it was called the “Fight of the Century.” Ali was knocked down twice - in the eleventh and fifteenth rounds. Interestingly, Frazier himself claimed much later that the blow that knocked Ali down in the fifteenth round was an unusual blow - a double blow. Precisely not two different blows, but one, as if turning into another. First into the body, then into the jaw. Joe won that fight. This was Mohammed's first defeat.

Forman, Foreman

Interestingly, Frazier does not consider Ali his main rival. Yes, fate wove them together. They remember one thing, and immediately remember another. But an impossible opponent for Joe was another great fighter of that time - George Foreman. They met with him twice, and both times Foreman simply “dismantled” Frazier. And by the way, Fraser had no grudges against him. “A healthy, powerful, honest guy,” he said about Foreman. In general, it is not without reason that that time is called the “golden age” of professional fighting. After all, it was then that three outstanding champions of the heavyweight division entered the ring at once - Ali, Frazier and Foreman.

Warm-up for a thriller

Joe Frazier's second fight with Muhammad Ali took place in 1974. It's not talked about as much as the fight in New York, and even less so than the fight in Manila. But it was not without a scandalous aftertaste. Ali won after twelve rounds. But many experts believed that Fraser won.

"Thriller in Manila"

And so, on October 1, 1975, two irreconcilable rivals came together again. This time in the capital of the Philippines, Manila. When Frazier was later asked about this fight, many years later, the first thing he said was: “It was hot!” And he didn't just mean the fight itself. He meant it was just hot. Well, the fight was brutal. Some boxing fans say that until now they have never seen anything like this in terms of cruelty. This, of course, is an exaggeration: both before and after there were battles that were no less intense in passion. But such blows... Such blows, perhaps, never happened. Someone once said that it was surprising to see Ali's head not fly off after Frazier's famous swings and hooks. And Fraser himself received a lot. He could see practically nothing out of one eye, and by the end of the battle his more or less good eye was swollen.

Dirty backstory

It must be said that even that time Ali did not change his bad character. He found a toy in the shape of a gorilla somewhere and said that this was Fraser, for whom he would arrange a thriller. The audience laughed benevolently, forgiving their idol everything. Joe endured and waited for the fight.

Great random victory

Almost from the first until the fourteenth round inclusive, after which the fight was over, both Ali and Frazier did not skimp on blows for each other. It really was a “meat grinder”. Moreover, if this was the usual manner for Joe (it was for the abundance, power and speed of blows that he received his nickname Smoking Joe), then Mohammed, perhaps, surpassed himself. In the fourteenth round, both fighters could barely stand on their feet, while not ceasing to hit each other.

After the round, Ali trudged to his corner and, as they say, asked to take off his gloves, saying that he was simply unable to continue the fight. Maybe he wouldn't have been able to get out. But it was at this time that Frazier’s coach, realizing that he had vision problems, showed his fighter three fingers and asked him to say how many fingers he could see. “One,” Joe answered confidently. And the coach stopped the fight. Ali won.

I should have apologized

Perhaps this is just a legend, and Ali did not ask to take off his gloves. Although he once said himself that he was then close to death. Immediately after the fight, he allegedly called Fraser’s son and asked him to tell his father that he apologized for everything he said about him, for all the insults. Then he apologized several times, but each time indirectly. Not once did he apologize, looking Joe straight in the eye. And Fraser remembered this until the end of his life. Many believe that Ali should have apologized to Joe himself.

The final

Joe Fraser died on November 7, 2011, at the age of sixty-seven. He was downed by liver cancer. He lived a bright and beautiful life in boxing. Olympic champion. World champion among professionals according to WBC and WBA versions. It was he who became the prototype for Rocky Balboa from the famous film series. His professional record includes four defeats. Two from George Foreman. Two from Muhammad Ali. He is the first fighter to defeat Ali. Maybe before his death he finally forgave his constant opponent?

