The ‘Fight of the Century’ was the second defence of the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) World Heavyweight Titles by Joe Frazier, against Muhammad Ali, and took place at Madison Square Garden, New York City on March 8, 1971.
Ali, of course, had previously held the WBC and WBA titles, but was stripped of both in 1967, after refusing to be inducted into the US Army. Nevertheless, Ali remained unbeaten, with a career record of 31-0, and was still the lineal world heavyweight champion. After three years of inactivity, he had beaten Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena in late 1970 before turning his attention to Frazier, whom he predicted he would knock out in the sixth round. Frazier, 27, was two years younger than Ali and weighed in nearly 10lb lighter; he had achieved universal recognition when defeating former WBA World Heavyweight Champion Jimmy Ellis at the same venue the previous February and, having successfully defended the both titles against Bob Foster at the Cobo Arena, Detroit nine months later, entered the ring with a career record of 26-0.
Ali chose to go toe-to-toe with Frazier and the unbeaten pair fought at a furious pace throughout. The predicted sixth-round knockout never materialised; in the eleventh round, Frazier rocked Ali with two left hooks, which sent him stumbling across the ring and, in the final round, landed another, knocking him to the canvas. Ali survived the round, but referee Arthur Mercante scored the fight 8-6 in favour of Frazier, while judges Artie Aidala and Bill Recht scored 9-6 and 11-4, respectively, to hand ‘Smokin’ Joe’ a unanimous decision.
Watch The Fight of the Century
At the end of the 1960s, a little over 50 years ago, Manchester City made history by winning its second English title. The achievement crowned Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison as important figures in City history, but also their squad, eternalised in the hearts and minds of City fans.
The team began its path in the second division and fought its way to the top of English football, while always displaying a technical, elegant, and offensive playing style.
Rising to the Top
Before this, during the interwar period, City had already become one of the most expressive teams in Manchester and one of the most consistent in the country with one championship title, several top-five finishes and three FA Cup finals under their belt. This period was one of the most successful of the club, which is only comparable to City’s modern-day dominance. After a series of impressive years asserting their dominance at the top of the tables, Manchester City are continuing on with their victorious streak, according to the Premier League outright football betting odds. They’re currently priced as the favourites to win the Premier League with odds of 8/11 and it’s doubtful that they could be thrown off course by other contenders.
Of course, the Manchester City of yesteryear boasted the ultimate dream team. With Ken Mulhearn under the goalposts, Tony Book and Glyn Pardoe on the sides, and George Heslop and Mike Doyle in central defence, City had a solid structure at the back. Leading the attack there were equally competent players, such as Francis Lee, Mike Summerbee, Neil Young or Tony Coleman, while Alan Oakes and Colin Bell, who has recently been compared to Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva, played ahead of the defence and projected the team forward.
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City kicked off the 1967/68 season hesitantly, tying at home with Liverpool and then losing against Southampton and Stoke City. However, they bounced back with five consecutive victories, four of them at Maine Road, including a 2-0 over Nottingham Forest, runner-up of the previous season. Nonetheless, this positive run was followed by three defeats, one of them against United at home (2-1). Later, on October 14th, after a 2-0 home win over Wolverhampton, the Citizens began an undefeated 11-game streak, which included a 6-0 victory over Leicester and a magnificent performance against Tottenham (4-1), that has been nicknamed ‘Ballet on Ice’.
The good streak made them title contenders alongside Manchester United, who were the big favourites two win a back-to-back championship title.
City first took the lead of the league in early 1968, after six wins and a draw in the first seven league games in the new year. However, after losing to Leeds in the following match, United took the lead once again. Four days later, the Citizens had a real chance of reclaiming their place at the top of the table, as they faced their rivals at Old Trafford. It was now or never. In front of its largest audience of the season, City took matters into their own hands a comfortably beat United, 3-1, with goals from Bell, Heslop and Lee.
The decisive date, however, was May 11th, when the two Manchester teams faced northeast teams: City visited St. James’ Park to face Newcastle, while United hosted Sunderland. The Citizens only needed to win to secure the title and while Newcastle did score three goals, in the end, they secured the result and won 4-3, crowning them champions.
At the end of the season, City’s attack was the second-best in the championship, with 86 goals scored and the fourth-best defence, with 43 goals conceded (only three more than Liverpool and Everton and two more than Leeds).
Ultimately, City’s 1967/68 season will forever be remembered by English football fans as one of the most competitive and entertaining ever. On the other hand, Manchester United fans are more likely to look back at the season with a mix of happiness and sadness as they won their first European Cup and became the first English team to win the competition but lost what could have been their second back-to-back League One title.
Australia is a truly unique place for sports development. Thanks to globalization and internationalization processes, this country has invested in the evolution of traditional sports disciplines too. The peculiarities of its geographical position have significantly influenced the ranking of its popular sports. Thanks to GGBet Australia and other reputable betting services, people who are not really aware of what sports are popular in Oceania can easily check that.
The key factor here is that interests in sports are closely connected to the locals’ desire to punt, so the general picture will coincide with reality. Yet, there are myriads of activities that aren’t included in the list of professional sport and are beloved by Aussies. Pictures of the world are defined by several aspects, and knowing more about the sports habits of the country’s population will speak for itself.
