Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

On one occasion, a father asked his son Cassius to touch a pole, after which his speaking is said to have increased.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[14] Verbal annoyance of an opponent (trash talk in sports terms) later became an integral part of Clay's performance [15] in his boxing career.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Boxing partner Clay drifted when he was 12 when his bicycle was stolen.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In October 1954, Clay was pedaling with a friend to black bazaars events, but on leaving home, Clay discovered his bike has been stolen.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He reported the matter to police officer Joe E. Martin, who coached young boxers in the basement facilities of the marketplace.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to Martin, a crying Clay was furious, and wanted to beat up the bike thieves, leading Martin to urge that he needed to learn how to fight first.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

At first Martin did not consider Clay any special case, but already after a year of training, he began to consider the talents of the young boy considerable.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The reason for this Martin attributed Clay's determination and motivation.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

“The boy was ready to make the sacrifices required of a successful athlete, and he was almost impossible to discourage.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Of all the youngsters I coached, he was by far the most gluttonous”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay practised, in his own words, six days a week and, thanks to boxing, mostly stayed away from intoxicants.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[9] Martin guided Clay to boxing, but Clay also trained with black coach Fred Stoner.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[9] Stoner, who owned a boxing gym, taught Clay how to move around the ring like a dancer.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[12] [16] Career Amateur Boxing After Cassius Clay had fought his first fight as an amateur, his father declared that the boy would be the next World Heavyweight Champion and “the new Joe Louis”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[17] In his amateur career, Clay fought 108 bouts, of which he won one hundred.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[18] [19] Clay's accomplishments as an amateur include six different league Kentucky Golden Gloves championships, two national middleweight Golden Gloves championships, and the AAU Middleweight United States Championship.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[12] [19] [20] According to Chuck Bodak, who served as an amateur series trustee, Clay made an immediate impression on him when he saw a young boxer fight for the first time at a national Golden Gloves tournament in Chicago: “You had to be blind if you didn't notice the boy's talents”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Bob Sorkein, who has also been a judge for the Amateur League, has spoken of Clay's talent in the same vein: “After watching him in the ring a few times I knew there was something special about this youngster”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[21] Future world heavyweight champion, Louisvillean Jimmy Ellis became friends with Clay during his amateur career.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to him, Clay never behaved aggressively outside the ring, although he was already inclined at that time to loud shenanigans and self-praise.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to Ellis, Clay took the practice seriously.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[21] In September 1958, Clay began studying at Lousville Central High School.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He graduated in June 1960 with weak honours and finished at the tail end of his own yearly course.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[22] To be precise, he was the 376th highest grades graduating pupil out of 391 in his year course.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[11] Clay received better-than-average assessments solely for his health.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[22] After graduating, Clay participated in the 1960 Rome Olympics.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Joe Martin says Clay wouldn't have wanted to leave because he was afraid of flying.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay tried last night to cancel the whole trip.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

However, Martin convinced Clay that winning the gold medal would help him emerge as world heavyweight champion.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Prior to the competitions, US sports magazine Sports Illustrated named Clay the nation's greatest gold medal effort.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[23] Expectations were rewarded, as Clay won an Olympic gold medal in boxing's middleweight.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He won his first three fights, including two by judge points and one by knockout in the second round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[23] Clay emerged as one of the tournament favourites after defeating middleweight reigning Olympic gold medalist, Soviet Union Gennady Šatkov by overwhelming points.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In the final, he beat experienced Polish Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, who was boxing's three-time European champion.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[12] Clay's victory did not receive much attention in the United States media, but he became a well-known figure in the Olympic Village, where when passing he used to shake hands and get to know other athletes.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[24] Clay was so proud of his medal, he kept it constantly around his neck.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He walked the streets of Rome with the medal, and when he returned to the United States, he wore a tie around his neck as he stepped off the plane.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[12] “I didn't take it off for 48 hours.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

I even wore it in bed.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

I didn't sleep very well because I had to sleep on my back so the medal wouldn't cut me.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

But I didn't care, I was an Olympic champion,” said Clay.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[24] When a Soviet journalist asked Clay how he felt about winning a medal for a country where, because of the colour of his skin, he couldn't go to all restaurants, Clay replied: “Tell your readers that qualified experts are solving that problem for a good time, and I'm not about the outcome at all worried.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The US is better than any other nation in the world, your home country included.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

“[25] Later in his biography, published in 1975, Ali claimed to have thrown his medal into the Ohio River when a Louisvillean restaurant refused to serve him because of racial segregation.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Later, Ali said he lost the medal or someone stole it.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[26] Beginning a professional career and assembling background influencers After winning an Olympic medal, Clay returned to Louisville with the intention of embarking on a professional career.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He negotiated a sponsorship deal with Billy Reynolds, the deputy director in charge of the Reynolds Metals Company, but negotiations broke off after Clay's father intervened in them.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Reynolds had suggested that Clay's former coach, police officer Joe E. Martin, might be involved in coaching him.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Cops hated Cassius Clay Sr.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

could not accept this though.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay eventually struck a deal with a group of investors led by Bill Faversham.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Faversham was an avid follower of boxing, having first noticed Clay when he won the Amateurs' Golden Gloves award at heavyweight in 1960.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He decided to put together a group of eleven investors to support the young professional after hearing negotiations with Billy Reynolds had broken off.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[27] The investor group was known as the Louisville Sponsoring Group.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

It included eleven white men, ten of whom were millionaires.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

All of the company's shareholders except Faversham invested $2800 in the operation.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Faversham paid $1400 less because of the work he had done to organize the company.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay made a $10,000 signing bonus.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Among other premiums, Clay was guaranteed a monthly salary of $333.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[28] For the first four years, the proceeds were split equally, but thereafter Clay would receive 60 per cent under the contract and 40 per cent of his profits by investors.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The contract was considered fair in its own time and was equal to what Reynolds offered.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[27] [28] Already three days after signing his contract on October 29, 1960, Clay fought for the first time as a professional.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He defeated Tunney Hunsaker, who worked as a police officer, by points.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[20] [29] Clay trained for the bout under the coaching of Fred Stoner, but Clay's background influencers wanted to replace him with someone more experienced and chose boxer Archie Moore to replace him.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[30] A group of businessmen sent their investment to a training camp run by boxer Moore in California near San Diego.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The camp was colloquially referred to as the “salt mines”, and Dick Sadler (who later rose to fame as George Foreman's manager) was to serve as an assistant coach.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[31] [32] Clay did not feel comfortable in primitive camp and went away after being bored washing floors and washing dishes.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[32] Coach Angelo Dundee says the crucial turnaround was when Moore told Clay to clean the kitchen.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay wouldn't, because, in his own words, he didn't even help his own mother in the kitchen.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[33] According to Moore, he did not have the resources to organise staff at training camp who would have taken care of the chores, so each camper had to deal with their share of the financial work in turn.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay's departure home left annoying him: “I tried to pressure him into discipline, but it was something Ali was never willing to accept: he always sought to command his superiors, the people he worked with.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Frankly, that kid would have needed a real beating, but I don't know who would have given him one.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

