This is the fight that made boxing the biggest event in the world once again, after five decades since Jack Dempsey had passed. It wasn’t just a fight, but a statement between the radical chic and the establishment. Muhammad Ali, who refused to join the U.S. Army, represented the new protest generation with his lightning quick speed, while the “Ugly” Joe Frazier, as coined by Ali himself, was seen representing the system that needed to be brought down. Frazier would later state that if he did not get exempted from the war due to his wife and kids, that he would have gladly served a country that was so good to him. This time around, the establishment won as the undefeated Frazier won a unanimous 15 round decision, giving Ali the first loss of his career, and removing the crown he held for seven years. The deciding blow was a left hook, as seen above, in the last round that sent Ali down to the canvas.

The buildup to the fight was so intense that it ushered in the Pay Per View era, as an estimated 300 million people in 50 countries worldwide spent up to $15 ($90 today) to see the match on closed circuit TV. More people saw the fight than the landing on the moon two years earlier, which was broadcast for free.