The Epic Rematch Explained - Ali vs Frazier 2 Breakdown

it had been three years since the fateful night that Joe Frazier had knocked down Muhammad Ali in the 15th and everything had changed the first fight had captured the attention of the entire world turning both men into cultural icons before the opening Bell had ever rung the fight of the century had lived up to his name becoming one of the greatest boxing matches of all time and showcasing the best of both men's contrasting styles Ali's mobile footwork high posture pulls and slips and blazing fast hands against Frazier's crouching erratic head movement and grounded Dhading punches in the final round Frazier had leapt across the ring landing one of the most beautiful punches ever caught on film the impact sent Ali crashing to the ground handing him his first loss and cementing Frazier as a undeniable champion of the world the aftermath of the fight impacted both men in very different ways Frazier had given everything he had against telly he exited the ring over 10 pounds lighter than he had entered it the fighted so drained Frazier that he needed to stay at the hospital for over a month to recover since then he had fought only occasionally resting well and hand picking his opponents Ali had not accepted his loss to Frazier he continued to proclaim himself the greatest and blazed a trail through the heavyweight division waging war against the toughest competitors fighting once every couple months fight by fight he regained much of the skill and endurance he had lost over the three years he'd been forced into retirement by the time Ally defeated the great Ken Norton in their action-packed rematch the world demanded ali-frazier - but before Ali could rematch Frazier for the championship George Foreman had quickly and painfully rested the belt from Frazier in the second Frazier was no longer the champion but the number-two contender and to take his belt back he would have to face a number one contender the man he hated more than anyone else in the world Muhammad Ali the two men's intense dislike for each other was showcased on national television a few days before the ballot when a real fight broke out on the set of a talk show when Frazier made fun of Ali for needing to go to the hospital after the fight Ali quipped that he'd been there for ten minutes and he'd been classy enough not to mention Frazier's month-long recovery things escalated quickly Frazier stood over Ali Ali's brother walked onto the stage in response Frazier threatened Ali's brother Ali stood and tied up Frazier and Frazier tackled Elly to the ground incidences like these are always bad for boxing but it's important to mention to fully understand each man state of mind at the time Frazier walked off the show only a few days later you would have 12 rounds to get his hands on a lead without anyone trying to stop him the night finally arrived Ali and Frazier once again stared each other down as the ref laid out the rules Ali didn't Todd Frazier this time but stayed dead quiet tonight was all business this was his last shot and he would not waste it the bell rang Frazier confidently marched out to the center of the Ring bobbing and milling and Ali danced Ali had learned during their first encounter that he could not stay put and try to outbox Frazier at least not without taking tremendous damage but he couldn't keep Frazier at arm's length forever so he had devised a new strategy I'll lead Rou Frazier into chasing him and then stop short just as Frazier was about to catch him fully committed to rushing it then Elly planted his feet in a wide-open stance throwing rapid-fire punches that came from all angles these punches were fast sharp while grounded and unpredictable it was too much heat for Frazier and he was forced to back away in the opening rounds as suddenly as Elliott sprung his trap he would take off leaving Frazier swinging at air as always Frazier continued to march forward sure that it was only a matter of time before he sent Ali tumbling to the ground Frazier knew from experience that he could catch Ali the moment he stopped moving and then pummel Ali's body as he was trapped against the ropes but there is more to Ali's strategy than met the eye Ali was employing lateral movement made combination stepping off line in between punches to stay safe and find new angles of attack the smallest adjustment was all it took to unsettle Frazier who stayed low kept his weight forward and stayed heavy on his lead lake a slight step inside would have Frazier turning to follow Ali but Ali was already moving outside to flank him attacking from the side and exiting before Frazier could get his bearings at times Ali would change directions with every single punch despite all his dominance in these early rounds Frazier did manage to land a few powerful shots in the second he drove his fist into Ali's stomach so hard