It was one of the most dramatic boxing matches of the 20th century. On March 8, 1971, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought at Madison Square Garden in New York City to decide the World Boxing Association heavyweight championship. Just a few months earlier, the United States Supreme Court had overturned a 1967 ruling that barred Muhammad Ali from boxing after he refused induction into the U.S. Army because, as a member of the Nation of Islam, his religious beliefs made him a conscientious objector.
The contest was billed as the “Fight of the Century.” It was the first time that two undefeated champions had fought for the same heavyweight title.
Broadcasting the event to an international audience required the special talents of another world-class performer—Shure equipment. Rombex Productions Corporation, of New York, under a contract from Management Television Systems, set up the audio equipment that would feed 13 separate and multilingual broadcasts of the fight. Each broadcast was provided with a Shure M67 Mixer; and Richard
Marcus, President of Rombex, reported: “There were no failures. Shure mixers were able to handle the conditions, and we had great reception reports.”
Joe Frazier won the fight in 15 rounds, but both fighters had to be hospitalized. Three years later, the two fighters squared off again, and Muhammad Ali regained his title.
