Muhammad Ali was caught by a thunderous left hook in a brutal war of attrition.
During his fantastic career, ‘The Greatest’ was almost impossible to hit, with the best fighters on the planet missing wildly as they swung their shots towards him.
Of course, there were some that managed to land on him. Trevor Berbick connected on many occasions in Ali’s last fight.
However, on December 7, 1970, in Madison Square Garden, New York, USA, the legend simply refused to lose.
WOW: Muhammad Ali ran away after boxing legend pretended to fire his gun at him
Muhammad Ali got stunned by a massive shot from Oscar Bonavena
With an opportunity to propel himself into superstardom on the line, Oscar Bonavena was willing to do whatever it took to beat Muhammad Ali.
However, in the early portion of the fight, he struggled to deal with the boxing mastermind in front of him.
Regardless, the Argentinian continued marching forward and began to find success.
By the ninth round, the icon had begun to tire, and Bonavena was ready to take full advantage.
In a moment that prompted the spectators to jump out of their seats, the underdog landed a monstrous left hook that left Ali on wobbly legs.
Sensing his opportunity, the brawler attempted to close the show. However, utilizing his evasive skills, Ali was able to survive.
By the 15th and final round, Bonavena knew he needed a knockout to win, and thus, started launching massive blows, which played into his opponent’s hands.
Timing his shot to perfection, the future Hall of Famer dropped his rival with a left hook.
In a testament to his warrior spirit, the away fighter attempted to battle his way back into the contest, but after hitting the canvas twice more, the referee called a halt to the action.
Muhammad Ali lost to a boxer with just seven professional fights in a major upset
While Ali escaped against Bonavena without tasting defeat, he wasn’t always so lucky.
With such talent, more often than not, the boxing community expected Ali to win when he set foot inside the squared circle.
This was most definitely the case when he took on a fighter with only a year’s worth of professional experience.
In a huge upset, Ali was beaten by a boxer with just seven bouts.