that le cringe cried out in pain Frazier also landed one thunderous head shot connecting with Ali's jaw as he loaded up to throw his right Ali through a tight cross without missing a beat then flurried ducked under Frazier's counter hook and drove him back to the center of the Ring now that Ali had found a way to manage Frazier's relentless pressure he resumed his classic footwork pepper circling and jabbing trying to set up a more powerful punch near the end of the round he found his mark he skipped inside with a double jab and then stepped in deep to land a padding right hand rockin Frazier and forcing him to retreat Frazier fought as he moved backwards nearly landing a whipping hook but Ali kept pressing just as Ali was moving in for the kill the ref mistakenly thought he heard the Bell and separated the two Ali and Frazier went back to their respective corners the fight did resume after the ref had realized his error but by that time Frazier had fully recovered still it had been two dominant rounds for Ali he walked back to his corner confident this time the fight would go just as planned however Frazier was a notoriously slow starter who needed time to get his rhythm and over the next few minutes he would find his footing the two rivals stepped into the ring for the third Ali kept moving but by now Frazier was beginning to catch on to a strategy and he had just the tools to counter it it all had to do with footwork Frazier normally stepped back to front the exact opposite of most boxers but this fight he was employing traditional footwork far more often stepping front to back and lagging his rear foot behind although this limited Frazier's ability to load power and quickly spring forward it also helped him to better angle his steps and cut off the ring so when Ali squared up and rebounded side to side Frazier now stepped laterally with a lean to cut off his escape rather than charge forward this was easier said than done but Frazier was able to get Ali up against the ropes enough from the third to deal some serious damage with Ali more stationary Frazier could pummel his stomach with hooks and uppercuts draining his energy and weakening his legs it was the same body shots that had allowed Frazier to take control the first fight if all went to plan history would repeat itself and so by the fourth the two appeared to be on equal footing Frazier was cornering Ali but Ali was picking at Frazier as he came in slowing his pursuit with whipping jabs and leading him into punches with hook uppercut combinations Frazier would duck low to avoid a hook and take an uppercut for his troubles or rise to avoid an uppercut riding to one of Ali's hooks all these combinations were proving effective but Frazier's didn't seem to have the same impact as the last fight Frazier had used low hooks to the body to set up the damaging head hooks he'd landed during the fight of the century this time Ali was framing against Frazier's shoulder straightening his arm to leverage guard against any shots of the head the only problem with Ali strategy was that has sacrificed his body to save his head Frazier knew it was just a matter of time until Ali could no longer withstand the pressure right on schedule Ali's slowed dramatically in the fifth Frazier landed two powerful headshots near the beginning of the round and Ali spent a majority of his time absorbing body blows but despite Frazier's dominance Ali was weathering the storm Ali had spent the last few years refining his grappling during the first match Fraser had broken through Ali's clinches almost effortlessly swimming his hands inside and driving his head into Ali's chest to knock him off balance but Ali now fought to keep his elbows on the inside and turned his body sideways to stay defensive Fraser could only lend a few shots before his attacks were stifled but they were still shots coming from Joe Frazier after the bell rang Joe is restless in his corner he couldn't wait for the sixth but Joe adlet is loading for Ali get the best of him and he became reckless overeager he stayed upright and charged haphazardly at Ali eating punches and throwing himself into his hooks Frazier through his gazelle hooks with such intensity that he turned his back on Ali putting himself into a terrible position Ali capitalized on his mistakes to escape corners infuriating Frazier all d'amore Frazier stayed upright and treated defense as an annoying afterthought for the remainder of the round Ali did everything he could to exploit Frazier's impatience he circled shuffled darted from side to side he landed jabs almost a will then snuck in tight hooks and uppercuts punishing Frazier for his efforts it was clear to everyone who'd taken the sixth halfway through the fight the judges now had a lead slightly ahead but although he never did receive much credit for it Frazier was a crafty fighter when he wanted to be