Ali vs Frazier 3 Date, Results, Facts, Stats & Video Share Stats ESPN's SportsCentury ranked the fight as the 5th greatest sporting event of all the 20th century in 1999. The city of Cairo had apparently been considered as a possible host to the fight: The August 1975 issue of Ring Magazine had a fictitious fight-poster of Ali-Frazier III on its cover, which listed Nasser Stadium in Cairo as the place the fight was taking place. The general consensus was that Ali was doing Frazier a favor, giving Joe one last big payday before sending him off into retirement, and as a result Ali did relatively little training. Ali's doctor, Ferdie Pacheco, equated the scorching heat and Frazier's relentlessness to "a trip through hell" (for Ali)." Between the terrific heat inside the stadium, Frazier's assault and his own nonchalant training, it began to seem that Ali would wilt and fall to defeat. Ali, after being declared the winner, fainted on the canvas. He claimed that this was the closest to dying he has ever been.

The Philippines' first multi-level commercial shopping mall was named after Muhammad Ali as a tribute to his victory. The mall is named "Ali Mall" and is located in Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City right beside the Araneta Coliseum in which the "Thrilla in Manila" took place. Last Fight At the beginning of the seventh round, Ali reportedly whispered in Frazier's ear, "Joe, they told me you was all washed up" Frazier growled back, "They told you wrong, pretty boy." Article Sources The Myth of “The Thrilla in Manila” - Boxing.com Boxing.com The Myth of “The Thrilla in Manila” By Mike Silver on September 30, 2012 “The Thrilla in Manila” became the most overrated boxing match in the history of the sport. Would we still be lauding this fight in such glowing terms if it was Ali who was not allowed to come out for the 15th round and Frazier was the victor? “The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the clichés of our forebears.

We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”—John F. Kennedy Today is the 37th anniversary of the famous “Thrilla in Manila”—the third and final fight between arch rivals Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. It was on this day in 1975 that Ali retained his heavyweight title with a 14th round TKO of Frazier in Manila, the Philippines. The platitudes for that fight continue to be repeated so often and with such conviction, in print, television, and on the internet, that people who’ve never seen even one round believe it to be the greatest heavyweight championship match of the twentieth century. Some have gone so far as to say it was the greatest fight of any weight division in the entire history of the sport! In 1997 The Ring magazine awarded it “Fight of the Century” honors in its all-time ratings. In 1999 ESPN’s Sports Century Series ranked the fight as the fifth greatest sports event of all time! The bandwagon was getting way too crowded.

But there was still room for the resident boxing historian of a popular cable TV boxing program (no, not the fellow with hat and cigar) to jump on board. When asked “what fight would you show to a new fan to demonstrate boxing at its very best?” he unhesitatingly answered, “The third Ali vs. Frazier fight….it had everything.” These extreme statements and honorifics take in a lot of territory, especially when one considers all of the great prizefights that have taken place since the Marquis of Queensberry rules were introduced to boxing over 100 years ago. I believe there are several reasons why Ali vs. Frazier III continues to maintain its lofty status, while other more deserving fights do not enjoy the same degree of notoriety. We can start with the words “The Thrilla in Manila”. The catchy phrase originated with Ali and appeared on every poster and program, eventually becoming the fight’s permanent identifying label. More than three decades after the fact, even people with absolutely no interest in the sport have a vague recollection that “The Thrilla in Manila” refers to an exciting boxing match that involved Muhammad Ali. They might also remember that it was a particularly brutal match.

But, if you have been around boxing long enough, you know it was no more brutal than countless other professional prizefights. Now ask yourself this question: What if the fighters involved were not named Ali and Frazier but instead were two heavyweight contenders named “Smith” and “Jones”? Same fight, just different names. Would “The Thrilla” still be remembered today as a great fight? I believe that anyone who witnessed the first Rocky Marciano vs. Jersey Joe Walcott title fight would call it great even if they did not know the names of the fighters. A great fight has to be recognized on its merits alone. Here is a second point to ponder: Do you think we would still be lauding this fight in such glowing terms if it was Ali who was not allowed to come out for the 15th round and Frazier was the victor? A Good, Tough Club Fight To accurately evaluate “The Thrilla in Manila”—based strictly on its merits as a prizefight—is to come to the conclusion that it was no better or worse than a good, tough, club fight. Even from a historical perspective it lacked gravitas. For example, the Johnson vs. Jeffries “White Hope” fight and the second Dempsey vs.

