Word: prefight
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Considering the prefight confusion and the Venezuelan government's insistence that the fight be televised on home screens, it was no surprise that the multimillion-dollar sports palace El Poliedro was only half full by fight time. Nor should it have really been a surprise when Foreman walked in without the slightest trace of a limp. (He attributed his recovery to prayer.) Score Round 1 in the psychological fight to Foreman. Norton seemed to sense that he had been outmaneuvered. As Rondeau briefed the fighters at mid-ring, Norton carefully avoided Foreman's menacing glare by staring...
Although oddsmakers had installed Frazier as a 3-1 favorite, there were more than the usual number of prefight imponderables. The line on Foreman was that he was untested. True, he had won 37 straight fights, 34 by knockouts, but his opponents were the most graceless gang of pugs this side of a waterfront brawl. He was undeniably a heavy hitter, but his attack seemed so lacking in finesse that he was sometimes booed in victory. He outweighed Frazier 217½ to 214 Ibs., had an advantage of 3½ in. in height and 5 in. in reach...
...there is a tragedy in this "Fight of Champions," Joe Frazier is the Othello and the takers, that vast locust combine, play Iago. The prefight publicity has made it impossible for Frazier ever to be champ to black America and the rest of the world. Rather than revealing him as another black man of different convictions from Ali, the PR portrayed him as a vacuous white hope in blackface...
...fight has become a classic in an other way. Shrewd prefight publicity has turned the billing into Frazier the good citizen v. Ali the draft dodger, Frazier the white man's champ v. Ali the great black hope, Frazier the quiet loner v. Ali the irrepressible loudmouth, Frazier the simple Bible-reading Baptist v. Ali the slogan-spouting Black Muslim. Frazier, who is generally as impassive as a ring post, would have it otherwise, but he has no choice...
...with only a halting command of English, was beating the Louisville Lip to the surly quip. Calling Ali a "black kangaroo" and a "maricon" (faggot), Bonavena boasted that he would knock out the deposed champion in Round 11. "Imagine that!" exclaimed Ali. "Him predictin' on me!" At their prefight physical, Oscar tweaked Ali's cheek. Ali started to lunge at Oscar. "Why you so nerbous?" said the Argentine. "You afraid Oscar and his beeg muscles?" Ali: "You're not good enough to touch me." Oscar: "Not good? Me white, you black. You smell...