Muhammad Ali vs. Zora Folley

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Challenger rankings
Org. Pos. As of Published
1+ Mth. Old
WBA 2 31.12.1966 03.01.1967
WBC N/A N/A N/A
Ring N/A N/A N/A
2+ Mth. Old
WBA 2 30.11.1966 05.12.1966
WBC N/A N/A N/A
Ring 2 ~30.11.1966 28.11-07.12.1966
3+ Mth. Old
WBA 2 31.10.1966 04.11.1966
WBC N/A N/A N/A
Ring 2 ~16.10.1966 20.10.1966

Muhammad Ali 211 lbs beat Zora Folley 203 lbs by KO at 1:48 in round 7 of 15

Notes

Ali puts Folley down for the count in the seventh round.

Timeline

  • In mid-November 1966, Clay claimed that he planned to fight either Folley or Thad Spencer next if he managed to defeat Ernie Terrell on February 6.[1][2][3][4]
  • On December 13, after Folley's victory over Jefferson Davis, his manager Bill Swift stated that he would let Terrell fight Ali for the undisputed championship but threatened to file a lawsuit if victorious Ali didn't give Folley the shot at the title next.[5][6]
  • On December 16, a representative of Main Bout, Inc. announced Ali's intentions to make his first defense of the undisputed title in Honolulu in 1967, and listed Folley, George Chuvalo, Joe Frazier and Floyd Patterson among possible opponents.[7][8]
  • On December 28, Ali announced his plans to schedule his first title defense for June in Washington and once again listed Folley among possible opponents, alongside Thad Spencer, Joe Frazier and Buster Mathis.[9]
  • Both Ali and Terrell attended Foley's fight against Floyd Joyner on January 17, expressing readiness to fight Folley next after their showdown.[10][11]
  • On January 20, WBA committee chairman Emile Bruneau said that Folley should be given the chance to the winner of Ali-Terrell: "Folley has been the No. 1 contender on the WBA parade for many moons. He has always been sidetracked".[12]
  • On January 26, Ali again stated that he would like to face Folley after the showdown with Terrell. "He's been around a long time", Ali said, "he's tricky, but he's slow... When I retire, I want it said that I fought everybody".[13]
  • On January 29, Associated Press wrote that there was a "strong possibility" that Ali and Folley would meet each other at Madison Square Garden in winter.[14]
  • After beating Terrell on February 6, Ali said of his next fight: "It will be either Zora Folley or George Chuvalo next. But I'm sure it's Folley".[15]
  • Bout announced on February 15.[16]

Ranking Movements

  • Folley ranked No. 2 contender by the WBA since December 1965 and by Ring Magazine since October 20, 1966, only behind WBA champion Terrell and WBC and Ring Magazine champion Ali.
  • After Ali's victory over Terrell WBA promoted Folley to No. 1, while Terrell was dropped to third.

The Fight

  • Muhammad Ali vs. Zora Folley was the first World Heavyweight Championship fight to be held at Madison Square Garden since Ezzard Charles vs. Lee Oma on January 12, 1951.
  • Ali was a 7 to 1 betting favorite.
  • The fight was televised by RKO General and Madison Square Garden in more than 150 cities. New York City was blacked out.
  • There was a snowstorm on the day of the fight, which affected attendance.
  • There was a crowd of 13,780.
  • The gross gate was $244,471, which broke the previous Madison Square Garden record of $239,959.
  • Ali collected about $260,000 on his 50 percent of the net gate and $150,000 from ancillary rights. Folley earned his largest purse, about $58,000 on 15 percent of the net and $25,000 from ancillaries.
  • At the time of the knockout, Referee Johnny LoBianca and Judge Frank Forbes had Ali ahead 4-2 in rounds, and Judge Tony Castellano had the fight even, 3-3. The Associated Press had Ali in front 3-2-1.
  • Ali planned to fight Oscar Bonavena on May 27 in Tokyo, Japan, and then Thad Spencer on July 22 in San Francisco, California. However, seven days before the Folley fight, he was ordered to report for induction into the United States Army in April. Ali, who had unsuccessfully sought draft exemption as a conscientious objector, refused to be inducted. Due to his refusal and subsequent legal battles, he didn't fight again for three and a half years.
  • Mark Kram of Sports Illustrated reported:
Folley did accomplish some things. He cut the ring down on Ali. He hit the champion more often than any other opponent with solid right hands and slip jabs. He did not panic when Ali got cute and, faking and feinting, he forced Ali to miss several good punches. On the negative side—besides being knocked out—he obstinately clung to one stratagem; while moving to his right, he kept looking to throw a right-hand counter. It did not take Ali long to learn that he could go in flat-footed and ram home his good right hand, which so many people doubt he possesses.
It is also a popular opinion that Ali just played with Folley the first two rounds, but it is more likely that he was measuring Folley's reactions and the strength of his punches. It wasn't until the third round that Ali began working. His straight left hands—not his jab—kept snapping Folley's head back, and these were the punches that started Folley on his way out. At the end of the third round, Ali told his corner that Folley had begun to tire, that his punches had lost some of their life.
In the fourth, Ali, now punching flat-footed, spun Folley around with a left hook and then banged a right hand in back of his ear. Folley went down; he was flat on his stomach, and then suddenly he was up, his nose streaming blood, and he was kneeling and looking to his corner for the count. Folley raged back, but he had left too much of himself on the floor. Ali, it appeared, carried Folley in the fifth and sixth rounds, but going into the seventh Herbert Muhammad, his manager, told him to "stop playin'." He did. Two rights, the first of which traveled roughly six inches, gave Ali his 29th straight victory and his ninth successful title defense.

Post-Fight Comments

  • "Folley bothered me for a while. He was taking his time and stalking me, but he wasn't fast enough." - Muhammad Ali
  • "There is no one around today who can beat him. I should know, I've fought them all." - Zora Folley
  • "He was a better fighter than Sonny Liston, or Floyd Patterson or Ernie Terrell. He was slick, tricky and a good boxer." - Muhammad Ali
  • "I still think I can beat any heavyweight but Clay. I'm not ashamed of my showing. I fought well. I gave it all I had." - Zora Folley
  • "Clay has to be rated with the great heavyweight champions." - Murray Rose of the Associated Press

Articles


Preceded by:
Ali vs. Terrell 		WBA Heavyweight Title Fight
# 8 		Succeeded by:
Ellis vs. Quarry
Preceded by:
Ali vs. Terrell 		WBC Heavyweight Title Fight
# 11 		Succeeded by:
Ellis vs. Frazier


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