and he proved it in the next round Frazier was getting outmaneuvered at long range and tied up the close range but Ali had one glaring vulnerability left when Ali flurried he loaded his punches low and flared his gloves to the side on the one hand it was incredibly hard for Frazier to read which kind of punch would be coming at him on the other Ali was left wide open for one brief moment each time he threw and Frazier's timing was legendary in the seventh Frazier returned to his low off rhythm Bob's and weaves he stayed at mid range to avoid getting clenched and timed Ali's punches ducking under a low hook Frazier hurled a powerful left at Ali walls rare hand had to load up the blow knock deli back against the ropes he tried to dance away but he was clearly shaken now received another sharp hook to the jaw this time in the middle of throwing a right Fraser had found his distance Frazier now corner deli and stayed just far enough away to entice him to punch now that he was inside Ali's rhythm Frazier evaded blow after blow picking his spots to deal out real damage mid-round a slight turn of the head was all that save dolly from the same punch that had sent him to taste the canvas years before it was all Ali could do to keep Frazier off of him when Ali nearly missed Frazier with a one-two Frazier threw down his hands and taunted Ali saying his punches were weak daring him to hit harder Frazier walked back to his corner smiling and came back out of its swinging alley through a barrage of punches to stave off Frazier's advance the Frazier attacked with renewed ferocity hurling insults in between hurling punches Ali clinched to stay safe but Frazier had weakened him and now he could easily break through alleys holes but perhaps Frazier had been drained by oles punches as well he was not so quick in this fight to take advantage of close range openings opting at times to lean and rest and Ali rather than work more than once the referee frustrated Frazier by breaking the fighters apart by the middle of the round Frazier was yelling at both Ali and the ref mercifully for Ali the end of the round was approaching he had performed a bit better later in the round and tried to leave an impression on the judges by throwing some impactful shots just before the bell but Ali becomes so fixated on Frazier's left with good reason that he had forgotten all about his right Frazier countered Ali's last punch with the terrifying overhand just as the bell rung knocking him back and forcing him to shell up blood would pour from Ali's nose for the remainder of the fight with the last two rounds clearly belonging to Frazier the match was now dead even and it was Frazier who had all the momentum Elie dragged himself back to his corner he was witnessing the last three years of hard work and sacrifice go to waste along with any chance to take back the heavyweight championship Fraser was a static laughing and dancing eager for the round start so he could finish his rival once and for all once again he drove out Lee to the ropes and landed the same effective ride as he had the last time pushing into Ali's chest but this time Elie pushed back he shoved Frazier to the center of the Ring planted his feet and stood his ground le would not run from Fraser any longer who had box him in the center of the Ring he began by throwing an insane fifteen punch combination as Fraser drove forward Allie's sidestep back to the center of the Ring again and again constantly moving off angle as he rained down a torrent of punches by the time Ally stopped throwing he had changed places with his adversary Ally seemed to be a completely different fighter from the last few rounds willing to take risks and challenge Fraser toe-to-toe when Ali got pushed too close to the ropes he wrestled Fraser shoving him back to the center of the Ring there he cut dangerous angles stepping forward into the path of Frazier's punches to regain lost ground it wasn't a perfect strategy Ally was getting caught fighting so aggressively but he dealt out far more damage than he took the momentum had shifted once again the two former champions threw everything they had Joe swinging powerful looping shots an ally countering with whipping type punches before stepping off Lyon near the end of the round the crowd roared and cheered chanting out Ali's name an infuriating Frazier lost in the fight the two exchanged after the Bell the 10th continued the insane action that had been prevalent in the 9th Ali and Dundee had decided that the fight would need to be won or lost in the center of the Ring betting that Ali could outbox Frazier this had been their plan the first fight and Ali had fallen short but now after three hard years of trial by fire they believed Ali had the skills necessary to go toe-to-toe with Joe Frazier this strategy suited Fraser fine who is forcing a lead to keep a frenetic pace Fraser marched