“[34] After an unsuccessful training trip, Faversham called Madison Square Garden and asked Harry Markson, who was responsible for its boxing operations, for recommendations on coaches.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Markson recommended Angelo Dundee.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Dundee had first met Clay as early as 1957 while coaching Willie Pastrano and a second time in 1959 when 17-year-old Clay had asked permission to spar against Pastrano and won a round against the future middleweight champion of the world.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Dundee agreed, and Clay arrived shortly after signing his contract on December 19 to train at Dundee's gym in Miami, Florida.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Already eight days later, Clay won the second fight of his pro career by knockout of Herb Siler in the fourth round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[35] Angelo Dundee, early in Clay's career, sought to pick opponents who were not too much ahead of his protégé in areas of maturity, power or speed.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In his third fight, Clay knocked out Tony Espert in the third round, then Jim Robinson in the first.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Around the same time, Clay sparred with former World Heavyweight Champion Ingemar Johansson, who was in Miami coaching his match against Floyd Patterson.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to promoter Harald Conrad, Clay danced around Johansson, who moved clumsily in the ring, calling her a “coward”: “I'm supposed to be fighting Patterson here, not yours”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The practice session was stopped after the second round after Johansson tired herself out.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Gilbert Rogin, the editor of Sports Illustrated, too, had watched Clay and Johansson sparring and became so convinced of the young boxer's skills that he glowed on his return to New York after only four professional fights won Clay to the magazine's editor-in-chief as a future world champion.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[36] Rising to world champion contender Clay won his next two fights and faced Duke Sabedong in Las Vegas in the seventh match of his pro career.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

It was there that Clay met show wrestler Gorgeous George, who was a guest on the same radio show.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Gorgeus George threatened to 'destroy' his opponent in his next fight.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Meeting the wrestler made a big impression on Clay, as the match against Gorgeus George was sold out: “I had never been shy about my speeches, but at the time I realised that if I was even more, people would pay anything to get to see me,” recalled Ali Hauser writing in the biography.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Coach Dundee helped Clay in the media game by showing him the right reporters with which to move forward the young boxer's career.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[37] Clay had his first televised match on July 22, 1961, against Alonzo Johnson.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Although Clay won the ten-round bout by points, his style drew criticism from sportscasters.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to Clay, he was allegedly “jumping too much to become a heavyweight.”


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[4] Due to criticism, Dundee advised Clay to knock out his next opponent Alex Miteff as early as the first round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The bout ended with Clay winning by technical knockout in the sixth round as Miteff had trouble staying on his feet.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Although Miteff didn't crash into the canvees early in the bout, Clay's displays were enough for Sports Illustrated's Rogin to proclaim him in the pages of the magazine as boxing's “prodigy”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[4] After Miteff, Clay faced Willi Besmanoff, and promised before the fight that “Besmanoff would be knocked out in the seventh round”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Besmanoff tired early in the match and according to biographer Thomas Hauser, Clay had to stretch the match because of the promise he made in the media.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Coach Dundee did not like his fighter's “messing around”, but the incident boosted Clay's reputation to such an extent that Madison Square Garden decided to take him on as a fixture.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Sonny Banks was chosen as the opponent, whom Clay promised to knock out in the fourth round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[38] On February 10, 1962, Cassius Clay faced Sonny Banks, whose punch knocked him down for the first time in his pro career in the first round of a scuffle.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

However, Clay powered quickly and won the fight via technical knockout in the fourth round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[39] On February 28, 1962, Clay fought Don Warner, knocking out his experienced opponent in the fourth round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Prior to the fight, however, Clay had promised to knock Warner out only in the fifth round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

When reporters asked Clay why the “prediction” didn't come true, he said he was angry that Warner didn't shake his hand before the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to Angelo Dundee, Clay claimed he had deducted one round due to unsportsmanlike conduct.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After that, Clay defeated on April 23, 1963, George Logan by knockout in Los Angeles.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

On the same trip, Clay met photographer Howard Bingham, who photographed for a living as a freelancer for Life and Sports Illustrated magazines.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He became a good friend of Clay, who over the next several decades took more than five hundred thousand photographs of him.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[40] After Logan, Clay defeated Billy Daniels in New York and Alejando Lavorante in Los Angeles.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

At this point, Clay's background influencers decided that their protégé is ready to face the experienced Archie Moore, who had previously coached Clay.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to biographer Thomas Hauser, it was a typical bout in which a rising star faced a well-known boxer who had seen his peak moment.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay had only fought fifteen fights as a professional, while Moore had already accumulated more than two hundred fights.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[41] The match took place on 15 November 1962.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Before the fight, Clay announced in rhyme terms that he would knock out Moore in the fourth round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Moore had earlier in August expressed a desire to button Clay's mouth shut.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[42] Moore's tactic was to strike as much of the body as possible.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He tried to tire Clay by moving, but due to his opponent's speed, Moore had to tie up, leaving his head unprotected.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[43] Moore was knocked out by Clay in the fourth round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[11] The match was watched on site by 16200 spectators.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[44] Former World Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey was also present.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After the bout, Dempsey told the press he doesn't care whether Clay can box or not because, thanks to him, things are “great again.”


