Read Online Come Out Smokin' by Phil Pepe - Free Book Online

Association.

Buster
    The suspension of Muhammad Ali and the accompanying stripping of his title and three-and-a-half-year exile were a black mark on the face of boxing. Many praised the action on political grounds, but even Ali’s staunchest critics deplored it as bad for the sport. For all his mouthing off, for all his controversial political and religious views, Muhammad Ali was good for boxing. He fought often, putting his title on the line nine times in three years, creating interest in the game and keeping his division active. Without him, there would be a huge void. Undoubtedly, his successor, whoever he might be, would suffer by comparison, would be deemed unworthy of wearing the crown that had been yanked from Ali’s head.
    Only in retrospect can it be said that Muhammad’s absence proved a boon. It created opportunity. It developed new faces. Ali had slowly depleted the heavyweight ranks of its best talent, knocking challengers off in rapid succession and creating the legend that Muhammad was unbeatable. At the time of his suspension, there were no legitimate challengers ready to take a meaningful crack at the title.
    What Ali’s absence meant to Joe Frazier is incalculable. It is almost a certainty that Joe would have been led to the slaughter and tossed in against Ali long before he was ready. Eventually, ready or not, the public would have demanded that Frazier take his turn at trying to shut up “Big Mouth.” And Joe would have taken that shot prematurely. The result might have been disastrous.
    The WBA tournament was on—without its No. 1 contender, Joe Frazier. Yank Durham stuck to his guns. It didn’t mean that Frazier had to rust from inactivity, though. Not for long, anyway. He signed to fight in Madison Square Garden on March 4, 1968, against his old opponent from amateur days, Buster Mathis.
    The match had been made as part of a doubleheader card that would inaugurate the newest Madison Square Garden, the fourth Garden. It was to be a gala evening. Construction of the new Garden had been completed just weeks before and this would be the first boxing event in the new building, which would carry on its tradition as the world’s boxing mecca. The Garden name and boxing had long been synonymous. In fact, John L. Sullivan, the first heavyweight champion in boxing’s modern era, fought in the first Garden on July 17, 1882.
    The new building was a beautiful structure, designed in the modern cantilever fashion. Unlike its three predecessors, the fourth Garden was round, permitting it to be constructed without pillars or posts. Befitting the gala occasion, the Garden signed Emile Griffith to defend his middleweight championship against Nino Benvenuti in the third of their interesting series of title fights. Their bout would be followed by Mathis-Frazier. But something was missing, and somebody got the idea to turn the Mathis-Frazier contest into a championship fight. The proposal was submitted to the New York State Athletic Commission. On the theory that everybody must have a heavyweight champion, New York State, not governed by the World Boxing Association, decided to sanction the fight as a title bout, the winner to be recognized in New York as heavyweight champion of the world. Durham had scored again. Instead of getting Frazier involved in a long-drawn-out and crowded elimination tournament, he could snatch a share of the vacant championship with a single fight.
    It was a logical match. Joe Frazier was the No. 1 heavyweight in the world, even in the judgment of the WBA. Mathis was a colorful and popular fighter, not ranked quite so high, but easily a salable heavyweight.
    Frazier was a favorite in New York. He had scored two of his most important victories there, beating Oscar Bonavena and stopping the unstoppable George Chuvalo. Mathis was unbeaten in twenty-three fights as a pro and had scored three of his victories in the Garden. Admittedly, Buster’s competition