Muhammad Ali’s Losses
Muhammad Ali, known as one the greatest boxers of the 20th century and perhaps one of the most famous sports personalities of all time, was still beatable during his reigns as heavyweight champion. During the course of his career, Muhammad Ali lost a total of five fights. Let’s take a look at who he lost to and the circumstances surrounding his losses.
Ken Norton
Date of fight: March 31, 1973
Where: San Diego, California
Result: Split decision in 12 rounds
The first time Ali would lose in the boxing ring was to Ken Norton in their first fight. By the time they fought, Norton had already defeated Ali’s ex-training partner, Jimmy Ellis, the month prior. During the fight Ali received a broken jaw and was unable to continue, resulting in a TKO.
Joe Frazier
Date of fight: January 28, 1974
Where: New York City, New York
Result: Unanimous decision in 15 round
In their first fight against one another Joe Frazier was able to beat Ali to win the heavyweight championship of the world. This was a major upset, as Joe Frazier was a 4-1 underdog entering the fight. Ali would go on to win two out of the next three fights between the two.
Leon Spinks
Date of fight: February 15, 1978
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
Result: Split decision in 15 rounds
After a three-year retirement, Muhammad Ali came back to boxing in the hopes of reclaiming the heavyweight championship of the world. He was able to do so by defeating George Foreman in their fight, nicknamed The Rumble in the Jungle. However, his next fight against Leon Spinks was to be unsuccessful.
Larry Holmes
Date of fight: October 2, 1980
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
Result: Referee stoppage in 10 rounds
Ali’s fight against Larry Holmes was intended to be a fight that would see Ali’s return to greatness. This was not the case; Holmes was able to dominate the fight. During the tenth round the referee stopped the fight, due to Ali being outclassed and the decision was awarded to Holmes.
Trevor Berbick
Date of fight: December 11, 1981
Where: Nassau, Bahamas
Result: Unanimous decision in 10 rounds
Muhammad Ali fought Trevor Berbick in what would be his final fight before retiring completely from boxing. Unfortunately it did not end in his favor, with Berbick dominating the fight. The result was a unanimous decision in 10 rounds, leaving Ali with a final professional record of 56-5.
To conclude, Muhammad Ali was able to defeat many boxing greats such as George Foreman and Sonny Liston, but he also lost to five fighters in his career, Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick. No-one will forget his career in boxing as he will always be remembered as one of the greatest.
