WATCH! ALI VS FRAZIER 2 – ON THIS DAY IN 1974

WATCH! ALI VS FRAZIER 2 – ON THIS DAY IN 1974

Billed as ‘The Super Fight 2’ and the second of three bouts between these two heavyweight legends, which took place on this day in 1974 in front of over 20,000 people at Madison Square Garden.

Ali was a slight favourite to win and was desperate to get a shot at Big George Foreman’s titles, who had dethroned Frazier twelve months earlier, taking his WBC & WBA world heavyweight titles – the only blemish on his record to date. Ali had compiled a large winning streak to mostly second-rate opponents like George Chuvalo, Jerry Quarry and sending Floyd Patterson into retirement. Ali cut it close with Ken Norton in two fights, splitting the series as he broke his jaw in the first fight won by a Norton split decision and a close & controversial decision win in the rematch that followed.

Although no world titles were at stake, both men sustained a strong disliking for each other and tensions heightened after a brawl broke out at the ABC studio’s whilst the men were reviewing their first fight. Frazier mentioned that Ali had to go to the hospital after the fight. “I went to the hospital for 10 minutes… You went for a month,” Ali replied. “I was resting,” said Frazier, who had spent three weeks in hospital for high blood pressure and a kidney infection. “Nobody goes to the hospital to rest. That shows how dumb you are,” Ali responded. The altercation escalated, the two men wrestled to the ground and were eventually separated.

Unsurprisingly, the fight produced an aggressive, high tempo and entertaining contest full of quality and resulted in Muhammad Ali avenging the loss he suffered to Smokin’ Joe 3 years earlier.

Enjoy our edited highlights below…

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Watch Foreman vs Lyle 1976 classic fight!