Foreman beats Frazier to win heavyweight title in Jamaica
On January 22 1973 in Kingston Jamaica the 24-year-old George Foreman pulls off a stunning upset defeating reigning champion Joe Frazier in four minutes and 35 seconds to win the heavyweight championship of the world.At 63 and 217 12 pounds four inches taller and 3 12 pounds heavier than Frazier Big George was the 1968 Olympic gold medalist and had won his last 37 fights 34 of them by knockout.The boxing world however sniffed that he hadnt truly faced anyone like Smokin Joe and Frazierthe 1964 Olympic winner and unbeaten heavyweight world champion since 1968 including a 1971 victory over the great Muhammad Aliwas put at a 3-1 favorite before the match in Jamaica.Billed as the Sundown Showdown the bout was supposed to be one more triumphant step for Frazier on his way to a multimillion-dollar rematch with Ali.It was Foreman however who roared out in front from the beginning.
Using his greater size to advantage Foreman slammed Frazier with uppercuts knocking him down six times in two rounds as the crowd went wild in Kingstons National Stadium.Foremans last punch a perfect right uppercut lifted Fraziers stocky body into the air for an instant before he hit the canvas yet again.Frazier struggled to his feet but at that point 135 into the second round the referee Arthur Mercante called an end to the bout declaring Foreman the winner on a technical knock-out (TKO).The Frazier-Foreman fight in January 1973 was the first boxing match broadcast on the Home Box Office (HBO) cable television network.
The celebrated announcer Howard Cosell called the match for TV making one of sports historys most memorable calls when he repeated Down goes Frazier Down goes Frazier It was Foreman and not Frazier who would take on Ali in that multimillion-dollar championship bout held the following summer in Zaire (now the Congo) and dubbed the Rumble in the Jungle.Ali won the match late in the eighth round regaining the world heavyweight crown and handing Foreman the first loss of his professional career.
