In honor of the passing of The Greatest, we’re re-watching the trilogy of trilogies, Ali against Smokin’ Joe Frazier, and breaking them down, round-by-round. Today, we’re rolling on to their rematch nearly three years later. You can find our analysis of Ali-Frazier I here.
Nearly three years had passed before Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier would again share the ring and it couldn’t have come at a better time for both men. Frazier was only a fight removed from a brutal second-round TKO loss to the dominant George Foreman, costing him the WBA and WBC World Heavyweight Championships he had won from Ali in the first fight. Ali had compiled a large winning streak to mostly second-run opponents like George Chuvalo, Jerry Quarry, and sending Floyd Patterson into retirement. Ali cut it close with Ken Norton in two fights, splitting the series as he broke his jaw in the first fight won by a Norton split decision and arguably being gifted a decision in the rematch that followed.
While only a NABF heavyweight trinket was on the line, both men needed the victory as they again prepared to battle in the center of Madison Square Garden. Leading up the fight, the insults were more mild than the heavy racial implications the first time around. Still, on an episode of Wide World of Sports featuring Howard Cosell as a host (and perhaps an instigator, given his chemistry with Ali), things got more heated than ever after Ali called Frazier “ignorant” during a recap of their fight. Ali and Frazier rolled around on the floor in a bizarro wrestling match and had to be separated by studio hands. Ali didn’t have to break the skin this time after wounding Joe before the first fight and the build to the second fight was perhaps the lightest of the three fights.
Going in, this was the most overlooked fight of the series as both men were supposed to be on the tail end of their careers. Though nothing but a rivalry, pride, and a lesser belt on the line, both men were out to reprove themselves as threats to the unstoppable Foreman and reclaim the eye of the boxing public.
The January of 1974 was winding down when Ali and Frazier squared off again in MSG. Perhaps the desperation of both fighters showed as they were all business during the stare-down before the fight, with the only talk coming from managers on both sides asking to watch for Ali’s clinching and Frazier’s low body work. Neither fighter looked to be in the position to jockey for the mental edge as the bell sounded.
Round 1:
Luke Irwin: Alright, here we go! Ali-Frazier II FOR THE WORL–I’m sorry, what’s that? I’m being handed a piece of a paper here. Huh. Apparently this was for, in fact, the NABF Heavyweight Championship. Huh. Ok then. Ali looking noticeably quicker and better on his feet early already. Frazier looking like he’s wearing And1 basketball shorts. Unlike the first fight, when Frazier ducks, Ali is landing to Frazier’s head. Bad news for Joe. Frazier finally lands a good body shot, but Ali has the motion that Frazier had in the first fight, while Joe looks much more plodding and stiff. 10-9 Ali.
Nolan Howell: Ali dropped the somber act as soon as the bell sounded. Ali fought on his toes the entire round and Frazier seemed to have forgotten his bob and weave as he would wade into flurries from Ali. Frazier still gets too close inside and asks for Ali to take advantage of the clinch game. Ali is more than happy to oblige and he breaks out the Ali shuffle early in the round and as the bell sounds at the end. Not exactly the dynamite the first fight had, but Ali looked to be implementing a good gameplan with fast combos and stopping all inside fighting to stifle Frazier. 10-9 Ali.
Round 2:
Luke: “Ali’s black trim goes up to the black belt”, bless you, Howard. Ali looks like a totally different fighter this fight. He’s so mobile and light on his feet. Joe finally landed his monster left hook, but Ali was johnny-on-the-spot to throw a punch and clinch. And…Tony Perez calls a stop to the round early? What in the…? I don’t think it would have changed anything, but that was strange. 10-10.
Nolan: Another bizarre happening in this series as the referee called for the bell about 10 or 15 seconds too early here. Frazier looked a lot better this round as he was able to corner Ali and get him up against the ropes on occasion, landing a few left hooks in the process. Frazier also picked up his bob and weave, but Ali still danced and clinched. Frazier had a case for the round until Ali rocked Frazier late in the round. That’s when the referee stepped in and mistakenly tried to end the round early. The last ten seconds weren’t all that meaningful though as Ali sealed it by rocking Frazier. 10-9 Ali.
