Boxing Only


48 years ago

Muhammad Ali vs Jimmy Young

Date: 30th April 1976

Venue: Capitol Center, Landover, Maryland, USA

Title: WBC & WBA World Heavyweight Titles

Promoter: Don King Productions

Referee: Tom Kelly

Tv: ABC Wide World of Sports

Muhammad Ali
( 50 - 2 - 0 )
Weight: 230 lbs

Jimmy Young
( 17 - 4 - 2 )
Weight: 209 lbs


On April 30, 1976, Muhammad Ali narrowly defended his WBC and WBA World Heavyweight Championships against the crafty and elusive Jimmy Young in a highly controversial 15-round unanimous decision at the Capitol Center in Landover, Maryland.

Ali, weighing in at a career-high 230 pounds, appeared to be in subpar physical condition and was outworked by the younger and lighter Young throughout the bout. The Associated Press scored the fight 69-66 in favour of Young, but the official judges saw it differently, with referee Tom Kelly scoring it 72-65 and judges Larry Barrett and Terry Moore having it 70-68 and 71-64, respectively, all for Ali.

The fight was marked by Young's unorthodox tactics, which included ducking outside the ropes on six occasions to avoid Ali's pressure. In the 12th round, when Young employed this manoeuvre, the referee ruled it a knockdown and began a count, with Young returning to the ring at the count of two. Sports Illustrated's Mark Kram criticized Young's behaviour, deeming it "unconscionable" for a man seeking the heavyweight championship.

Ali, who earned $1.6 million plus $200,000 for training expenses compared to Young's $85,000 purse, admitted to being in "terrible shape" and credited his victory to a "miracle." He acknowledged his poor dietary habits, citing "too much pie, too much ice cream" for his lacklustre performance.

The crowd at the Capitol Center loudly booed the decision. Still, Mark Kram argued that despite Ali's subpar showing, “There was no way anyone could justify taking the title from Ali.”

The Associated Press reported that Ali "seemed content to toy in the first four rounds, doing very little fighting." He began to pick up the pace in the fifth round, landing with more power but still missing more than usual. Ali's best round appeared to be the ninth when he "went up on his toes and snapped home at least 25 punishing jabs to Young's face." However, he reverted to a flatfooted style in the later rounds, absorbing several hard rights from Young, who came on strong in the final three rounds.

In the post-fight interviews, Young explained his reasoning for ducking through the ropes, stating, "The reason I kept ducking through the ropes, seriously, was to take some of the pressure off me." Meanwhile, top-ranked contender Ken Norton, who scored a fifth-round TKO against Ron Stander on the undercard, commented on Ali's performance: “He looked pitiful. I kept hollering up to him, 'Don't blow the money, Ali, don't blow the money, damn it!' But the Ali you saw tonight is not the guy I have to fight. I wish it were, but it won't be. He'll be ready for me. You can count on it.”

The Ali-Young fight remains one of the most controversial in Ali's storied career, with many observers believing that the challenger had done enough to dethrone the champion. Despite the criticism, Ali retained his titles and continued his reign as the world heavyweight champion.

 


Muhammad Ali vs Jimmy Young on YouTube


Muhammad Ali vs Jimmy Young



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