Whenever you think of the best heavyweight boxers of all time, you most likely think of Muhammad Ali. He was a boxer who is known for being one of the most influential sports figures of the 20th century. In fact, he was nicknamed “The Greatest”.
Joe Frazier
Those who are not familiar with the boxing history of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier may wonder if there was a rivalry between these two boxing greats. Although the rivalry did not officially end, there have been several overtures by both fighters to end it.
Ali was considered the greatest heavyweight of all time. He won a total of three world heavyweight titles. He also dominated the sport, being named Fighter of the Year more times than any other boxer in history. He was also crowned Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated.
Joe Frazier was a former Olympic gold medalist, and established himself as the best heavyweight in the world after Ali. He won his first four fights by a wide margin.
Ali and Frazier fought three times during the 1970s and early 1980s. Each time, they fought in an attempt to avenge the first loss. It is considered one of the most infamous fights in boxing history.
The fight took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and was attended by celebrities such as Woody Allen and Diana Ross. It was watched by a record number of viewers. The BBC reported that the bout was watched by a total of 27.5 million viewers. It was also watched by a record 300 million viewers worldwide.
The fight was considered a classic, speed vs. power, with Ali racking up good shots and Frazier battering him at will. However, the most impressive move was not in the ring.
The fight also made news in the media for its climactic moment, in which Ali and Frazier removed their jackets in the middle of a round. The crowd was tense, and the police controlled the crowd. The referee, Art Mercante, scored the bout 8-6. The other judges were Bill Recht and Artie Aidala.
Spinks
Whether you believe him to be a great fighter or a great loser, it’s hard to deny the legend of Leon Spinks. After all, he was the only man to beat Muhammad Ali in a title match. He also became the only heavyweight to win three titles.
Spinks was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 11, 1953. After dropping out of high school, he joined the US Marines and started boxing. He eventually joined the All-Marine boxing team at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
After a couple of fights, Spinks had a reputation for partying during training. He was also known for losing his front teeth during his time in the Marines. He later found success as an amateur boxer in Montreal. He won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He also won a bronze medal at the 1974 World Championships.
Spinks was a big underdog going into his bout with Ali. He had only seven professional fights under his belt. He was a 10-to-1 underdog. Despite the odds, he won a split decision.
Spinks became a world champion at age 25. His record was 26-17-3. He was a great fighter, but he was also a huge underdog.
Ali was 36 years old when he faced Spinks. He was coming off a brutal fight against Earnie Shavers. He had a swollen forehead and blood dripping from his lower lip. He looked to be in danger of a knockout.
Ali’s plan was simple. He hoped to keep Spinks at bay, and avoid losing a title. He aimed to tie up the young boxer with series of rights. Then, he would grab Spinks and pull him into an embrace.
Jimmy Ellis
During his career, Jimmy Ellis boxed with many of the greatest heavyweights of the twentieth century. He began his career as an amateur in Louisville, Kentucky. Later in his career, he made the transition to the professional ranks and was a WBA heavyweight champion from 1968 to 1970.
Ellis and Ali started off in the same city, and they became friends. The pair traveled together at junior events. They also trained together at the Columbia Gym. During their time together, they agreed to fight each other once.
Ellis and Ali did not get to fight each other for about five years. They fought on undercards. However, Ellis won a couple of big fights, and was positioned as the next Ali to hold the WBA heavyweight title.
He won a decision against iron-chinned George Chuvalo. Then he defeated Arley Seifer, a contender. He won a rematch six months later, against Holly Mims.
Jimmy Ellis was an undersized heavyweight, weighing in at 190 pounds. However, he made up for his lack of size with some pretty good technique. He used his foot speed and hand speed to his advantage.
He won five fights with a first round knockout. One of those was the aforementioned “Miro-Melod-Men-Moving-Melod” (the best known one of the two).
During his time in Louisville, he fought on the undercard of the Ali vs. Liston rematch. He also fought in the middleweight tournament. He was the eighth entry to vie for the title.
It took him a while to find his footing, but he eventually became a pillar of the boxing community. He died in Louisville, Kentucky on May 6, 2014. He was 74 years old.
WBA/WBC heavyweight titles
Throughout boxing history, Muhammad Ali has held the WBA and WBC heavyweight titles. The titles were awarded to him following his famous victory over George Foreman in the famous Rumble in the Jungle.
In 1974, Ali defeated Foreman in the eighth round. The win was one of the most famous upsets in sports history. Ali subsequently defended his belts against Leon Spinks, Joe Frazier and Smokin’ Joe.
The WBA and WBC titles were held by Ali until he was stripped of them by the World Boxing Association when he agreed to re-fight Sonny Liston. However, other sanctioning bodies continued to recognize Ali as the world champion.
The WBA and WBC have 17 weight divisions. Currently, Tyson Fury holds the WBC title. The WBA “Super” heavyweight champion is Usyk.
In addition to the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council, there are several other major sanctioning bodies. The International Boxing Federation, for example, was first recognized as a sanctioning body in 1983. However, it wasn’t recognized as a major world title until 2004.
As of the start of 2016, there are four heavyweight titles that are held by four different governing bodies. These four bodies are the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, the International Boxing Federation and the World Boxing Organization.
The World Boxing Association is the oldest and one of the four major sanctioning bodies. It was created in 1962 and was originally known as the National Boxing Association.
The World Boxing Council was formed in 1963. In 1988, the WBA and the WBC merged to form the World Boxing Organization. In 2004, the WBA “Super” title was given to the WBA champion who has defended the title five or more times.
Conscientious objector to the Vietnam War
During the Vietnam War, Ali refused to join the armed forces. His refusal to serve in the Army came at a personal cost. His boxing license was suspended and he was banned from boxing.
In 1966, Ali was a member of Elijah Muhammad’s Nation of Islam and refused to participate in the draft. He became a prominent activist and politician, and was put on a “watch list” by the U.S. government in 1967.
The nation was roiled by protests over race and the war in Vietnam. Ali pleaded with the government to classify him as a conscientious objector. The Justice Department challenged his claim.
The Justice Department argued that he was not qualified to be classified as a conscientious objector because he did not pass the basic tests. The Department of Justice also challenged Ali’s claims about his faith.
A former Kentucky state judge, Lawrence Grauman, held a hearing to decide the matter. He listened to testimony from Ali and his associates. The judges concluded that Ali was a sincere conscientious objector. The court also concluded that the Justice Department’s claim was a misrepresentation.
The Supreme Court found that the government had been remiss in its duty to inform Ali of its decision. Although the court found Ali’s claim to be the most impressive of its sort, the court also agreed with the Department of Justice that it was not the only one.
The court also concluded that the best argument for not classifying Ali as a conscientious objector was that his religion forbade him from fighting. It was also the court’s opinion that he did not have the legal standing to make such a claim.
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