The History of the Heavyweight Championship

It was the first year since 1959 that neither Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier or George Foreman had stepped into the professional boxing ring. Officially, Ali was still the WBA heavyweight champion in January of the year – he had won that piece of jewellery ...

In 1978 the heavyweight boxing landscape changed forever. The old, the young, the obscure, the fatal dreamers and the relentless schemers all came together to make it unforgettable. The rumours from 1977 were true: Muhammad Ali would defend his world h...

1977 was a year of more demons, epiphanies, more decay, more denial, so many crazy fights and nights. Muhammad Ali was still the champion, he made two defences but men in high boxing places were plotting his end: scheming to put in place a multi-title ...

When 1976 started, there had been murmurs of discontent about Muhammad Ali. People were talking about him quitting, men and women in the Ali business and onlookers had the same opinion: the end was surely getting closer. Ali would have to soon leave th...

What a year: Muhammad Ali was the world heavyweight champion and he made four defences. Every time he got in the ring there was a story: some mayhem, something funny, something absurd, something heartbreaking… always some drama. And there was a fight k...