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 Towers the tallest structures in the Midtown Manhattan skyline, with one rising higher than the Empire State Building, currently one of New York's tallest buildings at 1,250 feet (381 m) and would also have been higher than the roof, though not the spire, of One World Trade Center. The towers are essentially canceled as Madison Square Garden is going ahead with renovations of the current arena, rather than a relocation that would have made the towers possible. Madison Square Garden Towers The Madison Square Garden Towers were the name of proposed twin residential skyscrapers that were to be constructed north of