In the ring | Ali's most memorable fights
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In the ring | Ali's most memorable fights
Muhammad Ali became the world heavyweight champion in 1964 and ruled boxing even after leaving the ring in 1981 as a weary three-time champion. During his time, boxing became theater and pop culture as never
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In the ring | Ali's most memorable fights Muhammad Ali became the world heavyweight champion in 1964 and ruled boxing even after leaving the ring in 1981 as a weary three-time champion. During his time, boxing became theater and pop culture as never Check out this story on courier-journal.com: http://cjky.it/1sUNunO
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In the ring | Ali's most memorable fights
The Courier-Journal 1:21 a.m. EDT June 4, 2016
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MUHAMMAD ALI: 'GREATEST OF ALL TIME'Bill Clinton, Bryant Gumbel remember Muhammad Ali | 2:01
Former President Bill Clinton closed out the memorial service to Muhammad Ali noting that he never felt self-pity or was disempowered by his race, his battle with Parkinson's disease or the expectations of other people. (June 10) AP
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At the memorial service for Muhammad Ali, former President Bill Clinton said the late champ never let his circumstances determine his fate.
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Thousands of fans of Muhammad Ali turned out to pay their respects to the boxing champion as a funeral procession carrying his casket moved through the streets of Louisville, Ky., Ali's hometown. (June 10) AP
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Muhammad Ali captured the world with big talk & a punch to back it up
Here are some of the most meaningful — and memorable — fights in a matchless career.
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Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship on Feb. 25, 1964.
(Photo: C-J File Photo)Buy Photo
Muhammad Ali became the world heavyweight champion in 1964 and ruled boxing even after leaving the ring in 1981 as a weary three-time champion.
During his time, boxing became theater and pop culture as never before, with Ali as the playwright, publicist, leading man, stage manager and critic. Here are some of the most meaningful — and memorable — fights in a matchless career.
Clay-Liston I
Feb. 25, 1964
Miami Beach, Fla.
At the age of 22, Cassius Clay got his shot at the heavyweight championship — against an ex-convict named Sonny Liston.
Ali predicted "a total eclipse of the Sonny" and was so wired at the weigh-in that his blood pressure shot to twice its normal rate.
Only half the tickets were sold for the Miami Beach Convention Center as few fans expected the brash young Louisvillian to challenge Liston, a 7-1 favorite.
But early on, Ali sent a signal, landing punches while easily avoiding the champion's looping left hooks. He held off the shorter Liston by pinning a glove against the champ's forehead.
Liston grew frustrated, "and when you get frustrated, that takes all the snap out of your shots," recalled Angelo Dundee, Ali's trainer.
In the fourth and fifth rounds, Ali's eyes began to sting and he could barely see.
"He had liniment in his glove," Ali said after the fight. "My eyes was burning. … My whole face was burning. … The man's trainers are dirty."
Ali wanted to quit, but Dundee pushed him back into the ring. And once his eyes cleared, Ali delivered punches that puffed up Liston's face. Spent and saying he had a shoulder injury, the champion stayed on his stool as the bell rang for the seventh round.
Eyes wide and mouth agape, Ali danced and leaped into the arms of corner man Drew "Bundini" Brown.
"I'm the greatest thing that ever lived!" he shouted. "I don't have a mark on my face, and I upset Sonny Liston. I just turned 22 years old. I must be the greatest. …
"I am the king of the world. I'm pretty. I'm a bad man! I shook up the world! I shook up the world! I shook up the world! You must listen to me!"
Commentator Joe Louis declared: "I think this has got to go down as the biggest upset in the history of boxing. … If they have a return match, I think that it would sell out any stadium in the world."
Ali-Liston II
May 25, 1965
Lewiston, Maine
The second Ali-Liston fight lasted less than two minutes — and turned on a punch that few people saw.
Planned for Boston, the fight was moved to Lewiston, where Liston was installed as a 9-5 favorite.
Midway through the first round, Ali landed a quick, downward right-hand punch to Liston's jaw, sending the former champion to the canvas, where he stretched out like a man taking a Sunday afternoon nap.
