Editing Buster Mathis (section)

==Career==
[[File:Buster Mathis vs Roberto Davila 1967.jpg|thumb|left|Mathis (back) vs. Roberto Davila in 1967]]
Mathis had a successful career as an amateur [[heavyweight]] [[boxing|boxer]]. He qualified for a spot in the [[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Tokyo Olympics]] but had to withdraw due to an injury. He was replaced in the tournament by [[Joe Frazier]], who went on to win the gold medal.

Mathis turned professional in June 1965 with a second round [[knockout]] victory over Bob Maynard. He went on to win his next 22 contests as well and qualified for a shot at the [[New York State Athletic Commission]] World Heavyweight Title, which had become vacant after [[Muhammad Ali]] was stripped of the title for refusing to be [[Conscription|drafted]] into the [[United States Army]].<ref name=boxrec/>

The title fight was held on March 4, 1968, in [[New York City|New York]]'s [[Madison Square Garden]] against "Smoking" [[Joe Frazier]], his old rival. Frazier won by an 11th-round knockout.{{Citation needed|date= April 2018}}

Mathis continued to fight in the following years, outpointing [[George Chuvalo]], but losing on points to [[Jerry Quarry]] - a fight Mathis was favored to win. Mathis retired after losing to Quarry in 1969, but he returned in 1971 to box [[Muhammad Ali]] for the [[North American Boxing Federation|NABF]] belt, losing on points over 12 rounds.<ref name=boxrec/> Ali was later criticized for not finishing Mathis in the final rounds of the fight.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1085581/index.htm | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721221556/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1085581/index.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 21, 2012 | magazine=Sports Illustrated | title=Got To Look Good To Allah | date=1971-11-09 | access-date=2012-02-15 | first1=Tex | last1=Maule}}</ref>

After Mathis was knocked out in just two rounds in September 1972 by [[Ron Lyle]], he retired for good.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bokssport.com/the-buster-mathis-story/|title=Buster Mathis Story {{!}} Bokssport {{!}} Train with Buster Mathis in Grand Rapids|website=Bokssport|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190204021256/https://www.bokssport.com/the-buster-mathis-story/|archive-date=2019-02-04|url-status=dead}}</ref>