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[14] Two months later, Clay knocked out Charlie Powell in Pittsburgh.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After that, he took a fight against Doug Jones in New York, where a newspaper strike made it difficult to market the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Without magazines, Clay was forced to market the match in addition to television interviews by visiting public spaces such as nightclubs and bowling alleys.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Despite the newspaper strike, the match became a success, as the Garden was exceptionally sold out.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to journalist A. J. Liebling, he had not seen anything like it since Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano took a measure of each other in the same arena in 1951.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay had promised to knock Jones out in the fourth round, but the bout lasted full rounds and ended in a points win for Clay.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

During the match, the crowd turned on Clay and soon afterwards local newspapers also began to criticise his personality.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

“The very nice and well-liked Clay has damaged his public image with endless retouching, and it's high time he changed his style,” wrote Arthur Daley of The New York Times.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[45] Clay had his final match before his world title fight against Henry Cooper.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

A few days earlier, Clay had said Cooper was only a warm-up for Liston and promised to knock out his opponent in the fifth round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[46] Clay arrived in the ring with a crown on his head and dressed in a cloak with “Cassius the Great” on his back.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He again predicted the outcome of the bout, and promised to knock Cooper out in the fifth round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[47] Clay started the match in his typical manner.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He was constantly in motion, striking Cooper with a jab in the face.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[48] After three rounds, Cooper was in knockout condition and Clay's alertness diminished.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He wasn't determined to knock out his opponent as he promised until the fifth round, so he put his hands down and danced.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The behaviour irritated William Faversham, the head of Clay's sponsorship company.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[47] Clay kept his hands down in a close-match situation, causing Cooper to slam a furious left hook into Clay's face.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay fell down the canvas while the batch clock announced the fourth round had run out and he walked with shaky feet back to his corner.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

During the batch break, a hole was spotted in Clay's gloves and coach Dundee figured to enlarge it so that Clay would have to find a new pair of gloves, giving him time to recover for a few more moments.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[48] “It was maybe about one extra minute but that was enough for him,” reckoned Dundee.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Eventually, the match was resumed despite a broken chap.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In the fifth round, Clay earnestly attacked Cooper, and the umpire was forced to abort the struggle at the 2 minute and 15 second mark.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[49] After the match, Ali said he underestimated Cooper, called him the toughest opponent he faced and told him he considered him his first challenger.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[33] First World Championship on September 25, 1962, Cassius Clay traveled to Chicago to watch a world title fight between champion Floyd Patterson and challenger Sonny Liston.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Liston subdued Patterson within two minutes.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After the match, Clay got up in the ring and challenged the fresh champion to a match for the title.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Liston next decided to face Patterson in a rematch that took place in Las Vegas.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay was also present and continued his bullpen.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After defeating Patterson a second time, Liston accepted Clay's challenge.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[50] The contract for the match was signed on November 5, 1963.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Gordon Davidson, a lawyer who was part of Clay's sponsorship group, said at a press conference following the signing that the decision to go to the match came from Clay himself.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

From the sponsor company's point of view, the world title fight came too quickly, but the fighter refused to listen to their views: “We came to the conclusion that Cassius doesn't even want to develop into the greatest fisher in the world.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[...] He just wants to get rich.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Whether it is wise or not, then it is about his career, and he has made his choice.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

“[51] Cassius Clay was only 22 years old and only had 19 professional fights when he got to fight for the world boxing heavyweight title for the first time on February 25, 1964 in Miami Beach.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[52] [53] During his short professional career, Clay had twice gone to canvees against boxers considered mediocre and the Liston bout was expected to remain one-sided.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Boxing experts generally did not believe in the challenger's chances and betting odds were 7—1 in favour of Liston.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to Las Vegas bookmakers, only one in five bettors betting on the winner of the match and the rest were betting on which round Liston would knock out Clay.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[54] Many were also amused by Clay's extraordinary assertiveness.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He declared in good time that he was the next heavyweight champion of the world and described himself in words: “I am the greatest, I am the most beautiful!” [53] [55] Liston said he was only concerned about his fist getting stuck in the challenger's big mouth.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[51] When a reporter asked Clay if he was afraid of Liston, he replied, “Blacks fear whites much more than blacks”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[11] Subsequently, Clay has admitted that he considered Liston a formidable opponent.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[50] [51] In preparation for the struggle, Clay studied Liston's match style and observed his movements outside the ring.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He wanted to stir the thoughts of a world champion and insulted his opponent to anger him.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

“I thought that way I would bring him to the edge of rage: in a match he would just want to list me and forget how he fists.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

“[51] Before the match, Clay began calling Liston an “ugly bear”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He also attracted attention by invading Liston's practice room and even his home in Denver.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[14] On the latter occasion, Clay called from a telephone booth to all Denver newspapers and television channels.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

She posed as an old woman and told Cassius Clay that she intended to “penetrate at night into Liston's home cave.”


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay took with him a pair of bear irons and a fur coat and went into Liston's yard, but Liston, armed with a coal rod, told him to leave.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Police were able to arrive at the scene before the situation escalated.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[50] Clay continued his interference at the pre-fight weigh-in, where he yelled out to knock out Liston in the eighth round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He arrived at the scene wearing a jacket that read “Bear Hunter” on the back.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Six men were forced to hold Clay down when Liston arrived at the weigh-in.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay's heart rate was elevated.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Doctor Alexander Robbins found Clay to be mentally unbalanced and frightened, and many others present also interpreted Clay's behaviour as fear.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[56] The Miami Boxing Commission punished Clay for his conduct at the weigh-in with fines of $2500.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[57] In the first round of the bout, Clay avoided the aggressive Liston and dodged his firm punches.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

By the start of the third round, Clay was leading the fight and had caused Liston's eye corners to bleed.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[11] The most dramatic moment of the match was seen after the fourth round when Clay's eye began to show symptoms.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He returned to the angulation and claimed he couldn't see anything.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

It is not known for certain where the loss of sight came from, but Angelo Dundee believes Liston's shoulder cream got into his eyes through Clay's own gloves.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay led the match overwhelmingly in points, but was nonetheless poised to drop out.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Dundee, however, did not agree to interrupt the struggle and instead rinsed Clay's reddened eyes and patted him to continue.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Midway through the fifth round, the eyes were back in order and in the sixth round Clay took a clear victory.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

At the start of the seventh round, Liston no longer left his corner and Cassius Clay was declared the new World Heavyweight Champion.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The reason for Liston's extradition was a sore shoulder.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[58] At the time of its conclusion, the match was a tie according to the calculations made by the ring judge and the rating judges.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[59] After winning the world title, Clay boasted that he had shaken the world and asked the audience by shouting who is the greatest now.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[55] As the result of the match was surprising, rumours began to circulate in the press about betting fraud orchestrated by the Liston camp.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

However, Las Vegas betting agencies confirmed that no suspiciously large sums of money had been gambled on Clay's behalf.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[60] Converting to Muslim, name change and rematch Muhammad Ali recounted while living several different versions of what prompted him to convert to Islam.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In a letter written to his second wife sometime in the late 1960s, he recounted reading Muhammad Speaks, a magazine published by the Nation of Islam, and described a cartoon published in the magazine's December 1961 issue.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In the comic, black slaves were forced to abandon their original religion and worship Jesus.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

“I liked the comic.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

It did something for me.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

And that made sense,” wrote Ali.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[61] Later, Ali told his biographer: “I happened to glance at the NOI newspaper before I travelled to the Olympics.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

I did not pay special attention to it at the time, but a wide variety of things began to circulate in my mind "[62].


