On this day, May 16, 1977: Muhammad Ali is booed by fans after beating Alfredo Evangelista

The Greatest was well past his best, but still had too much for his unheralded opponent in a bout shown live on television in US

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  Mohammad Ali throws a punch at Alfredo Evangelista during his unanimous points victory at the Capital Centre, Maryland, USA, on May 16, 1977. Getty

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  Mohammad Ali and Alfredo Evangelista during their heavyweight title bout. Getty

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  Mohammad Ali and Alfredo Evangelista during their heavyweight title bout. AFP

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  Muhammad Ali before his fight against Joe Frazier in the Philippines in October 1975. Ali won 'The Thrilla in Manila' in the 14th round. REX Shutterstock

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  Muhammad Ali, top, watches as defending world champion George Foreman goes down to the canvas during their heavyweight title bout in Kinshasa, Zaire. Ali won 'The Rumble the Jungle' in October, 1974, by knocking out Foreman in the eighth round. AP

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  Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier during their second fight at Madison Square Garden in New York, in January, 1974. Ali won the fight after 12 rounds via a unanimous points verdict. AP

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  Ken Norton is hit with a left jab from Muhammad Ali during their fight at the Sports Arena on March, 1973, in San Diego, California. Norton won the fight via a split decision. Getty

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  Muhammad Ali goes down in the 15th round to a left hook from world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in a title fight at Madison Square Gardens, New York, in March 1971. It was the first defeat of Ali's pro career in what was dubbed 'The Fight of the Century'. Getty

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  Joe Frazier stands over Muhammad Ali as he wins their 1971 fight. AFP

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  Muhammad Ali in training for his fight against Brian London in August 1966. Ali knocked out London in the third round at the Earls Court Arena in London. Getty

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  Muhammad Ali taunts Sonny Liston after knocking him down to win their second fight in the first round in Maine, USA, in May, 1965. AP

The jeers after the fight from the 12,000 crowd at the Capital Centre were loud and painfully unmistakable.

Muhammad Ali had sealed a unanimous, if unmemorable, points victory over Uruguayan-born Spanish fighter Alfredo Evangelista in Maryland, USA.

The Louisville Lip was now 35 and well past his best – although past his best was still too good for his 22-year-old challenger in the heavyweight title bout.

It was Ali's first fight in eight months, after winning his third clash with the tough as teak Ken Norton in the Bronx's Yankee Stadium.

Evangelista had never been past eight rounds in a 16‐bout professional career but would take Ali the full 15 in a fight shown live on prime-time television.

“I did not think Ali could go the distance,” said Evangelista after the fight. “I thought at his age he would get tired.”

Ali had brought along his full repertoire of now familiar tricks to the show. The Ali shuffle was out, the rope-a-dope – that famously drained George Foreman of his power during 1974's Rumble in the Jungle – was employed again. He was still dancing in the 15th round.

A knockout, though, never looked close for either fighter.

Evangelista would take him the distance, something only seven other fighters had done, but Ali was given the verdict comfortably by all three judges.

The crowd, though, made their feelings known at the end, while American journalist Howard Cosell – covering the bout for ABC – described it as one of the worst fights he had ever seen. "I'm sorry, we televised it," he said afterwards.

Ali, unsurprisingly, was unrepentant. "You saw a miracle tonight," said Ali. "A 35-year-old man dancing 15 rounds ... a welterweight couldn't dance 15 rounds."

And he railed against those who had dismissed Evangelista before the fight. “I tried to knock him down,” said Ali, “but he wouldn't fall. Go tell the world. Evangelista is a great fighter.

"He ain't no bum. He moves ... how wrong you were saying this man was nothing.

“This nobody, this Evangelista, I'll bet you my life he'll give Norton hell, if not beat him.

“Nobody? Jimmy Young was a nobody, Ken Norton was a nobody. I made nobodies somebody by fighting them. The trouble is, they are good fighters and I proved it.”

For Evangelista, facing The Greatest was a life-changer. “I was young and strong and he was old at this time,” he would later say. “But he was very intelligent; he knew how to handle the fight. He was special, a legend.

"He made me famous around the world and I will always be grateful for that.”

To the detriment of both body and mind, Ali would face another five fights – winning two and losing three – before finally calling it a day in 1981.

At the end of an incredible career, he had fought 61 times, winning 56 – with 37 knockouts – and losing five times.