JOE FRAZIER SIGNED AND FRAMED COLOUR PHOTOGRAPH KNOCKING DOWN MUHAMMAD ALI IN THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY

Limited Edition: Open

Framed Size: 620 x 540 (mm)

Signature: Personally signed by Joe Frazier

Certificate of Authenticity: Yes

A stunning colour photograph of Joe Frazier knocking down Muhammad Ali, one of boxings greatest fights and personally signed by Joe Frazier.

About Joe Frazier Photograph

Joseph William "Joe" Frazier; born January 12, 1944, known as Smokin' Joe, is a former Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose notable professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a brief comeback in 1981. 

The first contest between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier was simply called "The Fight of the Century." Ali challenged Frazier at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971.

The Showdown was the most anticipated heavyweight title fight since Joe Louis defeated Max Schmeling in their 1938 rematch at Yankee Stadium. The fight was a AAA star billed event with celebrities such as Barbra Streisand, Bill Cosby, Sammy Davis Jr. and Hugh Hefner sitting ringside.

The fight was unique in that for the first time in history it matched an unbeaten former heavyweight champion against the unbeaten current champ. Ali was stripped of his title after refusing induction into the Army in 1967. Since he had not lost the crown in the ring, he proclaimed himself the People's Champion. As he entered the ring against Frazier, his record stood at 31-0 with 25 knockouts.

Frazier was 27 years old and in his prime. Ali was 29 and had completed two tune-up fights after three years of inactivity.

Frazier put an exclamation mark on the night at 2:34 of the 15th round. As Ali prepared to launch a right uppercut, Frazier unloaded a left hook and dropped Ali. Again, Ali would survive the round, but the fight was already lost. The scoring by rounds was as follows: Judge Artie Aidala, 9-6 for Frazier. Judge Bill Recht, 11-4 for Frazier. Mercante had it 8-6, with one even round, for Frazier.

The Fight was witnessed by 20,455 at the Garden and it has been estimated that 300 million more watched it across the world on closed-circuit television.

Compared to Ali's style, he was close enough to the ideal bruiser that some in the press and media characterized the bouts as the answer to the classic question: "What happens when a boxer meets with a brawler?"