يـا روّعـة سِـحـر الأُسـطُـوّرة ...

Quote: The bout is often ranked as one of the greatest fights of 20th century boxing, and is the climax to the bitter rivalry between Ali and Frazier. When Ali was stripped of the title in 1967 over his refusal to join the armed forces when drafted during the Vietnam War, Frazier had petitioned President Nixon to restore Ali's right to box and even lent Ali money. When Ali finally got his license back, they first met in the bout promoters called The Fight of the Century, marking the first time that two undefeated heavyweight champions had met in the ring. The mutual enmity emerged in the build up to the fight, when Ali turned on Frazier, describing him as an "Uncle Tom", and a "white man's champion". Frazier in turn riled Ali by referring to him by his birth name, Clay. The fight itself was a classic. Frazier won by unanimous decision in a fast-paced, brutal 15 round bout, with Smokin' Joe scoring the fight's (and the trilogy's) only knockdown at the beginning of the final round.