Muhammad Ali vs. Alfredo Evangelista
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| Org. | Pos. | As of | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1+ Mth. Old | |||
| WBA | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| WBC | NR | 31.01.1977 | 11.02.1977 |
| Ring | NR | ~31.01.1977 | 21.01-19.02.1977 |
| 2+ Mth. Old | |||
| WBA | 8 | ~31.01.1977 | 07.02.1977 |
| WBC | 10 | 31.12.1976 | 15.01.1977 |
| Ring | NR | ~30.09.1976 | by 09.12.1976 |
| 3+ Mth. Old | |||
| WBA | 10 | ~30.11.1976 | by 08.12.1976 |
| WBC | NR | 26.11.1976 | 26.11.1976 |
| Ring | NR | ~30.09.1976 | by 09.12.1976 |
Muhammad Ali 221 lbs beat Alfredo Evangelista 209 lbs by UD in round 15 of 15
- Date: 1977-05-16
- Location: Capitol Center, Landover, Maryland, USA
- Referee: Harry Cecchini 71-65
- Judge: Terry Moore 72-64
- Judge: Ray Klingmeyer 72-64
- WBC World Heavyweight Title (9th defense by Ali)
- WBA World Heavyweight Title (9th defense by Ali)
- Promoter: Don King (Don King Productions)
Notes
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jabs | Ali | Evangelista |
| Landed | 99 | 23 |
| Thrown | 322 | 170 |
| Percent | 30.7% | 13.5% |
| Power Punches | Ali | Evangelista |
| Landed | 65 | 118 |
| Thrown | 239 | 402 |
| Percent | 27.2% | 29.4% |
| Total Punches | Ali | Evangelista |
| Landed | 164 | 141 |
| Thrown | 561 | 572 |
| Percent | 29.2% | 24.7% |
Timeline
- On February 9, promoter Paul Corvino told the press that he was trying to schedule Ali's next title defense in Seoul, South Korea: "President Park of Korea is a strong fight fan and supporter of Muhammad Ali. When I saw the possibilites of a bout in Seoul, I contacted Ambassador B.K. Han of the Korean mission to the United Nations and he expressed interest." He met with Ali's manager Herbert Muhammad on February 7 and with attorney Charlie Lomax on February 8 to further discuss the fight.[1]
- On February 20, New York Daily News reported that Corvino had Evangelista among potential opponents for the Seoul fight.[2]
- On March 15, Corvino announced that Ali would face Lorenzo Zanon, who had beat Evangelista in his previous fight, in Seoul. The contracts were expected to be finalized the following week.[3]
- In response, the next day a $4 million lawsuit was filed against Ali, on the grouds that on November 24, 1976 he had signed to face Duane Bobick at Madison Square Garden next. Ali argued that the retirement he announced on November 30 freed him from the deal.[4][5]
- It was reported that Evangelista and his promoter Jose Louis Berracalo left Spain Monday, April 4 for New York, though his whereabouts in New York were unknown to the press at the time.[6]
- Sportswriter Anthony Marenghi reported that as of April 4, Evangelista was the prime candidate for the Ali fight which would take place in Landover, Maryland, and that Don King would hold a press briefing on April 5-6 at Hotel Pierre in Manhattan where Ali and Evangelista would sign contracts on the spot.[7]
- Don King eventually announced a press-conference for April 6 at 11:30 AM, EST. He revealed that Righetti had been ruled out on April 5 and that the next opponent for Ali was ranked by both WBA and WBC.[8]
- On April 6, Evangelista was formally announced as Ali's next title defense. Deal signed on April 7.[9][10]
- The following week, Ali announced that he would fight the winner of the fight between Bobick and Ken Norton, scheduled for May 11 at MSG.[11]
- On May 13, it was announced that Madison Square Garden and Ali had reached a settlement, according to which the MSG would promote one of Ali's subsequent fights.[12]
- Ali's purse was $2.7 million, and Evangelista received $85,000.
Ranking Movements
- Evangelista ranked No. 10 by the WBA in the rankings released early December and by the WBC in its rankings released January 17.
- On February 4, Evangelista lost to unranked Lorenzo Zanon.
- Despite this, on February 7 WBA promoted Evangelista to No. 8.
- WBC removed Evangelista from its Top 10 on February 11.
- In the rankings released early April, Evangelista was once again rated No. 10 by both organizations; Zanon was nowhere to be seen.
- In the next rankings released after the Ali fight, Evangelista was promoted by the WBC to seventh and by the WBA to ninth.
The Fight
- There was a crowd of about 12,000.
- Television rating stood at 24.9[13]
- The fight was televised live by ABC.
- Unofficial AP scorecard: 69-66 Ali; unofficial UPI scorecard: 73-62 Ali.
Quotes
- "Evangelista can't be no better than these two black brothers you saw. Can't be no better! Did you see me overweight and not conditioned and didn't have no real trouble? Still moving, my legs are there, my reflexes. I'll lose the weight. I got time. But if you think these two bad brothers can't get to me, what do you think some Evangelista is gonna do? He can't be as good as these boys, and I'm going to be in shape then." - Ali after boxing exhibitions with Michael Dokes and Jody Ballard a month before the Evangelista fight.
- "I'm 35-years-old and I danced fifteen rounds. It's a miracle." - Ali after the fight.
Newspaper Articles
- "Ali 'Punches Enough' To Defeat Evangelista" Associated Press, May 17, 1977
- "Ali (Ho-Hum) Beats Evangelista In 15" United Press International, May 17, 1977
- "‘The Greatest’ Is Now ‘The Dullest’" The New York Times, May 18, 1977
| Preceded by: Ali vs. Norton III |
WBA Heavyweight Title Fight # 28 |
Succeeded by: Ali vs. Shavers |
| Preceded by: Ali vs. Norton III |
WBC Heavyweight Title Fight # 29 |
Succeeded by: Ali vs. Shavers |