Muhammad Ali victory in federal court forced the New York State Boxing Commission to reinstate Ali's license. He fought Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden in December, an uninspired performance that ended in a dramatic technical knockout of Bonavena in the 15th round. The win left Ali as a top contender against heavyweight champion Joe Frazier. Ali and Frazier's first fight, held at the Garden on March 8, 1971, was nicknamed the "Fight of the Century", due to the tremendous excitement surrounding a bout between two undefeated fighters, each with a legitimate claim as heavyweight champions. Veteran boxing writer John Condon called
Madison Square Garden Pro Garden Championships. Madison Square Garden Pro The Madison Square Garden Pro was a men's tennis tournament open to professionals. It was held in 1954 and again between 1966 and 1969 and was played on indoor hard courts. The Madison Square Garden Pro first began in 1954 and served as the opening tournament of the 1954 World Pro Tour. The event was then not staged for a further twelve years when it was re-established in 1966. The 1968 and 1969 tournaments were part of a pro circuit in the open era of tennis. It ended as an open tournament called the