Five Muhammad Ali Fights You Need to Watch

by Fanboy SEO · June 4, 2016

Today, we celebrate the life of the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. We here at thefanboyseo.com want to look at his illustrious career, his life and generally how awesome he is and so we offer you, the five best Muhammad Ali fights you need to watch.

Mind you, these are the essential fights and it’s definitely a gateway to all of Ali’s other fight. He had a total of 61 professional fights as a pro-boxer. In his 61 fights, he won 56, 37 of which was made by knockout.

Also, rest in peace Muhammad Ali. We shall miss you.

Ali vs George Foreman “Rumble in the Jungle”

Ali loves doing promotions and taking his fights out of the US and for this particular fight with George Foreman (yes kids, George Foreman’s lean, mean fat reducing grilling machine) they went to Zaire. Our GOAT won the match after 8 rounds.

Classic Ali thrash talk:

Last night I had a dream, When I got to Africa, I had one hell of a rumble. I had to beat Tarzan’s behind first, For claiming to be King of the Jungle. For this fight, I’ve wrestled with alligators, I’ve tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning And throw thunder in jail. You know I’m bad. just last week, I murdered a rock, Injured a stone, Hospitalized a brick. I’m so mean, I make medicine sick. I’m so fast, man, I can run through a hurricane and don’t get wet. When George Foreman meets me, He’ll pay his debt. I can drown the drink of water, and kill a dead tree. Wait till you see Muhammad Ali.

Cassius Clay vs Sonny Liston I

This was the first time Cassius Clay fought the champ Sonny Liston. Around this time he was still running around and taking names as Clay. The transformation to Ali would take place some time later. However, at this point, Ali was the Ali we know and love. Loud, rambunctious and entertaining. People at the time weren’t so pleased with him mouthing off. They took it that Clay was merely finding an outlet for his nervousness.

Clay won in the 7th round after “murdering” Liston in the 6th round.

Cassius Clay vs Sonny Liston II

This was the gamechanger for Ali’s career and for the world of boxing and even for the world of sports. Liston once again falls to Ali but this was well documented. This was the fight where Ali was taken a picture in his iconic pose. The pose that has been homaged and parodied through the decades.

Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier “The Fight of the Century”

Joe Frazier enters this feud with Ali as the champion of the world and was still undefeated. It’s definitely “The Fight of the Century” for Ali because this is the fight that humbles the champ. Real fight analysts say that Ali entered this fight cockier than usual which was the cause of his defeat. Frazier after all was sharper.

Of course, this rivalry went on for three more fights and we end this post with the third and most important fight for this writer.

Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier III “Thrilla in Manila”

October 1, 1975 was an important date for Pinoys. Ali brought his fight against Joe Frazier in Manila, in an event dubbed “Thrilla in Manila”. It was in Araneta Coliseum and it had filled the place to the rafters. Oh and Zsazsa Padilla’s dad is the referee for this bout, you know, the “Di Lang Pampamilya Pang isports pa” commercial.

He was at his best here. He had to be; he won the second fight with Frazier but the sting of defeat got him. That loss was the sum total of his classic quote “Float like a butter, sting like a bee”. He needed this win more than anything else. Of course, it also helped that Pinoys were at his side.

Its not a hundred percent accurate too, but I heard that the streets were clean and crime rate dropped during this match and no it wasn’t because of Martial Law. The fight unified Manila and even the rest of the Philippines. That’s why Filipinos have Ali near our hearts. That and we have freaking Ali Mall.