On March 8, 1971, the world held its breath as Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, two undefeated fighters and former Olympic gold medalists, battled for the heavyweight boxing championship of the world in a legendary 15-round match at Madison Square Garden. Viewed by over 300 million people worldwide, the fight saw Frazier win by unanimous decision and was Ali’s first professional loss.
 
Throughout their lives, both athletes had significant ties to the Commonwealth. Joe Frazier moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a teenager and later in his retirement operated a gym on North Broad Street in Philadelphia where he shared his experience with and helped train young people. And Muhammad Ali built a training camp named “Fighter’s Heaven” in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, where he prepared for numerous fights. Further, both are remembered today for not only their boxing careers but also their philanthropic work.
 
To mark the 55th Year Anniversary of this legendary fight and the legacy of these two fighters in and out of the arena and to commemorate their connections to Pennsylvania, I am introducing a resolution to designate March 8, 2026, as “Fight of the Century Day” in Pennsylvania. Please join me in supporting this resolution to honor the boxing battle seen around the world.