Round 3:
Luke: HERE WE GO! Now they’re coming out swinging, bringing shades of the first fight. Frazier’s head movement isn’t what it was in their first fight. Not even close. We can probably thank George Foreman for that. Ali is a clinching machine, but Frazier isn’t doing anything to keep Ali from grabbing him. Joe’s doing his ducking and left hook, but it isn’t hitting like it was in the first fight. Ali didn’t do much but clinch and fire the occasional jab. 10-9 Frazier.
Nolan: Ali spent most of this round clinching after coming out swinging early. It was a mistake from Ali as he tried to go for the knockout early after the end of the last round. Frazier quickly changed his mind as Ali was cornered and blasted with a left hook. Frazier spent most of the round peppering the body and landing the occasional left hook. Ali was active and probably threw more total punches this round based on his combos, but only one or two out of six or seven would seem to land as Frazier was able to dip and dodge the fast hands. A close round, but Frazier seemed more effective. 10-9 Frazier.
Round 4:
Luke: HEY IT’S OJ! THANKS, OJ! I think that young man has a bright future ahead of him. Ali is throwing low early, like he should, but Joe is dodging them. Frazier’s head movement is incredibly worse than it was in the first fight, but Ali isn’t taking advantage of it. He should be throwing low and lots of uppercuts, but he’s more concerned with dancing and grabbing. Lackluster, but Frazier was the only fighter landing. 10-9 Frazier.
Nolan: Pretty uneventful round as Ali danced and talked and Frazier engaged and got caught in the clinch. Neither man landed anything of significance, but Frazier was the aggressor and Ali probably landed more on the counter. A nothing round. 10-10.
Round 5:
Luke: Frazier unleashing that left hook, Ali is clinching, but Frazier is getting him in the corner. Flashbacks of the first fight where Muhammad is throwing over Frazier’s head, with Frazier’s head movement being, I’ll estimate, at about 45%. Still, Frazier did a lot more this round. 10-9 Frazier.
Nolan: Frazier was great at catching Ali with left hook as he encouraged Ali to throw low punches on the downswing of the bob and would pop up as Ali set up his right straight. Frazier landed a blistering left in the corner, which is where most of his success in this series seems to have come from so far. Ali stayed on the ropes here mostly as Frazier was able to prevent a lot of the successful clinching of Ali. Whether Ali took the round off here remains to be seen, but he seems to lose interest in winning rounds after getting one or two solid lefts from Frazier. 10-9 Frazier.
Round 6:
Luke: Ali’s punches aren’t landing while Frazier is ducking and landing early. Ali lands a couple, then clinches. Ali dancing and landing, but not keep Frazier away. 10-9 Ali.
Nolan: Frazier landed the stronger blows, but he had to take three or four coming in. Ali fought well backing up and was eager to clinch as Frazier got inside. The round started pretty eventfully as they traded, but Ali lost interest pretty quickly and got on his bike. The 1-2 combo kept Frazier away and Ali would follow up with more powerful shots fired from the hip. Frazier was able to land as it got into the corners and had a few nice punches to the body and one solid left in the near-side right corner, but he was mostly on lock in the clinch. That seems to be the theme of this fight. 10-9 Ali.
Round 7:
Luke: Joe finding a home for his dangerous left hooks. Landing and landing and landing. Joe keeps swinging for the home run. Frazier’s landing the left hook, but it has nowhere near the ferocity it had in the first fight. Still, Muhammad is throwing pillows here, clearly Frazier’s round. 10-9 Frazier.
Nolan: Frazier landed the biggest punches of the fight so far as he would set up Ali to fight on the back foot until he ran out of room on the ropes and in the corners. Frazier was more aggressive than he had been all fight and Ali could only get a punch or two off to keep Frazier at range before Frazier came back with something stronger. Ali starting to look more flatfooted here as Frazier is dictating where the fight takes place in the ring and is rekindling his allegiance with the corners and the ropes to blitz Ali. 10-9 Frazier.
