Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 93

Sunday, March 4, 2001 THE HARTFORD COURANT E5 ALI-FRAZIER 1: 30 YEARS LATER One Rhymed. The Other Grumbled. Together, They're Ir fi ii "if tr jj i 0 McGwire's Loaded With Common Sense BASEBALL JACK O'CONNELL fa 1 ff mm mm 1 More than 300 million watched the fight at closed-circuit TV outlets worldwide, including nearly 4,000 at the Springfield Memorial Auditorium, where 700 crashed the gate without tickets. CLEARWATER, Fla. Mark McGwire's contract extension from the Cardinals for well below his market value did little to stem the tide of balking multimillionaires.

The White Sox's Frank Thomas may have backed offof his remarks for public relations reasons, but left fielder Gary Sheffield was still tweaking the Dodgers and Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa interpreted his fellow slugger's signing as a fa- i vorEe omen fr more nJoney forhim. Sheffield has now riven the i Dodgers a Tuesday deadline to trade him or else he will give out information that would embarrass team officials. Can Sheffield really bash the Dodgers any more than he has, and does anyone really want to hear it? Meanwhile, the Dodgers are mcgwire The fighters each received a record $2.5 million; promoters grossed upwards of $20 million; Madison Square Garden (19.500) sold out within two days of tickets going on sale, bringing a gate of $1.5 million. At the time, it was the richest sporting event in history. Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder made it a "pick em" fight but Las Vegas odds-makers had Frazier a 13-10 favorite.

1 There was only one knockdown. Frazier dropped Ali with a left hook in the 15th round. ASSOCIATED PRESS IN THE 15TH ROUND, Muhammad Ali really takes one on the chin from Joe Frazier, who scores the only knockdown in the "Fight of the Century." Ali got up almost immediately, but Frazier won a unanimous decision. By TERRY PRICE Courant Staff Writer Although it was heralded as "The Fight of the Century," it was simply called "The Fight" No fancy catch phrase was required. Are you going to The Fight? Are you going to watch The Fight? Who do you think is going to win The Fight? "It's like the Kennedy assassination," trainer Angelo Dundee said.

"Everybody knows, where they were the night of The Fight" Before the "Thrilla in Manila," before there was the first rematch, there was, simply, The Fight Ali-Frazier. On March 8, 1971, a city, a country, and a world was mesmerized by a clash of titans, of undefeated heavyweights, of boxer and brawler, of working class hero and big mouth braggart "It is regarded as the sporting spectacle of the century, and it was," Arthur Mercante said. "It had all that intrigue? Thirty years later, Mercante has no trouble remembering where he was the night of The Fight He was the referee when Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali met in their epic battle at sold-out Madison Square Garden. "It was a great fight" Mercante said. "As far as interest it got the attention of the universe." Ali and Frazier would eventually fight three times, but the first fight stands alone for a number of reasons: They were both undefeated: Ali was 31-0 with 25 knockouts; Frazier 23 KOs.

They were close to their primes: Ali was 29, Frazier 27. The purses $2.5 million for each were an all-time record. Ali was attempting to win back the title that was stripped from him in 1967 for refusing induction into the armed forces during the Vietnam War on religious grounds. The Mouth That Roared Ali, of course, was "The Mouth That Roared" and the self-proclaimed "People's Champion," and he turned the event into a circus. Back then, he was both loved and hated.

He was loved for his zany poetry, knockout predictions and unprecedented hand and foot speed for a heavyweight Hated for his political and religious positions and immodest behavior. Frazier was a sympathetic figure and popular in his own right He was respected for his bravery and brutality, but not always fully appreciated for his boxing ability. He also did not understand or accept Ali's personal attacks as part of the show. "Frazier took an awful barrage from Ali," Mercante said. He was so mem He was calling him Uncle Tom and the ugliest man in the world." To this day, Frazier has disdain for Ali and feels he is still owed an apology.

"We went through hell," Frazier said in an interview with The Courant last spring at his Philadelphia gym. "We rose too fast and we didn't think about the truth. The public listens to too many unfair words from one guy to another. They think it's fun. Then it wasn't fun anymore." Dundee, who was Ali's trainer for his entire career, said Ali does not have a mean bone in his body.

