The Fight of the Century Comes to the Garden

On March 8, 1971, Joe Frazier defended his heavyweight title against Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden, the first time two undefeated fighters both held a claim to the championship at once. Ali had been stripped of his title in 1967 for refusing induction into the army and was fighting his way back; Frazier had held the belt in his absence. A sellout crowd of 20,455 packed the Garden, ringside seats went for $150, and both men were guaranteed $2.5 million, the largest purse in prizefight history at the time. Frazier dropped Ali with a left hook in the fifteenth round, and Ali got up at the count of four but could not take back the fight. All three officials had Frazier ahead, and he won by unanimous decision, handing Ali his first professional loss.