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Cassius Clay went to a mosque for the first time in 1961 in Overtown Miami for the Nation of Islam organization (so-called: Black Muslims) called by Sam Saxon (later Adbul Rahama [62]) who belonged to him.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay was impressed by what he saw and heard.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to the organization's Muslim preachers, Christianity was the religion of whites that had been forced upon their black slaves by slave owners, whose original religion was Islam.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[63] Thereafter, Clay regularly read the organisation's magazine and began attending gatherings.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[64] In 1962, Saxon invited Clay and his Rudolph brother to a gathering in Detroit, where Clay met Malcolm X for the first time [65].


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to Malcom X's widow, Betty Shabazz, Malcolm loved Clay like his own brother, and taught him self-respect [66].


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Later, the friends drifted apart due to differences between Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X when the young world champion decided to continue as Elijah Muhammad's successor [67].


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Clay kept his membership secret for three years prior to the world title fight because both the Nation of Islam and Clay himself knew that membership could hinder getting a title match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[68] Rumors of Clay joining took off even before the first Liston match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In 1963, the Philadelphia Daily News was the first to report that Clay had attended an expression of mind organized by the Nation of Islam in Philadelphia.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The news received only minimal attention because at this point Clay had yet to fight Liston and the Nation of Islam was not very well known.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

There was a greater buzz when Clay attended a gathering of the organization on January 21, 1964, in New York City, to which he travelled together with Malcolm X.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After the gathering, Clay admitted to the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper that he had been involved with, and liked, a Muslim organization, but on his own religious beliefs he made no comment.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

However, journalist Pat Putnam got word from Clay's father that his son has converted to Muslim and plans to change his name after the title match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Putnam claimed to have received death threats because of a story he wrote.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The promoter of the first Liston match, Bill MacDonald, threatened to cancel the entire bout due to rumors if Clay did not say his release from the Nation of Islam, to which Clay would not agree.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Eventually, the controversy was resolved when Malcolm X agreed to leave Miami for the period leading up to the match, calming the situation down.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[69] Clay announced that he had officially joined the organization in a radio interview the day after the championship game.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[70] Furthermore, he announced that he had changed his name to Cassius X in order to show his contempt for his former “slave name”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[52] [60] On 6 March 1964, the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad, announced on radio that the name Cassius Clay had no sacred meaning, and gave him the new name Muhammad Ali.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad meant “worth praising” and Ali in turn was a reference to the Prophet Muhammad's cousin, Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib, explaining Ali his name to his biographer.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He considered the name change to be one of the most important turning points in his life.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[71] Ali also began making statements to the press showing that he had adopted the radical racial vision of the Nation of Islam.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He believed the integration of blacks and whites was wrong and did not approve of mixed marriages.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He also said he supported creating his own state for blacks.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[72] During the first trip of his life to Africa, Ali said when he visited Ghana everything in America was so white that he is happy “here with my true people.”


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[73] On July 3, 1964, Ali met Sonji Roi, who worked as a waitress and photographic model, with whom he married already two weeks later on 21 August 1964.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to Roi, Ali proposed to her already during their first meeting.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[74] The marriage ended in divorce after eleven months.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali filed a complaint in Florida with the Dade County court alleging that Roi had, among other things, refused to follow the Nation of Islam rules he had sworn to abide by at the start of the marriage.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Roi, for example, did not agree to abide by the organization's dress code.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The final distinction went into effect on January 10, 1966.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali was ordered to pay Roi $15,000 a year for 10 years as well as pay $22500 worth of Roi's legal costs.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Before the breakup took effect, Ali sent Roi a message telling her the woman had swapped heaven for hell.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Later, Roi described Ali as an “excellent husband” and said the resignation was because he questioned Elijah Muhammad's teachings and did not agree to obey those who held power in the Muslim organisation who had an influence on Ali.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[75] Ali's membership of the Nation of Islam had a significant impact on his image, as according to biographer Thomas Hauser, Clay's public image prior to the change of religion “pleased the Caucasian population of the country”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Also, according to boxing promoter Harold Conrad, Ali was formerly known as a “good black” whom whites were able to encourage.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[69] Following the announcement of the membership and the change of name, sportscaster Jimmy Cannon wrote that he “despised” Ali and “abhorred” what he stands for.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Promoter Harry Markson, meanwhile, found Ali's antics unfortunate: “We've done a huge amount of work to get rid of cross-racial boundary fences, so it's a shame to watch the heavyweight champion preach in favour of hate religion.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

“[76] After the championship, the attitude towards Clay of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad also became more positive than before.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Earlier, he had accused those involved in converting Clay of “messing around with boxers” and urged Malcolm X to keep his distance from Clay because he believed Liston would win the fight.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Two days after Clay's victory, Elijah Muhammad glowed at Clay's achievement at the Nation of Islam's annual meeting in Chicago.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[77] The change of name was not appreciated either, as most of the media and some public figures refused to use the new name [78].


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In official contexts, however, Ali was used by the name Cassius Clay for years to come.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[79] On June 19, 1964, Ali lost one of the two world title belts he controlled when the boxing federation WBA did not approve his decision to agree to a rematch against Liston [80].


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After the first match, Ali's weight had risen to 105 kilograms and he had to work to get to the fitness required for the match [81].