Acquired his signature left hook thanks to a pig

American heavyweight boxer Joe Frazier has died at the age of 67. The famous boxer spent the last days of his life in a hospice in Philadelphia. A few weeks ago, Fraser was diagnosed with liver cancer, and there was little chance of recovery.
Joe Frazier retired from sports in 1981. In 1994, he played one of the main roles in Nick Stagliano's film Resident of Angels.
Joe Fraser was also fond of rock music and even organized his own group, “Knockouts,” which performed in nightclubs. Critics doubted the boxer's musical abilities, which, however, did not stop him from taking his hobby very seriously.
In the last years of his life, he was quite active, sometimes traveling around America and being present at iconic boxing matches. Shortly before his death - in September 2011 - he went to Las Vegas for the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz, where he eagerly signed autographs for his fans.
In amateur boxing, the legendary athlete reached the highest peak, becoming an Olympic champion in 1964. And then he held the title of the best professional boxer in the heavyweight division.
Fraser shone in the ring in the late 1960s and early 1970s, holding for several years simultaneously two world heavyweight champion belts (according to WBC and WBA). He defeated such famous athletes as Oscar Bonavena, Geri Quori, Jimmy Ellis.
Many experts consider the fights with Muhammad Ali in 1971-1975 to be the pinnacle of his career. In addition, Fraser fought twice in the ring with the great George Foreman - and lost both times.
In total, he had 37 fights in the professional ring, won 32 of them (27 by knockout), and lost four.
Joe Frazier's boxing style was tough and uncompromising. His signature blow - a left side kick - sent more than one opponent to the floor. Fraser himself once joked that he owed the “acquisition” of this blow to the pig that broke his left arm when he was a child. The hand was fused at an angle that allowed the blow to be struck along the optimal trajectory.
Joe Frazier has been named boxer of the year three times by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). His fights against Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Jerry Quori were voted fights of the year.
In 1990, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and in 1998, The Ring ranked Frazier as the eighth greatest heavyweight of all time.

To get a boxing license, he deceived an ophthalmologist

The battle took place in incredible Philippine heat - more than 30 degrees. From the first to the fifth round, Ali had the advantage; from the sixth to the 11th, Frazier dominated.




In June 1976, a second fight took place between Frazier and George Foreman. Frazier lost by knockout in the 5th round. After this fight, he did not enter the ring for five years.

Uncle Tom vs Butterfly

The name of Joe Frazier, included in both Boxing Halls of Fame, is inextricably linked with the name of another ring master - Muhammad Ali. Frazier received the title of professional world champion in 1970 - after Ali was stripped of the title in 1967 for refusing to fight in Vietnam. In the fight for the world title, Frazier defeated Jimmy Ellis in New York.
However, many boxing fans did not recognize him, arguing that the real champion was Ali, who had then fallen out of favor. Frazier would not be himself if he avoided meeting with the supposedly real champion. He openly declared his readiness to meet with Mohammed and, as he later claimed, was at a reception with President Nixon on the issue of returning Ali's boxing license.

In March 1971, Smoking Joe beat the great Mohammed.

The unscrupulous Ali used Frazier to enhance his own fame. Those insults (“Uncle Tom”, that is, the lackey of the whites, and also “gorilla”, “freak”) that Ali threw at him earned him the reputation of a fearless warrior, eloquent and brilliant, and after that Joe had to wash himself off for a long time. Therefore, it is not surprising that Fraser spoke about Butterfly (as he called Ali for his famous saying: “I flutter like a butterfly and sting like a bee!”), to put it mildly, without reverence.
Ali was eloquent, handsome, boastful, bright and charismatic. Nature did not endow Fraser with any of these qualities. But he had a championship belt.
And so, in March 1971, a fight was held in New York between the current champion and the former but present champion (from his point of view). Called then and still called “the fight of the millennium.”
“At the beginning of the fight, Mohammed had the advantage and, as usual, showed off his best. He spoke nonsense and made faces. He was a master of these things, but they didn’t work on me,” Fraser said. - I entered the ring as if I was going to work. By the sixth or seventh round, when I had already started to break him, I remember he started up: “You’re cool, Joe, aren’t you? You're cool, right?" Towards the end he began to choke and said that he was dying. And I told him: “Man, you’re in the wrong place. This is not your place. I’ll wipe the floor with you.” There was always a lot of chatter in fights with Ali. The referee kept shouting: “Less talking, guys.”
In the 11th round, Frazier nearly knocked Ali out. For almost a minute he was hanging around the ring like he was drunk, but he never fell. In the 15th round, after Fraser’s trademark left side, Ali still fell - Joe became the first boxer who managed to defeat the “king of the ring.”
In January 1974, a year after losing his title to Foreman, Joe Frazier faced Ali a second time - and lost on points. The outcome of this battle is still considered controversial, and most experts are confident that the forces were equal.

"Thriller in Manila"

The last fight between two boxing superstars - Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali - took place on September 30, 1975 in the suburbs of Manila. This fight, called the "Thriller in Manila", went down in boxing history as one of the greatest and most brutal fights. Before the fight, Ali outdid himself with insults, rhyming “thriller,” “Manila,” and “gorilla,” by which he meant Frazier. It was disgusting, but most of the world laughed at Fraser along with their idol.
The battle took place in incredible Philippine heat - more than 30 degrees. From the first to the fifth round, Ali had the advantage; from the sixth to the 11th, Frazier dominated.