Ali stood over him, yelling.
He was saying "Git up, sucker!" according to boxing writer Bert Sugar.
Referee Joe Walcott tried in vain to send Ali to a neutral corner. Television showed Liston was down for more than 17 seconds before rising to aim four useless lefts at Ali.
The fight was stopped, and Ali had retained his title, thanks to a "phantom" punch that caused some to suggest that Liston had taken a dive.
Boxing historian Bill Cayton was not among them.
"It was a short punch but a great, sharply delivered punch, one of Ali's best," he said.
Ali-Patterson I
The contrast between Ali and Floyd Patterson could not have been greater.
Patterson, a two-time champion, was the establishment's choice.
He referred to the champion as Cassius Clay, and promised to "return the title to America." Frank Sinatra paid an encouraging visit to Patterson's hotel room before the fight.
Ali called Patterson "The Rabbit" — judging him timid and cowardly. He showed up at Patterson's training center with lettuce and carrots — "rabbit food."
During the fight, Patterson's backers watched their man endure 11 rounds of agony at Ali's hands.
When the referee stopped the fight in the 12th, Patterson protested — not because he wanted to continue, but because, as he told writer David Remnick, he craved the anesthetic effect of a knockout.
Ali-Williams
Nov. 14, 1966
Houston
After six years and 26 victories without a defeat, no one questioned Ali's speed, reflexes or resourcefulness. Experts did question his punching power. The fight against Cleveland Williams removed some of those doubts.
Boxing historian Bill Cayton estimated that Ali landed 80 percent to 90 percent of his punches — three times the usual amount. After Ali knocked Williams down four times in the third round, the fight was stopped.
"I remember him hitting Cleveland Williams with eight consecutive punches to the jaw, and this guy collapsing like a huge building. It was amazing," said Jose Torres, the boxing-champion-turned-author.
Ali's friend Billy Crystal: "The accuracy and the stunning savagery is awesome. Anyone who says he isn't a big puncher should look at this fight."
Ali-Frazier I
March 8, 1971
New York
Only four months after ending his 3½-year layoff, Ali faced undefeated champion Joe Frazier in Madison Square Garden.
It was more than the meeting of two undefeated boxers fighting for the world championship and $2.5 million each.
Jerry Perenchio, a Hollywood agent whose clients included Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando, brokered the fight, persuading sportsman Jack Kent Cooke to put up $4.5 million.
"I thought it … would transcend boxing because of the Vietnam War, religion and being black in America," Perenchio recalled years later.
During Ali's exile, Frazier had defended him and had even given him money. But Ali cast Frazier as an ugly, ignorant "Uncle Tom" representing white America.
"Joe, in his innocence, was representing white America," said Jim Brown, the former football player.
"To Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier had become the symbol of his oppression," said Ali biographer Thomas Hauser.
The fight drew "the limo crowd," in the words of Jerry Izenberg, a New Jersey newspaper columnist.
"It had the look of a coronation more than a fistfight," Philadelphia columnist Stan Hochman said.
Burt Lancaster was a closed-circuit TV commentator; Frank Sinatra a photographer for Life magazine.
Before the fight, Marvis Frazier saw his father praying in the dressing room. Years later, he recalled asking his father what he prayed. His father's answer: "Lord, help me to kill this man, because he's not righteous."
Frazier rattled Ali in the 11th and probably could have finished him, but feared that Ali might be trying to trap him and failed to follow up.
Ali rallied in the next two rounds, and Frazier was determined to finish him off. In the 15th, he knocked Ali to the canvas, expecting him to stay there. But Ali bounced up quickly from the only knockdown of the fight.
Frazier retained his title with a unanimous decision. Ali had suffered his first defeat.
Afterward, Perenchio recalled, he entered Ali's dressing room only to see a glamorous woman weeping at his feet. It was Diana Ross.
"Diana, meet the man who paid me two and a half million dollars to get my ass whipped," Ali said, according to Perenchio.
