By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing
Hall of Fame broadcaster Colonel Bob Sheridan talks to Fightnews.com® about the legendary Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier world heavyweight championship bout billed as the ‘Fight of the Century’ on March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden.
ACCESS TO ALI
“That fight was called ‘The Fight of The Century.’ I was a young broadcaster in 1971. I would broadcast Chris and Angelo Dundee fights in Miami. I was doing local television in Miami and they didn’t want me traveling and doing fights. I had permission from Chris to have the line to do the Ali vs. Frazier fight in a movie theatre.
I knew Muhammad Ali very well because he trained in Miami with Angelo. I had great access to Ali better than anyone except Gene Kilroy who was his manager. I still see Gene Kilroy who lives in Las Vegas. I had extraordinary access to Muhammad and knew him well. I also knew Joe Frazier well, in fact, during Ali’s layoff when Jimmy Ellis was the reigning WBA heavyweight champion, Joe Frazier was the champion of New York and considered in three states as the world champion. Remember there was only the WBA then.
SPARRING ALI/FRAZIER/ELLIS IN MIAMI
All three of them were in the Miami gym one day and remember Jimmy and Muhammad were dear friends. They both grew up in Louisville together. Jimmy came up as a middleweight and Ali was a light heavyweight at the Olympics. I asked the three of them, who were all my friends of mine, ‘Would you mind sparring with me one minute each for television so I can predict who is the best fighter?’
(Note: The Colonel was an athlete at this time having played high-level baseball and he was also a professional bullrider).
Firstly I get in with Joe Frazier. Joe with his head down, he whacked me around the sides – he didn’t try to hurt me. He said ‘Come on Bob try to hit me.’ I couldn’t touch him.
Then came Muhammad. He was so quick. Ali said, ‘Try and hit me.’ Muhammad just fooled around with me. All three of them were my friends.
Jimmy Ellis was probably my closest friend. He worked with Angelo. The only time Angelo didn’t work Ali’s corner was the night Jimmy Ellis boxed Ali. Muhammad and Jimmy fought in Houston, Texas. Angelo had to be in Jimmy’s corner because he was not only the trainer but the manager of Jimmy.
Muhammad wanted Angelo to be in Jimmy’s corner. Besides the fact Muhammad didn’t even listen to Angelo. He did what he wanted to do in the ring.
ALI’s SECRET WEAPON -LUIS SORIA
The secret behind the success of Muhammad Ali was after training and entertaining the public in the gym he would go into a back room and do sit-ups with his backside on the edge of the table and he would go all the way down and do 1,000 sit-ups. He did this with a Cuban man by the name of Luis Soria. He would work on his body. Soria was a great physical trainer of Ali and not many people know that, except for Gene Kilroy. That helped him take the thunderous punches from Foreman and Frazier around the midsection.
MUSLIMS WANTED THE FRAZIER FIGHT
In that 1971 Ali vs. Frazier fight, there was no satellite television, it was showing in movie theatres (in the USA). You would have got it on your home television in Australia. Ali had only had the warm-up fights with Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena but was forced to take the fight with Frazier because the Muslims were behind him, they wanted that fight, but they weren’t boxing people. Also, I think Muhammad needed the money. They each got paid $2 million for the fight. A lot of money in 1971. (Don Dunphy with Burt Lancaster and Archie Moore were the commentators with Frank Sinatra working as a photographer.)
THE FIGHT
“Both Ali and Frazier were close to the peak of their careers, especially Joe. Muhammad was past his greatness. He had been out of the ring for three years. He didn’t have the physical condition nor did he have the timing. He didn’t have the foot speed. Before he had the three-year layoff he rarely got hit.
Joe in that fight punished Muhammad’s body and it did wear him down. Remember Joe was a little heavyweight only 205 pounds and Muhammad was 215 pounds. I don’t think Joe was six feet tall but he could punch. He could punch with Sonny Liston and Ernie Shavers. Shavers had great one-punch power, but Joe he could sustain the action – throwing those left hooks, and they were lethal. Ali could gobble them up, but not for the whole fight. For a heavyweight fight, it was non-stop action. Very few clinches until the very end of the fight. In the final analysis of the fight, if there was any question who won the fight, that fifteenth round solidified it for Joe with the Ali knockdown. It was Joe Frazier’s greatest night of his career. The punishment Joe took that night, he was never that good again. That fight ruined Joe. Having called 150 world heavyweight championship fights I think I have the right to say that was in my opinion, that was the Greatest Fight in Boxing History.”
