Round-by-round

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33446, 30 January 1974, Page 36

Round-by-round

Round one.— All landed the first blow, a left to the face nt Frazier, then he hit Frazier’s head with a right, before going Into a shuffle. Frazier attacked punching All three times in the stomach with rights. Ali had rhe last punch of the round—a right to Frazier's midriff. All’s round.

Round two.— Ali came or to take the second, a see-saw round In which the lead alternated. Frazier shook All with a left hook, and later Ali countered with a sharp right to the head. The referee, thinking the bell had sounded ordered the fighters to their comers, but there were about 20 second left of the round, and they were called back to finish it, All’s round. Round three.—Frazier appeared to have the edge In the third round. The boxers began punching as soon as the bell rang, Ali working to the head and Frazier to the body. Frazier pressed the attack, swinging hard to the body, but was hitting lefts and rights to the head. Frazier had • slight swelling above his left »ve at the end of the round. Frazier’s round. Round four.— All. Jabbing and dancing, took the fourth round from his ever-pressing foe. All peppered Frazier’s face with left jabs but it did not stop him from coming in and he landed two hard left hooks on All near the close of the round All’s round.

Round five.— Ali again outboxed hfs shorter rival. All landed on the average three and four punches to Frazier’s one All repeatedly peppered Frazier with left and rights to the head, while Frazier, boring In. scored with occasional hard left hooks to the body. All’s round. Round six.— Another good round for Ali. He began with a flurry of eight light punches to the head, and optboxed Frazier throughout. Half wav

through the round All connected with a hard left and right combination to the jaw. Round eeven.— Frazier rallied, taking the seventh round with a series of hard left hooks to the head anil body. fie was successful with about four good combinations of digging left hooks and hard rights, although All continued a barrage of jabs. Some of the strength seemed to have gone out of All’s punches. Frazier’s round. Round eight.— Frazier took the eighth with hard hooks to the hodly and head. One left hook tn the bodv seemed to bring a wheeze from All. Ali, still scoring with jabs and occasional combinations was not moving as much or as fast. Frazier’s round.

Round nine.—All came back to take the ninth round. It was a blistering round, many good punches being landed by both boxers. All. fighting flatfooted, was able to counter the hard blows Frazier was tossing. Frazier’s face was swollen, and blood trickled from his nose. All’s round

Round 10.— The tenth was a very close round AH perhaps gaining a slight edge on the number of punches he threw. Ali. boxing at short range, outpunched Frazier. 2-1. but Frazier had more power. All’s round. Round 11.— Ali took the eleventh round with some masterful nunchfng. Early in the round he peppered Frazier with 1! straight punches without return. He outpunched Frazier at least 5-1 during the round. Frazier had lumps on both sides of his face All’s round. Round U.— Frazier rushed from his corner at the start of the twelfth and final round and hammered Alt repeatedly, raining blows to the body and the head. Frazier dominated the round for the first two minutes. Frazier’s round.