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

With training, Ali's weight dropped ten pounds and the girth of his biceps increased by several centimeters.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The match was due to take place as early as 16 November 1964, but three days before the scheduled encounter, Ali suffered a bout of illness due to a congenital stricken inguinal hernia.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali immediately underwent surgery, for which the world title fight had to be moved by half a year.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The match venue, too, had to be changed from Boston, Massachusetts, to Lewiston, Maine.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[82] The match took place on 25 May 1965.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The bout was more straightforward than the previous but also more questionable, as Ali defeated Liston by knockout already in the first round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

During the match, Ali hit Liston with three powerful punches, the last of which a punched right straight in the face knocked Liston down the canvas.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After the knockout, however, Ali did not go for a neutral corner and instead stayed beside his beaten opponent to uproot.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[83] Ring umpire Jersey Joe Walcott was so amazed by the situation that he forgot to start counting.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[59] Walcott tried to push Ali away from Liston even though he should have refused to start counting until the champion has gone into a neutral corner.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After 17 seconds of lying in the canvas, Liston stood up and the fight was resumed for a short while until Ring magazine publisher Nat Fleischer shouted that Liston had been knocked out.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After the debate, Walcott declared Ali the winner of the match by knockout.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Two years after the match, Liston explained that he didn't get out of the canvees because Ali was left standing next to him: “Everybody knows Ali is wacky.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

You can predict the movements of a normal person, but you never know from a madman”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Liston had again been the bettors” favourite.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[83] Defending the championship, Muhammad Ali defended his title against two-time world champion, 30-year-old Floyd Patterson, at the Convention Hall in Las Vegas on November 22, 1965 [80].


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The marketing of the match took a nasty turn when Patterson announced his intentions to “return the championship belt to the Americans" [84].


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Patterson wrote an article for Sports Illustrated magazine detailing his disdain for the Nation of Islam and noting the world champion belonging to “black Muslims” to discredit both his country and his sport with his speeches.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[85] Ali felt no respect for Patterson, who, in his view, had betrayed his race by moving to an ethnically white borough.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[80] [86] The intervals between the matchmakers became even tighter as Patterson continued to use the Cassius Clay name.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[11] Ali could not tolerate Patterson's behavior because he had demanded everyone call him by his new name.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

A week before the match, Ali threatened to punish Patterson over the allegations he made in the writing, saying he would hit him “so badly that he needs a shoe spoon to put his hat on.”


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[87] [88] Ali continued to taunt Patterson through the entire long bout, which was settled in Ali's favor in the 12th round by technical knockout.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[11] [89] It has been claimed that Ali would have intentionally prolonged the fight and would not have attempted to secure a quick knockout victory.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[90] [91] The media didn't like the match, and for example, New York Times reporter Robert Lipsyte equated Ali with a little boy ripping off a butterfly wings piece by piece.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[92] In 1966, the contract between Ali and the Lousvillean millionaires who served as his managers expired.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The reason for the end of the deal has been considered Ali's membership of the Nation of Islam, something that was likely difficult for senior businessmen to tolerate.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[93] Jabir Herbert Muhammad, the son of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad, was chosen as Ali's new manager.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[94] Ali had met his future manager for the first time in 1964 after his world title fight when he went to photograph himself in a Chicagoan shop.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Herbert Muhammad's business instinct and understanding of the boxer's ambition impressed Ali and a deal was born.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[95] Herbert Muhammad paid Ali's training expenses and received 40% of the proceeds from the matches.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[94] Next, Ali was to face Ernie Terrell, who dominated the WBA world title deprived of Ali.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

However, the match, originally intended to take place in Chicago, had to be cancelled.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[96] Ali defended his title in Toronto on 29 March 1966 when he defeated Canadian George Chuvalo by points.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[97] After the match, Ali's military service controversy continued to swell and his next three matches were decided to take place in Europe.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[98] Challenger Henry Cooper was knocked out by Ali in the sixth round [99] and Brian London in the third.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[100] Karl Mildenberger's Ali defeated in the 10th round by knockout on 10 September 1966 in Frankfurt am Main.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[101] Mildenberger was the first left-handed (southpaw in boxing terms) challenger in boxing history, and his style produced a few problems for Ali.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[102] His next two challengers Ali faced in Houston.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

On November 14, 1966, he knocked out Cleveland Williams in the 3.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

in installments.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[103] Ali's backbenchers would not have wanted him to fight against Williams, who is known for his powerful punches, but Ali said he couldn't consider himself a champion if he doesn't beat Williams.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[104] Williams, however, was only a shadow even further, having been caught up in a shootout a few years earlier and undergone four surgeries.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to sportscaster Jerry Izenberg, Ali knew Williams was in poor health and had his own doubts about the match for this reason.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Izenberg urged Ali to knock Williams out as quickly as possible.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[105] There were 35460 people watching the match, which was, in its own time, a record for an indoor boxing match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After the match, Ali expressed his desire to end his career after defeating his next opponent, WBA federation world champion Ernie Terrell.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He planned after quitting to devote his life to the benefit of the Nation of Islam.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[106] Terrel was considered the toughest opponent Ali faced in his career since Sonny Liston.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Nonetheless, Ali was the preseason favourite for the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[107] On February 6, 1967, Ali finally confronted Terrell.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The match settled the WBA federation's world title, winning which would elevate Ali to the undisputed champion of his weight class.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The match is particularly remembered for how Terrell persistently continued to call Ali Cassius Clay.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali was angered by the name-calling and the match became raw.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Unable to get Terrel knocked out, Ali struck him in the face, causing a large cut to open above his left eye in round 6.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After this, Terrel no longer attacked as aggressively.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In the eighth round, Ali began to annoy the injured Terrel by shouting, within striking distance, “What's my name?” [108] During the final round, he knocked Terrel down once to the ground, which settled a clear points win for him.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[108] [109] Even before the match Ali had given advance warning of what was to come: “I'm going to sulk and humiliate him every time only again and at the same time I'll let my mouth run.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Bang!


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

I ask him over and over again what my name is.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Boom!


