Joe Fraser: He never forgave Mohammed Ali until the end of his life. Joe Frazier VS Muhammad Ali. Fight history The legendary fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier

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."

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 a 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.

Boxing match Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Bugner(Joe Bugner) watch online at . This was their first meeting with each other, which took place on February 14, 1973 at the Convention Center sports complex, Las Vegas. The fight was supposed to take place according to the boxing formula of 12 rounds of 3 minutes each.

Ali defended his NABF title before this fight, knocking out Bob Foster in the 8th round. Muhammad approached the fight with Joe Bugner with a track record of 40 wins and one loss to Joe Frazier (Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier watch online). Joe Bugner had 48 appearances in the professional ring (43 wins, 1 draw and 4 losses).

The fighters approached the fight with a slight difference in weight, as for the heavyweight category. Muhammad Ali weighed 98.5 kilograms, and Joe Bugner weighed 99.3 kg. The match was officiated by referee Buddy Basilico.

The meeting between Muhammad Ali and Joe Bugner was broadcast on television in several countries around the world, viewers from all corners of the globe had the opportunity. It was after this most interesting fight with the legendary Ali that Bugner won the respect and love of many fans of this courageous sport.

The fight took place in a bitter struggle all 12 scheduled rounds. Muhammad Ali won by a small margin in points. The ring announcer announced the results of the side judges: Roland Dakin 57-54, Lou Tabat 56-53, Ralph Mosa 57-52.

In the photograph of Walter Yoss Jr., who recreated in a series of photographs the current face of the great confrontations, Ali is silent and looks into the camera with an unblinking gaze, standing next to Joe Frazier. That's it, the circle is closed, these two are side by side again, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. They can no longer, and do not want to, hate each other.

When Ali was stripped of his championship title and boxing license for refusing to join the US Army, Frazier, who had become a champion during Ali's absence from the ring, gave Ali money through his manager, asked President Nixon for him, and himself repeatedly emphasized that he did not consider himself the best - until he beats Ali.

In 1971, the fight contract was signed, and Ali declared himself Joe Frazier's enemy for the next 5 years. During these five years they will meet three times. In the first fight, Frazier knocked Ali down hard, the kind you usually don’t get back up from, and won on points. Almost three years later, Ali took revenge and paved the way for himself to regain the crown. He knocked out George Foreman, who the year before had proven too big, too strong and too tough for Frazier. But once again at the top, Muhammad discovered that his “friend” Joe Frazier was next in line.

The battle at the Araneta Coliseum in the capital of the Philippines was only the final chord of a war that had been going on since 1971.

On October 1, 1975, at 10:45 a.m. local time, the first gong sounded. Ali and Frazier met each other's eyes again and fought blow for blow. Breaking through Ali's hooks and jabs whistling at his temple and past his jaw, Frazier closed the distance, cut Ali off from space and drove him to the ropes. There Ali was forced to grab Frazier's arms and neck and hold him. Ali tried to move and throw quick series, but Frazier eventually ended up getting close. But at the entrance to the inside, having taken three or four heavy fast blows on defense and sometimes on the head, Joe was knocked out of the position to start the attack, and sometimes he was simply stunned and the referee again and again separated the fighters from the clinch.

Here Frazier throws two hooks - Ali turns sideways towards his opponent, and another blow follows - to the champion's kidneys. Ali winces in pain. This is no longer the old “fluttering” Ali, and he knows that his legs are not so fast and light, and will not be able to take him to a safe distance. He stays nearby and decides to take the fight. Joe hits brutally and very selectively - he plants uppercuts under the heart, in the liver area, then transfers the fire along the floors - up, to the head, and Ali is forced to grab him again and lightly press on the neck from above. A forbidden move, but the price of victory is too high. Ali knows that Frazier is also not young, he will soon run out of oxygen and slow down.

By the 13th round the fight turns into a massacre. Joe's right eye is swollen shut, the hematoma is filling with blood, and he cannot see the blows that are coming at the target from that side. Ali looks a little better, but any blow could break the last thread connecting his head to the central nervous system. But then a few right hands through the arm shake Frazier's head... Ali goes to his corner after the end of the 14th round on unsteady legs. In the opposite corner of the ring, Joe sucks in the heavy, hot air that contains more blood than oxygen and hears, “You can’t go on.” The corner keeps Frazier out for the 15th round.

After the fight, Ali called Joe's son, Marvis Frazier, to him and asked him to forgive him for everything said about his father before the fight. He found the strength to apologize to Joe only in 2001.

Recreating the current face of the great confrontations in a series of photographs, Ali remains silent and looks at the camera with an unblinking gaze, standing next to Joe Frazier. That's it, the circle is closed, these two are side by side again, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder. They can no longer, and do not want to, hate each other.