"He likes everybody." Dundee said. "AH he did was Official Scorecards At Madison Square Garden, March 8, 1971 Referee Arthur Mercante, Frazier, 8-6-1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 AAFF A A A AFE FFF Judge Arthur Aidala, Frazier, 9-6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 AAFF A AFF AAF Judge Bill Recht, Frazier, 114 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 A A A FFF A getting nowhere in trying to pit the Braves and the Mets against each other for a deal They are two of the three clubs to which Sheffield will accept a trade. The third, the Yankees, have scant interest at this point Sosa viewed the two-year, $30 million deal for McGwire, 37, to his benefit because he is five years younger than Big Mac and now believes he might have two big contracts coming. 'Tm only 32," Sosa told reporters in Scottsdale, "and if I keep playing great, no matter where I go, everything is going to be there for me." What Sosa hopes will be there is a six-year deal, worth $120 million while the Cubs haven't moved away from four years for $70 miluoa This kind of squabbling is what McGwire avoided by coming to terms with St Louis. And it didn't matter to McGwire that the annual value of his new deal $15 million is $10 million a year below that of Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez, the game's highest-paid player.

Nor did he want to hear complaints from anyone that he accepted far less than he may deserve. "If someone is going to complain about making $5 million or $10 million or $20 million, there's something wrong with you," said McGwire, who is head and shoulders above all players in common sense. McGwire accurately views Major League Baseball as the golden goose for players, and that the high earners have a responsibility not to grab it all for themselves but to ensure comfortable salaries are attainable for more players. McGwire negotiated the deal with the Cardinals without using his agent Bob Co-. hen, which sent a message loud and clear that players should decide whafsbest for them, not their representatives.

"I really believe the way things are going, agents are trying to take control of the game," McGwire said. "I think guys don'tlistentotheir own conscious. They listen to their agents, and that's sad. I'm not saying agents are bad. The only thing I have to say is, listen to yourself' You're the one who has to play and deal with the scrutiny.

Not your agent Listen to yourself" On His Own It was a rough week for agents. Cohen sat by while McGwire worked out his own deal, and Thomas plans to handle his own affairs, cutting ties with ike Moye and former pitcher Scott Sanderson, who had represented Thomas since November. The agent who negotiated Thomas' deal with the White Sox, Robert Fra-ley, died in the 1999 plane crash that also killed golfer Payne Stewart Moye and Sanderson advised Thomas against his six-day holdout Thomas now says he doesn't need an agent because White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdotfs "door is always open." Well see how open it is if there is a work stoppage after the 2001 season. Not His Kind Of Life Former Mets and Phillies'outfielder Lenny Dykstra seemed gung-ho about beoomingaminor league manager this year for the Reds' Double A affiliate in Stockton, Calif, a club called the MudviHe Nine. Before he took his first long bus ride or slept on a sunken mattress in a roadside motel, Dykstra quit and returned home.

Although "The Dude" had many people convinced he was willing to make the sacrifices necessary to work himself up the managing-coaching ladder, the reality of a lifestyle so far removed from the comforts he knew probably kicked in. Former Indians and Mets second baseman Carlos Baerga is in Mariners camp trying to win a Job as a backup in-fielder. Seattle DH Edgar Martinez urged the Mariners to sign Baerga after he bit 540 in the Puerto Ri-can winter league Baerga came to camp overweight and was ordered by manager Lou Pineda to lose 15 pounds. He has already lopped off 10. "I dont need the money," said Baerga, who owns a team in Puerto Rica "I need the game." Baerga has been impressed with the maturity of Japanese outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, saying, "When I came from Puerto Rico, I was scared to be in the major leagues.

He doesnt look mat way. He knows he can do the job, and it shows." Orioles pitchers will get a break this year with home plate at Camden Yards being moved back seven feet True, the shift will reduce the foul ground along the baselines and may prolong some at bats, but something had to be done to make the park fairer to pitchers. Over the past five seasons, more home runs were bit at CarndmYar than marry ballpark except Denver's Coors Field. Ankid Tackle More raves for Harvey Dorfman, the sports psychologist charged with nursing Cardinals wild child Rkk Ankiel back to professional health. After a few steps backward, Ankiel is reportedly making progress in his crack-ofdawn throwing sessions.

"Harvey is a special guy." says Marlins minor league coordinator Brian Graham, "lie's probably the most blatantly honest tough baseba3 guy Tve met in my 20 years in the game." Marlins assistant general manager Dave LrrtfefieM swears by Dorfman as wel "He has such a unique ability to get to the root of a problem," Iittkfield said. "He has the ability torelatetoso many different players from different backgrounds." ff Ankiel makes it all the way back, he could rank as Dorfman's greatest save yet inr report included SINATRA More than 600 media were issued credentials for the fight (1,500 applied). The official photographer for Life Magazine was Francis Albert Sinatra. That's right, Ol' Blue Eyes. Other celebs in attendance: Barbra Streisand, Sammy Davis, Hugh Hefner, Dustin Hoffman and Diana Ross.