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

I'll keep doing this until he calls me Muhammad Ali.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

I want him to get stunted in the ring.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He doesn't deserve a cool knockout.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

“[110] Terrell, who knew Ali from his early career as an amateur, later said that he called Ali Clay at first accidentally and continued to do so only to entertain the audience.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[111] Ali defended her title for the ninth and final time against Zora Folley on March 22, 1967 in New York City.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[112] For the first two rounds, Ali observed his opponent and studied his movements, after which he dominated the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Folley managed to hit Ali more times than any of his previous opponents.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali knocked out his opponent in the seventh round, after which Folley's young son was brought into the ring to watch his father.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After seeing the boy's downbeat look, Ali told him to be proud of his father, who had organised a great match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[113] Losing the championship and taking away his license, the 18-year-old Ali was registered for Army call-ups in Louisville on April 18, 1960, and on March 9, 1962, he was classified as eligible for call-up.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

On January 24, 1964, he was assigned to Army eligibility tests, which he flunked.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He also flunked a retest held two months later, overseen by three Army psychologists.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

On March 26, 1964, Ali was classified as fitness class 1 Y, which meant disqualification from military service.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[114] Ali's call-out records were then moved from Louisville to Houston, where authorities on 17 February 1966 changed his fitness class to 1 A, [94] due to the prolongation of the Vietnam War due to the prolongation of the Vietnam War, the criteria for selecting soldiers had to be haggled.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[72] Ali's lawyer pleaded racial discrimination, and the master himself begged for deferment by invoking his religion, for according to the Quran, a Muslim must not participate in war unless it is the will of God or his messenger (by which Ali referred to Elijah Muhammad, the leader of the Nation of Islam).


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[115] However, the decision was not changed and Ali was ordered to attend invitations in Houston.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[94] [72] A few hours after the order, Ali made several statements to the media on the matter.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The most famous of these was Ali's response when asked by a reporter what he thought of the Viet Cong, to which Ali replied that he has no hard feelings with the Viet Cong.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[116] [117] Due to his anti-war and unpatriotic statements, a public apology was demanded from Ali.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

However, he stood by his opinions and told me he only regretted having told them to the press.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[118] On March 17, 1966, Ali demanded an exemption from military service from the Vocation Board, citing financial hardship that service would cause him and his family, as well as his religious affiliation.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The petition was denied.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali appealed the decision.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In a special session of the appeals panel, Ali justified his religious belief in a 21-page memo, leading the official in charge of the session to become convinced that Ali was sincere in citing reasons of conscience.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He recommended that Ali be released from duty, but the Justice Department opposed the recommendation, citing investigations by the FBI that suggested Ali's anti-war stance was based on political and racial views, and religion was merely an excuse.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[119] At the invitation ceremony on 28 April 1967, Ali refused three times to answer the roll call of the Vocation Authorities and was warned against refusing under threat of punishment.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

When, on the fourth time, Ali failed to respond, he was arrested.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[20] [120] [79] Ali walked free after posting $5000 bail, which was conditional on him not being allowed to leave the United States.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[121] Just hours after the invitation session, the New York Athletic Commission revoked Ali's boxing license and refused to recognize him as world champion.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Other states followed suit, resulting in Ali losing his world title.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[122] Later in June, Ali was sentenced to a five-year prison sentence and pay a fine of ten thousand dollars, which was the highest possible sentence.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The confiscation of his passport effectively ended Ali's boxing career, as the domestic boxing commissions did not give him a fight license.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[123] He had to take a three-year break from boxing without serving a day in prison.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali was allowed to remain free on bail.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[124] When Ali gave his first Viet Cong comments, the United States had not yet generally turned against the war.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Many people and organizations took positions on Ali's settlement.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Former boxing world champion Billy Conn called Ali the 'shame' stain of boxing's next world.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Pennsylvania Rep. Frank Clark told reporters he found Ali sickening.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The Chicago Tribune ran a heated campaign to have Clay's match against Ernie Terrel moved away from Chicago.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Governor Otto Kerney ordered the Boxing Commission to investigate and when Ali refused to apologize for his Viet Cong statements, Attorney General William Clark banned the fight from being staged, citing vaguely state sports law.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Attempts were made to move the match to Louisville, Miami, Pittsburgh, and several other cities, but everywhere local politicians blocked the event.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Eventually, Terrell withdrew as a scuffle and Ali was forced to fight Canada's Toronto against George Chuvalo.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[125] Since Ali's judgment was also seen as a religious issue, many Muslims sided with support for him.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

For example, an entourage of Cairan officials expressed in a petition to President Lyndon B. Johnson that they hoped that Ali would be relieved of duty.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[94] Three days before the invitations, Ali called his situation God's way to test the faith of his supporters: “Allah wants to test me.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

If I pass the test, I will be even stronger.” [126] Time in a match ban during his 1967—1970 Match ban, Ali became more deeply acquainted with the teachings of Elijah Muhammad, attended Nation of Islam events and visited mosques across the country.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[127] He made a living by making television commercials, lecturing at colleges and appearing on television talk shows.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In addition, he made a $225,000 contract for the rights to his biography [14] and appeared in the Broadway musical starring Buck White.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The musical premiered on 2 December 1969 at the George Abbot Theatre, but was only able to be performed four days before it was discontinued.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[128] Ali also contributed a documentary about his life to A.K.A.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Cassius Clay to the making.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[129] Ali had no problems making a living at a time when the continuation of his boxing career looked hopeless.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In August 1967, Ali married for the second time.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

