Is ALI v FRAZIER the greatest rivalry in sports history?

Enemies during their career, 3 classic fights, world wide interest in the results, on going bitterness, has there ever been a greater rivalry in any sport in history?

The return of Muhammad Ali to the ring back in 1970 set the scene for the greatest rivalry of all time IMO, so much so that i do believe that Ali went too far with his abuse of Frazier at the time. I can't think of any sports rivalry that comes close to Ali and Frazier.
We have had many boxing trilogies, many rivalries in all sports throughout the world, but does anything come close to Ali V Frazier?

Ali has spoken about his admiration in the past 24 hours for Frazier and along with all of us we pray for a peaceful and non suffering end for Smokin' Joe.

Let's just say it's the most popular rivalry because it's always on the tip of everyone's tongue. There is no Frazier without Ali and there is no Ali without Frazier and the first and last of the trio were the best but time is moving on and we still remember.

I think it is

It certainly is..

It's most certainly up there. I have a great admiration for the man, and I always wanted to meet him one day...


Crazy how in the third fight he was literally fighting blindly for a good portion of the bout, with cataract in one eye and the other swollen shut. Such a warrior, as tough as they come

Probably not.

Things that have been going on for 50-100 years have an edge.

Army-Navy
Michigan-Ohio State
Alabama-Auburn
Celtics-Lakers

But so what if it isn't the greatest?

It was glorious.

I could make an argument that it was

I really think it is the greatest...

I'm mean you have the ashes

It will always be up there when people are reeling off the greatest sporting rivalries

Even though i wasn't around for it - becoming familiar with it in the late 80s - I still appreciate it as one of the greatest rivalries. Its not often you can say that when you haven't witnessed it

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Originally Posted by marbleheadmaui

Probably not.

Things that have been going on for 50-100 years have an edge.

Army-Navy
Michigan-Ohio State
Alabama-Auburn
Celtics-Lakers

But so what if it isn't the greatest?

It was glorious.

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Nah - those are all American rivalries that most people in the workd might not have heard of. There are some great historical rivalries (Barcelona - Real Madrid, Springboks - All Blacks) but you either need to follow that sport or be from that country.


You could go to London, Moscow, New York, Mongolia, Tanzania, Tuvalu ...... and more people will have heard about Ali - Frazier.

Ali - Frazier is internationally famous, and it crosses boundaries ...... like Borg - McEnroe, but it totally defined and consumed each man for the rest of their lives.

Yes and here is why! Two men are standing in ring center bent on winning and one has to be hurt or out punched and out maneuvered. They are not protected by team mates but comforted between assaults by corner men. Football, baseball and even soccer doesn't sap you of energy and spirit with blows to one's body and head. You don't have to be alert every single second in baseball. In boxing you have to constantly remind yourself there's one more round. Your head is pounding and your muscles are on fire and you gasp for air. As one fighter put it he was closer to death the night he fought Frazier than he had ever been during his life on earth. You are practically naked and you wear large 8 ounce or ten ounce gloves. You are not allowed to throw down and opponent or hit him when he is down like in another sport that shall go unnamed. Boxing at this level is the ultimate test of manhood and these two fighters believe it or not were made for ech other and left a good portion of their souls in the ring at Madison Square garden and ultimately "The thrilla in Manila." The pieces of the souls and the blood they spilled those nights spell rivalry at it's highest point, the greatest rivalry I ever saw on closed circuit television. I used my mad money to purchase a ticket and watch history and yes it was the greatest rivalry so far and there have been others but this was special, period.

Ali/Frazier is certainly up there, but I do believe that Borg -v- McEnroe in tennis is equal to their rivalry.

Borg & McEnroe's rivalry was so intense that it made Borg quit tennis at 26!:o;D

I would have loved to have been around at that time, I was born the same month of their first fight. In boxing terms there is no bigger rivalry and in sport certainly up there.

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Originally Posted by Syntax Error

Ali/Frazier is certainly up there, but I do believe that Borg -v- McEnroe in tennis is equal to their rivalry.

Borg & McEnroe's rivalry was so intense that it made more quit tennis at 26!:o;D

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Personally I think the Federer Nadal rivalry is the biggest in tennis history.
Its hard to compare sports such as boxing a tennis. 3 fights Vs 30 matches, hitting a ball and hitting a head.
Federer and Nadal are a lot nicer to each other than Ali and Frazier were but they do the talking on the court.
In boxing, the build up is where the rivalry starts.