Were Muhammad Ali's fights fixed?

Question

Ruddiger thanks for summarising the popular history of Muhammad Ali but please slap whoever told you the first sonny liston wasn't fixed coz he's makin you look like the r****d. The odds for that fight were 8-1 in a 2 horse race

Answer 1

He was given some very questionable decision victories --Norton fights and the Young fight but that was do to inept biased judging not a fix.  

To me the second Liston fight was fixed ---leading up to the fight Ali kept saying "Look for something incredible to happen in the first round".   That is very suspicious.  I know Ali always predicted stuff but that was too much.  Ali had decent punching power but really let's be practical.  He did not have the power to KO Liston.  His KO's were due to fighters tiring themselves out chasing him.  Look at all the Frazier fights.  Ali pounded that man silly.  Frazier never went down.    

Answer 2

Many believe one or the other. The mob did have a hand in the world of boxing back then and perhaps they still do. Liston did have alliances with mobsters. Maybe he did throw those fights against Ali, no one will ever know. I like to hear what Ali would say in true honesty what he thought of the night. Perhaps the truth wouldn't of made Ali what he is today. As he himself proclaims to be,"The Greatest." Liston was a pretty big guy which made it seem impossible to knockout. But it doesn't mean Ali didn't. Maybe Liston did take the fall for some large amount of money. Being the time it was and the condition black people were in, who could blame him. For all we know the mafia could of been threatening Liston's life if he didn't loose. It will remain unanswered like who killed JFK. The funny thing is that Ali himself as stated after knocking Liston down he told Liston to get back up. As if Ali didn't believe he was knocked out. The mafia is very real and not just something out of movies.

Answer 3

There are rumours floating that many boxing fights have been fixed. Rumours that other boxers purposely lost to Ali because they would be assassinated, but no one will ever know the truth. Try reading about Ali on Wilkipedia. No matter what the rumours, he was still a legend and one of the greatest boxers of all time.

Answer 4

No, none of his fights were fixed.

Answer 5

Do me a favor, who ever told you that go slap them in the head and call them a r****d and making you look dumb for asking the question, whoever told you that is either a stupid **** or just wanted to make you look like an ***. No his fights were not fixed!

Its clear that first Liston fight was not fixed, Liston even rubbed something into Ali's eyes to blind him so he could win, Liston did everything he could but Ali was just leagues better then him, he beat him to the punch every time and Liston took a beating until he did no want to come out for the 8th round, the round in which Ali said he would stop Liston, Liston wanted to rob him of that I believe.

In the second fight why would there be a need to fix it? It was obvious that Liston had no chance against Muhammad and Muhammad was just going to repeat what he had already done, so why would they fix it?

The Phantom punch was no phantom, When Ali "Landed" the over hand looping right you seen Listons head smash to the right from the force of the punch. It was a big enough punch to knock Liston down, although I did not see it as being hard enough to score a knockout, but then again I didn't get hit by it.

If there was a fix in the second fight it was Liston himself who through it, he may have figured why get beat up again, the punch wobbled me so maybe I will just stay down and take my payday. He is certainly not the first fighter to have done that.

But even if he did? so what? Ali took him to school in the first fight and did not knock him out, but made him quit. That is basically making the opponent say "Well there is nothing I can do and I am getting my *** kicked, might as well quit before I get hurt" In my opinion that is better then a knockout.

That just goes to show you how great he is, he was so good, and so dominant people just cant imagine a human being could be so pretty, so tough, and so awesome in the ring people assume the fights must have been fixed.

If you watched his fights you would understand why your question is very un educated and based on some biased peoples opinion.

Cyran: You are truly retarded if you think the first Liston-Ali fight was fixed, 8 to 1? yea, there have been bigger upsets. Liston tried every dirty trick in the book to beat Ali, he landed punches that would have knocked out most heavyweights, Ali actually asked Dundee in the corner to stop the fight because he could not see. Ali was superior in every way in the fight to Liston.

If it was set up then nobody told Liston or Ali.  That fact that your defending the idea that the first fight was set up tells me all I need to know. LOL like i said go slap whoever is giving you your misguided information. I would stop defending this point unless you want to embarrass yourself. You may be able to convince some MMA fans, but boxing fans are gonna laugh at you.

So ya gonna pick my answer as best? lol

Answer 6

  

   If any fights were fixed U can believe that ALI had nothing to do or any knowledge of such a thing. IT wouldn't matter anyway,ALI was going to win period!