"Thriller in Manila" 1975

The last three rounds the boxers were so exhausted that they fought almost blindly, most of the blows did not reach the target. After the 14th round, Fraser's second showed him three fingers and asked him to count them. “One,” Joe croaked. The coach stopped the match, deciding not to risk the life of his ward. At this very moment, Mohammed was just asking his second to take off his gloves - he, too, was unable to continue the fight. Fraser was counted defeated. Muhammad Ali walked to the center of the ring and collapsed unconscious. “Hey, don't! I’ll deal with him now!” - Fraser wheezed. But the coach, wise Eddie Futch, said: “No, that’s it. No one will forget what you did today."
Yes, no one has forgotten what Fraser did back in Manila. “It was like death. I have never been closer to death,” Ali recalled.
In whose favor the fight would have ended if Fraser’s coach had not stopped him remains a question. “Thriller in Manila” received the status of “fight of the year” according to The Ring magazine.
“The most difficult opponent for me was not Ali, but Foreman,” said Joe Frazier. - I won against Ali, but not against George. But was I the most difficult for Butterfly? Don't know. He fought bigger guys than me. I was always too small for a heavyweight. He took his toll not so much with power, but with... guess what. With the heart, that's what. I went into every fight with one thought: “I’ll wipe the whole floor with them now!” This is what I took. This is probably why Ali had a hard time with me. He’s used to everyone being afraid of him.”
In June 1976, the second fight took place between Frazier and George Foreman. Frazier lost by knockout in the 5th round. After this fight, he did not enter the ring for five years.
In December 1981, Frazier returned to boxing. He entered the ring against the little-known Floyd Cummings. At the end of 10 rounds, the judges gave a controversial draw. After this fight, Joe Frazier finally retired from boxing.

Immediately after the fight in Manila, Ali began to apologize to Frazier for all his past antics and insults. He apologized to his son, to his friends, he apologized in his book, but he was never able to apologize to Fraser in person. “It was he who apologized to the newspaper, not to me,” said Joe, who never forgave Ali.
Even Parkinson's disease, which struck Butterfly, did not give Fraser a reason to relent. He caustically commented on any appearance of the trembling and silent Ali in public. When a shaking Ali lit the Olympic flame in Atlanta, Frazier sat at home and grumbled that he would have gladly pushed him into the torch: “It wasn’t boxing that did that to him, not boxing. It was his own life that punished him. His own life and this is the “greatest.” You have to pay for everything."

Roman KIM,
Russian Professional Boxing Federation (Moscow):

Joe Frazier was considered one of the best body punchers in the history of boxing, as well as the owner of the fastest and hardest left hook. His style is based on continuous pressure on his opponent; he seems to stick to his opponent, relentlessly following him throughout the entire space. In the legendary fight with Mohammed Ali, he won because Ali was always especially vulnerable to left blows, and Frazier just had the most deadly left hook, with which he knocked down Mohammed in the final 15th round. His coaching and promotional work, which he took up after completing his sports career, evokes great respect. For example, he raised his own son to be an excellent boxer.

Artyom BOGATOV,
marketing specialist (Irkutsk):

A legendary fighter who deserves great respect has died. I read Muhammad Ali's condolences to Frazier's family. I really want to believe that they are sincere... In any case, I will never forget how after the knockdown that Joe sent Ali to, the latter threw mud at the world boxing legend for many years. My personal opinion is that Joe has always been better than Ali. Fraser always remained a very decent person. And this is worth a lot. The fact that Joe personally asked the US President to allow Ali to fight him also speaks volumes. That fight between the two champions (as well as many others in which Smoking Joe participated) serves as a clear example for young boxers. And as long as this continues, great champions will live.

Pavel KOYKOV,
Head of Production, IP Lopatkin (Kirov):

Joe Fraser for me is, first and foremost, 1975's Thriller in Manila. It seems incredible how much strength, patience, perseverance in achieving goals, and the will to win in this and all other battles this man has. Muhammad Ali, of course, looks more presentable compared to the short, lively Frazier, but in terms of the entertainment value of the fight he is inferior to this tireless boxer. It seems that Joe simply does not notice the missed blows and cheerfully jumps around the ring throughout all rounds. Without a doubt, Frazier was still from that cohort of boxers who went out to fight, and not to earn money. Only a passionate person can fight with such dedication.

Alexander REMZHOV,
co-owner of the cafe "Marshal" (Kirov):

From time immemorial, strength and courage have been valued in any society. Gladiator fights have been a traditional spectacle of masculinity since ancient times. Today, one of the most popular incarnations of this spectacle is hand-to-hand combat called “boxing.” Joe Fraser was one of the most worthy representatives of his craft, who made more than one generation of people remember him. The courage of the man who stepped into the ring with one eye open against Muhammad Ali and won was truly admirable. May he rest in peace!