Round 8:
Luke: HEY OJ! OJ says he played “Simon Says”! Oh god, the jokes. Frazier landing hooks, but they’re registering as much less powerful than the first fight. “Ali complaining to Perez, I know not what about”, says Howard Yodasell. Frazier is burying his head into Ali, which is is what he did late in the first fight, and what he should have been doing in this fight to negate Ali’s movement. Ali took this round off. 10-9 Frazier.
Nolan: Ali again fell victim early to the left hook as he started throwing from the hip and Frazier was ready to counter as he’d bob up to punish him with the left hook. Ali continues to hold with no shame and, frankly, why shouldn’t he if the referee isn’t going to say anything about it? It isn’t pretty, but it’s a smart strategy against one of the greatest inside fighters of all-time. While Frazier was more successful this round, Ali has negated a lot of potential damage with his ugly fight. That didn’t stop Frazier from crushing him with an overhand right just before the toll of the bell though. 10-9 Frazier.
Round 10:
Luke: Boring round until the last minute, when both landed a few good shots. The rare action spots were over so quickly that neither man could get into a rhythm. 10-10.
Nolan: Ali got stung early and played the volume game again while Frazier would go to the body and then the head on the ropes. Ali wasn’t landing clean as he tried to pick Frazier apart at rage and Frazier caught him at the bell with another left. Frazier dominated the rather abrupt spurts of action that were balanced by Ali holding the most of the round once again. 10-9 Frazier.
Round 11:
Luke: Ali’s jabs are an absolute delight right now. Tremendous work with them. Gorgeous. He’s in total control, even with Frazier landing a hook. Muhammad’s jabs are landing hard and clean and rattling Frazier. 10-9 Ali.
Nolan: Frazier was being caught mid-punch most of this round as he tried to wade in on Ali. Frazier seemed to abandon the bob and weave to get inside and halfheartedly committed to a Philly Shell in the middle of inside exchanges. Ali’s hands were too fast for that and Frazier would get tied up if he had an opening close. The penultimate round saw Ali make a point and try to not leave it in the hands of the judges that he seemingly did not trust after feeling he won the first encounter. 10-9 Ali.
Round 12:
Luke: Frazier is coming in looking for the knockout. Cosell is exactly right, nobody talks about Ali’s chin. The man could take a ridiculous punch. Ali is dancing but landing shots at will. Frazier can’t get his hook off and it may cost him the bout. 10-9 Ali.
Nolan: Interesting to see the two touch gloves at the beginning of the round, which may lend more juice to the speculation that the build-up forr this fight was a little hammed up on both sides. Unfortunately, Ali didn’t carry his aggression from the last round over and seemed more content to dance as Frazier landed the more effective blows early. Ali unloaded in the final minute and I think did enough to negate Frazier’s early effectiveness. Ali squeaks by in the final round after Frazier blows it in the final minute. This fight should not necessarily have been controversial in the decision as you can make a case in many rounds for both guys winning. This was surely the most dull fight of the series, but that doesn’t make it bad either. Either way, Ali takes the final round and the win on my card. 10-9 Ali.
Scorecard:
Nolan: 115-114 Ali (6-5-1)
Luke: 115-115 (5-5-2)
Judges: 6-5 (Ali), 7-4 (Ali), 8-4 (Ali)
Aftermath: This would be Frazier’s last stand as an elite challenger at heavyweight. He would fight Jerry Quarry and Jimmy Ellis en route to the final encounter with Ali in Manila, but his best days were behind him save for that fateful day in the Philippines where him and Ali brought out the best in each other for one final time.
Ali would go on to Rumble in the Jungle with George Foreman and win the WBC and WBA straps in arguably the most impressive game plan and performance in boxing history. Ali also didn’t get too much competition on the road to the Thrilla after Foreman either, finishing the crowd-pleaser Ron Lyle as his most impressive victory (along with beating Chuck Wepner into stardom as the inspiration for Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky).
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