Answer 7

no

Answer 8

Hey people, if you were going to fix the 2nd fight with Liston, you'd better do a better job at it than what happened.  Otherwise the mob guys would find a way to remove you from your favorite fingers.  Likewise, the first fight wasn't fixed as both fighters desperately tried to wallop each other.  The odds were 8-1 because of common perception at the time.  Liston had a bigger aura than Tyson did in the 80s, and Ali was considered a light heavyweight fighting against the big boys.  The mere fact that the fight was an upset isn't enough to conclude "fix".  Once the history books were written on the careers, Ali was determined to be superior.  So, historically speaking, Ali's wins over Liston wasn't luck or a fix, he was Liston's master.

Answer 9

No, I dont think so. The 2nd Liston fight had a lot of people wondering that but even Liston himself said he just wanted out of that fight since he thought Ali was too crazy. Many fights were fixed in the old days but with fighters like Jake LaMotta, Rocky Graziano and Carmen Basilio. The Mob had a big hand in those fighters but I highly doubt they gave a d**n about Ali fights.

Answer 10

I've never heard any credible evidence that Ali's fights were fixed. In his first run, before he was victimized by the US military-industrial complex, he was so much better than everybody he fought that the idea of his fights being fixed is ludicrous. In the second Liston fight, I do believe Liston took something of a dive--Ali drilled him and put him on the canvas and he decided "To h**l with this" and stayed down. Ali had already torn him apart in the first fight, despite Liston's dirty trick of rubbing something in his eyes to blind him for a round. Ali in the 60's was hated by the establishment. Nobody would have fixed fights for him. People wanted him to lose so bad they even wheeled the great, but by then ancient, Archie Moore out to have a go at him.

In the late part of Ali's career, a few of his decision victories were called into question. I'd like to see the second Norton fight in Yankee Stadium again. I watched a replay on ESPN a few years ago, and it was very close. Norton was a very tough match up for Ali, and I believe Eddie Futch was his trainer. I've heard people try to claim Shavers got robbed, but that is nonsense. Ali even took the 15th round of that fight.  

edit: I just thought you were naive, but now I suspect you might be a moron. What the h**l do 8-1 odds have to do with anything? If the fight was fixed than why did they rub ointment on Liston's gloves? Watch a tape of the fight sometime, Einstein. It is obvious Ali come away from the clinch in the fourth with his eyes bothering him, and is then fighting blind for most of the fifth. Prior to that point in the fight he was teaching Liston to box. After that point in the fight, he immediately returns to teaching Liston to box.

You are obviously just an Ali-hater and you are grasping at any straw you can find to denigrate him.

Answer 11

No.

Answer 12

possibly the 2nd liston fight, but it really didn't matter because ali would have beat him anyways.ali was too smart, too fast and his GOD given talent, was too much for any heavyweight to overcome. he lost to frasier because he gave away 6 or 7 round by clowning around to to entertain the crowd.

Answer 13

I'm sure some of them were, but not to Ali's knowledge as are probably most boxers matches. I'm not saying they wouldn't win anyway but fight fixing does go on for betting purposes, you know like what round will it end and stuff.

Answer 14

no, although there are those who believe that his fights with liston (particularly the second) were fixed, which i personally don't believe for a second.

if you are referring to the fact that he usually correctly predicted the round in which an opponent woulld fall, he usually waited until that round to ko his opponent, who he could have taken out of there anytime, which almost cost him in his first fight with henry cooper.

Answer 15

No, but in his later career he won some fights that I was sure he should have lost the decision. This happens to popular fighters in the later stages of their careers.

He was very popular and the announcers were rooting for him, and I think so were some of the judges.  

Answer 16

No i dont think so. but you are not going to put him with the champion in his 1st few fights so with any boxer you dont risk them you take your time

as you can push them and its over before it begun.. as going Pro is a new ball game you are in with men who want to get paid and hurt you as if they beat you there next pay day will be higher and need to put food on the table. so at first they have a few easy one but even then some good boxers lost in there erly fights as so diffrant to the arm the pro game...

Answer 17

Ask your self this,who gets ripped off in a boxing fix.it is the bookies.back in the day the bookies were sub-servant to the same guys who were supposed to be fixing a fight.So they were ripping themselves off then?