Tunney “Long Count” fight were not great but their historical significance to the sport raised them to another level. I can hear the cries of outrage emanating from the army of Ali loyalists who consider what I have just written as something akin to sacrilege, especially by those fans that came of age during his reign. That is understandable. Strong emotions coupled with blind hero worship and a follow-the-crowd mentality often cloud rational judgments. But how does one justify naming “The Thrilla in Manila” as one of the greatest fights of the century when it was not even the best fight of the 1970s! There were at least seven outstanding prizefights in the 1970s that, in my opinion, were better and more interesting than “The Thrilla”. Topping the list is the first Ali vs. Frazier bout that took place four and a half years earlier and was superior in every way. The others were Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Wilfredo Benitez (Welterweight); Carlos Monzon vs. Rodrigo Valdez I (Middleweight); Roberto Duran vs. Esteban De Jesus II (Lightweight); Matthew Franklin vs.

Yacqui Lopez I (Light heavyweight); Alexis Arguello vs. Alfredo Escalera I (Junior Lightweight); Carlos Zarate vs. Alfonso Zamora (Bantamweight). My purpose is not to diminish the greatness of Ali—that is beyond question—but to set the record straight about a fight that has been distorted and misrepresented for decades mainly because it conveniently feeds into the legend and lore of the most famous boxer who ever lived. A Reliable Litmus Test My friend and fellow IBRO (International Boxing Research Organization) historian Bobby Franklin uses a simple litmus test to determine the quality quotient of a professional boxing match. “There are certain favorite movies I may come across when I’m channel surfing, such as the first Godfather movie, Casablanca, or The Shawshank Redemption,” says Bobby. “Even though I’ve seen these movies a hundred times, no matter what part of the movie is being shown at the moment I just have to stop and watch it because I’m going to see something new in it and I’m going to enjoy it. And it’s the same when I’m watching boxing.

“If I go to the Classic Sports channel and they’re showing fights, there are certain ones I’ll stop at, but the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ is not one of them. That’s a fight you’ve seen it once and you know it. The lines are boring. It if were a movie it would be very boring. It’s just two guys hitting each other so I don’t go there again.” I agree with Bobby. I never tire of watching a great movie…or a great prizefight. Revisiting “The Thrilla in Manila” For those of you who may not have seen the fight, and to refresh the memory of those who have, let us time travel back to October 1, 1975 and take a ringside seat at the Areneta Coliseum in Quezon City, just a stone’s throw from Manila, capital of the Philippines. As the 27,000 fans in the sold out indoor stadium cheered, and millions of people throughout the world watched via closed circuit television, the two gladiators entered the arena amid much pomp and ceremony courtesy of the fighters’ hosts, President Ferdinand Marcos and his shoe happy wife Imelda. The betting odds favored Ali at 8 to 5.

Weighing a solid 215½ lbs. the 5’11” Frazier was, as always, in excellent condition. Ali, at 6’3” and 224½ lbs., was a bit overweight. One year earlier Ali had regained the heavyweight championship from George Foreman weighing a trim 216 lbs. While the extra eight pounds Ali carried was intended to add power to his punches, it could also mean that he was not trained to the very peak of condition. If the latter was the case—as it proved to be—Muhammad would be in for a rough night unless he could take out Frazier in an early round. Ali was quite confident that Joe Frazier was a spent fighter who was ripe for the taking. His assessment was not totally inaccurate. Frazier had definitely seen better days. He looked ragged and shopworn in his previous outing seven months earlier while scoring an eighth round TKO against washed up Jimmy Ellis. Five years earlier a prime Frazier had overwhelmed Ellis in just four rounds. Although Ali didn’t know it, Joe’s vision in his left eye was impaired by a cataract.

Years later his personal physician would admit that going into this fight Joe’s vision in his left eye had deteriorated to 20/400, which is legally blind. Joe also had an arthritic left shoulder that had to be treated with cortisone before each fight. This information was kept quiet by Joe and his management team and only came to light when Frazier documented it in his 1996 autobiography. A Little Less Smoke—A Little Less Float But Ali himself was no longer the elusive “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” speed demon of years past. He could only float and sting in spurts. In between these brief interludes of activity he will go into his “rope-a-dope” routine made famous in his title winning fight against George Foreman a year earlier. Both fighters had deteriorated since their first classic battle in 1971, but Frazier more so than Ali. In this fight the playing field was leveled as each man’s weaknesses would be exploited by the other man’s strengths. To the untrained eye “Smokin’ Joe” looks as he always had, moving ever forward in that perpetual jiggle and bob style of his. Yet there were subtle differences.