His wife was 17-year-old Belinda Boyd, whose father was a member of the Nation of Islam.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Boyd had received his education at the University of Islam and was working as a salesman at a Chicago-based bakery owned by the organisation when he met Ali.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[130] [131] They had four children during their marriage.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[132] After the wedding, Ali announced that he would leave boxing and become a Muslim preacher, [133] but nevertheless tried to regain his license several more times until announcing in 1970 that he would give up boxing for good.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[134] During his ban from The Super Fight, Ali agreed to a computer match against retired Rocky Marciano.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The promoter of the bout was Murray Woroner, who had previously 'plotted' computer-designed boxing matches on his well-known radio show.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Woroner had entered information on his computer about sixteen world heavyweight champions and, based on them, created a tournament that Marciano won; Ali in turn lost to James J. Jeffries.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Because of the result, one of Ali's attorneys threatened to sue Woroner, allowing Woroner to get the idea for a showcased match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali made ten thousand dollars from the fight and a share of the proceeds.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[135] Facing off were the only heavyweight champions of the world to remain undefeated.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The bout was called The Super Fight.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Hundreds of sports journalists and former boxers provided details for the bout about the characteristics of both boxers such as speed and strength.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The data was entered into a computer and the machine calculated a model of how the match could have progressed.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[136] Woroner had created the idea for radio, but he decided to develop it further now and make the match into a film.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali and Marciano sparred against each other in the ring and presented every possible blow and set; all possible solutions (knockout, technical knockout, score and draw) were also filmed.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Marciano was killed in an airplane crash in 1969 and was unable to see the film, which premiered on 20 January 1970 in 850 cinemas in the United States.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[136] The course of a computer-designed match was kept a big secret before the film premiered.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Based on results in the United States, Marciano secured a knockout victory over Ali in the 13th round after Ali visited the canvees three times before that, but in the European version Ali won.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[129] [137] This was, according to sports journalist and historian Bert Sugar, because “Europeans were infuriated” by Marciano's victory, and for this reason the BBC aired a version in England a week after the premiere in which Ali defeated Marciano by technical knockout.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[135] Return and Fight of the Century Ali did not end his career, but returned to the ring even before his sentence was overturned.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Since there was no boxing commission in the state of Georgia, he was able to fight there without a license.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[20] It has been rumored that the state's governor, Lester Maddox, allowed the struggle to materialize to win the black vote in the next election.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[70] In his comeback fight in Atlanta on October 26, 1970, Ali faced Jerry Quarry, another challenger to World Champion Joe Frazier.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali defeated him via technical knockout in the third round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[138] Quarry's left eye corner opened, causing his assistant to throw the towel into the ring.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Eleven stitches were stitched into the wound after the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Referee Tony Perez would have allowed Quarry to continue still struggling.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[139] After Ali had taken a clear victory over Quarry, experts discovered that during his absence he had developed his strength and could no longer be considered merely a fast boxer.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[14] Next, Ali took defeated Argentinian Oscar Bonavena by technical knockout in the NABF championship match on December 7.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He relinquished the championship shortly after the fight.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[140] The first encounter between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier was called Fight of the Century (Match of the Century) and took place at New York City's Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[141] The fighters were guaranteed fees of $2.5 million for the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[142] It was the first boxing world championship match to face two undefeated world heavyweight champions, [14] [143] which was also reflected at the box office.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The match made a profit of nearly $23 million, of which ticket sales accounted for more than a million.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Through television, the match was watched by 300 million viewers in 46 countries.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[142] While marketing the struggle, Ali mockingly referred to Frazier as “Uncle Thomas” (eng.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Uncle Tom), which meant white kowtowing black.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Frazier, who supported Ali during his match ban, did not realise this and a feud between the pair began to develop.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[144] By utilizing the media, Ali managed to shape the images of the fighters to reflect popular opinions: Ali represented a young, anti-war and black state, while Frazier was an advance favourite of conservative, patriotic and white people.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Frazier didn't like Ali's habit of bringing things into the struggle that weren't part of it, but they raised the interest of the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[144] Frazier destabilized Ali early in the 11th round and knocked him down the canvas in the final round, thus securing his points victory.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Before the bout, Frazier had said Ali was good but not good enough for him to “run.”


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

This was true, as Frazier stayed through the match close to Ali, slowing him down with body blows.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[145] Ali was used to hitting his opponents from afar, but Frazier kept tight close to him and prevented him from exploiting his reach.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[143] [146] Instead of his usual jab, Ali had to hit Frazier with hooks that made his face swell but were not powerful enough to settle the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[145] Shortly after the bout, Ali claimed to have lost the bout by a “white man's decision” and in reality that he had beaten Frazier by points.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[144] Meanwhile, public opinion in the United States had begun to turn against the Vietnam War, and on June 28, 1971, the Supreme Court of the United States decided to overturn the conviction received by Ali by a vote of 8—0.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

According to the ruling, Ali had refused service, citing his conscience and religion, and the sentence could not be considered reasonable.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Those convicted of other crimes such as rape or murder did not, according to witness testimony, had trouble like Ali's in obtaining a boxing license.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[14] [120] Time as NABF champion despite the disappointment of the World Championship title, Ali continued his career, defeating Jimmy Ellis in the 12th round by technical knockout in the July 26 match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The stake for the match was the vacant NABF Championship, which Ali won for the second time in his career.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In November 1972, Ali faced Bob Foster.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Foster was a powerful hitter, and from his trail Ali sustained a visible cut and bruising to the corner of his eye for the first time in his career.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Although Ali managed to win the bout via knockout, he said after the bout his “humanity has become proven” and admitted Foster had been a decent opponent.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[147] Before his match in Las Vegas against Joe Bugner, “king of rock and roll” Elvis Presley went to see Ali and gifted him a match jacket, [148] which he refused to wear in his match against Bugner because he feared that he would break his routine.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[70] Still, he wore a jacket wearing in his next match against Ken Norton in an encounter on 31 March 1973.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[148] Ali suffered the second official defeat of his career against Norton by a unanimous decision of the judges.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Norton was not surprised by the result, as he had also, in his own opinion, been winning throughout.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[149] The match is particularly known for how Norton managed during the match to break Ali's jaw.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali himself has told of noticing a fracture after the second round, in which Norton had been able to strike a powerful hook through his protection.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali, however, went on to fight because he had imagined he could still win, but avoiding his opponent and shielding his jaw ultimately cost the struggle victory.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The lack of training has been blamed for the defeat, too, as manager Herbert Muhammad had already pointed out before the match that Ali had breached the principles of good training in preparation for the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[150] Due to the injury, he went on six months sick leave and, upon his return, faced his first job in a rematch with Norton which took place on 10 September 1973.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

This time Ali was better prepared and took control of the NABF championship for the third time by split points.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[151] Ali fought one more bout against Rudi Lubbers before he and Frazier faced off for the second time in a fight known as Super Fight II on January 29, 1974.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[152] The match received a lot of attention, as the day before that Ali and Frazier got into a brawl in the middle of an interview on the Wild World of Sports programme aired on the ABC channel.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[143] [70] The struggle, like the previous encounter of the pair, generated more than $20 million in total for its organisers.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[153] Ali took a clear points victory over Frazier and would likely have knocked him to the canvees in the second set had it not been interrupted by the umpire.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[143] After the match, Ali relinquished the NABF championship to focus on the world title fight.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Second World Championship: The Rumble in the Jungle match between Ali and George Foreman took place historically in Africa, in Kinshasa, the capital of Zaire, on 30 October 1974.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[154] The bout was advertised as Rumble in the Jungle, invented by Don King, who was the promoter of the bout, a rather unknown name in the boxing world at the time.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

