Ali vs Frazier I: A Look Back

Many people at this time were against Muhammad Ali for refusing to be inducted into the army. They were also against him for being a Muslim.  I've always wondered if that affected some of the judges and referee's decision.  A few years back, I watched this fight and scored it round by round.  I thought Ali won.  I just watched it again, scoring it again.  I still have Ali winning the fight.  This is how I scored it.

Round 1          Ali landed some real good shots.  Frazier got one good hook to the head and a good body shot.  That’s it.  About 11 seconds left in round 1 and the announcer said, "It's been a fairly close round.”  What fight was he watching?  Ali out-landed Frazier about 29-7 at the point the announcer said that, including some real good shots.  It wasn’t even close.

                        Ali 10-9

                        In between rounds, the announcers were saying Frazier is making the fight.  This is driving me nuts.  They clearly came into the fight against Ali.

Round 2          Ali rocked Frazier with some huge shots in this round.  Frazier landed a couple good shots as well.  I had the landed punches at about 36-7 when the announcer says, “It has been a dandy.”  If he meant Ali owning this fight easily, then he was right.  I don’t think that’s what he meant.  This was an easy round for Ali.  It wasn’t even close.  Ali dominated the round.

                        Ali 20-18

                        In between rounds Joe Frazier was spitting up blood.

Round 3          At the beginning of the round, the announcer says, “This fight ranks up there with the great ones.”  What?  Ali’s dominated the fight so far.  You think this announcer came in biased at all? Wow!  The announcer then says, “Frazier’s not getting that clean shot in on the body like he did in round 2.”  What?  He landed a maybe a couple body shots in round 2.  What is this announcer talking about and what fight is he watching?

                        Ali lands two huge uppercuts that don’t move Frazier.  Frazier is taking the shots hard, meanwhile Ali is rolling with the shots Frazier is landing, which makes it look like the shots are rocking Ali more than they really are.

                        Frazier lunged in and Ali landed a hard right hook.  I’m not sure how Frazier stayed up.  Ali’s holding Frazier’s head down when he comes in so he can’t load up on the body shots.  Frazier just head-butted Ali to the chin.  That was very dirty.  It looked completely intentional.

Frazier landed a big shot late, but Ali blocked most of those late Frazier punches.  Ali easily won this round.

Ali 30-27

Round 4          Ali rocked Frazier’s head a couple times early in this round.  Most of the shots by Frazier in this fight have been slipped or blocked by Ali.  The shots Frazier has landed, Ali has rolled with most of them.  Ali is fighting a masterpiece so far.  Two left jabs just shook Frazier’s head again.  Frazier is taking a brutal beating.  A combination by Ali just landed on Frazier and he keeps coming forward.  This is like a Rocky fight. Ali is landing at will.  Ali is looking a little winded, but it’s from landed shots.  He’s not dancing much and he’s landing most of his punches.  The fans go crazy when Frazier lands a punch, even though it’s such a rarity.  I wonder if that’s affecting the judges at all.  Frazier looks like he’s slowing down also.  Frazier landed about 4 hard shots this round.  Ali landed many times more shots, including some hard shots.  Frazier’s big shots landed late, making me wonder if that has affected the judges score cards.  This was Ali’s round.

                        Ali 40-36

Round 5          Ali comes out dancing.  Frazier was getting drilled with shots and he smiles at Ali.  Frazier’s very wild this round, swinging wild shots and mostly missing.  This was a very easy round for Ali.

                        Ali 50-45

                        After the bell rang, Frazier through his hand in the air as if he won the round.  Delusional?  He’s lost EVERY round so far.

Round 6          Frazier comes out landing a bunch of body shots and slipping Ali’s jabs.  He looks like he found a second wind.  Frazier’s landing an occasional shot up stairs.  Frazier lands some more body shots.  Frazier is just overwhelming Ali this round.  Ali is trying to keep Frazier off with his reach but Frazier is fighting through it.  Easy round for Frazier.

                        Ali 59-55

Round 7          Frazier walked right into a huge right hook about halfway through the round.  Ali scored with a jab and a good combination.  Ali hit Frazier with another good combination and another good hook.  It was a pretty close round.  I’ll give this round to Ali.

                        Ali 69-64

                        The fans are starting to cheer for Ali now.  He’s earned it.  He’s up 6 rounds to 1 and he’s been beating Frazier down for most of the fight.

