1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello again and Welcome to This Day in 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: History Class, a show that gives a quick look it's 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: something that happened a long time ago. Today I'm Gabe 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: Lousier and this episode we're talking about the last great 6 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: fight of the greatest of all time, Mohammed Ali. The 7 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: day was September at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, 8 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: boxer Mohammed Ali defeated Leon Spinks in a fight for 9 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: the heavyweight championship. The victory made Ali the first fighter 10 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: in history to win the title three times. This records 11 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: setting match was a comeback moment for Ali and would 12 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 1: stand as the last notable fight of his career. Ali 13 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: had become a professional boxer eighteen years earlier in nineteen 14 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: sixty when he defeated Tunny Hunsacker in a six round bout. 15 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:21,639 Speaker 1: Just four years later, Ali bested Sonny Liston to become 16 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,959 Speaker 1: world heavyweight champion for the first time at age twenty two. 17 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: Ali continued his winning streak until nineteen sixty seven, when 18 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: his career was halted by the Vietnam War. After being 19 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: drafted for military service, Ali refused to be inducted into 20 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:43,680 Speaker 1: the Armed Forces. He explained his decision by saying, quote, 21 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: my conscience won't let me go shoot my brother or 22 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: some darker people, or some poor, hungry people in the 23 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: mud for big, powerful America. How can I shoot them 24 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: poor people? Just take me to jail. Ali was soon 25 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: convicted of draft evasion and was banned from boxing for 26 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: three years, and the hits just kept on coming. In 27 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: March nineteen seventy one, five months after his return to 28 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: the ring, Ali suffered the first professional loss of his career. 29 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 1: Build as the fight of the century. The championship match 30 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: pitted Ali against Joe Frasier for fifteen grueling rounds. In 31 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: the end, Frasier was declared the winner by unanimous consent, 32 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: and Ali lost his heavyweight title for the first time. 33 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: On the bright side, in June of that same year, 34 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 1: the U. S. Supreme Court overturned Ali's earlier conviction. He 35 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 1: was no longer the heavyweight champ, but he wasn't considered 36 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: a draft dodger either. Unfazed by his loss to Frasier, 37 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 1: Ali quickly worked his way back up through the ranks. 38 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 1: Then in late nineteen seventy four, he won back the 39 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: heavyweight title when he defeated George Foreman in the eighth 40 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 1: round of their famous rumble in the Jungle match. If 41 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: you're wondering who took the belt from Ali the second time, 42 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: the answer is none other than Leon Spins. Seven months 43 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: before their fight at the Superdome, Ali and Spins faced 44 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: off for the first time at the Heavyweight Championship in 45 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: Las Vegas. Spinx was a newcomer to the sport. He 46 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 1: had fought professionally only seven times before going head to 47 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: head with Ali. He was considered the clear underdog at 48 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: ten to one odds, but on February, Spins beat those 49 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:35,520 Speaker 1: odds and became the second person to take the heavyweight 50 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: title from Ali. After this shocking upset, Ali spent the 51 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: next seven months training for a rematch. Speaking to reporters 52 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: ahead of the fight, he seemed to imply it was 53 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: a good thing that he'd lost to a boxer eleven 54 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: years younger than him, As he explained, quote, do you 55 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: know if I beat him the first time, I wouldn't 56 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: have got no credit for it. He only had seven fights. 57 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: The kid was nothing, so I'm glad he won. It's 58 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: a perfect scene. You couldn't write a better movie than 59 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: this competition fighting odds, can the old Champ regain his 60 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: title for a third time? Think of it a third 61 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 1: time do or die. When the big day arrived on September, 62 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: Ali and Spinks climbed into a ring in front of 63 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: more than sixty three thousand spectators, including celebrities like Liza 64 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 1: Minelli and Rocky Balboa himself Sylvester Stallone At home, more 65 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: than ninety million people tuned in for the fight. The 66 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: entire country was on the edge of its seat, wondering 67 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: if the old Champ could pull out one more win. 68 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 1: Ali came prepared and poured everything he had into the fight. 69 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: He danced and dodged his way through all fifteen rounds, 70 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: dominating the fight and landing some solid punches. When the 71 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:59,719 Speaker 1: final bell rang, a unanimous decision from the judges declared 72 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: that Ali thirty six had beaten Spinks. History was made 73 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: as Ali reclaimed the heavyweight title for the third and 74 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: final time. The next year, Ali tried retiring from boxing, 75 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:18,719 Speaker 1: but it didn't take. His dwindling fortune compelled him back 76 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: into the ring for two more pay days, but after 77 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 1: losing both matches, Ali hung up his gloves for good. 78 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:30,600 Speaker 1: At age forty. During his twenty one year career, Ali 79 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:35,039 Speaker 1: tallied fifty six wins, thirty seven of which were knockouts, 80 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: and just five losses. Outside the ring, he also found 81 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: success as an artist, an entertainer, an activist, and even 82 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:48,479 Speaker 1: a diplomat, but we'll save those stories for another day. 83 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 1: I'm Gabe Louisier and hopefully you now know a little 84 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. If you 85 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: have any comments or suggestions, you can send them my 86 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 1: way at this day at i heart media dot com. 87 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 1: Thanks to Chandler May's for producing the show, and thank 88 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,280 Speaker 1: you as always for listening. I'll see you back here 89 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: against tomorrow for another day in History class. For more 90 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,640 Speaker 1: podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, 91 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.