Because of the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary a month earlier and the resulting tension between the teams, the game was expected to be very physical.

The match was stopped in the final minute to quell fighting among spectators, many of them from Melbourne's large Hungarian community, who were furious over the Soviet invasion of their homeland.

[4] Zádor was shown emerging from the water with blood pouring down his face in a news photo published around the world.

In April 2006, a documentary called Freedom's Fury premiered, with Lucy Liu and Quentin Tarantino listed as executive producers.

[7] Born in Budapest, Zádor refused to return to his Soviet-occupied country after the Olympic Games and became a political refugee.