Classic fight revisited · 1971
Ali vs Frazier: The Fight of the Century Revisited
Editorial feature. The analysis and verdict below are our writers' opinion. Records, ages and fight histories in the article come from public reporting at the time of writing, not from our Boxing Data API feed.
The verdict: Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali by unanimous decision over 15 rounds, and the result was deserved. Frazier's relentless pressure, his work to the body and the left hook that dropped Ali in the final round beat the most gifted heavyweight of his generation. More than 55 years later, the fight still holds an important lesson for anyone trying to predict boxing: the favourite is not always the more famous fighter, and a long layoff can catch up with any champion.
The fight at a glance
- Date: 8 March 1971
- Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York
- At stake: Frazier's WBA, WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles, over 15 rounds
- Result: Frazier won by unanimous decision. The cards were 8-6-1, 9-6 and 11-4 in rounds.
Two unbeaten heavyweights each had a claim to be world champion. Ali had been stripped of his title in 1967 for refusing induction into the US Army and was out of the ring for three and a half years. Frazier won the vacant belts during that time. The fight became a symbol of America's political divisions, and its global audience and purses were unprecedented.
Tale of the tape
| Muhammad Ali | Joe Frazier | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 31-0 | 26-0 |
| KOs | 25 | 23 |
| Age | 29 | 27 |
| Height | 6ft 3in | 5ft 11.5in |
| Reach | 78in | 73.5in |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
Last five fights before the bout
| Muhammad Ali | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Oscar Bonavena | W TKO 15 | Dec 1970 |
| Jerry Quarry | W RTD 3 | Oct 1970 |
| Zora Folley | W KO 7 | Mar 1967 |
| Ernie Terrell | W UD 15 | Feb 1967 |
| Cleveland Williams | W TKO 3 | Nov 1966 |
| Joe Frazier | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Foster | W KO 2 | Nov 1970 |
| Jimmy Ellis | W RTD 4 | Feb 1970 |
| Jerry Quarry | W RTD 7 | Jun 1969 |
| Dave Zyglewicz | W KO 1 | Apr 1969 |
| Oscar Bonavena | W UD 15 | Dec 1968 |
The form tables tell the story. Frazier had boxed steadily and against top opposition. Ali had fought just twice in nearly four years, and needed all 15 rounds to stop Bonavena only three months before.
Expectations before the fight
Frazier went in as a slight favourite, which tells you the fight was seen as close, even though Ali was the more famous fighter and the public tended to side with him. Opinion among experts was split. Many thought Ali's speed would beat Frazier's pressure as it had beaten Sonny Liston's. Others thought Ali was no longer the fighter he had been in 1967.
How the fight played out
Ali started well, landing sharp jabs and combinations and winning the early rounds behind his movement. Frazier kept coming. He bobbed and weaved under the jab and invested in the body. By the middle rounds Ali was spending more time on the ropes. He used his arms to block, played to the crowd, and took heavy hooks to the body and head. Ali had good spells, including a strong ninth round, but Frazier kept working. In round 11 Ali was badly hurt by a left hook and was close to going down.
Going into the 15th, all three officials had Frazier ahead. Early in the round, Frazier's left hook put Ali on the canvas. Ali got up quickly and finished the fight, but the knockdown sealed the decision. Ali left with a badly swollen jaw, and Frazier spent time in hospital afterwards.
Key factors in the result
1. Inactivity
Ali had been out of the ring for three and a half years. Two comeback fights weren't enough to recover the sharpness of 1966–67. His legs and reflexes were noticeably slower than in his prime, and that let Frazier get close far more often.
2. The style matchup
Ali tended to pull straight back from punches with his hands low. That is the worst possible defence against an opponent with a great left hook who keeps coming forward. Frazier's head movement took away Ali's jab, and his hook caught Ali as he leaned back.
3. Body punching
Frazier's body punching was a long-term investment. It slowed Ali's legs and paid off in the late rounds. Scorecards don't always reflect that kind of work round by round, but it decides fights over 15 rounds.
4. The knockdown
The 15th-round knockdown made sure there was no doubt on the scorecards. In a fight that some observers saw as closer than the official scores, the knockdown left no room for controversy.
Lessons for predicting fights today
- Weigh activity, not reputation. A fighter coming back from a long layoff should be marked down, however great he is. That still applies to today's stars when they return after a year or more out.
- Pick out the decisive style matchups. Fighters who lean back to avoid punches are vulnerable to hooks thrown by fighters who keep coming forward.
- Body punching wins late rounds. Fighters who work the body consistently usually win the second half of long fights.
- Popularity is not probability. A genuinely uncertain fight stays uncertain, even if one fighter is much more popular.
Ali won the next two fights, in 1974 and in the "Thrilla in Manila" in 1975. Their first meeting is still remembered as the night Frazier proved he was the better fighter.
Final result
Joe Frazier won by unanimous decision over 15 rounds and retained the WBA, WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles.
Related reading
- Fury vs Joshua Prediction: Britain's own long-awaited heavyweight superfight
- Canelo vs Mbilli Prediction: another legend returning after a long layoff
- Leonard vs Durán: The Brawl in Montreal Revisited
Historical feature. Not betting advice. 18+ – see responsible gambling.