But Ali's stature grew in defeat. He accepted his first loss with dignity and without excuses. And Frazier spent a week in the hospital, with high blood pressure and fatigue.
"The winner of that fight became the loser, and the loser became the winner," Bert Sugar would later say.
Ali-Norton I
March 31, 1973
San Diego
Ken Norton was a handsome ex-Marine who once was Joe Frazier's sparring partner. But he was so lightly regarded that even the Marine-vs.-the-draft-dodger story line failed to incite much pre-fight interest.
The Marine was, surprisingly, the master. Ali suffered a broken jaw — perhaps as early in the second round. Protecting his face, Ali lost a unanimous 12-round decision.
Norton's camp thought the broken jaw came near the end of the fight. "I say it was in the last round," Norton told author Stephen Brunt. "Because when you have an inch-and-a-half break in the jaw and someone is popping you upside the jaw as much as I hit Ali, with that pain, the mind would take over and shut down, I think."
Norton would face Ali twice more — and lose — but this victory left him a made man in boxing.
"Ali was the best-known figure in the world at that time," he said. "You defeated him, and your name rang throughout the world."
Ali-Frazier II
Jan. 28, 1974
New York
By now, both fighters had lost some luster — Ali was 32 years old and twice-beaten — by Frazier and Norton. And Frazier had lost his title to George Foreman, who knocked him down six times in a fight that lasted 4 minutes and 35 seconds.
But the Ali-Frazier rivalry had not lost its sizzle: 20,748 fans would show up in Madison Square Garden, setting a gate-receipts record of $1.05million for a non-title fight.
During the buildup, Ali belittled his opponent, as usual. On an ABC talk show with Howard Cosell, Ali called Frazier "ignorant." Frazier rose from his chair and advanced on Ali, who grabbed Frazier in a bear hug. Frazier slammed Ali to the floor.
"This time it seems to be for real," Cosell said, with his voice rising. "Joe Frazier is really angry. Muhammad called him ignorant and he's really angry. … I think that Ali is probably clowning, but there is no question in my mind that Frazier is not clowning."
The fight itself — with gloves, trunks and corner men — failed to match the quality and intensity of the first. It was fought largely in the clinches. Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, said he counted 133 "holds" by Ali while watching a video. Ali won a unanimous decision in 12 rounds, squaring the series at 1-1.
Ali-Foreman
Oct. 30, 1974
Kinshasa, Zaire
Ali's seven-year quest to reclaim his heavyweight championship was completed under circumstances that defied belief. The opponent was George Foreman, whose 40-0 record included 37 knockouts.
The fight began in the predawn to accommodate the American television audience.
Ali, who was 32, reasoned that the 24-year-old Foreman had little stamina because he so rarely fought more than 10 minutes. Foreman routinely dispatched his opponents in three rounds or fewer.
In the second round, Ali improvised his "rope-a-dope" strategy, hunkering against the ropes and covering his body as the champ flailed away, eventually exhausting himself.
Nearly 30 years later, Foreman would tell a documentary film crew: "Beat him up the first round. Beat him up the second. Third. Fourth. But he's still there talking to me in the fifth: 'That's all you got?'
"I said, 'What in the world have I ran into?' This guy was still confident and he was getting more confident. … Next thing you know, he hit me with a one-two combination."
When Ali scored in the eighth round, Foreman pirouetted slowly, crashing like an imploding landmark.
"The fight was over," he recalled. "I had lost my title. Never been so devastated in my life. … It took me a long time, maybe a year, before I could sleep again."
Ali-Frazier III
Oct. 1, 1975
Quezon City, Philippines
The buildup for the "Thrilla in Manila" included elements of soap opera and slapstick. Ali squired his young girlfriend Veronica Porche around Manila, not correcting anyone — including President Ferdinand Marcos — who mistook her for "Mrs. Ali."
This stirred Ali's wife, Belinda, to fly halfway around the world for a loud confrontation with the champion.
But it was the confrontation in the ring that became perhaps the most famous fight in history. Both men went to the limit — and beyond.
"What a murderous fight," Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee, would recall.
