“Will We Ever See Those Days Again?”: George Foreman and Joe Frazier Putting Up One of the Most Brutal Displays Ever in Boxing History Leaves Fans Nostalgic

Boxing aficionados rate the seventies decade as the golden era of boxing. The country reeled from the after-effects of the Vietnam War and the last decade’s civil unrest. Muhammad Ali‘s refusal to serve in the armed forces saw the administration slam draft evasion charges. Though he remained out of prison, he was out of boxing for nearly three years. In 1970, Joe Frazier won the WBA and WBC Heavyweight titles. However, three years later, he parted ways with the title as George Foreman knocked him down in the second round of their first meet.

After the “Sunshine Down” in Jamaica, the duo met once again on June 15, 1976, at New York’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Foreman, in the meantime, had lost his world titles to Muhammad Ali at “Rumble in The Jungle.” Billed the “Battle of the Gladiators,” the bout took place for the NABF Heavyweight championship. A clip taken from the rematch is doing rounds over Twitter.

@BoxingKingdom14 shared it with fans and followers yesterday. Their message read, “Foreman vs Frazier is one of the most brutal displays ever.”

The clip has already received over 40k views, with many sharing their thoughts and views.

George Foreman vs. Joe Frazier; Fans react to ‘The Battle of the Gladiators’

@thereeljd harked back to the golden days of boxing when the very best exchanged blows. He doesn’t seem very optimistic about the current era as he laments whether the era when bouts such as these took place would see a return.

@ibrardad couldn’t help but admire the sheer strength that defined Geroge Foreman. However, he also acknowledged the spine and bravery displayed by ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier.

@barryba72526426 believes that Joe Frazier’s movements, such as ‘bob and weave,’ suited the pace of a boxer like Muhammad Ali. However, against Geroge Foreman, the same technique proved ineffective.

@Timur18 added that the clip belonged to the second bout between George Foreman and Joe Frazier in New York’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on June 15, 1976. Compared to the previous fight, where Frazier lasted barely two rounds, in the second edition, the match went for a few rounds before ‘Big George’ forced a stop.

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@three3eyesopen opines wistfully that a match between Tyson Fury and George Foreman would have been fabulous.

@LexusvNexus reckons that by the time of their rematch, Frazier was past his prime. His fighting style matched up against Foremen. However, despite his attempts to move around a bit more than usual, he couldn’t muster enough answers to the latter’s power.

History repeated itself as, despite his best efforts, Frazier had no answers to Foreman’s overwhelming strength. The fight ended in the fifth round with a technical win for “Big George.”

What is your take on the reactions? Do share your views and opinions with us in the comments below.

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