By Clem Oluwole
For the past few days, some readers of this column have been asking me to comment on the October 1 super fight between World Heavyweight Champion, Muhammad Ali and challenger, Joe Frazier in Manila. Last October, I commented on the Foreman-Ali duel in Kinshasa and I boldly predicted the outcome of the fight.
I was not pro-Ali but I clearly remember predicting that Ali, tagged as the underdog, would regain his glory if he could successfully dance the much-fancied George Foreman beyond round five.
I was proved right! Ali sat on the rope, wore Foreman out and eventually pummeled him to submission in round eight. And the whole world was stunned in disbelief. Boxing, like any other sport, is not staged on the graph sheet. It is staged in the ring and the better boxer always steps out as the victor.
Ali (33) and Smokin’ Joe (31) are unpredictable. The two pugilists have many things in common: Olympic gold, endurance, “old age”, ring waltz, hard-hitting, noise-making and so on and so forth. But the champion is a more experienced fighter, no doubt. Now, let us take a cursory look at his past victories (or should I say victims?):
Sonny Liston of U. S. A. (Ali’s stepping stone to limelight) went down in the first round. Henry Copper (Britain) was holding his own until the sixth round when Ali’s chopping right opened an appalling gash over the British Champion’s vulnerable left eye.
Floyd Patterson (U. S. A.) was stopped in the 12th round of the 15-round scheduled fight. George Chuvala, rugged and unskillful, forced Ali to go the full distance and lost on points.
Then came Ernie Terrel (U. S. A.), the man who insisted on calling Ali Cassius Clay. He was outclassed. As for Karl Mitdenberger (W. Germany), his stance posed problems for Ali, but the German was overcome in the 12th round.
Zera Folley (U. S. A.) was an easy meat for Ali. He knocked him out in the seventh round with a superbly timed right hook to the jaw. Cleveland Williams (U. S. A.), better known as “Big Cat”, still carrying a bullet in his stomach following an incident with a policeman two years earlier, was pounded to defeat in round three.
When he fought Ron Lyle (U. S. A.), Ali was behind on points going into the eleventh round against his stylish opponent. Then the “immortal” boxer broke loose with a murderous attack and the referee had to rescue the semi-conscious challenger. Chuck Wepner (U. S. A.), described as “Mr. Roly-Poly”, briefly floored Ali by stepping on his right foot and pushing him but was stopped in the 15th round with just two vicious left hooks to the jaw.
Joe Bugner (Britain) was beaten twice by Ali, the last one being in Malaysia. Ali was beaten once by fellow American Ken Norton (he broke Ali’s jaw in the fight) but Ali retaliated with a convincing victory in their rematch.
Ali was stripped of his title and imprisoned following his refusal to be drafted into the U. S. Army to fight in the Vietnam War. Three years after, Ali became a free man again. His first attempt to recapture his crown was met with stiff resistance from Joe Frazier who out-pointed him. Ali met Frazier again and subdued him but the latter had been dispossessed of the title by George Foreman. Needless to tell you how Ali got the crown back last year!
It is very clear that Ali has a more impressive ring records than his challenger. Moreover, he is always in the show – challenging and being challenged.
The outcome of the October 1 duel lies in the words of the champion. Ali indicated he was going to retire before he met George Foreman, win or lose, because he was not sure of himself. No sooner had he knocked Foreman out than he changed his mind. There was no indication of retirement before he met Ron Lyle and Chuck Wepner because Ali knew he was going to demolish the two underdogs.
Ali, still not sure of himself, gave an indication to retire before he met the European Heavyweight chief, Joe Bugner. But so far the champion has not told the world that he would retire after his rematch with Smokin’ Joe… an indication that the boisterous champion is going to make his challenger a human punching bag. And to put it in his own words: “Joe will fall”.
My prediction? Hold it. It was easier to forecast the outcome of the Foreman-Ali duel last year because the former had never spent up to five rounds in the ring with an opponent. And as such, he hardly subjected himself to rigorous pre-fight training. For instance, he destroyed Joe Frazier in the second round to grab the world title in Kingston, Jamaica. I am sure Foreman has learnt his lesson.
Frazier will need the punching power of George Foreman, Floyd Patterson, Ken Norton and above all Muhammad Ali, all rolled into him to be able to dethrone the Allah-backed champion.
Rangers face Buffaloes
Ask me the favourite team to march ahead, I will, without mincing words, tell you it is the Rangers International. And they are hot favourites for two reasons: One, the attack-conscious Nigerians already have four goals under their belt following their 2 – 2 draw with the Zambians in the first leg – away goals count double. Two, they have not lost a home match since the competition began. It is on record that the Rangers have crushed Accra Great Olympic FC 6 – 2 and edged out Tanzania’s Young Africans by 2 – 1.
The Green Buffaloes know that their fate in the competition depends on the outcome of today’s match, and I am cocksure that they would put up a tough fight, knowing how invincible the Nigerians are.
What has seen Rangers through to this stage is the combination of outstanding ability and one hundred percent work-rate built into every player in the club. They are all 90-minute men. You will never see a head drop when things are going badly. The boys will not stop running or chasing until the referee blows the final whistle, as the Buffaloes soon found out in the first stanza played in Lusaka.
Their uncrushable spirit shattered the Buffaloes who thought they had got the game sewn up in their favour during the first leg.
Rangers are a very skilful and adventurous team with upcoming youngsters such as Emeka Onyedika, Ogidi Ibeabuchi, skipper Christian Chukwu, Nwabueze Nwankwo, Alex Nwosu, Ernest Ufele, Harrison Mecha and Stanley Okoronkwo who scored that million Naira equalizer in Zambia a fortnight ago.
Rangers have been more impressive away but all should end very well today with the custodians of all the nation’s soccer titles – National League, National Sports Festival gold and Challenge Cup, backed by attack-conscious Emma Okala in goal.
I have devoted a lot of time telling you about the Rangers. What about the Buffaloes? Obviously I don’t know what goes on in the ‘jungle’ where Buffaloes live, but I won’t be wrong in thinking that today’s duel is going to separate the men from the boys.
There is also an old score to be settled: it was the Zambians that sent our Green Eagles packing in the race for the 1974 Africa Cup of Nations Final, beating us by 5 – 1 away in the first leg of the first round. But happily enough, Rangers-backed Green Eagles have qualified for the 1976 Finals coming up in Ethiopia.
Before I sign off, I would like to appeal to Lagos soccer fans: In case today’s match ends in a goalless or score draw, they should not go on rampage. The Rangers will be through on that account. I will expect them to be chanting “Ran-gers, Ran-gers!” and to cheer them loud enough to lift the roof over their heads. This is what makes giants out of ordinary footballers, the crowd urging them to do the impossible.
Culled from Saturday Commentary (September 27, 1975).
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