When he moves within punching range his hands do not fire off with the old piston like rapidity. And his attempts to slip or weave under Ali’s jab, which in the past was accomplished with rapid fluid movements of his head and upper body, now, appear stiff and ill-timed. Most alarming of all is the fact that his bread and butter punch, the left hook, appears to have lost some of its explosive power and accuracy. The fight started as expected with Ali using his speed and mobility to avoid Frazier’s rushes. But when Ali stops to punch he plants his feet firmly on the canvas, putting the full weight of his body into his power shots. He is attempting to end the bout quickly and avoid a war of attrition. Ali appears very confident in these early rounds as he freely trades punches with Joe, taking liberties that he would not have dared four years earlier. Ali knows he can score effectively if he stays away from the ropes and corners. But he cannot sustain an attack for more than a few seconds. The heat in the poorly air-conditioned arena is affecting both fighters but it is Ali who tires first. It is only when Ali retreats to the ropes and goes into his defensive shell that Frazier begins to score with some degree of consistency.

Yet even when he is able to break through the “rope-a-dope” defense, his punches, although damaging and hurtful, do not carry enough steam to stagger or knock down the champion. The anticipation of a knockout is not always essential to establish a great fight, but the lack of it, particularly in a heavyweight championship, robs the event of an essential dramatic element. Repetitive Patterns Beginning in the 4th round the tempo of the fight changes and a repetitive pattern begins to develop. Ali, as he fatigues, either grabs Frazier in a clinch or does his “rope-a-dope” thing with ever increasing frequency. Over the course of the fight he initiates no less than ninety-five clinches to Frazier’s one. This behavior on Ali’s part seriously detracts from the overall quality of the fight. In total, Ali spends nearly one-third of the fight (14 minutes out of 45) passively covering up in “rope-a-dope” mode. It is Frazier who does all the work during those 14 minutes as he pounds on Ali’s arms and torso. This is about as interesting as watching a boxer pound a heavy sandbag in the gym.

In his effort to conserve energy Ali’s stalling tactics become incessant, predictable and eventually tiresome. It is not the type of activity one expects to see in a great fight. “A Somber Brutality” Despite these imperfections one aspect of the bout that is often lauded by the pundits is its brutality. The sight of Frazier relentlessly punching his stationary target while Ali, head down, gloves up, braces himself against the ropes, is indeed brutal to watch. It reminds one of the meat locker scene in the first Rocky movie. Except that Ali is only slightly more animated than a side of beef. It is obvious Joe wants to inflict as much damage as he is capable of dishing out. His punches, especially the persistent attack on Ali’s kidney’s, midsection and ribs cause many ringsiders to wince. But the effort has about as much artistry as a day laborer slugging a concrete sidewalk with a sledgehammer. There is a crude and imprecise quality to Joe’s attack, the aesthetics of which are further downgraded by Ali’s submissive defensive posture. Where is the drama in this?

Brutality, by itself, is not enough to quantify a superior prizefight even though, in the right hands, it can have a singular, spellbinding artistry. Joe Louis’s swift and precise one round annihilation of Max Schmeling in 1938 is a perfect example. The same is true of Sugar Ray Robinson’s studied demolition of Jake LaMotta in the final rounds of their sixth bout. Not so for the “Thrilla in Manila”. Several years ago, while doing research for my first book, The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science, I came across a newspaper report of a particularly brutal fight that took place in Yankee Stadium in 1951 between Jake La Motta and light heavyweight contender Bob Murphy. “The Bronx Bull” spent most of the fight up against the ropes absorbing a savage beating. The article was written by the late Jimmy Cannon, perhaps the greatest sportswriter of the twentieth century. The same words he used to describe that fight could have been used to describe “The Thrilla in Manila”: “They fought with a somber brutality but their ferocity turned monotonous and became unexciting.