For 14 rounds, they fought to the point of exhaustion. Frazier's left eye was swollen shut, making him unable to see or block Ali's punishing rights.
"His face looked like it exploded," according to Ferdie Pacheco, the fight doctor.
"Frazier was a blind man groping. … Trainer Eddie Futch stopped it after that round, an act of compassion rare in boxing," recalled Bert Sugar, the boxing historian.
"Futch, who had seen four fighters killed in the ring, decided it wasn't worth it, and said, 'Sit down, son. It's all over,'" said Mark Kram, a Sports Illustrated writer.
Ali appeared equally spent. Sitting on his stool, he weakly raised his right arm in victory.
"After that, neither (fighter) was the same again," Sugar said.
Kram would later recall Ali's saying: "We went to Manila as champions, Joe and me, and we came back old men."
Ali-Spinks
Feb. 15, 1978
Las Vegas
Ali was 36, his opponent 24. An Olympic gold medalist, Spinks was appearing in only his eighth professional fight. It looked like such a mismatch that Las Vegas bookmakers didn't even establish a betting line.
It must have looked that way to Ali too. He trained absent-mindedly and showed up out of shape. In one of boxing's biggest upsets, Spinks won a split decision.
"I thank God," Spinks said. "God's the main man."
Ali vowed, "I'll be back. I'll be the first man to win the title three times."
Ali fulfilled the promise seven months later before nearly 65,000 fans in the Louisiana Superdome, winning a 15-round decision over Spinks to capture the title for the third time.
It was Ali's last victory — less a demonstration of the champion's regenerative powers than of Spinks' lack of discipline.
"I didn't have my mind on the fight," Spinks said.
Ali would fight twice more — losing to Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick — in exercises that inspired mainly nostalgia.
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World heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali is held back by referee Joe Walcott after Ali knocked out challenger Sonny Liston in 1 minute, 42 seconds of the first round of the scheduled 15 round championship bout in Lewiston, Maine, May 25, 1965. 
Associated Press
ALI vs FRAZIER fight poster. 
CJ File Photo
A young Muhammad Ali is seen with his trainer Angelo Dundee at City Parks Gym in New York Feb. 8, 1962. 
AP Photo/Dan Grossi
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Muhammad Ali, left, 20-year-old undefeated heavyweight, ducks away from a long right thrown by George Logan in the third round of their scheduled 10-rounder at Los Angeles April 23, 1962. The referee stopped the fight in the fourth round, awarding Ali a knockout victory under California rules. 
Associated Press
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Cassius Clay weighs in at 204 pounds for his 12-round heavyweight fight in Los Angeles, California, November 15, 1962, against Archie Moore, left, who came in at 197 pounds. Adjusting the scales is Clayton Frye, secretary of the California Athletic Commission. 
Associated Press
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Down on one knee, "Ancient" Archie Moore reaches the end of his gallant ring career in Los Angeles, California, November 15, 1962, as young Cassius Clay stands over him, winner by a knockout in the fourth round of a scheduled 12-rounder. Moore went down three times before the referee, Tommy Hart, ended the fight. 
Associated Press
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Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay), right, lands on Don Warner's jaw in an early exchange of their fight in Miami Beach, Fla., February 28, 1962 with a straight right. It was the same punch which knocked Warner through the ropes in Round 4 and headed him for a technical knockout as the fight was stopped soon after he climbed back to the canvas. 
Associated Press
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British heavyweight champion Henry Cooper, right, is pictured throwing a long right to the jaw of Cassius Clay during their bout in London, England, June 18, 1963. Cooper's left eye is bloody from a cut opened by Clay in the third round. The American boxer from Louisville was downed by Cooper in the fourth round, but was saved by the bell and returned to make good on his prophesy by stopping Cooper in the fifth. 
Associated Press
Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship in 1964. 
CJ File Photo
A poster promotes Ali's 1964 fight with Sonny Liston. 
Pam Spaulding
The physical statistics of heavyweight boxers Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay are seen in 1964. 
