Muhammad Ali got revenge on Joe Frazier in The Thrilla in Manila, but what came after was a bout against a man who could not be intimidated by Ali’s trash talk.
In 1971, Smokin’ Joe Frazier became the first man to defeat The Greatest, Muhammad Ali. 10% of the world watched Ali vs Frazier fight. In 1974, the pair fought again, with Ali avenging his past loss, and defeating Frazier.
In 1975, in a fight of the year, and a bout that won’t soon be forgotten, Ali won the trilogy after Frazier’s corner stopped the fight at the end of the fourteenth round, against Frazier’s wishes.
The story goes that Ali told his corner to cut his gloves off ahead of the final round, too, and that Frazier’s corner quit seconds before he did.
After one of the toughest fights of his career, Ali faced a man who couldn’t be intimidated by him, even if he tried – the 24-3 Lion of Flanders.
Muhammad Ali could not intimidate Jean Pierre Coopman for one simple reason
After facing Joe Bugner in Kuala Lumpur and Joe Frazier in Manila, Ali fought Jean Pierre Coopman in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Coopman was 24-3, and had only fought outside of his home country of Belgium once, a fight in which he lost. He was never expected to beat Ali, but was reportedly unintimidated by Ali due to one factor.
According to BoxRec, Coopman’s manager said ahead of the fight: “Ali can’t psyche him because he can’t understand a word Ali says.”
Coopman was Belgian, and could not understand Ali’s trash talk, and so was not intimidated by it. This didn’t really help his case, as Ali, who sparred Thomas Hearns, still stopped him in five rounds.
Coopman had fought a series of lacklustre opponents ahead of the Ali fight, with his last two opponents before the bout having a combined record of 3-7.
Muhammad Ali’s fourth opponent didn’t even turn up to the fight
In Ali, then Cassius Clay’s fourth pro contest, he was set to face 8-4-2 Willie Gullatt, but in a strange turn of events, Gullatt failed to show up to the ring, and Ali’s team were forced to scramble to find a late replacement.
They landed on 7-6-2 Jimmy Robinson, who, as expected, was stopped by Ali, who himself was KO’d at 16 years old, in the opening round.
It is said that Gullatt refused to show up as a result of the pay disparity between himself and Ali, and opted to go out drinking instead of facing The Greatest.