It was as though the multitude in Yankee Stadium last night watched a man being slugged into a bloody daze by a thug using a salami as a blackjack. “The fight racket was reduced to its bleakly savage essentials…It was a graceless fight but a harmful one.” Today hardly anyone remembers that fight because other than its “somber brutality” there was not much else to distinguish it from many other brutal prizefights. Unlike his less discerning modern-day counterparts, Jimmy Cannon would not have been caught up in the exaggerated hyperbole of Ali vs. Frazier III. He had an exacting eye for the truth and x-ray vision for seeing past the layers of baloney and insipid commentary that too often attend this once great sport. He also had been watching and analyzing fights since the 1930s so his frame of reference and perception reflected that experience. Ali the Illusionist Ali realizes he will lose the decision unless he can interrupt Frazier’s attack with brief offensive displays. When the action moves away from the ropes he easily scores with quick combinations that excite the crowd. Joe’s decline, as compared to his prime, is most apparent at these times. But the punches do not stop him or even slow him down.

After round three Ali abandons the attempt to knock out Joe and, except for his occasional flurry, reverts to survival mode. He no longer puts the full weight of his body into his blows. That would cause him to expend too much energy. More often than not he will fling out his arms, slapping with a half open glove or, when he attempts an uppercut, hitting Joe with the underside (wrist) section of the glove. But no matter what he attempts he cannot hold Joe back for more than a few seconds. From rounds four to twelve Ali seems less concerned with the accuracy and strength of his punches than he is with impressing the judges by conveying the illusion that he is in control when he opens up with a flurry of punches. He dances about the ring for a few seconds to arouse the crowd and to remind the judges of who he is, hoping this will negate his all too frequent rest stops. Ali is a shrewd manipulator. It is a formula he knows well and it comes in handy in other fights as his athletic skills deteriorate. His success in this regard is reflected by the official scoring.

In a close contest that most observers (including the Associated Press) had dead even at the end of the 14th round, all three Filipino judges had Ali leading by a wide margin (8-5-1, 8-2-4, 9-3-2). The two New York Times sportswriters assigned to cover the fight had it just the opposite, with Frazier winning eight of the first 13 rounds. Predictable Ebb and Flow Irrespective of the off base scoring by the officials, there was a sloppy quality to the efforts of both men as they took their turns meting out punishment. It was this give and take aspect of the bout that many fans, still enthralled by the myth of the “Thrilla in Manila”, love to refer to as the “ebb and flow” of a great fight. “Ebb and flow” is indeed one of the hallmarks of a great prizefight. However, that sterling quality must contain a sense of uncertainty. In this fight the “ebb and flow” becomes all too predictable. When a tiring Ali decides to “ebb” against the ropes he allows Frazier to “flow” for up to a full minute without returning a meaningful counterpunch.

When Ali is rested enough to come off the ropes and go on the offensive he will “flow” back for ten or fifteen seconds with a few swift arm punches before returning to the relative safety of the “rope-a-dope”. Ali is ever mindful of the pace and his own dwindling energy reserves. He appears stymied by Frazier’s seemingly limitless reserves of stamina, so he either clinches or retreats back to the ropes where the routine will start all over again. His efforts are never sustained enough to turn the tide of battle and swing the momentum back to him. Ali has underestimated Frazier and overestimated his own ability to hurt this madman who seems intent on making him suffer. He is now paying the price for not coming into the ring in the best possible condition. The rope-a-dope strategy that worked so well against the stamina challenged George Foreman is not having the same effect on Frazier. Hot Dog or Beer Anyone? A great fight demands one’s attention every second.

By the middle rounds, with the pattern of the fight firmly established, and the possibility of a sudden ending very remote, a fan who understood what was really going on could have walked out to the concession stand for a hot dog and beer, return to his seat several minutes later, and be unconcerned about having missed anything important. Turning Point After aggressively pursuing Ali throughout most of the fight Frazier finally begins to slow down in the 12th round. He has dished out a lot of punishment but he has also been pummeled. The oppressive heat and his relentless pace have used up most of his energy reserves. Joe’s fuel tank is running low. His punches, especially the hook, are now being thrown in a wide arc—a sure sign of serious fatigue. Ali senses an opportunity and knows he must come on strong—it’s now or never. In the 13th round he digs deep into his own last resources of stamina and will power. The tide of battle turns as Ali lands several sharp punches that close Joe’s already damaged left eye (the one with the cataract). Making matters worse, Joe also sustains a cut over his right eye. Now unable to see at all out of his left eye Joe’s posture changes.

