Clay, Frazier sign contract

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32494, 2 January 1971, Page 3

Clay, Frazier sign contract

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK. The world heavy-weight champion, Joe Frazier, and the former titleholder, Cassius Clay, on Thursday signed contracts for the richest bout in boxing history—a $lO million fight in Madison Square Garden on March 8, United Press International reported.

The contracts called for Frazier and Clay each to receive $2.5 million by far the greatest payments received by any athlete for a single sports event. Mr J. Perenchio, president of Chartwell Artists of Los

Angeles, New York and London, and Mr Irving Felt, chief executive officer of the Madison Square Garden Corporation made the announcement that negotiations had been completed for the longawaited clash. HIGHER PRICES The Garden overcame spirited bidding from the giant Houston Astrodome in Texas to stage the lucrative title fight, despite its smaller seating capacity. The Astrodome has a capacity of 60,000 compared to the Garden’s 19,000, but higher ticket prices in New York—ranging from $2O to slso—are expected to make up rpost of the difference in live gate receipts. About an hour after they had been scheduled to sign the contracts, Clay made his usual appearance—one of his rapid-fire, non-stop talking acts. MADHOUSE SCENE “If he whips me, he is the champion,” Clay shouted at a horde of writers and photographers in a madhouse scene. “We’re gonna settle this mess and find out who’s the real champion. If Joe Frazier beats Mohammed Ali, he is the best fighter who ever lived.”

About five minutes later Frazier appeared, walked behind a battery of microphones pointed at the jabbering Clay and, smiling, said: “Sit down and shut up.”