Associated Press
Muhammad Ali (Formerly Cassius Clay) in action against Sonny Liston. Ali was the winner in Miami Beach, Florida on February 25, 1964. 
Associated Press
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World heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali works out on the light punching bag at his training camp in Chicopee, Ma., on May 13, 1965. His title bout against Sonny Liston is on May 25 in Lewiston. Ali told news reporters he's getting "so sharp" that he is taking tomorrow off. 
Associated Press
Muhammad Ali Knocks Out Sonny Liston, Lewiston, Maine, May 25, 1965 by Neil Leifer. 
CJ File Photo
Champion Muhammad Ali lands a right smash to the jaw of challenger Floyd Patterson in the seventh round of their heavyweight title fight at Las Vegas, Nevada, November 22, 1965. 
Associated Press
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Floyd Patterson appears groggy with his knees about to go under as champion Muhammad Ali whips another sweeping right to his face a moment before their heavyweight title fight was stopped at Las Vegas, Nevada, November 22, 1965. Referee Harry Krause stepped in to call it a 12th-round technical knockout. 
Associated Press
Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali smashes a right into the jaw of challenger Brian London of Britain, Aug. 6, 1966, in London. Ali knocked out his opponent in the third round for his fifth successful defense of the heavyweight championship title. 
Associated Press
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World champion Muhammad Ali is shown throwing a long right to British challenger Henry Cooper's split eye in the sixth round of their world heavyweight championship fight at Highbury Stadium, London, England, May 21, 1966. Ali retained his title after referee George Smith stopped the fight in 1 minute 38 seconds of the sixth round when Cooper was badly cut about his left eye. 
Associated Press
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World heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali is shown working on the bloodied left eye of challenger Henry Cooper in the sixth round, May 21, 1966, of their title fight in London, England. Ali retained his crown when the referee stopped the bout later in the round because of the cut over Cooper's eye. 
Associated Press
World Heavyweight Champion Cassius Clay backs from a right thrown by European Champion Karl Mildenberger in their title fight on Saturday, September 10, 1966 in Frankfurt/Main. 
Associated Press
Muhammad Ali reacts after the referee stopped the bout between Ali and European champ Karl Mildenberger, Sept 10, 1966, in Frankfurt, Germany. Ali won by technical knockout. 
(Associated Press)
Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, left, and challenger Cleveland Williams glare at each other during their weigh-in for the title fight in Houston, Nov. 14, 1966. 
Associated Press
Cleveland Williams is spread-eagled on the canvas as referee Harry Kessler sends Muhammad Ali to a neutral corner during their heavyweight bout at the Astrodome in Houston, Nov. 14, 1966. 
Associated Press
From "GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali"; Muhammad Ali (standing) and Cleveland Williams (not) on Nov. 14, 1966, from 80 feet above the ring in the Houston Astrodome. 
Photo by Neil Leifer
Boxer Muhammad Ali, right, during the fight against Zora Folley in the Madison Square Garden, New York, USA, March 22, 1967. Ali knocked out Folley in the 7th round. 
Associated Press
Zora Folley, left, on the floor against champion Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) in first round of their heavyweight title fight in New York's Madison Square Garden March 22, 1967. 
AP Photo
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Champion Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) raises his hands over his head after knocking challenger Zora Folley down in fourth round of their heavyweight title fight in New York's Madison Square Garden March 22, 1967. Referee John Lo Bianco moves toward Clay, who won on a seventh round knockout. 
Associated Press
Muhammad Ali gets his gloves laced outside a boxing ring in Houston, Texas in February 1967. Ali is training for a Feb. 6 championship title fight with Ernie Terrell. 
Associated Press
Muhammad Ali lands a hard right to the swollen left eye of Ernie Terrell in the fourth round of their heavyweight championship fight in Houston, Tex., Feb. 6, 1967. Ali continued to pound the damaged eye during the round. 
Associated Press
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Muhammad Ali raises his arms in victory following the end of the 15-round heavyweight title fight with Ernie Terrell in Houston, Tex., Feb. 6, 1967. Referee Harry Kessler looks at the battered Terrell before getting out his pad to note his decision. Ali won by unanimous decision. 
