On This Day: Muhammad Ali gains revenge over Joe Frazier in their rematch

[Ruthless-RKO]

Muhammad Ali craved revenge over Joe Frazier in 1974. Almost three years had elapsed since “Smokin” Joe won a 15-round decision in their epic opener.

On January 28 he was given the chance and it was staged, again, inside Madison Square Garden. But with both having shed their invincible cloaks – Frazier had been bombed by George Foreman while Ali had split two bouts with Ken Norton – part two lacked the lustre of the original. Nonetheless, the intense dislike intensified between the pair. In the lead up, they were invited to review their first encounter on ABC’s Wide World of Sport. They ended up rucking in the studio, rolling around on the floor as if they were fighting in a bar. It was an ugly spectacle, for which they were both fined, but it heightened the anticipation for their rematch.

Ali began confidently, his jab like a spear, and in the second Frazier staggered under fire. Ali swarmed. Frazier was in trouble. The referee, Tony Perez, believing the round was over, leapt between them and denied Ali his chance for an early win.

“Somebody called ‘bell,'” Perez explained later, “so I stopped them both. Then the gong table yelled, ‘Tony, the round isn’t over.’ Usually I hear the bell, but the bell was defective before the fight. They had to call the electrician to fix it. It was only five to eight seconds.”

When they resumed, to complete the final 10 seconds of action in the session, Frazier had recovered.

Ali boxed well, showing he had learned lessons from fight one, and regularly exploded left and rights of his onrushing rival. Frazier, although he landed several versions of his honey punch, that leaping left hook, he struggled to repeat his success of the first encounter.

After 12 intense rounds Frazier objected to the unanimous decision that went against him but his swollen and puffy face told the correct story. Ali was unmarked. He had earned the right to challenge for his old title, 10 years after he had won it, and seven years after it had been stripped from his waist.

[Ambling Alp II]

Pretty much agree with your description of the fight. This fight always gets overshadowed by their other two. Nevertheless, it was very important in boxing history. If Frazier would have won, Ali's career may have been all but over. At the very least it would have been a major setback that would have kept him out of the title picture for quite a while. It would have also killed his standing as the Greatest heavyweight of all time. Frazier would have been fighting Foreman later that year for the heavyweight championship.Historically, this is probably the most important non-title fight in heavyweight history; it was more important than most title fights.

Unlike the first fight, Ali was no longer rusty and had much better stamina. He no longer had the speed and the reflexes that he had in the 1960s, but he still was a great fighter.

[handsofstone]

I quite liked the rematch, wasn't a humdinger or that but it was better than I expected it to be, Ali showing how much of a clever boxer he was, learned his lessons after the first fight, Frazier as always tried to do as he done in FOTC but Ali figured him out

Always wondered what would've happened if the ref never jumped in when the 10 second clapper went, Frazier was hurt, more than he'd ever been against Ali but the ref bodged it, Ali wasn't known as a puncher but he could finish

[SenorPipino]

I quite liked the rematch, wasn't a humdinger or that but it was better than I expected it to be, Ali showing how much of a clever boxer he was, learned his lessons after the first fight, Frazier as always tried to do as he done in FOTC but Ali figured him out

Always wondered what would've happened if the ref never jumped in when the 10 second clapper went, Frazier was hurt, more than he'd ever been against Ali but the ref bodged it, Ali wasn't known as a puncher but he could finish

I think history shows that Frazier would have survived.

He was probably hurt worse by Ali in rounds 13 and 14 in Manila. Ali battered Frazier relentlessly in these 2 rounds but Frazier didn't fall.

If Futch hadn't stopped the bout before the 15th, Frazier would have come out and probably lasted until the final bell.

Who knows how much Ali would have had left in the 15th. He was exhausted and very possibly would have coasted during the final 3 minutes.

And don't forget that Foreman hit Frazier with dozens of murderous shots. Down went Frazier 6 times but he arose after each of the first 5 knockdowns and continued fighting.

If Mercante hadn't halted the bout after the 6th visit to the canvas, Frazier would have risen and kept on fighting.

So it's seems pretty likely that although badly shook by Ali, Frazier would have had little problem surviving the final 10 seconds of the 2nd round if Perez hadn't heard imaginary bells.

As it was Frazier seemed fully recovered by the start of the 3rd.

[Ambling Alp II]

I agree that Frazier would have survived. Obviously we will never know for sure, but he probably would have hung on Ali probably would have nailed him a couple more times, but he probably gets through it.
Imagine if the situation was reversed and the referee had stepped in thinking the round was over if Ali was hurt? We would be hearing about this constantly to this day.

[SenorPipino]

Well we would from Frazier's fans.

More than 44 years later, they still whine about Ali frequently tying up Frazier in the second fight.

That was Dundee's strategy. He called it "rock and lock."