In attempting to locate the target for his hooks he turns his body towards the left (trying to see out of his rapidly swelling right eye) and straightens up. This is a recipe for disaster because Frazier cannot abandon his crouch and weave or he will be unable to get under and away from the taller man’s punches and then counter with his left hook. The exhausted half blind challenger becomes a sitting duck for Ali’s accurate right crosses. Ali, aware that less than three rounds remain if the fight goes the full distance, musters every last ounce of strength to come off the ropes and try to end the fight. He moves to center ring and plants his feet to put maximum leverage into his punches. There now appears to be, finally, a decisive and dramatic turning point in the fight. Yet, even at this juncture, considering what has happened over the past dozen rounds (not to mention in their two previous fights) the excitement generated by Ali’s sudden and sustained aggression is tinged, at least in this witness’s eyes, with an emotion bordering on sadness. As I watched these two former giants of the ring struggle and suffer I could not help but compare what they once were to what they had now become.

Unless you were hopelessly enthralled by the Ali mystique it was not difficult to feel empathy for Joe Frazier at this point in the battle. He is so much the honest workman, always giving 120% effort, always trying his best with whatever weapons remain in his diminished arsenal. To slack off would have been so out of character. In the entire fight, except for one brief moment in the 14th round, Joe never sought the refuge of a clinch, although no one would have faulted him if he had. The once durable fighting machine with the murderous left hook has, in this fight—even as he wins rounds—revealed himself to be a tarnished facsimile of the original. All this damaged warrior has left to battle with is his unconquerable fighting spirit. Beating up a tired old version of Joe Frazier was not the great accomplishment it’s made out to be by Ali’s army of frenzied sycophants. The bell ending the 13th round is a welcome respite for both fighters.

Target Practice Nothing much happens in the first two minutes of the 14th round as Frazier blindly charges and Ali clinches or retreats to the ropes as he gathers his resources for one last push. With only one minute left in the round Ali comes off the ropes and lands seven straight punches to Frazier’s jaw without a return, but Ali cannot put him down. Frazier awkwardly lunges with a left hook that misses. Their mutual exhaustion is apparent to the wildly cheering audience. About 20 seconds before the bell sounds ending the round Ali lands two perfect right crosses to Frazier’s jaw but stubborn old Joe still will not go down! He is like a battered car in a demolition derby after the doors, fender and frame have been smashed to bits but whose motor simply will not quit. Rounds 13 and 14 contained the only dramatic moments for this sad and unnecessary fight, during which time Ali took target practice on Joe’s head. At the bell ending the 14th round both depleted warriors walk slowly back to their corners, battered but unbowed.

Joe’s trainer, Eddie Futch (who took over from the late Yank Durham two years earlier), realizes his fighter is virtually blind and cannot see the punches aimed at him. Three more minutes of repeated punishment to Joe’s unprotected head could have dire consequences. Over Joe’s fervent protests Futch decides it is in the best interest of his fighter to call a halt. Muhammad Ali, slumped in his corner in a state of near collapse, is awarded the technical knockout victory. Bottom Line: A Seriously Flawed Fight To their everlasting credit both men displayed the fighting spirit and never surrender attitude that is the inner core of every great champion. No matter if you rooted for Ali or Frazier it was this epic battle of wills that many impassioned fans focused on almost exclusively to the point of not knowing or caring about what else was taking place. But to say it was a great fight because of this battle of wills is to see only one aspect of a fight that, when viewed in its totality, was seriously flawed. The “Thrilla in Manila” was damaged goods from the outset. It should never have happened.

Until Ali began braying to the press that he wanted Joe one more time the public was not clamoring to see them fight a third time. Why dishonor the memory of that first magnificent classic with another fight staged four and a half years later between two over-the-hill legends? There was nothing left to prove. Mike Casey, one of boxing’s most astute and insightful historians, accurately described the fight as “a meeting of two decaying talents who were already treading a dangerous path when they clashed for the final time to beat the remaining resistance out of each other.” Some scribes, trying I suppose to see some purpose in all of this, wrote that no one could question Ali’s courage in a boxing ring after this fight. But why even ask the question? Ali had already proven his courage against the likes of Ken Norton, George Foreman, and in that unforgettable first bruising contest with “Smokin’ Joe”. In or out of shape Ali took on all comers throughout his career, fearlessly welcoming the challenge of every major heavyweight contender and champion of the 1960s and ‘70s. Very few heavyweights of any era could make the same boast.