It’s interesting this contest was billed as the ‘fight of the century.‘ Not even close. What people do not see [ then and today ] is that Mr. Ali was incurring health complications career—long for not ever having learned, rehearsed and appreciated mastering boxing‘s infinite science. Additionally, Mr. Frazier, although he won on points, suffered as well because he was not taught to the totality of his potential. Hence, boxing’s contact was and is not at fault for both pugilists having suffered health erosion thereafter. What is new and still uncommon is that ALL amateur pugilists, upon a certain level should attend Boxing Residency™️ in the exact manner medical students attend an [ accredited and legislated ] surgeon residency. What the highest majority of people do not know, write about and or have never formulated is that Boxing Science shields the practitioner inside combat healthfulness when taught, rehearsed and mastered. This fight still being ‘marveled’ shows how limited the human mind is. Before, during and fifty calendars later.
Lol ok pal everyone has the right to an opinion and I look at it like this: you can overthink anything and make even the simplest thing complicated but you can’t change this – Ali vs Frazier has become a measuring stick for combat sports and the sheer will both men showed should be enough of an inspiration for anyone…
Yes, this forum is all about opinions. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and I respect that. I do, however, get entertained reading some opinions and the reactions. We are all keyboard warriors in this case! Have a wonderful day today!
@Coach Hilario HUH?
This is Hilarious, Coach!
Look, it was without question the most memorable sporting event of the 20th century. Two great fighters.
For me Ali will always be the “greatest”. The sorrow is we never saw him at his very best. The 31/2 years out robbed us of that .
Looking back on it now though his cruelty to Joe is very evident . Sad!!
The Fight Of The Century it is and will always be and no other fight has been that big since. Years back HBO did a beautiful documentary titled “Frazier/Ali One Nation Divisible”. It showed the entire build up to the super fight and it was done perfectly! At the end you definitely had to feel bad for Smokin Joe Frazier after all he did to help Muhammad Ali and make the fight happen.
Only fake news would consider Ali-Frazier the fight of the century.
So which fight would you say is Fight of the Century?
It would be impossible to pick a fight and call it the fight of the century, it is all in the eye of the beholder. I don’t rank Ali or Frazier as the greatest fighters, In my opinion, neither could beat Joe Louis, Detonay Wilder, Mike Tyson and, the list goes on.
It WAS the Fight of The Century. Not because it was a “great” fight, but it was a fight between two greats during a time that America was at a crossroads, as were these two men’s careers. It was a larger than life event.
If any of you fill your children with ‘opinion’ then they’ll be weak. Fill them with The Word, by living The Word and they will not follow and they will be filled with Holy integrity. Many of you do not comprehend what I share because the truth is what you can not see and comprehend. Many of you on here have ‘opinions’ because you have not achieved. Otherwise you’d be full of factual evidentiary narratives. Most of you add your ‘opinion’ because you want to feel like you belong to a boxing circle. A manly discussion. Yet, convey you lack Boxiana comprehension by what you contribute. Beginning with ‘Scooby Doo’ and other bogus avatar names express you do not take yourselves serious.
Sir, first of all, I have achieved my goals in life through hard work, dedication, and I also embrace altruism. I embrace altruism through ownership of a small boxing gym and allow others to use my gym for free. In addition, I donate monies to many charities within my living area. People who are arrogant and full of themselves tend to deflect away from altruistic behaviors.
You push the concept of the Word, but yet, you tend to be condescending, sarcastic, and arrogant at times. The Word does not encourage its followers to be of such behaviors and it tends to make you a hypocrite.
You mentioned a while back you wrote a “book” about boxing? Why would any writer want to act arrogant and sarcastic like you in this manner and try to promote their work for sales, profit, or to encourage others? Does not make sense to me. Do you have issues with a anti-social personality disorder? Please Google that and educate yourself on that disorder.
I must ask since I have some knowledge of such pharmaceuticals. Are you familiar with Seroquel, Abilify, or even Thorazine? You may want to seek such help from licensed professionals who are familiar with these drug regimens for your delusional disorder(s) secondary to some main underlying bipolar disorder type 1 or 2.
Waiting for your response….
Well said SD….
Thank you for the feedback. Simply amazing we come on this forum just to have fun. Yet, others act like their lithium levels are not in adequate ranges and their manic phases are swinging all over the place with marketable delusions of grandeur. There are always a few sour apples in the bushel that spoil the whole batch for everyone to enjoy and eat.
We love you Scooby. Always enjoy reading your posts.
Thank you for the feedback!
Of course it was The Fight of the Century. You had two undefeated Champions, both with a legitimate claim to the title.
The fact that “the wrong guy won” is the main reason *some* people refuse to recognize the Fight of the Century as the standard by which all other sporting events are measured.