Muhammad Ali Ring Rust Caused 'The Fight' Loss To Smokin' Joe Frazier, Michael Marley Sat Ringside, 50 Years Gone

Smokin’ Joe Frazier was a great fighter despite being beaten like a pinata by hulking George Foreman. But I believe the passing years and of course the death of both Joe and Muhammad Ali have obscured the verifiable fact that Ali was always a significant notch above his very good adversary when you assess their respective compendium of ring skills.

Not only could Ali, seen at the peak of his many powers against Cleveland “Big Cat” Williams in 1966, before Ali’s April 28, 1967, refusal of Army induction, could do things Smokey Joe could not, he could do things Frazier’s limitations prevented the smaller man from imaging.

Don’t peek at the calendar but March 8 marks the 50th anniversary of the epic brawl so alluring that it’s plain but brilliant promotional nickname as “The Fight.”

I was a knockaround., 20-year-old college student and aspiring journalist that Monday night and I had a privileged ringside pew, a gift from Ali to me delivered by hand from Drew “Bundini’ Brown. More to follow on that experience but I will admit I cried real tears when the unanimous decision was announced.

But I digress usual.

Frazier put the icing on his own cake with a sweeping left hook in round 15. Down went Ali and it was clear that a 42-month ring respite had done Muhammad no favors.

As brilliant trainer Ray Arcel always said, “To rest is to rust.” In the Magnificent Matchup, Ali’s fighting engine was like a corroded car batter from disuse.

This was only underlined in their second bout and the awesome “Thrilla In Manila” as Ali, his talons sharpened to a fare thee well, outboxed and outslugged the puncher.

It’s often unmentioned that Ali won 10- successive bouts, eight of them against top class opponents, after the Big Letdown at Madison Square Garden.

So where did the Ali camp go wrong going into the first Frazier bout?

I thought you would never ask.

Where trainer Angelo Dundee and Ali himself went wrong was not having a no headgear, secluded gym fight, not a rehearsal but bringing in an actual referee, locking the gym doors and letting the leather fly.

The perfect place and keep his lips sealed host would have been the Catskill-based Guru Cus D’Amato, who handled champ Floyd Patterson and who ring educated Mike Tyson years later.

Cus was an advocate of such unlicensed “bouts” to hone a fighter’s talent under In Real Life conditions. D’Amato believed such private, wink-wink gym wars were sometimes essential.

D’Amato was intrigued by the former Cassius Clay as evidenced in their great documentary style film. And the admiration went both ways.

While most trainers decried Ali’s unorthodoxy in the ring, D’Amato saw it as it was, boxing brilliance exhibited by a once in a lifetime talent.

Ali’s two pre-Frazier comeback bouts, one against brave but hapless Jerry Quarry and the other against a brute named Oscar “Ringo” Bonavena provided no relief from Ali’s 3 ½ year unplanned sabbatical but a month with D’Amato could have.

Again, with all due respect to Frazier, he did not defeat Ali, the layoff did. Had Ali been able to dish out and absorb some live ammunition, March 8, 1971, would have had a different outcome.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)