Muhammad Ali vs. Buster Mathis

Muhammad Ali and Buster Mathis fought each other in a twelve-round boxing match at the Astrodome in Houston on November 17, 1971. Ali dominated the fight throughout and won easily on points. Ali knocked Mathis down twice in the eleventh round and twice again in the final round but refused to move in for a knockout out of compassion for Mathis. Ali had joked before the fight that "I'm going to do to Buster what the Indians did to Custer". One of the fight posters promoting the match said "Be there when the Mountain comes to Muhammad".[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Muhammad Ali vs. Buster Mathis
DateNovember 17, 1971
VenueAstrodome
Houston, Texas
Title(s) on the lineNABF heavyweight title
Tale of the tape
Boxer United States Muhammad Ali United States Buster Mathis
Hometown Louisville, Kentucky Sledge, Mississippi
Pre-fight record 32-1 (24 KO) 29-2 (20 KO)
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight 227 lb (103 kg) 256 lb (116 kg)
Recognition NABF heavyweight champion
Result
Ali won via 12th round UD

References edit

  1. ^ Thomas Hauser (1991). Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times. Simon & Schuster. pp. 241–2. ISBN 9780671688929.
  2. ^ Felix Dennis; Don Atyeo (2003). Muhammad Ali: The Glory Years. miramax books. p. 192.
  3. ^ "ALI BIG FAVORITE TO DEFEAT MATHIS". The New York Times. 17 November 1971. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  4. ^ "GOT TO LOOK GOOD TO ALLAH". Sports Illustrated. 29 November 1971. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Mathis Was Hit by a Buss and Then by Ali". The New York Times. 18 November 1971. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Winner Didn't 'Have Heart to Hurt Him'". The New York Times. 18 November 1971. Retrieved 6 October 2016.