Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano stepped into the ring for a fight that never happened. In 1969, radio producer Murray Woroner used a computer to settle the debate about the best heavyweight boxer in history.
Woroner's idea came during the space age when computers seemed all-powerful. He used an NCR 315, the latest tech breakthrough that could store large data on magnetic tape. This massive machine, weighing 601 kilos, took 45 minutes to process data input through punched cards.
The project started with the "Great Historical World Heavyweight Championship." Woroner gathered data on 16 fighters from different eras, including legends like Jack Johnson, Jim Corbett, and Jack Dempsey. About 250 boxing experts analyzed the fighters, and the computer simulated the bouts.
Things got complicated when Ali lost to Jim Jeffries in the simulation. Ali wasn't happy and sued Woroner. They settled for $10,000, and Ali agreed to stay involved.
This led to "The Super Fight" between Ali and Marciano. At the time, Ali couldn't box because he refused to join the Vietnam War draft. He famously said,
"No Vietcong ever called me a 'nigger'. I have no problem with them."
Marciano, 45 and retired, lost 20 kilos to prepare. The two boxers, along with 21 others, filmed 70 one-minute rounds of sparring in a Florida gym. This footage became the basis for "The Super Fight" film.
The computer crunched the numbers and decided the winner. The film showed in 1,500 cinemas across the US, Europe, and South America. Each venue got a sealed copy and had to destroy it after one showing.
In the US version, Marciano won by KO in the 13th round. Europe saw a different ending where Ali won. Ali got mad about the US result and joked,
"They probably made that machine in Alabama."
Sadly, Marciano died in a plane crash on August 31, 1969, before the film's release on January 20, 1970.
Ali went on to regain the world heavyweight title. He fought in famous bouts like the "Rumble in the Jungle" and lost his first official fight to Joe Frazier in 1971. He retired in 1981 with 56 wins and 5 losses.
"The Super Fight" later aired on TV and got a DVD release. It marked the first time "Artificial Intelligence" played a role in sports, paving the way for today's computer simulations and analytics in athletics.
