Ali, who had become a prolific boxer and distinguished face in the Nation of Islam, claimed his exemption from warfare as a religious minister. Boxing organizations took only a few hours in stripping Ali of his championship and, in June, a federal jury found him guilty of violating the draft, pending his appeal.
If Ali entered the military, it is possible that his duties would have been limited to ring exhibitions at U. S. and foreign bases. Ali, however, opposed going into uniform while equal rights for Black Americans were slow to materialize. Ali was kept out of boxing and at the center of a political firestorm for three years, opening the way for several heavyweights to garner large paydays.
Ali Is Stripped Of His Title
Boxing fans long expected a showdown between Ali and Joe Frazier, who were former Olympic standouts and undefeated as professionals in mid-1967. Ali first drew international notice at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, when he captured the gold medal as a light heavyweight under his birth name of Cassius Clay. Frazier was the heavyweight gold medalist in Tokyo four years later, winning a narrow decision after breaking his thumb in the semifinals.
Upon his refusal to enter the military, Ali was stripped of his heavyweight championship by the New York State Athletic Commission and the World Boxing Association, boxing’s foremost sanctioning groups at the time. Ali relinquished his boxing license with a record of 29-0 and 23 knockouts, having never lost the title he first captured from Sonny Liston in 1964.
Ali became inactive while Frazier, under guidance from manager and trainer Yancey Durham, continued to improve his record. Frazier was undefeated in all 19 bouts through 1967, 17 coming by way of knockout. Only four of his matchups lasted beyond the fifth round. His better opponents included Oscar Bonavena, Eddie Machen, Doug Jones, and George Chuvalo.
The WBA Tournament and Frazier’s Boycott
With Ali free on bail and his appeal pending in early 1968, it was uncertain if he would ever return to boxing. In the meantime, power brokers were ready to find Ali’s replacement. The World Boxing Association, judging the heavyweight division wide open and the chance for profits equally as large, assembled an eight-fighter tournament that began in August 1967. The WBA fights were heavily promoted and aired on international television, with the eight-man field narrowed down to one survivor.
Frazier, who was already a considerable box office draw, did not take his spot in the WBA tournament. The Philadelphia-based Cloverlay investment group, who supported Frazier financially, voted to turn down the WBA’s invitation on advice from Yancey Durham. Frazier’s party instead struck a deal with Madison Square Garden, then the center of world boxing, to fight Buster Mathis for the New York State Athletic Commission title at its newly rebuilt arena.
On March 4th, 1968, Frazier punished the 243 ½-pound Mathis, knocking him out in round 11. The hard-hitting native of Beaufort, South Carolina, now held one of boxing's two most important titles. In the meantime, the WBA proceeded with its tournament. Its bracket had opened with two-time heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, Ernie Terrell, Oscar Bonavena of Argentina, Thad Spencer, Jimmy Ellis, Jerry Quarry, Karl Mildenberger of West Germany, and Leotis Martin, who replaced Frazier.
Frazier and Ellis
Six elimination bouts took place over six months, the WBA field narrowing down to Jimmy Ellis, a former middleweight from Louisville, and Californian Jerry Quarry, a former bus repairman who defeated Patterson. Quarry was originally favored to win the title against Ellis, but injured his back in a tavern fight just before training camp. Unable to load up on his punches, Quarry instead tried to box. Ellis, a smaller but quick-footed veteran, won the WBA crown in a 15-round majority decision on April 27, 1968.
Frazier awaited his chance to fight Ali, which resulted in the biggest payday of his career in 1971. Helping his cause would be a unification of the New York State and WBA titles to cement his position as heavyweight champion, at least until Ali regained his license. This matter was settled at Madison Square Garden on February 16th, 1970, when Frazier knocked Ellis down twice to secure a fifth-round TKO.
Ali attended the fight, having offered to give his championship belt to the winner. Madison Square Garden executives turned his offer down, aware that Ali’s presence in the ring could diminish the achievements of Frazier and Ellis. To many, Ali had never lost his title in the ring and his problems outside of it were entirely beside the point.
The long-anticipated matchup of Ali and Frazier, which took place under extraordinary social and economic conditions, gained new life when Ali received a fighter's permit. Despite complaints from patriotic organizations and a segregationist wing headed by Governor Lester Maddox, Ali obtained permission from the city of Atlanta, Georgia, to fight Jerry Quarry in October 1970. So long as Ali continued his success in the ring, boxing’s dream matchup was on track.
Sources
Arkush, Michael. The Fight of the Century: Ali vs. Frazier, March 8, 1971. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
Kram, Mark. Ghosts of Manila: The Fateful Blood Feud Between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2001.
Roberts, James B. and Skutt, Alexander G. The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall of Fame Official Record Book, 3rd edition. Ithaca, NY: McBooks Press, 2002.
Fight records of several boxers were obtained from boxrec.com
Paul-John Ramos - Paul-John is a freelance writer based in Yonkers, New York. His past articles have appeared at Classical Net and his poetry in Steam ...
