Round 14 – Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier throw hands for the last time

Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought for the third time on October 1, 1975.

Frazier was still smoking, but the fire wasn’t as intense, so Ali figured he would be easy pickings.

George Foreman had floored Frazier six times in Jamaica, taking his championship belt.

Frazier edged Joe Bugner, but Bugner wobbled him in the ninth round.

In 1974, Ali threw hands with Frazier again. The fight was competitive, but Ali prevailed over 12 rounds.

Frazier had two fights before meeting Ali in the Philippines. Both were rematches. Frazier stopped Jerry Quarry in five rounds and Jimmy Ellis in nine rounds.

“I’ve whupped Jimmy,” Frazier told the Associated Press. “Now it’s Ali’s turn. I just want to see him on the other side of the ring.”

So, was he finished?

Ali had been busy in 1975.

He easily dispatched Chuck Wepner, came from behind to halt Ron Lyle, and outboxed Bugner.

Ali was comfortable. How hard he trained for Frazier was debatable. He was confident he’d win by knockout.

Frazier had no issues with training. He despised Ali – that was motivation enough.

Ali mocked Frazier.

Frazier took the words to heart.

“It’s real hatred,” said Frazier. “I want to hurt him. I don’t want to knock him out. I want to take his heart out.”

The fight began at 10 a.m. at The Araneta Coliseum in Manila. The heat was already oppressive.

Ali began the fight just as hot, peppering Frazier with stinging jabs. Frazier chased after his nemesis with a smile on his face, but his “smoke” hadn’t caught fire yet. A minute into the stanza, Ali opened up. Several combinations landed. Near the end of the round, Ali caught Frazier with a double-left hook to the head.

Frazier was hurt. Ali’s eyes widened. He pounced on Frazier and let fly with combinations. Frazier tried to duck and roll with the blows, but many landed. Both fighters connected with right hands. Frazier dinged Ali’s hip with a wicked left hook before patting Ali on the rump when the round ended.

Ali did well in rounds 2-5, but the Smokin’ One had caught fire. Ali was peppering Frazier, while the former champion worked the body. Many of the blows were landing. Ali opened up on the ropes.

Frazier landed his patented left hook near the end of round five. Ali couldn’t miss with his lead right.

Ali started fast in round six. He connected with a combination, but Frazier bent down and let fly with his artful left hook. It landed. The punch would have knocked out most heavyweights. Ali leaned forward for a few seconds and was soon firing his own blows, but Frazier had found his rhythm.

Frazier popped up at the bell for round seven. Ali was dancing,, but a good right hand stopped him in his tracks. Ali jabbed and moved—as Frazier pursued him. His faster hands paid dividends in the round. Frazier was absorbing three punches to land one. Ali landed a jarring uppercut just before the bell.

Rounds 8 through 11 were intense. Ali stood his ground and rumbled with Frazier. Frazier liked it.

Frazier missed a wild punch. Ali unloaded on his off-balance opponent. Frazier wobbled—but punched back. Ali looked tired, and Frazier, though taking some heavy blows, clocked the champion with shots to the head.

Ali met Frazier in the center of the ring in Round 10 and set his feet.

No, “floating like a butterfly, and stinging like a bee.”

Ali landed two jolting left hooks that sent Frazier slightly sideways.

Frazier forced Ali into the ropes. This was where he did his best work. Keeping Ali close was his best chance of inflicting more damage. Ali pushed him away and fired combinations. Many landed. Frazier went back to the body. Both fighters landed good shots, though Frazier’s punches were harder.

Ali found some energy to bounce out of his corner in Round 11. He snapped Frazier’s head back with a left-right. Frazier made him pay for his insolence by connecting with a hook. When Ali stopped punching, Frazier teed off. He did fine until Ali suddenly started punching back. It was as if Ali had a bottomless well of energy. Punch after punch landed. Frazier, unbowed, fought on.

Rounds 12 and 13 were brutal. Both champions were exhausted. Ali landed heavy shots to Frazier’s head. Frazier found the strength to dig shots to his opponent’s midsection. Round 13 proved unlucky for Frazier. Ali continued to tag Frazier’s face with stinging combinations. He had taken over the fight by the sheer volume of blows. With a minute and fifty-six seconds to go in the round, another of Ali’s lead right hands knocked Frazier’s mouthpiece into the crowd.

A combination staggered Frazier. Two left hands, and a right soon followed as Frazier bled from the mouth and both of his eyes drew shut.

Still, there was no quit in the proud former champion.

Both fighters had absorbed an incredible amount of punishment.

Round 14 was next. Neither fighter would be the same after the round concluded.

They had left a piece of themselves in the ring.

The round started slowly. A little over a minute in, Ali fired his right. It connected. Frazier’s punches had lost their snap. Ali took advantage— uncorking a wicked combination. Frazier wobbled back against the ropes. Ali stunned him again with deadly shots, but Frazier wouldn’t go down.

Trainer Eddie Futch had seen enough. He looked into Frazier’s eyes and told him he couldn’t go on.

The fatal round had decided it.

“I’m gonna tell ya, that’s one helluva man, and God bless him.”

Muhammad Ali“

“Man, I hit him with punches that’d bring down the walls of a city.”

Joe Frazier