Ali is as much a child of his era as the rebellious and protesting youth of the 60s, numerous fighters for their rights, the rock movement, huge cars that ate cheap gasoline, and Martin Luther King. A big wave was coming - and Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay, was on its crest. His reputation was very bad, first and foremost he was "the man you love to hate" and only then "The Greatest". Now it doesn’t matter how or at what moment this happened - and much stranger characters turned out to be big heroes.

When Ali was stripped of his championship title and boxing license for refusing to join the US Army (Ali was not required to go to Vietnam and kill someone there), Frazier, who became a champion during Ali’s absence from the ring, transferred money to Ali through his manager, asked President Nixon for him and himself repeatedly emphasized that he did not consider himself the best - until he beat Ali. The friends chatted merrily and planned various PR campaigns, Ali ran to shout to Joe Frazier's audience, Frazier called the studio when Ali gave another live interview, but all this came to an end.

The battle at the Araneta Coliseum in the capital of the Philippines was only the final chord of a war that had been going on since 1971. The Cadillacs and Lincolns in which Ali's team was traveling had difficulty making their way through the crowds of people along the entire route, and Joe Frazier arrived and checked into the Hyatt almost unnoticed by anyone. The very first interview for the assembled press - and Ali takes out of his pocket (“I have no idea where he got this?” recalls his cutman Ferdy Pacheco) a small rubber figurine of a gorilla. And he repeats: “It will be murder, horror, and thriller when I get to this gorilla in Manila.” He started hitting this rubber toy, saying: “Hey, Joe, hi, gorilla! We are already in Manila! Then someone brought a five-foot monkey doll into the training room, and Ali beat it too. As if that wasn't enough, he showed up at Fraser's training session, insulted him at length while standing on the gym's balcony, and then threw a chair down. A few days before the fight, he came to Fraser’s hotel and threatened him with a pistol - as it would later turn out, a toy pistol, but Fraser had no time for jokes. “Hey, Joe, I’ll get you, I’ll shoot you!” Ali performed these antics every day, and did not admit out loud that he was doing this only in order to at least slightly drown out his fear, gain self-confidence and deprive his opponent of it.

On October 1, 1975, at 10.45 am local time (the fight was broadcast to the whole world via satellite, and this time was optimal for Europe and the USA), the first gong sounded. Ali and Frazier met each other's eyes again and fought blow for blow. Breaking through Ali's hooks and jabs whistling at his temple and past his jaw, Frazier closed the distance, cut Ali off from space and drove him to the ropes. There Ali was forced to grab Frazier's arms and neck and hold him. Ali tried to move and throw quick series, but Frazier eventually ended up getting close. But at the entrance to the inside, having taken three or four heavy fast blows on defense and sometimes on the head, Joe was knocked out of the position to start the attack, and sometimes he was simply stunned and the referee again and again separated the fighters from the clinch.

Here Frazier throws two hooks - Ali turns sideways towards his opponent, and another blow follows - to the champion's kidneys. Ali winces in pain. This is no longer the old “fluttering” Ali, and he knows that his legs are not so fast and light, and will not be able to take him to a safe distance. He stays nearby and decides to take the fight. Joe hits brutally and very selectively - he plants uppercuts under the heart, in the liver area, then transfers the fire along the floors - up, to the head, and Ali is forced to grab him again and lightly press on the neck from above. A forbidden move, but the price of victory is too high. Ali knows that Fraser is also not young, he will soon run out of oxygen, and he will slow down... Ali says: “Joe, they told me that you are already finished!” Frazier lands a left hook that nearly takes Ali's head off and responds, "They tricked you, champ, they tricked you..."

By the 13th round the fight turns into a massacre. Joe's right eye is swollen shut, the hematoma is filling with blood, and he cannot see the blows that are coming at the target from that side. Ali looks a little better, but any blow could break the last thread connecting his head to the central nervous system. But then a few right hands through the arm shake Frazier's head... Ali goes to his corner after the end of the 14th round on unsteady legs. “Cut them, take them off!” he says to Angel Dundee, pointing to the gloves. He's ready to give up. He doesn't want to continue. In the opposite corner of the ring, Joe sucks in the heavy, hot air that contains more blood than oxygen and hears, “You can’t go on.” Too much effort has been given. Too much hate. Too much drama. The corner keeps Frazier out for the 15th round.

Suffering from Parkinson's disease and almost unable to speak or move on his own, Muhammad Ali himself became a monument and a living reminder of Thriller in Manila. A sad monument to hatred, cruelty and inhuman will.

“Well, Butterfly and I knew different times. There were a lot of emotions then. But I forgave him. I had to. You can't keep this to yourself forever. There were scars on my heart, I dreamed for years that it would hurt... It's time to end this. We needed each other to give you one of the greatest fights in history." Joe Fraser.

Perhaps both of these vindictive and bellicose gentlemen are not paragons of virtue. But we should give them credit - they both held on until the last.