Fight of the Century? Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier

[Fibroso]

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk318/fibroso/ALI-WALK-640_zps09303bd0.jpg

Fight of the Century? Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier put on the event of all-time on March 8, 1971It's been 42 years and still, there is not a bout that even comes remotely close to being as massive as was the March 8, 1971, heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. As significant as a Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight would have been, it would have paled in comparison to the intense worldwide interest that there was in the Ali-Frazier bout.
It remains one of the signature events in not only boxing history, but in sports history.
They were both undefeated men in the primes of their careers with a claim to the heavyweight title. It doesn't get much bigger than that.
Millions upon millions of words have been written about that event and dozens of books. In the prologue of his 2006 autobiography, "Inside the Ropes," the late referee Arthur Mercante Sr. recounts the story of how excited he was to find out on the morning of the event that he'd been chosen to officiate it.

[rudee]

Well,, its right up there with the best of all time. But ya know, we people have short memories.
There have been terrific boxing matches thru the years.
Marciano vs Walcott immediately comes to mind. Pryor vs Arguello. Olivares vs Arguello. Chacon vs Edwards. ect.
The little guys usually put on the best shows. But the heavyweights get all the credit.
I really don't think we can say one fight was the best. Just too many great ones through the years.
I am an old timer, I think i HEARD my first boxing match on the radio in 1955... yes,, a babe in arms.. hee hee!
We had no tv so my uncle and I would listen to the fights on the radio in the kitchen.
My point being that I have heard and seen thousands of boxing matches... I would not be able to single one out
as being the best I ever saw.
Just an old viejo's opinion.

[El Chido®]

Was Not part of that era, but definitely agree as The Fight of the Century. My mind still lingers with Sugar Ray vs. Marvin Hagler in the 80's as one of My Greatest....

[Fibroso]

Well,, its right up there with the best of all time. But ya know, we people have short memories.
There have been terrific boxing matches thru the years.
Marciano vs Walcott immediately comes to mind. Pryor vs Arguello. Olivares vs Arguello. Chacon vs Edwards. ect.
The little guys usually put on the best shows. But the heavyweights get all the credit.
I really don't think we can say one fight was the best. Just too many great ones through the years.
I am an old timer, I think i HEARD my first boxing match on the radio in 1955... yes,, a babe in arms.. hee hee!
We had no tv so my uncle and I would listen to the fights on the radio in the kitchen.
My point being that I have heard and seen thousands of boxing matches... I would not be able to single one out
as being the best I ever saw.
Just an old viejo's opinion.

Wow, 1955 I was 6 years old, don't think they had fights televised then. You're right though, to many good ones in the past to really pick one. My favored is Kid Pambele vs Wilfredo Benitez and Arguello vs Alfredo Escalera. I watch them live standing in the ground alongside the ring while working on the tv transmission with the telephone company at the recently built Hiram Bithorn Stadium. Great memories!!!!

[DSSRUEL]

Benitez, Duran, Arguello, Gomez

Hagler, Hearns, Pryor, Leonard

and on ... and on ...

[Highwayman]

Still the best fight i ever saw hands down
was Boom Boom Mancini vs. Duk Koo Kim
15 rounds of toe to toe that resulted in the
death of Kim which also cause the referee
and Kim`s mother to later commit suicide
also played a role in the stopping of 15
round fights.

[Fibroso]

True but we can't forget the Benny Kid Paret and Emile Griffith, same result. The cuban was a great fighter and Emile turn to be a gay man.