Sports without Borders
According to statistics, four in five residents of the country can’t help but agree that sports are an important part of their daily life and land culture. Numerous experts who are specialized in sports development in the region even compare its influence and value to religion. So to say, Aussies consider sports their own and unique form of religion.
This obsession with sports isn’t tragic. The domestic authorities at different levels ensure the rights of both sides are fully protected. This relates to clubs, their fans, and betting enthusiasts too. On the one hand, there are varied restrictions in the field when it comes to the advertising of related services, for instance. On the other hand, Aussies are much more confident in their passion for sports than residents of other countries.
Specific Sports in Australia
Australian athletes always participate in world championships and are known as skilled cricket, rugby, football, and hockey professionals. The list of activities people in the country are captivated about isn’t limited to traditional disciplines only:
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Vigoro — in the universe of art, mixing different designs and layouts leads to unexpected yet excellent results. When it comes to sports, the same concept is also present. Vigoro is a combination of baseball and cricket. It is more popular among women. Invented back in 1901, it is one of the oldest activities in the official sports arena in Australia. Originally, this game was somewhat between tennis and cricket, but the rules were modified over time. It is a team activity, where squads of twelve participants compete to score the highest number of runs.
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Trugo — if you are outside Australia, it will be a daunting task to define what is it just based on its name. The context is clear, but peculiarities are hard to understand. When it comes to trugo, it is a unique game in the land. Invented in Australia, it uses rubber rings, goal posts, and mallets to open and lead the score. Traditionally, it is an outdoor activity. If you want to experience a genuine Australian vibe, this game is highly suggested to give it a try.
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Surf lifesaving — of course, the peculiar geography of the region couldn’t but influence its sports and culture. In this case, competitors are beach lifeguards, and they have to perform different tasks to win the challenge.
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Campdrafting — horse riding and horse races are especially beloved in Australia. Campdrafting is a level up of the previous two activities. It also offers a sort of rancho and farm atmosphere to both participants and viewers. Team penning and Chilean rodeo are similar sports to enjoy if you like this variety.
Winner of the Australian Love
Known as Aussie rules, footy, and simply football, Australian football is a reason why sports fans are proud of their land. Though the name seems similar to a traditional variant, it is more like rugby in its essence. The game is played by two teams of eighteen competitors. By the way, AFL is the most attended sport in the country.
Among the world-famous celebrities in this sport, there are such athletes as Leigh Matthews, Ted Whitten, Wayne Carey, and several others. Since AFL is so popular in Australia, there are many samples of superstars and skillful talents.
Active Leisure Time
Australians are not only active supporters and sports fans. More and more local residents implement going in for sports in their daily routine. According to some research data, the average time people spend weekly for training is around two and a half hours. What is more interesting, this parameter has exceeded the amount of time they spend in front of TVs. If you think Aussies are coach potatoes just because they are so crazy about online sports, the myth is busted in practice.
The ability to enjoy gorgeous landscapes and vast territories also motivates amateur athletes in Australia. The most popular way to train is by visiting gyms and recreational walking. Cycling, swimming, athletics, and fitness form the basis of the sports industry in Oceania.
Australians are more focused on increasing their physical and mental stamina these days, so there is nothing surprising their passion for sports experiences transformations and modifications from time to time.
Wrap It Up
If you don’t want to read long posts to get an update about what sports are most popular in Australia, infographics provided by Australian bookmakers will come in handy. All in all, the tendency of sports development in the country is more than just positive. The local residents are eager to implement new activities and thus help the industry evolve in general.
Australians appreciate global sports, but a good feature of their national character is supported by traditional domestic activities. If you are looking for a chance to open your sports horizons, it is worth getting to know more about sports divergence in Oceania.
On October 18, 1968, during the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City, American long jumper Bob Beamon delivered one of the great performances in the history of the modern Olympiad. Beamon hung in the rarefied air at the Estadio Olímpico and soared out to an astonishing distance of 8.90 metres, thereby beating the previous world record by 55 centimetres. Of course, Beamon benefited from the ‘double whammy’ of high altitude – Mexico City stands 7,350 feet above sea level – and a brisk, but legal, tailwind, but his record nonetheless stood for 23 years.
The stars aligned again on August 30, 1991, at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, during the World Athletics Championships. Taking advantage not of high altitude, but rather an extraordinarily hard long jump runway surface – of a type which, thereafter, would no longer be sanctioned by World Athletics – fellow American Mike Powell leapt 8.95 metres, thereby beating Beamon’s record by 5 centimetres. It was probably no coincidence that compatriot Carl Lewis jumped 8.87 metres – the third-longest legal jump of all time – during the same competition.
In 2016, Ed Warner, chairman of UK Athletics, proposed introducing a new set of world records, based on performaces in the so-called ‘Clean Athletics’ era. Powell reacted angrily, saying ‘I’ve got something that was set 25 years ago and I have got some guy sitting in an office who can take it away from me? Are you kidding me? I’d slap him in his face if he said that to me.’
