George Foreman vs. Joe Frazier II
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George Foreman George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) is an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister and author. In boxing, he was nicknamed "Big George" and competed between 1967 and 1997. He is a two-time world heavyweight champio ...
vs.
Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011), nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure fi ...
II, billed as "Battle of the Gladiators", was a professional boxing match contested on June 15, 1976, for the NABF heavyweight championship.


Background

On March 18, 1976, former undisputed heavyweight champions
George Foreman George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) is an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister and author. In boxing, he was nicknamed "Big George" and competed between 1967 and 1997. He is a two-time world heavyweight champio ...
and
Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011), nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure fi ...
agreed to face one another in a rematch of their 1973 heavyweight title bout. In their previous encounter, Foreman had brutalized the then-champion Frazier, scoring six knockdowns in less than two rounds to capture the WBA and
WBC WBC may stand for: Business *Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, a former large India broadcaster now folded into CBS *Westpac (New Delhi Exchange code: WBC), a multinational Financial services company *Wholesale Broadband Connect, BT Wholesale's ...
heavyweight championships. Foreman had then successfully defended the titles twice, easily defeating José Roman and
Ken Norton Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. (August 9, 1943 – September 18, 2013) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1967 to 1981, and held the WBC world heavyweight championship in 1978. He is best known for his fights with Muhammad Ali, i ...
by knockout in the first and second rounds respectively. Foreman, however, lost his titles to
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
in " The Rumble in the Jungle" in October 1974, by KO in the eighth round. The following year, Frazier finally got his first chance to regain the heavyweight titles, challenging Ali in a fight dubbed the "
Thrilla in Manila Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier lll, billed as the "Thrilla in Manila", was the third and final boxing match between WBA, WBC, and '' The Ring'' heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, and Joe Frazier, for the heavyweight championship of the world. T ...
", though he lost by technical knockout in the 14th round. After his defeat at the hands of Ali, Foreman was out of boxing for over a year, sitting out all of 1975. He returned in January 1976 to defeat
Ron Lyle Ronald David Lyle (February 12, 1941 – November 26, 2011) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1971 to 1980, and in 1995. He challenged unsuccessfully for the world heavyweight championship, losing to Muhammad Ali in 1975. Kno ...
and capture the less-regarded NABF heavyweight title before agreeing to face Frazier. Foreman hoped a victory over Frazier would propel him to a championship rematch with Ali, while Frazier, who was close to retirement, hoped to avenge the blowout loss Foreman had bestowed him with three years prior. One
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
bookmaker had Frazier as a 7-5 favorite entering the bout.


The Fight

At the start of the fight, Frazier abandoned his usual aggressive approach and utilized a more defensive style to avoid a repeat of his previous fight with Foreman. Frazier kept his distance throughout the first four rounds and even taunted Foreman by dropping his hands and daring him to land a punch. Foreman, however, took control of the action, getting Frazier against the ropes and weakening him with powerful body shots. In the fifth, Foreman finally broke through and landed a combination with Frazier against the ropes with the final punch being a devastating left hook. Frazier immediately returned with a jab, but slipped and fell down to the canvas. Frazier got back up and continued the fight, but Foreman quickly sent him back down with a powerful right hand. Frazier pulled himself back up at the count of seven, but his trainer Eddie Futch jumped on the ring apron and ordered the referee to stop the fight to prevent further punishment. Foreman was then named the winner by technical knockout at 2:26 of the fifth round.


Aftermath

Following the fight, Frazier went on a five-year hiatus, coming back only once more to do battle and draw with Floyd Cummings.


Legacy

Though often overlooked, Foreman's second fight with Frazier was a considerable point in both their careers. Foreman, who was still looking to solidify his comeback following his loss to
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
in the
Rumble in the Jungle George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali, billed as ''The Rumble in the Jungle'', was a heavyweight championship boxing match on October 30, 1974, at the 20th of May Stadium (now the Stade Tata Raphaël) in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of t ...
, was able to convince the public that he was once again a genuine contender for the heavyweight title. Most notably, Foreman's success in doing away with Frazier for the second time began talks of a rematch between him and Ali, though this would ultimately never come to be. On the other hand, the fight signaled to the public that Frazier, after his two consecutive losses to both Ali and Foreman, had no more future in the sport.


Undercard

Confirmed bouts:


Broadcasting


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foreman, Frazier II 1976 in boxing 1976 in sports in New York (state) June 1976 sports events in the United States Boxing matches in New York (state) Frazier II Boxing on ABC Boxing on ITV