Associated Press
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Muhammad Ali raises his arms in victory over fallen opponent Oscar Bonavena after second knockdown over the Argentine in 15th round of heavyweight non-title bout Dec. 7, 1970 at New York's Madison Square Garden. Referee Mark Conn is behind Ali. At far right, in Ali's corner is Bundini Brown with arm raised in jubliation over Ali's win. 
Associated Press
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Jerry Quarry slams a left to Muhammad Ali's mouth in the second round knocking Ali back in Atlanta, Ga. on October 26, 1970. The fight, scheduled to go 15 rounds, was stopped after the third round after Quarry' s eye was badly battered. Muhammad All, the former heavyweight champion of the world, won his title under the name of Cassius Clay . Ali won his first fight in 3 1/2 years. 
Associated Press
Muhammad Ali, right, delivers a hard blow that sends Jimmy Ellis' head reeling in the fourth round of their heavyweight bout in Houston, Tex., July 26, 1971. 
Associated Press
With clenched fist Muhammad Ali delivers his post fight verbal blast in the dressing room after being awarded a 12th round TKO over Jimmy Ellis in Houston, Texas, July 26, 1971. 
Associated Press
Joe Frazier hits Muhammed Ali with a left during the 15th round of their heavyweight title fight at New York's Madison Square Garden in this March 8, 1971 photo. 
Associated Press
Muhammad Ali lies on canvas after being knocked down by heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in this March 8, 1971 file photo. 
Associated Press
Joe Frazier is directed to the ropes by referee Arthur Marcante after knocking down Muhammad Ali during the 15th round of the title bout in Madison Square Garden in New York. Frazier won the bout over Ali by decision. 
Associated Press
Muhammad Ali lands a hard blow to the head of Buster Mathis during the fifth round of their 12-round fight in Houston, Tex., Nov. 17, 1971. 
Associated Press
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Muhammad Ali stands in the corner as referee Mills Lane makes the count on Bob Foster after he was knocked down in the seventh round of their bout in Stateline, Nev., Nov. 22, 1972. The bell rang before the count was completed. Ali went on to knock out Foster in the eighth. 
Associated Press
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Jerry Quarry winces as a left by Muhammad Ali catches him on the side of the head while Ali blocks Quarry's right during their heavyweight fight in Las Vegas, June 27, 1972. Ali was declared the winner when the referee stopped the fight in the seventh round. 
Associated Press
Britain's Joe Bugner takes a right-hand smash from Muhammad Ali in the 10th round of their heavyweight fight at Las Vegas, Feb. 14, 1973. Ali won by decision. 
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Muhammad Ali crashes a right to the side of Ken Norton's head during a middle round of their 12-round re-match at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., Sept 10, 1973. 
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Ken Norton goes to the body of Muhammad Ali in the corner during their 12 round heavyweight bout at the Sports Arena in San Diego, California, March 31, 1973. Norton won on a split decision. 
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This photo diagram comparing boxers Muhammad Ali and George Foreman ran with stories on their heavyweight championship fight in Zaire, October 1974. 
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Challenger Muhammad Ali watches as defending world champion George Foreman goes down to the canvas in the eighth round of their WBA/WBC championship match in Kinshasa, Zaire, on October 30, 1974. Foreman is counted out by the referee and Ali regains the world heavyweight crown by KO in the bout dubbed 'Rumble in the Jungle.' 
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Perspiration flies from the head of George Foreman as he takes a right from challenger Muhammad Ali in the seventh round in the match dubbed Rumble in the Jungle in Kinshasa, Zaire, Oct. 30, 1974. Foreman was knocked out in the eighth round. The referee, left, is Zack Clayton. 
AP Photo/Ed Kolenovsky
Muhammad Ali, arms raised in victory, walks to his corner as referee Zack Clayton counts out George Foreman after Ali knocked him down in the eighth round of their title bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, October 30, 1974. 
