Former world heavyweight boxing champion Joo Frazier and follow-American Jimmy Ellis were both confident of their chances when they meet for a 12-round bout in Melbourne, Australia, this Sunday (2 March).
1.
CU Frazier speaking
0.43
2.
Ellis speaking
1.25
TRANSCRIPT:
FRAZIER: "Jimmy fought me once and he was so good that he completely (INDISTINCT) and he says he's improved a lot and he knows my style, he knows what I'm here to prove him wrong."
NEWSMAN: "How confident are you that you can defeat Mohammed Ali?"
FRAZIER: "Well, the way I feel about it I don't think that he has but one way to go and I feel that I can take him, I've taken him twice. Unfortunately I didn't get the second decision but next time we meet each other it's not going to be on decisions. He claimed that he wants to fight two men in ??? night, the way I feel about it, let's fight to the finish. That's the way I feel about it."
ELLIS: "I think every fight's serious. If I can win this fight it'll set me up for a fight with Mohammed Ali and the heavyweight championship of the world. I was the champ, I never really intended to fight for the title again and I'm going to fight for it one more time so a win over Joe Frazier will put me right in position where I can fight Mohammed Ali for the championship."
NEWSMAN: "Jimmy do you think you're good enough to beat Ali?"
ELLIS: "I think so. Mohammed beat me in twelve rounds, but I never was down and started to fight in the last round. But I have beaten him in the amateurs. I boxed within him a lot...I've boxed with him over thousands of rounds so I know how to fight the guy...how I want to fight him, it's just that I've got to get into a position to get back to him again."
Initials BB/1810
SPORT: BOXING
Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
Background: Former world heavyweight boxing champion Joo Frazier and follow-American Jimmy Ellis were both confident of their chances when they meet for a 12-round bout in Melbourne, Australia, this Sunday (2 March). And both men say they are looking forward to challenging world champion Mohammed Ali.
This film includes comments from both boxers about Sunday's fight and also their own assessment of their chances in the ring with Ali.
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