Vitaliy Klichko,
WBC world boxing champion:

Unfortunately, I did not know this great man personally. But I always treated him with great respect and am proud that today I own the title that at one time belonged to him. This is a great loss not only for his loved ones, to whom Vladimir and I express our sincere condolences, but also for all boxing fans. Together with Fraser, a whole era is leaving us. A generation of great boxers is passing away, on whose experience and achievements we were educated and, I am sure, young athletes will continue to be educated.

Sergey PLATONOV,
senior lecturer at the Department of Economics and Management in Construction (Irkutsk):

Great man and athlete. Joe Frazier will not only remain forever in the memory of the boxing community. He is history! We always look back to compare the present with history. And we compare with those who can be counted using the fingers of one hand: standards of excellent fighters, courage and character, something that we so lack today. And in the character of Fraser, the aspect of courage was especially important to me. This man was fearless and stood up in any situation. There are often difficult moments in life, and it is such people, being role models, who force you to get up and move on.

This story appeared in the magazine "BOXING RING" in November 2015.

In 1989, I sat on a hotel couch with Muhammad Ali and watched his record-breaking fight on October 1, 1975 against Joe Frazier.

Boxing fans know what happened on that hot and humid morning in Manila.

The early rounds were for Ali. He hit Frazier with more power and cleaner punches, and Joe rocked him several times. But Fraser continued to move forward inexorably.

The situation changed in the middle of the meeting. Ali is tired. Fraser struck him with lightning-fast blows. Muhammad grabbed his arms and Joe pushed him into the ropes where he hit him with punches.

Ali regained the lead in the 12th round, shaking Frazier and began to process rhythmically. In the next round, his left hook caught Joe's face. Frazier was hurt but finished the round.

In the 14th round, Ali resumed his attacks. Fraser's left eye was completely closed and his vision in his right eye was limited. He was spitting blood. Ali's blows were accurate. Joe couldn't see them.

Fraser's trainer, Eddie Futch, stopped the fight after the 14th round.

Associated Press boxing journalist Ed Schuyler later said: "" was the one I've ever seen. When everyone looked around the ring, I realized that I had witnessed something great. The pace was very high. It was hell from start to finish. I have never seen two boxers be able to do this, ever.”

Jerry Eisenbar journalist: “What happened was not just a fight for the heavyweight championship. Ali and Frazier were fighting for something much more important than that. They were fighting for a completely different title."

I saw a lot of tapes of meetings with Muhammad before watching Ali-Frazier III. We looked at his career chronologically and dedicated the book I wrote to "Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times".

But this time it was different.

Even though it was one of Muhammad's greatest triumphs, there was no joy on his face as we watched his third fight with Frazier.

In the past, we watched together as Henry Cooper delivered a perfect left hook to Cassius Clay. This seemed to amuse Muhammad.

But watching Ali-Frazier III, to be honest, Muhammad was hurt again. Sitting next to me, he winced when he missed some of the blows from Joe. When the fight was over, he turned to me and said: “Fraser went to the right before I did it. I don't think I could continue."

Joe had his own memories of Manila that he shared with me:

"We were gladiators". Fraser told me. “I didn't want any favors from him and he didn't ask me anything. I don't like him, but I have to say that in the ring, he acted like a human being. In Manila, I hit him hard, these blows could have destroyed the building. And he accepted them. He endured everything and answered. So I have to respect this man. He was a fighter. He hurt me in Manila. He won. But, I sent him home in worse condition than when he arrived."

Before the fight itself there were many predictions about this fight. Fans of Muhammad Ali said that thanks to the lightning speed of his strikes, “The Greatest” (as Muhammad was called) would leave no chance for Frazier. Others said that "Smoking" Joe Frazier there is a good chance of winning, because Ali has not been in the ring for a long time and Joe has a good blow with which he can “cut down”.

Before Muhammad vs. Frazier, the boxers went through the weigh-in procedure: Joe Frazier weighed 93.2 kilograms, Muhammad - 97.5 kg. The referee for the fight was the experienced Arthur Mercante and side judges: Artie Aidala, Bill Recht.

Many celebrities were present at the fight in Madison Square Garden: Woody Allen, Frank Sinatra and many other stars. They all came watch this interesting fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Thanks to the saved boxing video, we can plunge into that distant 71st year and see this fight live - online..

The fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier was recognized as the “Best Fight of 1971” by one of the authoritative Ring magazines (photo of Muhammad Ali from the cover of the magazine). He also received first place in the “Best Round of the Year” nomination (round 15 was recognized). In the 15th round, after a strong side blow, Ali was knocked down, but was able to hold out until the end of the fight. By unanimous decision of the judges, Joe Frazier celebrated the victory (Arthur Mercante 8-6, Artie Aidala 9-6, Bill Recht 11-4). Frazier retained his championship belts.