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In this Oct. 30, 1974 file photo, referee Zack Clayton, right, steps in after challenger Muhammad Ali looks on after knocking down defending heavyweight champion George Foreman in the eighth round of their championship bout in Kinshasa, Zaire. Ali regained the world heavyweight crown by knockout in the eighth round of the fight dubbed "Rumble in the Jungle." 
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Muhammad Ali contorts his face toward the audience during close-in fighting action with Joe Frazier in the ninth round of their fight at Madison Square Gardens on Jan. 28, 1974 
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Muhammad Ali, left, and Joe Frazier in the 12-round, non-title fight that took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, January 28, 1974. 
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Muhammad Ali throws a punch at Joe Frazier, right, in the 12th round during their bout at Madison Square Garden in New York, Jan. 28, 1974. 
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Boxer Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier slugged it out in New York on Jan. 28, 1974. 
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Boxer Muhammad Ali, front right, shown in a 12-round non-title fight against Joe Frazier, left, at Madison Square Garden, Jan. 28, 1974, New York. Referee Tony Perez in at back center. 
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Muhammad Ali tries to get under the gloves July 1,1975 as Joe Bugner covers up in ninth round at Merdeka Stadium, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 
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Former opponent Joe Frazier taunted Ali in print earlier this year. In 1975, Ali hit Frazier with a rubber gorilla during a promotion for their fight in Manila, shown here. 
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Challenger Joe Frazier and champ Muhammad Ali are shoulder to shoulder in the fourth round of their title bout in Manila, Oct. 1, 1975. 
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Heavyweight boxer Joe Frazier grimaces after Muhammad Ali landed a blow to Frazier's head during fight action of their heavyweight bout in Manila, the Philippines on Oct. 1, 1975. Ali won the fight after Frazier's manager stopped the fight in the fourteenth round. 
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Muhammad Ali connects with the top of Joe Frazier's head in the 13th round of their bout for the heavyweight title at Araneta Coliseum in Quezon, the Philippines, Oct. 1, 1975. 
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Muhammad Ali is sprawled on the canvas in his corner of the ring after he collapsed off his chair before the start of the 15th round in bout against Joe Frazier at the Coliseum in Manila, Oct. 1, 1975. 
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President Ferdinand Marcos, left, of the Philippines, presents the President's Trophy to heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, second from right, after Ali defeated Joe Frazier in their "Thrilla in Manila" fight at the Coliseum in Manila, Oct. 1, 1975. Posing from left are, President Marcos; promoter Don King; Ali's brother, Rahman; Ali, and his father Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr., right. 
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Muhammad Ali throws a right at Ron Lyle during fight action, May 16, 1975 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Ali won by technical knockout. 
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Muhammad Ali hits Ron Lyle with a hard right to the chin during fifth-round action of the title bout in Las Vegas, May 16, 1975. Ali won with a TKO in the 11th round. 
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Defending heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali goes down in the ninth round of the title bout against challenger Chuck Wepner, from Bayonne, N.J., at the Richfield Coliseum, in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 24, 1975. Ali tripped over Wepner's foot, but the referee ruled it as a knockdown. Ali later knocked out Wepner in the 15th round to retain his title. 
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Chuck Wepner falls to the canvas as heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali stands over him during the 15th round of their title bout at Cleveland Coliseum, Monday night, March 24, 1975. Ali retained his title with the knockout. 
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Challenger Chuck Wepner lies on the canvas after he is knocked out by his opponent, defending heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, in the 15th round of their title bout at the Richfield Coliseum, in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 24, 1975. The referee is Tony Perez. 
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World heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali hits Chuck Wepner with a right during their title bout in the Cleveland Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio, Monday night, March 24, 1975. Ali knocked Wepner out with only 19 seconds remaining of the 15th round, prompting referee Tony Perez to stop the fight. 
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Referee Tony Perez counts out challenger Chuck Wepner, from Bayonne, N.J., after he is knocked out by his opponent, defending heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, in the 15th round of their title bout at the Richfield Coliseum, in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 24, 1975. 
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American heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali, right, talks to newsmen after the fight with Belgian heavyweight Jean-Pierre Coopman, left, who he knocked out in the fifth round, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Feb. 21, 1976. Coopman's wife sits between the two fighters. 
