POLITICS
The Sweet Science of Debate
How the two latest political debates were reminiscent of boxing’s golden age
On January 22, 1973, Joe Frazier, then boxing’s undisputed heavyweight champion, and George Foreman met for a much-awaited title fight. The fight between two undefeated sluggers was dubbed “The Sunshine Showdown.” The fight was held in Kingston, Jamaica, primarily because the country’s government financially supported the event.
Frazier’s record was 29 — 0, having won multiple title fights, including the title stripped from Muhammad Ali in 1967 for his refusal to be inducted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. The undefeated Foreman had mowed through the competition, racking up almost forty victories over four years, making him the number one-ranked contender. This was his first chance at winning the title.
It was a time of closed-circuit television, so most of the country had no idea of the fight’s outcome until the replay on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.
It wasn’t Foreman’s second-round knockout or Ali’s eighth-round surprise victory. It was a simple question. One that, in the Before Times, would have been answered with ease. Instead, it…
