Day after Christmas nearly 50 years ago Ali scored Switzerland KO

Nearly fifty years ago on the day after Christmas, “The Greatest of All Time,” Muhammad Ali took his talents to Switzerland, of all places, and scored a convincing knockout win over a tough opponent.

The date was December 26th, 1971, and Ali was unafraid to travel abroad and fight in Zurich, Switzerland, against a German opponent named Jurgen Blin.

Nine months removed from having lost the heavyweight championship to “Smokin Joe” Frazier in their famed epic first fight at Madison Square Garden, Ali had already won another fight earlier that year by beating Jimmy Young by TKO and then, had decisioned Buster Mathis just five weeks before going to Europe for this fight.

This fight only reinforced Ali’s worldwide appeal at this stage of his career, as a crowd estimated at 7,000 jammed into the small arena in Zurich to watch Ali trade haymakers with the outclassed, but tough German.

Blin kept moving forward and would occasionally land a solid punch or combination. However, as the fight wore on, Ali continued to open up with lightning combinations of his own causing cuts and swelling under both of Blin’s eyes.

The end finally came in the 7th round where Ali out-slugged Blin on a couple of exchanges and later landed a couple of good lefts and rights in the middle of the ring that set things up for the climatic finish. This as one more thunderous right cross from Ali caught Blin on the left side of his head.

He staggered backwards in a delayed reaction and then slumped to the canvas.

Re-live the fight highlights, including the mayhem after with the cheering Swiss fans mobbing Ali and chanting his name:

Blin was unable to beat the count and the fight was over at 2:12 of the 7th round.

It would still take Ali another three years to get his hands on the championship, when he defeated George Foreman by KO in Zaire, Africa in “The Rumble in the Jungle.”

Ali showed more worldwide appeal, when his epic third and final fight with Frazier was held in Manila, Philippines, and the Greatest scored another massive world wide win that day by 14th round stoppage, too.

When you say the phrase “World Heavyweight Champion,” you have to think of Ali.