Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "the Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century and is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He held the Ring magazine heavyweight title from 1964 to 1970. He was the undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978 and the WBA and Ring heavyweight champion from 1978 to 1979. In 1999, he was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.
Joseph William Frazier, nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, he was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure fighting style and was the first boxer to defeat Muhammad Ali. Frazier won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics as an amateur, held the NYSAC heavyweight title from 1968 to 1973, and was the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1970 to 1973.
Buster Mathis was an American boxer who competed from 1965 to 1972. He was a top contender throughout his career, beating other top contenders including George Chuvalo and Chuck Wepner. He fought Heavyweight greats such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Jerry Quarry and Ron Lyle; he also notably beat Joe Frazier as an amateur to qualify for the Olympics but was later replaced due to a hand injury.
Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali, billed as The Fight of the Century or simply The Fight, was an undisputed heavyweight championship boxing match between WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight champion Joe Frazier and Lineal champion Muhammad Ali, on Monday, March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Ronald David Lyle was an American professional boxer who competed from 1971 to 1980, and in 1995. He challenged unsuccessfully for the world heavyweight championship, losing to Muhammad Ali in 1975. Known for his punching power, crowd-pleasing fighting style, and his courage and determination in the ring, Lyle defeated Buster Mathis, Oscar Bonavena, Jimmy Ellis, Vicente Rondón, Earnie Shavers, Joe Bugner, Gregorio Peralta and Scott LeDoux, but is best known for his fight against George Foreman in 1976, which was voted Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine.
Jerry Quarry, nicknamed "Irish" or "The Bellflower Bomber", was an American professional boxer. During the peak of his career from 1968 to 1971, Quarry was rated by The Ring magazine as the most popular fighter in the sport. His most famous bouts were against Muhammad Ali. He is often seen as being one of the Best Heavyweight Boxers never to be Champion. He beat Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson and top contenders Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, Brian London, Thad Spencer, Buster Mathis, Randy Neumann, Jack Bodell, Mac Foster and Eduardo Corletti. He accumulated damage from lack of attention to defense against larger men at the top level, no head guard sparring, and attempted comebacks in 1977, 1983 and 1992 resulted in Quarry developing an unusually severe case of dementia pugilistica.
During the 1960s, boxing, like mostly everything else around the world, went through changing times. Notable was the emergence of a young boxer named Cassius Clay, who would, in his own words shock the world, declare himself against war, and change his name to Muhammad Ali.
James Albert Ellis was an American professional boxer. He won the vacant WBA heavyweight title in 1968 by defeating Jerry Quarry, making one successful title defense in the same year against Floyd Patterson, before losing to Joe Frazier in 1970.
Buster Mathis Jr. is an American former professional boxer who competed in the heavyweight division. He held the regional IBF-USBA Heavyweight title, winning the belt in 1994, making two successful defenses until losing to Lou Savarese in 1996.
Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield II, billed as Repeat or Revenge, was a professional boxing match that took place on November 6, 1993, for the WBA and IBF heavyweight championships.
Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield III, billed as "The Final Chapter", was a professional boxing match contested on November 4, 1995. The non-title match marked the third and final fight in the Bowe–Holyfield trilogy.
Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks was a professional boxing match contested on February 15, 1978, in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight championship.
Muhammad Ali and Joe Bugner fought two boxing matches with each other. Their first bout took place on February 14, 1973; and the second for the world's heavyweight championship on July 1, 1975. Ali won both matches through unanimous decisions on points.
Muhammad Ali and Jimmy Young fought a boxing match on April 30, 1976. Ali won the bout through a unanimous decision on points. This bout was aired live in primetime on ABC with Howard Cosell calling the action from the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland.
Muhammad Ali and Alfredo Evangelista fought a championship match on May 16, 1977. Ali won the bout through a unanimous decision on points. The fight was held in the Capital Centre before a crowd of over 12,000 at the Capital Centre, along with a prime time broadcast on ABC.
Muhammad Ali vs. Oscar Bonavena was a professional boxing match contested on December 7, 1970, for the NABF and Lineal heavyweight championship at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 7, 1970.
Muhammad Ali and Jimmy Ellis fought each other in a boxing match at the Astrodome in Houston on July 26, 1971. Ali won the bout through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the twelfth round. This was Ali's first boxing match after Fight of the Century, and had originally been scheduled as a bout between Wilt Chamberlain, who had challenged him, then trained for the bout with Cus D'Amato, but later withdrew from the fight.
Cassius Clay fought Argentine Alex Miteff in a ten-round boxing match in Louisville on October 7, 1961. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the sixth round. Miteff and Clay would feature in the 1962 film Requiem for a Heavyweight.
Cassius Clay fought a ten-round boxing match with Don Warner in Miami on February 28, 1962. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout after the referee stopped the fight in the fourth round. Warner would later serve as a sparring partner for Joe Frazier.
Muhammad Ali was a boxer who mastered the rope-a-dope fighting technique. He is widely regarded by many boxing commentators and historians as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. Boxing magazine The Ring named him number one in a 1998 ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras. In 1999, The Associated Press voted Ali the number one heavyweight of the 20th century.
