Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Entering the decade of the 70s, two men were recognized as Heavyweight Champion by different boxing authorities. Jimmy Ellis had been recognized as the WBA Champion since the title had been stripped from Muhammad Ali in 1967. Joe Frazier was the other recognized Heavyweight Champion. What boxing authority recognized him as the champ?
2. The 1968 Olympic gold medallist in the Heavyweight division was George Foreman, who entered the 70s with a perfect 13-0 professional record, mostly against unknown fighters. In August of 1970 he fought his first world top-ten ranked boxer, who he knocked out in the third round. Who was it?
3. In October of 1970, Muhammad Ali's ban from boxing was lifted and he immediately staged a fight against the top contender he could find, Jerry Quarry. What was Quarry's rank in the heavyweight division at that time?
4. The 'Fight of the Century', as it was billed, took place in March of 1971 between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. A truly epic battle (both fighters were undefeated), Ali and Frazier fought their hearts out before Frazier won a unanimous decision after fifteen rounds. At what venue was the fight held?
5. Joe Frazier is considered (along with Foreman and Ali) to be one of the three great Heavyweight Champions that held the title in the 70s. From winning the unified title in 1970 until being knocked out by George Foreman in 1973, how many title defences did Frazier win?
6. George Foreman TKOed Frazier in January 1973 (knocking Joe down six times in two rounds) to win the heavyweight championship. What city did this fight take place in?
7. When Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman in October of 1974, very few people had given him a chance of surviving the fight, let alone winning it. Foreman had not let an opponent get past the second round in almost three years. During that time, how many men had he knocked out?
8. While Frazier, Ali and Foreman were fighting for the title in the early 70s, several great fighters were jostling for position to get title shots of their own. One of these fantastic challengers was making a name for himself knocking out men almost as savagely as George Foreman had on his way up. This particular man had, earlier in his life, spent more than seven years in the Colorado State Penitentiary. Which boxer was this?
9. Muhammad Ali's first title defence after knocking out George Foreman in October 1974 was against a journeyman boxer that was given no chance of winning the fight. Surprisingly, this boxer knocked Ali down early in the fight and went on to last almost the entire bout (he was TKOed with less than one minute left in the 15th round). What boxer was this?
10. Ali's second title defence after knocking out Foreman was against an extremely heavy hitter who had already beaten such terrific fighters as Jimmy Ellis and Oscar Bonevena. This boxer was well ahead on points against Ali's 'rope-a-dope' style when Ali exploded with a perfect combination in the 11th round that stopped the challenger. Who was he?
11. During this period in the mid-70s a young man from Easton, Pennsylvania was beginning to make a name for himself in the heavyweight division. With a record of 19-0 by the end of 1975 he seemed sure to soon gain a title shot against Ali. What was this fighter's name?
12. Jerry Quarry seemed destined to get another shot at the title in the mid-70s, as he was still a powerful puncher and beating top-ranked opponents. His dream of being the champ finally came to an end when he suffered fifth round knockout losses against what two men?
13. Probably the most memorable fight of the decade took place in 1975 between Ali and Joe Frazier. The 'Thrilla in Manilla' was a 14-round endurance test as both men beat the other to the verge of a knockout at different stages in the fight. How did it finally end?
14. In January of 1976, possibly the most exciting fight in terms of action was fought between these two sluggers, who both hit the canvas multiple times before it ended in a fifth round knockout. Who were the fighters?
15. In mid-1976 Joe Frazier's career came to end end with a TKO at the hands of George Foreman. What round did the referee stop the fight?
16. It's been said that the 'Thrilla in Manilla' changed Ali in that he started the fight as an 'is', but ended it as a 'was'. He continued to hold and defend the title for three years after that fight, but rarely had enough firepower to seriously stun any {opponent;} rather, he'd stay out of range and win on points. Who was the last man that Ali beat by knockout?
17. When Ali retired (after losing to and then regaining the title from Leon Spinks) his championship was awarded to the number one contender by the WBC. This new champion would then lose the title in his first defence. Who was it?
18. Several of the great fighters of the 70s staged ill-fated comebacks around the turn of the decade. Which of these men did NOT attempt a comeback after at least eighteen months of inactivity or retirement?
19. Larry Holmes was the last great champion of this era, but by then the title had split, with the WBC and WBA recognizing different men as the champion. Holmes held the WBC title until 1983 (when he gave it up to become the IBF Champion), while the WBA had several different champions. Which of these men never won the the WBA version of the title?
20. Even though Larry Holmes was the best of the men laying claim to the heavyweight title during the 1979-1983 period, he was not perfect as a fighter, despite winning all of his defences. He was knocked down several times as champion. Who was the first man to knock him down when he held the title?
21. In the early 80s there was a so-called 'Great White Hope' challenging for the heavyweight title. He would eventually fight Larry Holmes for the championship in 1982 and be TKOed in the 13th round. What was his name?
22. The premier boxing analyst of this entire era was the incomparable Howard Cosell. Holmes' next title defense (after the one against the 'Great White Hope' in 1982) was to be Cosell's last boxing broadcast, as Holmes beat his opponent terribly for the entire fight and the referee for some reason just would not stop the fight. Cosell condemned the referee and swore to never work another fight. Who was Holmes' opponent in this fight?
23. What heavyweight contender, who'd had very close fights with Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, was shot and killed in 1976 by his girlfriend's bodyguards, who thought he was stalking her?
24. Of the 1970s greats, what former champion was involved in a car crash in the mid-1980s that left him dead on the operating table before he was revived by doctors, and who eventually fully recovered?
25. What former champion, his physical damage extremely evident through his face and shaking body, lit the flame at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics?
Source: Author
Misregistered
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
