{{short description|Boxing competition}} {{Infobox boxing match | Fight Name = Muhammad Ali vs. Mac Foster | image = 250px | caption = | fight date = 1 April 1972 | location = Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan | titles = | fighter1 = {{flagicon|USA}} Muhammad Ali | nickname1 = "The Greatest" | hometown1 = Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | purse1 = $200,000 | record1 = 34–1 (27 KO) | age1 = {{age in years and months |January 17, 1942 |April 1, 1972}} | height1 = 6 ft 3 in | weight1 = 226 lb | style1 = Orthodox | recognition1 = WBA/WBC<br>No. 1 Ranked Heavyweight<br>NABF heavyweight champion<br>Former undisputed heavyweight champion | fighter2 = {{flagicon|USA}} Mac Foster | nickname2 = "Big Mac The Knife from Fresno" | hometown2 = Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. | purse2 = $80,000 | record2 = 28–1 (28 KO) | age2 = {{age in years and months |June 27, 1942 |April 1, 1972}} | height2 = 6 ft 2 in | weight2 = 211+3/4 lb | style2 = Orthodox | recognition2 = WBA<br>No. 9 Ranked Heavyweight | result = '''Ali''' won via 15 round '''UD''' }} '''Muhammad Ali vs. Mac Foster''' was a professional boxing match contested on 1 April 1972.<ref>{{cite web |title=Muhammad Ali vs. Mac Foster |url=https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/Muhammad_Ali_vs._Mac_Foster |website=boxrec.com |publisher=BoxRec |access-date=3 July 2024}}</ref>
==Background== Held in Tokyo, it was one of the first major heavyweight boxing matches to be held in Asia. Ali, who came in at a career high 226 lb, predicted he would knock out Foster in five rounds and entered the ring holding the round five ring card.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/03/31/archives/ali-and-foster-in-tokyo-bout-to-be-shown-here-tonight.html |title=Ali and Foster in Tokyo Bout to Be Shown Tonight |work=The New York Times |date=31 March 1972|access-date=6 October 2016}}</ref>
==The fight== thumb|left Ali won the fight on points through a unanimous decision.<ref name="Hauser 166-7">{{cite book|title=Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times|url=https://archive.org/details/muhammadalihisli00haus|url-access=registration|author= Thomas Hauser|publisher=Simon & Schuster|pages = [https://archive.org/details/muhammadalihisli00haus/page/242 242]|year=1991}}</ref><ref name="Glory Years">{{cite book|title=Muhammad Ali: The Glory Years|author1=Felix Dennis |author2=Don Atyeo |publisher=miramax books|page = 192|year=2003}}</ref><ref name="Dispatch">{{cite news|title=Muhammad Ali unanimous winner in Japanese fight|work=The Dispatch|date=1 April 1972|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1734&dat=19720331&id=NRIeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zFEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6688,2730281&hl=en|access-date=6 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="Free-Lance">{{cite news|title=Foster earns Ali's respect|work=The Free-Lance Star|date=1 April 1972|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19720401&id=mKlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0ucDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5352,4351077&hl=en|access-date=6 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="Heavy Box">{{cite book|title=Heavyweight Boxing in the 1970s: The Great Fighters and Rivalries|author=Joe Ryan |publisher=McFarland & Company|pages = 97–8|year=2013}}</ref><ref name="SI">{{cite news|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1972/04/10/613982/not-only-foster-got-stung |title=Not only Foster got stung |work=Sports Illustrated |date=10 April 1972|access-date=16 October 2016}}</ref>
==Undercard== Confirmed bouts:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/event/15987|title=BoxRec - event|publisher=}}</ref>
==Broadcasting== {| class="wikitable" |- ! align=center | Country ! align=center | Broadcaster |- | {{flag|Mexico}} || Telesistema Mexicano |- | {{flag|Philippines}} || ABS-CBN |- | {{flag|United Kingdom}} || BBC |- | {{flag|United States}} || CBS |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-bef | before=vs. Jürgen Blin}} {{s-ttl | title=Muhammad Ali's bouts |years=1 April 1972}} {{s-aft | after=vs. George Chuvalo II}} {{s-bef | before=vs. Giuseppe Ros}} {{s-ttl | title=Mac Foster's bouts |years=1 April 1972}} {{s-aft | after=vs. Sam McGill}} {{s-end}}
{{Muhammad Ali}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ali, Foster M}}
Category:1972 in boxing Category:1972 in Japanese sport Category:April 1972 sports events in Asia Category:Boxing matches in Japan Foster Category:Boxing on BBC
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