Frazier went in as the recognized world champion, having won the title in an elimination tournament He beat Buster Mathisforthe title, which had been stripped from Ali in 1967. powerful left hook to the head as Ali staggered around the ring. In the 15th, Frazier scored the only knockdown. A left hook to the jaw dropped Ali, who bounced up at the count of four. "Nobody gets up from that punch," Dundee said.

"Muhammad got up." Ali took a beating the rest of the round, with his face so swollen there was concern his jaw might have been broken. He was taken to a hospital after the fight but there was no break and Ali left shortly afterward. Frazier was awarded a unanimous decision. "It was Joe's night" Dundee said. "It wasn't Muhammad's night" It was a night for all to remember.

"I remember when that Fight was over saying to myself, 1 will never see anything like this again in the and I don't think I ever did," said Owen Canfield, who covered the fight for The Courant "They were the two best and you knew it It was the most electric the most thrilling vent I've ever seen." strictly in fun. It was to juice up the fight" Dundee said Ali and Frazier made for a "perfect blend. Youll never see it again." The day of the fight as more than 300 million around the world prepared to watch the bout at closed-circuit television locations, Ali didn't dare leave the Garden after the noon weigh-in as an unruly crowd of several hundred pushed and shoved to get near the charismatic fighter. The night before, Ali had been up until midnight posing for a portrait for Life magazine. "My concern was not wearing him out" Dundee said.

"It's remarkable he survived all he did." Surviving Frazier was most difficult of all Frazier controlled the fight with his bull-like tactics, tremendous left hook and vicious body attack. Whether it was the effects of a 3K-year layoff because of his suspension for draft evasion, a lack of conditioning (Ali took just two fights before meeting Frazier) or more likely finally meeting his match, Ali was unable to cope with Frazier's energy and power. Frazier Takes Control "It was hotly contested," Mercante said. "They knocked the hell out of one another. Ali could have won that fight His ploy of leaning against the third rope and his pitter-patter attack, he probably lost 4S50 seconds in each round and it cost him the 79, maintains Ali was in great shape.

"It was a great great fight" Dundee said. "We played Frazier early. Muhammad was just tapping him. I was jumping on him to nail him, don't tap him. He was hurting Joe early.

When he wasn't laying on the ropes it was no contest" The most telling rounds were the 11th and 15th. In the 11th, Frazier cornered Ali and staggered him with a left hook. The crowd roared as Frazier threw another smashing right that drove Ali into the ropes. Frazier delivered another Austin Stops Perez In 6th To Retain Title Bruno Girard, who vacated his title instead of fighting Siaca because of a purse dispute. In a women's fight Christy Martin scored a unanimous 10-round decision over Jeanne Martinez that was booed by the crowd.

Martinez, weighing 145 pounds, didnt give any ground but was out-boxed by Martin, who weighed in at 144-i. Martin won by four points on one card, six on a second and eight on a third. Martin, of Orlando. Fla, improved to 4222, while Martinez fell to 131 (22-0-1). who weighed a pound beneath the 118-pound class limit The fighter from Cincinnati earned $125,000 for the victory.

Perez, who also weighed 117, fell to 20-3. It was his first fight in 21 months. In a title fight held before only a few early arriving fans, Byron Mitchell regained the WBA 168-pound championship by stopping Manuel Siaca in the 12th round. Mitchell, of Ozark. Ala, was behind on two cards when he stopped Siaca, of Puerto Rico, at 232 of the final round.

Mitchell was a late replacement for fight After a slow start. Austin put Perez down in the third round with a straight left hand. He knocked him down again in the fifth round, but Perez got up quickly. Austin kept up the pressure in the sixth, knocking Perez down early with a left hand. Bayless allowed him to continue, but a few seconds later Austin scored with a right hook that sent the challenger sprawling.

Bayless waved the fight to a dose, much to the displeasure of Perez, who argued that he pould continue. It was the 20th knockout for Austin Associated Press LAS VEGAS For a 1 Impounder. Tim Austin bits awfully hard. Jesus Perez found that out Saturday night when Austin knocked him down four times before referee Kenny Bayless moved in to stop the Cght at 232 of the sixth round. Austin successfully defended hjs IBF bantamweight title and remained undefeated in a dominating performance against an unorthodox challenger from Colombia.

The fight was on the undercard of the Evander HolyOeld-John Ruiz WBA heavyweight championship.