forward without missing a beat and landed a couple hard shots to Ali's head worn down his body bruised and battered Ali started to fade slowing and retreating but from his corner Dundee shouted don't back up beat him Ali came back to life forcing himself to stay in the center and giving ground as slowly as possible Fraser landed a hard cheering shot across Helly stomach near the end of the round forcing him against ropes but still Elie never stopped punching determined to finish each round strong Ali returned to the center of the ring and through a flurry but he missed each of the six punches he threw and Joe's counter whipped his head around just as the Bell announced the conclusion to the tenth going into the 11th the fight was still neck and neck Fraser decided that the only sure way to win against Ali was to knock him off of his feet he again fought ferociously recklessly staying upright and chugging off multiple punches Fraser almost abandoned defense entirely although he landed some powerful shots Ali was hitting Frazier's head like a speed better battering him with every punch in the book treading five lighter punches for just one of Frazier's power blows Fraser went back to his corner without much to show for the last three minutes and only one round left to win the fight it was now clear that Ali was well ahead if Fraser was going to win he needed to take it out of the judges hands and so the round opened with the Furious exchange it seemed to take the last two valleys energy alley moves slower and slower and mid-round Fraser caught him on the jaw and sunk two of the hardest punches of the night into his stomach the ref separated the two an alley called Fraser back preferring to lean against the ropes Ellie had tried this the last fight in order to hide how badly he'd been hurt and just as last time his plan backfired on him Fraser charged in a clipping Ellie's jaw and spearing his ribs but Angelo Dundee's screamed at Ellie one last time get out of there ally didn't need to be told twice with one minute left in the fight Ellie summoned his reserves and danced like he had when he was young Fraser eight shot after shot without hesitation he needed a miracle knockout and he only had one minute left to do it but Ellie danced away and the clock ticked down 50 seconds jabbing shuffling turning out of corners floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee [Music] thirty seconds still Frasier came faster than ever never once slowing his pursuit 20 seconds Frasier was eating punches but he didn't seem to care ten seconds Joe jumped in one last time but Ally tied him up exhausted Ellie could dance no more and hung on for dear life the last few seconds of the fight Frasier raised his arms in victory but he must have known the inevitable conclusion the announcer took the mic and declared Muhammad Ali the winner by unanimous decision Ali had avenged his one loss and taken another huge step towards regaining his lost championship title Frasier had taken his second loss this time against the man he hated more than anyone else in the world just as Ali refuted the judge's decision the first time Frazier now refused to consider himself beaten he admonished Ali's use of clinching to slow down the action and demanded a rematch with the referee who allowed him time to work inside we can be thankful that he did the next time Elian Frasier men the ring the fight would not go the distance finally settling the most dramatic rivalry in sports history but for now Ali would go on to face George Foreman the man who had floored both Frazier and Norton in under two rounds almost no one gave Ali a chance thanks for watching if you'd like to up your fight game you can purchase my books on power and forward if you'd like to help me create more videos like these I would greatly appreciate a donation to my patron all these are linked below from the modern martial artist this has been David Christian wishing you happy training

Channel: The Modern Martial Artist

Views: 6,326,369

Keywords: muhammad ali vs joe frazier, ali vs frazier 2, ali vs frazier rematch, the greatest, smokin joe, fight of the century, thrilla in manila, boxing, technique, breakdown, analysis, explained, footwork, punches, power, style, head movement, jab, hook, cross, boxing analysis, boxing breakdown, boxing film study, boxing tactics, boxing technique, fight analysis, fight breakdown, modern martial artist, technique breakdown, the modern martial artist, ali vs frazier, ali frazier 2, muhammad ali

Id: gwEJifesITI

Length: 19min 49sec (1189 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 20 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/[deleted]]

Probably my favorite boxing video on youtube.

[u/TheFlashyFlash]

People always talk about 1 and 3, but this video proves the second fight was also very good!

[u/BigBearChaseMe]

What a well told story...