Alright, guys, so the other day I was down a rabbit hole, as usual, and stumbled upon this question: “who beat Muhammed Ali?” I mean, Ali, the legend, right? It got me thinking, who actually managed to take him down? So, I started digging.
The First Loss: Joe Frazier
First, I checked some obvious sources, you know, general sports websites. They gave me the names, but I wanted the story, the feel of it. So, I went deeper. I started with Joe Frazier. Their first fight, the “Fight of the Century” in 1971, that was Ali’s first professional loss.
I watched some old footage, grainy and all, but you could still feel the intensity. Frazier, man, he was a relentless force. That left hook! It’s crazy to think Ali took that beating and still went the distance. It’s not easy job.
The Rematches and Other Defeats
Then, of course, I looked into the rematches. Ali got Frazier back, twice. But it wasn’t just Frazier. There was Ken Norton, who actually broke Ali’s jaw in their first fight! Can you imagine? I read some interviews with Norton, and he talked about how he studied Ali, figured out his rhythm. Crazy dedication.
- Joe Frazier: The first to beat Ali, a legendary rivalry.
- Ken Norton: Broke Ali’s jaw and won their first fight.
- Leon Spinks: An upset! A relatively new guy taking down the champ.
- Larry Holmes: Ali’s former sparring partner, a sad end to Ali’s career.
- Trevor Berbick: Ali’s final fight, another loss.
And Leon Spinks! This guy was relatively new to the scene and he beat Ali! It was a major upset. I dug up some articles from that time, and people were shocked. It just goes to show, anyone can have a bad day, even the greatest.
The End of an Era
Then, the later fights… those were tough to research. Larry Holmes, Ali’s former sparring partner, beat him pretty badly. It was a sad fight, from what I gathered. I found some quotes from people saying Ali shouldn’t have even been in the ring. And finally, Trevor Berbick, that was Ali’s last fight, another loss.
So, yeah, it wasn’t just one guy. Several fighters managed to beat Muhammad Ali. It’s a testament to their skill, their strategy, and, well, sometimes just the way things go. Even the greatest can be * really makes me respect how great the boxers were.