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Japanese pro wrestler Antonio Inoki kicks the back of Muhammad Ali's leg in an attempt to trip him down on the mat during their boxing-wrestling bout at the Budokan Hall in Tokyo, June 26, 1976. Inoki challenged the World Heavyweight boxing champion in a 15-round fight billed as "World Martial Arts Championship." But the fight ended in a draw before the 14,000 spectators who paid from 17 to 1,000 U.S. dollars for their seats. Ali was to receive 6.1 million dollars and Inoki up to 4 million. At right is American referee Gene Lebell. 
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World heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali is shown trying to evade kicks by wrestler Antonio Inoki during their 15-round World Martial Arts match on July 26, 1976 in Tokyo. 
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Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali knocks challenger Ken Norton back with a right hand punch in the 14th round of their title fight Tuesday night. Ali retained his title with a decision win in the 15-round fight in New York's Yankee Stadium on Sept. 28, 1976. 
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Challenger Ken Norton, left, and heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali trade right punches to the face in the late rounds of their title fight in New York's Yankee Stadium Tuesday night., September 28, 1976. Ali retained his title on a decision in the 15-round bout. 
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World heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali keeps challenger Jimmy Young up against the ropes during their championship fight at Landover, Md., Friday, April 30, 1976. Ali won in a unanimous decision in fifteen rounds. 
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Image shows American boxer Muhammad Ali during the 14th round of the heavyweight title fight between him and American boxer Earnie Shavers at Madison Square Garden, Sep. 29, 1977. 
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Muhammad Ali, right, and his opponent, American boxer Earnie Shavers, during the first round of their heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden, Sep. 29, 1977. 
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Muhammad Ali is shown connecting a right cross to the head of challenger Leon Spinks during third round action, February 15, 1978, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Spinks upset Ali, winning a 15-round split decision. 
(AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
World Boxing Assocation champion Leon Spinks ducks low as Muhammad Ali lands a left during their heavyweight title bout at the Superdome in New Orleans, La. Sept. 16, 1978. 
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Challenger Muhammad Ali is pictured grimacing after champion Leon Spinks landed a left during their heavyweight title bout at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, September 16, 1978. Ali regained the title with a 15-round unanimous decision. 
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Heavyweight fighters Muhammad Ali, left, and Leon Spinks, are shown in third round action as they tangled Friday night, September 15, 1978 at New Orleans' Superdome during their championship bout. Ali regained his title for an unprecedented third time by defeating Spinks in a unanimous 15-round decision. 
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Challenger Muhammad Ali, right, gives WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes a wide-eyed look during their WBC championship title fight, October 2, 1980, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Holmes won the bout and retained his title when Ali failed to answer the bell at the start of the 11th round. 
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Aging challenger Muhammad Ali, left, is shown being pummeled against the ropes by WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes during their Las Vegas, Nevada fight of October 2, 1980. Holmes scored an uneventful 11th-round technical knockout over Ali to retain his WBC heavyweight title. 
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World heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, left, pounds challenger Muhammad Ali in the corner during championship fight in Las Vegas, Nev., Thursday night, Oct. 2, 1980. Holmes won when Ali failed to answer the bell to start the 11th round. 
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Homecoming for Louisville Lip: Former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali (right) sizes up Walter Santamore for an opening punch during their four-round exhibition match on Oct. 30, 1980 at Commonwealth Convention Center. Proceeds went to the campaign fund of Jefferson County sheriff candidate Joe Martin. 
Robert Steinau The Courier-Journal
Trevor Berbick, left, and Muhammad Ali seem to have an equal reach as they slug it out during a Friday night boxing match in this Dec. 12, 1981 file photo in Nassau, Bahamas. 
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Muhammad Ali, right, takes a punch from Trevor Berbick, of Canada, during the first round of their 10-round bout in Nassau, Bahamas, in this Dec. 11, 1981 file photo. Ali, who lost on a unanimous decision, fought his last fight. 
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