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Muhammad Ali vs Alvin Lewis in a 12 round non-title heavyweight bout

Date: July 19, 1972

Venue: Croke Park, Dublin

Ali stance: orthodox

Lewis stance:

After Muhammad Ali was stripped of his world titles in 1967, he spent three and a half years out of the ring. He began his comeback with a three-round stoppage of Jerry Quarry in October 1970. He followed up by earning a TKO over Oscar Bonavena in the 15th round. Ali's next fight was for the undisputed heavyweight title, and he suffered his first loss as a pro when Joe Frazier got a unanimous a points decision. Ali then won his next six bouts, and his most recent fight was a rematch with Jerry Quarry.

Al Lewis turned pro in 1966, and was a long term sparring partner for Muhammad Ali. He won his first 15 fights before losing to journeyman Bob Stallings. Lewis avenged that defeat in a rematch, but a couple of fights latter he lost twice to fringe contender Leotis Martin. He rebounded with seven consecutive wins, the best of which was a fourth round knockout of the faded Cleveland Williams. In his next fight, Lewis floored Oscar Bonavena several times before getting disqualified in the seventh round. That display earned him a trip to Dublin to face Ali.

For an in depth look at their respective records, visit:

Muhammad Ali - https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/000180

Al Lewis - https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/9389

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