Muhammad Ali vs. Richard Dunn

Muhammad Ali vs. Richard Dunn was a professional boxing match contested on 24 May 1976, for the undisputed heavyweight championship.[1] This fight would mark Ali’s 37th and final knockout win of his career.

Muhammad Ali vs Richard Dunn
Date24 May 1976
VenueOlympiahalle, Munich, Germany
Title(s) on the lineWBA, WBC and The Ring undisputed heavyweight championship
Tale of the tape
Boxer United States Muhammad Ali United Kingdom Richard Dunn
Nickname "The Greatest"
Hometown Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK
Purse £52,000
Pre-fight record 51–2 (36 KO) 33–9 (16 KO)
Age 34 years, 4 months 31 years, 4 months
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 220 lb (100 kg) 207 lb (94 kg)
Style Orthodox Southpaw
Recognition WBA, WBC and The Ring undisputed
Heavyweight Champion
British, Commonwealth and European
Heavyweight Champion
Result
Ali wins via 5th-round TKO

Background

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In the build up to fight, Dunn appeared on the popular ITV program This Is Your Life in which Ali appeared via video message to taunt Dunn, saying "So you've taken 67 parachute drops, well, I want you to mark this down now: you have one more big drop to come, a big hard drop, it's going to be the longest sharp drop you've ever had."[2][3][4][5][6]

The fight

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Dunn would start the fight on the front foot chasing Ali who would land a number of overhand rights early. A pair of lefts from Dunn landed in third however Ali scored knockdown with a right later in round. Dunn would taste the canvas twice more in fourth and once early in fifth before a windmilling right from Ali sent Dunn down for the fifth and final time prompting referee Herbert Tomser to wave the contest off.[7]

The fight is remembered for being the last time Ali would knock down any opponent in the ring in his boxing career.[8] The punch Ali used to knockout Dunn was taught to Ali by Taekwondo Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee. Rhee called that punch the "Accupunch", which he learnt from Bruce Lee. Rhee was Ali's head coach for this Dunn fight.[9]

Aftermath

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Ali would praise Dunn, telling NBC broadcast: “He is better than I thought and I predict you will hear more from Richard Dunn.”

Tens of thousands of people would line the streets of Bradford to praise Dunn’s gutsy performance and welcome him home.

Undercard

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Confirmed bouts:[10]

Winner Loser Weight division/title belt(s) disputed Result
  Peter Wulf   Peter Scheibner German Super Welter Unanimous decision.
  Duane Bobick   Bunny Johnson Heavyweight (10 rounds) 2nd-round TKO.
  Alan Minter   Frank Reiche Middleweight (10 rounds) 8th-round TKO.
  Ngozika Ekwelum   Tony Moore Heavyweight (8 rounds) Unanimous decision.
  Rodney Bobick   Hartmut Sasse Heavyweight (8 rounds) 3rd-round KO.
  Horst Lang   Arno Prick Heavyweight (6 rounds) Draw.

Broadcasting

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Country Broadcaster
  Australia Nine Network
  Brazil Band
  Canada CTV
  France TF1
  Germany ARD
  Japan TBS
  Mexico Televisa
  Philippines RPN 9
  Spain TVE
  United Kingdom ITV[11]
  United States NBC

References

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  1. ^ "Muhammad Ali vs. Richard Dunn". boxrec.com. BoxRec. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  2. ^ "Bradford's Richard Dunn recalls the night he took on Muhammad Ali and pays tribute to his 'charisma and style'". Telegraph & Argus. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Muhammad Ali beating me was the highlight of my life, says Richard Dunn". The Telegraph. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Dunn's memories of legends Ali and Frazier". The Scarborough News. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  5. ^ Felix Dennis; Don Atyeo (2003). Muhammad Ali: The Glory Years. miramax books. pp. 246–50.
  6. ^ Thomas Hauser (1991). Muhammad Ali:His Life and Times. Simon & Schuster. pp. 323–6.
  7. ^ Rowan Newman (21 June 2020). "Bradford's Richard Dunn convincingly beaten by Muhammad Ali". thetelegraphandargus.co.uk. Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Muhammad Ali's ring record". ESPN. 19 November 2003. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Jhoon Rhee, Father of American Tae Kwon Do". www.jhoonrhee.com. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  10. ^ "BoxRec - event".
  11. ^ "TV Times May 20 1976 Original Vintage Magazine Muhammad Ali v Richard Dunn". etsy.com. Etsy. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
Preceded by Muhammad Ali's bouts
24 May 1976
Succeeded by
Preceded by
vs. Bernd August
Richard Dunn's bouts
24 May 1976
Succeeded by