Muhammad Ali’s iconic fights

Ali’s bouts defined the golden era of heavyweight boxing. Here’s a look at just a few of them, in chronological order: Ali vs Sonny Liston DATE: Feb. 25, 1964 WHERE: Convention Hall, Miami STAKES: WBA/WBC Heavyweight Championship THE HYPE: Liston was the heavyweight champion at the time of the fight. A first-round knockout of former champion Floyd Patterson in 1962, followed by the same result in a matchup 10 months later, had built Liston into the most intimidating fighter of his day.

Ali, still known as Cassius Clay, was a fast-talking 22-year-old challenger known as “The Louisville Lip.” He had won the light heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, but had been knocked down by journeyman Sonny Banks early in his career, and again by Henry Cooper.

Many believed Clay would be no match against Liston.

THE BUILDUP: Clay seemingly went berserk at the weigh-in for his championship challenge, and some observers attributed his actions to fear and suggested the fight should be cancelled.

THE FIGHT: Liston could not handle Ali’s speed, left jabs and quick rights to the head. Ali almost quit after the fourth round, contending there had been foul play. During the round, Ali got something in his eyes, probably liniment from Liston’s shoulder, which the champion later claimed he had injured.

“Cut my gloves off, I want to prove to the world there’s dirty work afoot,” trainer Angel Dundee says Ali told him in the corner. Dundee refused, and Ali stayed out of harm’s way in the fifth round and became champion when Liston quit on his stool after the sixth.

Ali vs Joe Frazier DATE: March 8, 1971 WHERE: Madison Square Garden, New York STAKES: Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship; WBC/ WBA Heavyweight Championship THE HYPE: Simply known as “The Fight,” it pitted a pair of undefeated champions. Ali had been stripped of his belts for refusing to enter the armed forces in 1967, so Frazier was the reigning and recognised champion. Each fighter was guaranteed US$2.5 million.

THE BUILDUP: On the evening of the match, Madison Square Garden had a circus-like atmosphere, with scores of policemen to control the crowd, outrageously dressed fans and countless celebrities. Millions watched on closed-circuit broadcast screens around the world, and the Garden was packed with a sellout crowd of 20,455 for arguably the most famous boxing match in history. The fight also carried racial undertones with most black fans supporting Ali, much to Frazier’s dismay.

THE FIGHT: The fight lived up to the hype as Ali fought for the third time since he ended an enforced layoff of three years, seven months because of his refusal to be drafted into the Army.

He used every trick at his command to buy time and impress the judges, but Frazier was relentless.

He got Ali into desperate trouble in the 11th round, but Ali refused to go down. He finally did from a long left hook to the jaw 25 seconds into the 15th round. Despite getting up quickly, his right cheek ballooned to grapefruit size as Ali finished the fight. Frazier was the unanimous victor.

Referee Arthur Mercante relayed the following conversation that took place in the ring: “You know, you’re in here with the God tonight” Ali told Frazier.

“If you are God,” Frazier replied, “you’re in the wrong place tonight.”

Ali vs George Foreman DATE: Oct. 30, 1974 WHERE: 20th of May Stadium, Kinshasa, Zaire STAKES: Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship; WBC/ WBA Heavyweight Championship

THE HYPE: “The Rumble in the Jungle” was another moment in which Ali was given little chance of joining Floyd Patterson as the only two-time undisputed heavyweight champions. Foreman had looked awesome in winning the title from Joe Frazier and in defending it against Joe “King” Roman and Ken Norton with none of the fights lasting two full rounds.

THE BUILDUP: Foreman and Ali spent much of the middle of 1974 training in Za?re, getting acclimated to its tropical climate. The fight was originally set to happen Sept. 25, but Foreman was cut near his right eye during training. The date was pushed back to Oct. 30. A threenight- long music festival to hype the fight, Zaire 74, took place as scheduled from Sept. 22-24 and included performances by James Brown, B.B.

King and The Spinners.

THE FIGHT: Ali had trouble keeping the powerful Foreman at bay in the first two rounds. He decided to go to the ropes and let the champion tire himself out by punching at Ali’s defensive shell — what he would later call the “rope-a-dope.” Occasionally, Ali flurried off the ropes, and did so late in the fifth round when he landed eight solid punches to Foreman’s head to take command of the fight.

Ali knocked out an exhausted Foreman in the eighth round.

Foreman later said: “He is the greatest man I’ve ever known. Not greatest boxer, that’s too small for him. He had a gift. He’s not pretty, he’s beautiful. Everything America should be, Muhammad Ali is.”

Ali vs Frazier DATE: Oct. 1, 1975 WHERE: Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City, Philippines STAKES: WBC/WBA Heavyweight Championship; Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship

THE HYPE: Ali had defeated Frazier in a largely forgettable rematch in 1974, so “The Thrilla in Manila” became the rubber match. The bout is ranked as one of the best in boxing history and Ali chronicled the battle in his memoir, “The Greatest: My Own Story.”

THE BUILDUP: Ali verbally abused Frazier in the build-up, and nicknamed him “The Gorilla” — which he used to rhyme, “It will be a killa and a thrilla and a chilla when I get the Gorilla in Manila.” Ali’s preparations were upset before the fight when he introduced his mistress as his wife to Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, and his wife, Belinda Ali, saw the introduction on television. She flew to Manila and engaged Ali in a prolonged shouting match in his hotel.

THE FIGHT: The fight lived up to its billing, Ali and Frazier once again bringing out the best in each other.

At one point, Ali told Frazier, “They told me Joe Frazier was through.” “They lied,” said Frazier, who then hit Ali with a crunching left hook.

Ali retained the title when Frazier, who could not see, was kept by trainer Eddie Futch from answering the bell for the 15th round.

Ali was well ahead on the scorecards at the time.

When it was over, a physically and emotionally drained Ali said, “It was the closest thing to death.”