[GUEST ACCESS MODE: Data is scrambled or limited to provide examples. Make requests using your API key to unlock full data. Check https://lunarcrush.ai/auth for authentication information.]  20th Century Boxing: Icons, Memories & More [@20thCentBoxIMM](/creator/twitter/20thCentBoxIMM) on x XXX followers Created: 2025-07-14 01:24:57 UTC On a hot summer day, on July 14th of 1979, in a boxing ring installed on the floor of Mile High Stadium, former Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali faced off against Denver Broncos' defensive end Lyle Alzado in an exhibition match. Ali was handsomely paid. Alzado, looking to up his profile and gain contract leverage with the Broncos, had mortgaged his house to foot the bills promoting the bout. The bout ended weeks of hype. Ali had taunted Alzado at press conferences and touted his own boxing skills, saying the football player wouldn't have a chance. The chatter, though, didn't draw many fans to the fight. A crowd of only XXXXXX showed up, leaving XXXXXX Mile High seats unfilled. Denver Post sportswriter Terry Frei watched the fight that day. Frei on what people expected to see: "I think the people who showed up -- I think there were about XXXXXX -- there was a sense of anticipation as long as they had a realistic outlook on what they were going to see. They were going to see an over-the-hill icon fighter going against a Denver Bronco and there was kind of a subtle agreement they wouldn't go all out and try to hit each other, it had those kinds of things but the atmosphere was, if you had to crack attitude about it. This was going to be a fun way to see Muhammad Ali in a boxing ring." Frei on Alzado's motivation: "He had been a Golden Gloves fighter previously. He grew up in New York and there had been talk that maybe he would leverage this possibility of going into boxing as a leverage in his contract negotiations with the Broncos. That's what he was doing it or and the promotion before the fight was all based on those premises -- and I think they fouled up the promotion. They tried to treat it as a serious boxing match instead of the idea, hey come on out, have fun at Mile High Stadium and see the three-time world champion who had allegedly retired. He did come back and fight twice more, but at that point he was supposed to have been retired." Frei on why Ali would have agreed to this: "He missed the spotlight to an extent, but he also was paid an extensive amount of money, based on the premise that they believed it was going to be a huge box office draw in an outdoor football stadium going against the Denver Bronco. They turned out to have calculated wrong, but Muhammad Ali was paid rather handsomely and it was viewed as kind of an afternoon where he broke a sweat broke a made a lot of money. There are significant stories that lend credence to the idea that Muhammad Ali was financially troubled in the sense of not taking full advantage all the money it made over the years. And of course he had that dark period where in the prime of his career he couldn't fight at all. So I think he was very conscious of getting the big paycheck and also stepping back into the spotlight and being a part of what they all thought going in was going to be a huge afternoon at Mile High Stadium."  XXX engagements  **Related Topics** [denver broncos](/topic/denver-broncos) [Post Link](https://x.com/20thCentBoxIMM/status/1944568767704355055)
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20th Century Boxing: Icons, Memories & More @20thCentBoxIMM on x XXX followers
Created: 2025-07-14 01:24:57 UTC
On a hot summer day, on July 14th of 1979, in a boxing ring installed on the floor of Mile High Stadium, former Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali faced off against Denver Broncos' defensive end Lyle Alzado in an exhibition match.
Ali was handsomely paid. Alzado, looking to up his profile and gain contract leverage with the Broncos, had mortgaged his house to foot the bills promoting the bout.
The bout ended weeks of hype. Ali had taunted Alzado at press conferences and touted his own boxing skills, saying the football player wouldn't have a chance. The chatter, though, didn't draw many fans to the fight. A crowd of only XXXXXX showed up, leaving XXXXXX Mile High seats unfilled.
Denver Post sportswriter Terry Frei watched the fight that day.
Frei on what people expected to see:
"I think the people who showed up -- I think there were about XXXXXX -- there was a sense of anticipation as long as they had a realistic outlook on what they were going to see. They were going to see an over-the-hill icon fighter going against a Denver Bronco and there was kind of a subtle agreement they wouldn't go all out and try to hit each other, it had those kinds of things but the atmosphere was, if you had to crack attitude about it. This was going to be a fun way to see Muhammad Ali in a boxing ring."
Frei on Alzado's motivation:
"He had been a Golden Gloves fighter previously. He grew up in New York and there had been talk that maybe he would leverage this possibility of going into boxing as a leverage in his contract negotiations with the Broncos. That's what he was doing it or and the promotion before the fight was all based on those premises -- and I think they fouled up the promotion. They tried to treat it as a serious boxing match instead of the idea, hey come on out, have fun at Mile High Stadium and see the three-time world champion who had allegedly retired. He did come back and fight twice more, but at that point he was supposed to have been retired."
Frei on why Ali would have agreed to this:
"He missed the spotlight to an extent, but he also was paid an extensive amount of money, based on the premise that they believed it was going to be a huge box office draw in an outdoor football stadium going against the Denver Bronco. They turned out to have calculated wrong, but Muhammad Ali was paid rather handsomely and it was viewed as kind of an afternoon where he broke a sweat broke a made a lot of money. There are significant stories that lend credence to the idea that Muhammad Ali was financially troubled in the sense of not taking full advantage all the money it made over the years. And of course he had that dark period where in the prime of his career he couldn't fight at all. So I think he was very conscious of getting the big paycheck and also stepping back into the spotlight and being a part of what they all thought going in was going to be a huge afternoon at Mile High Stadium."
XXX engagements
Related Topics denver broncos