Ali vs. Marciano: Who wins?

Muhammed Ali, who had been stripped of his heavyweight title and boxing license three years earlier after being convicted of draft evasion,  was furious over his loss to Jim Jeffries in the fantasy fight. He sued Woroner for $1 million for defamation.  Woroner settled the suit by agreeing to pay Ali $10,000 to participate in a filmed version of a virtual fight with Marciano, who also took up the challenge.

Marciano, who had been retired for almost 13 years, lost over 50 pounds and wore a toupee in order to look as he did in his prime. The two sparred for about 70  rounds that included every probable scenario. Former champs Gentleman Jim Braddock, Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, Jack Sharkey and Jersey Joe Walcott also recorded commentary for the film.

Three weeks after filming finished, Marciano was killed in a plane crash.

On Jan. 20, 1970, the fight was shown only once in 1,500 theaters over closed-circuit television in the United States, Canada, and throughout Europe. It grossed $5 million.

The computer had determined that Marciano would knock Ali out in the 13th round and the film was edited to present that outcome. All prints of the fight except one were supposed to have been destroyed, on Woroner's orders, but many theaters held onto them.

After watching the film, Ali reportedly said, "That computer was made in Alabama," joking that Marciano won because he was white.

READ MORE stories in the series and past coverage of Marciano.