King promised Ali and Foreman a $5 million fee for the match but had to find an outside backer for the match because he was himself broke.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Zaire's president Mobutu Sese Seko announced that he would guarantee the money and organise an open-air arena with 60,000 spectators as the venue for the fight, as he wanted Zaire to be the first country to sponsor a major boxing match in Africa.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[155] Ali was again a contender and underdog and his chances of winning another championship were not entrusted.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[120] The betting odds were on Foreman's side by figures 3 to 1.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[156] Foreman was younger and bigger than Ali (190 cm and 100 kg) [155] and known for his striking power.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[157] Foreman's dominance was also informed by the fact that he had previously only needed two rounds to knock out Joe Frazier and Ken Norton.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali, on the other hand, had lost one-time to each of them and all their encounters had been remarkably even-handed anyway.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[155] The match had to be postponed for six weeks because Foreman suffered an open wound to his eye while sparring.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[155] The delay did no harm to the confident Ali, who enjoyed the sympathy and hospitality of the Zaireans.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The people took him as their own when he proclaimed that he was first and foremost African.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[156] Foreman did not adapt to Zaire like Ali, but was annoyed to remain there to stay as a “political prisoner”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

His training camp, too, was located on an old army base.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[155] In the first round of the bout, Ali traditionally fought by moving around a lot and hitting sure punches.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

However, he soon realised he couldn't beat the stronger Foreman with that style.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

He switched his tactics and began taking copious blows to his body while lying on the hoop ropes, which caused Foreman, known as a powerful hitter, to wear out his power.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[5] While lying in the ropes, he constantly insulted and annoyed Foreman by describing his blows as “virgin”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[156] In the 8th round of the bout, Ali managed to knock out a tired Foreman, thus becoming the first boxing world champion after Floyd Patterson to have managed to win the title again after losing it once.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[154] Ali had also managed to win over the majority of Zaire supporters before the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The crowd shouted through the match pep phrase “Ali, boma ye!”


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

(Ali, kill him) and cheered when Ali punched Foreman.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[157] [156] After the match, Foreman, who had not lost a single match yet in his professional career, disputed the integrity of the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Over the years, he reported that his defeat had been attributed, among other things, to heavy air in Africa, drinking water poisoned with a narcotic substance, ring ropes loosened by Angelo Dundee and a judge's too-quick figure count.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[157] Foreman's mental recovery from defeat took a long time, but he eventually learned to reluctantly accept his loss to “the best man there ever was in the boxing ring”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali, for his part, has said that Foreman was the most powerful hitter he had ever encountered.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[158] Later Foreman and Ali were good friends.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Foreman has said the struggle taught him humility and is proud of his status as an important chapter in Ali's career.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[159] Thrilla in Manila Ali defended his new title for the first time against unknown Chuck Wepner, who became the fourth matchmaker to use Ali in Kanvees.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[160] Ali defeated Wepner by knockout in the 15th round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali next faced Joe Bugner in Kuala Lumpur on 1 July 1975, defeating the Englishman on points.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[161] Subsequently, Ali boxed one of the most famous fights of his career when he faced Joe Frazier for the third time.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The match took place in warm conditions in Philippine Manila on October 1, 1975 [162] and is known as Thrilla in Manila, invented by promoter Don King.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali was paid $4.5 million for the encounter and Frazier $3.5 million.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[163] Thrilla in Manila received plenty of attention before the match began when Ali publicly called Frazier illiterate and called him a “gorilla”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Frazier took each insult personally, as his children were being school-bullied because of them, and thus the anger between opponents that had already blossomed in previous matches deepened.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali has later defended himself, saying his statements were solely marketing the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[164] The visibility of the match only increased when, while visiting the President of the Philippines, Ali brought along to the reception a model named Veronica Porche, who had been hired by Don King to market the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

The president mistook the woman for Ali's wife and said she was beautiful.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali didn't even try to correct the mistake, which made it into newspaper headlines around the world.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Because of the stir, he had to hold a press conference where he said he was only responsible for his girlfriend to his wife Belinda, and no one else.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Later, Belinda traveled to Manila to meet her husband and during a one-day-long meeting, Belinda, according to many sources, assaulted Ali.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[165] However, the quarrel did not interfere with Ali's focus on the struggle, which took place at the appointed time.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[166] Ali dominated the start of the match, though he didn't move as much, as he did in his previous matches.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In his memoirs, he said that he would never have had a 15-round struggle against Frazier if he had moved more; he also says that Dick Sadler (George Foreman's former manager), who worked as an assistant in the match, had helped him specifically with strength training and powerboxing. include less movement.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[167] Midway through the struggle, Frazier managed to gain control of the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Ali then sought to strike Frazier continuously in the face, which caused Frazier's eyes to begin to swell in the 11th round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

In the final, 13th and 14th rounds of the match, he saw nothing again.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[143] [168] Ali won the bout via technical knockout when Frazier's coach Eddie Futch threw in the towel in the ring on a break between the 14th and 15th rounds.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[168] After his victory, Ali rose from his chair to show his elation, but he was exhausted by the heat of the match venue and fell on the arms of his assistant.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[143] Ali and Frazier's final encounter is considered one of the most famous boxing matches of all time: the match was named Match of the Year by the magazine The Ring and it was first in Time magazine's list of “Top 10 Boxing Matches”.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

After the bout, Ali said Joe Frazier was “the best boxer in the world after me”, described him as his toughest opponent, and said he went “closer to death than ever” during the bout.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[143] [158] [169] Muhammad Ali is thought to have sustained serious injuries during the already physically heavy Thrilla In Manila, which may have affected the matches of the end of his career.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[170] Ali, for example, did not come to the press conference immediately after the match, instead his assistants had to announce the champion was too tired.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

When he finally showed up at the press conference, he didn't speak as much as he used to.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[171] Even Ali's longtime doctor Ferdie Paccheco said Ali actually visited Thrilla in Manila during near death and sustained severe damage to his kidneys and brain.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[172] Later, he has reiterated in various sources that he hoped Ali would end his career after the match.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[144] [173] In an interview after the struggle, Ali also expressed his desire to quit boxing, stating: “This is too painful, too laborious.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

“[166] However, defending his second title Ali did not end his career yet but defended his title by knocking out Belgian Jean-Pierre Coopman in February 1976 in the fifth round.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

[172] Subsequently, Ali fought overweight against Jimmy Young.


Question: How many people attended the Thrilla in Manila match?

Muhammad Ali

Young took cover of his face and backed off throughout, forcing Ali to chase him from behind.