Round 8          Ali took the round off.  It looked like he was trying to wear Frazier out a little bit this round, sitting on the ropes, trying to get Frazier to punch himself out.  It was a pretty easy round to score for Frazier.

                        Ali 78-74

                        In between rounds the fans are now cheering for Frazier. 

Round 9          Ali comes out looking to fight again.  He’s peppering Frazier with jabs, blocking Frazier’s punches.  Ali’s really picked it up this round and has owned Frazier in the first half of the round.  Frazier finally lands a couple of punches, but they are on the hips, below the belt.  Frazier lands a good left hook.  Ali starts clowning and Frazier lands another good left hook.  Ali catches Frazier with a good right, and then a good combo.  Another good combo.  Ali hits Frazier with a good shot, slips a Frazier punch, and hits Frazier with another good shot.  Ali then bombs Frazier with 2 left hooks in a row.  That’s easily an Ali round.  Don’t let 2 good shots by Frazier fool you.  Ali was all over Frazier in that round.

                        Ali 88-83

                        Between rounds the announcers said that it was a desperation round for Ali?  Are you kidding me?  Ali was up 6 rounds to 2 before this round, and now he should be up 7 rounds to 2.  I think this is one of those fights you have to watch it with the volume down.  Don’t let the announcers and fans fool you.  Ali is easily winning this fight up until this point.

Round 10        Frazier lands some good shots early, but the fans are oooooing and aaaaahing after a few shots that were blocked by Ali.  Ali landed some good hooks, Frazier also got one in.  Ali landed a four punch combination.  Ali just battering Frazier now.  He lands a bunch of punches in a row.  Frazier at times looks helpless.  He’s been there to be hit all night long.  Ali’s round.

                        Ali 98-92

Round 11        Ali down early in the round.  The ref calls it a slip.  Frazier seems more active this round.  Ali seems to be resting a bit.  Ali and Frazier exchange bombs.  Frazier with a huge left hook, landed on Ali.  That rocked him a bit.  Another left hook staggered Ali into the ropes.  It was somewhat of a close round until the last minute of the round.  Then it was all Frazier.  It’s easily Frazier’s round.

                        Ali 107-102

                        During the replay of the round, they showed in slow motion, a nasty head butt by Frazier.  He ducked under Ali’s chin, and then lifted his head violently.  It was just a dirty shot I missed in real time.

Round 12        Frazier lands a good left hook early.  Frazier looks very confident now.  He keeps moving forward and Ali is having a hard time keeping him off.  Ali is coming back now.  He’s slipping Frazier’s punches a little bit more now, and landing some of his own.  Ali landed a huge right as Frazier came in.  That was a close round.  I’ll give it to Frazier.

                        Ali 116-112

Round 13        Ali lands about 3 to 1 in punches to start the round and Frazier leads with his head again, and gets Ali on the jaw.  Ali lands three shots in a row.  Ali lands another 3 punch combination.  How is Frazier standing?  They aren’t pitty-pat punches.  These are big shots.  Ali lands a big right hook, and then a big left hook.  Ali is landing 3-5 more punches in every exchange this round.  Frazier butts again.  Frazier leads with his head again, but this time brought a left hook behind the head-butt.  I haven’t seen him warned once for the head-butts.  Most of Frazier’s punches are tangled up in Ali’s arms and aren’t real clean.  He did just land a good left hook.  Ali’s round.

                        Ali 126-121

Round 14        The referee warns Ali for holding, but hasn’t warned Frazier about the head-butts.  I’m starting to wonder why.  You’d think a head-butt would call for a warning before holding.  Ali lands about 6 punches to Frazier’s 1.  Ali caught Frazier with a nice right hook.  Frazier tried to head butt again but only got Ali on the chest.  Ali’s round.

                        Ali 136-130

Round 15        A huge left hook by Frazier and Ali goes down!  Ali’s holding on now.  Frazier keeps hooking away.  Ali keeps trying to hang on.  This is a 10-8 round for Frazier.

                        Ali 144-140

                        If you’re scoring by rounds, as they did for this fight, Ali wins 10-5.

The judges:

Judge: Artie Aidala 9-6 (Frazier)

Judge: Bill Recht 11-4 (Frazier)

Judge: Arthur Mercante 8-6 (Frazier)

Ali easily won the first five rounds and he easily won the ninth.  How on earth did Bill Recht only give Ali 4 rounds?  He must have been counting Frazier’s shots on Ali’s arms as landed punches, and didn’t count all of the landed shots Ali had on Frazier’s head.