Joe Frazier’s courage in a boxing ring had never been in doubt. He did not need this fight to prove anything, certainly not at this stage of his career. In fact, in many people’s eyes he had already beaten Ali twice. (Their forgettable second bout in January 1974, when both were ex-champs, was a weak imitation of the first, minus the controversy and drama. Ali was gifted with a 12-round decision that many fans and sportswriters thought he lost). Joe would have done well to heed the advice of his friends and family who urged him to retire after his poor showing against Jimmy Ellis seven months earlier. As for the most obvious excuse for staging this fight, that it provided a huge payday for both men, the price paid in exchange, in terms of physical damage, was far too great. Although it was an exhausted and drained Ali who famously said he felt “close to death” in the fight, it was really Joe Frazier who came out the worse for wear because he was already damaged and sick going into it. The fight took plenty out of Ali too but not as much as people think.

One year later he still had enough of the old skills, speed and reflex to eke out a close 15-round decision over top contender Ken Norton. (Most observers thought Norton won). Ali was in shape for that one. At 34 years old it would have been the ideal time for him to retire and never take another punch to the head. What really finished off Ali as an effective fighter was a bout that took place two years after the “Thrilla”, in September 1977. Ali made the awful mistake of going into a fight with power punching Earnie Shavers overconfident and out of shape. In a fight he could have easily won if in proper condition (his belly fat hung over his trunks) Ali allowed the stamina challenged Shavers to control the pace of the fight. Ali’s timing and conditioning were atrocious. He was tagged numerous times by Shavers’s humongous brain jarring right hand punches. Mesmerized boxing judges once again gifted “The Greatest” with another questionable 15-round decision. But the bout had taken a terrible toll on Ali’s health. He was subjected to the worst and most sustained head beating of his career by the hardest punching heavyweight in the world.

That one fight caused more head trauma than all three Frazier bouts put together. Yet he continued to fight and train for another two years. Separating Fact from Fiction In the entire history of modern professional sports no athlete has generated as much controversy and has aroused as much partisan zeal as Muhammad Ali. The highly charged circumstances of the first Ali vs. Frazier fight in 1971 created a colossal drama that went far beyond the confines of a boxing ring as the divergent personalities and beliefs of each man became identified with different sides of the contentious political and social controversies of their era. Sides were taken and lines were drawn. Four and a half years after that first and best Ali vs. Frazier bout many of those same fans were still passionate about Muhammad Ali, strongly identifying with his struggles and triumphs both inside and outside of the ring. To these devoted fans, many whose interest in boxing began with the rise of Ali, the man was nothing short of a demigod. The media, never a trustworthy source, was also enamored of the colorful champion and loved the story of his comeback from the brink of defeat in “The Thrilla”. They helped to solidify the myth that it was the greatest heavyweight championship fight of all time.

Ali’s win resulted in another ancillary benefit for the champ and his fans. The 1971 classic was pushed into the background even though “The Thrilla” did not come close to matching it in terms of quality, drama or historical significance. What put “The Thrilla” over the top—and this is key—was that Ali had finally beaten his most persistent nemesis in a decisive manner. Thus “The Thrilla in Manila” became the most overrated boxing match in the history of the sport. Boxing At Its Best If I were to show a new boxing enthusiast a videotape of boxing at its best I would not choose “The Thrilla in Manila”. I would show a match that genuinely conveys the excitement and quality of a truly great prizefight. I might start with the aforementioned Marciano vs. Walcott title bout, or perhaps the amazing Archie Moore’s light heavyweight title defense against Yvonne Durelle in 1958, or one of my personal favorites, Tony Canzoneri’s 1933 defense of his featherweight crown against the fabulous Cuban, Kid Chocolate.

As an appetizer I might show Joe Louis’s knockout at the hands of Max Schmeling in 1936 and then follow it up with the incredible rematch two years later. Of course I would add Conn vs. Louis I to the list as well. Of more recent vintage is the first Alexis Arguello vs. Aaron Pryor war. I would also have to include a performance by the greatest of the great—the incomparable Sugar Ray Robinson. His stunning and dramatic come-from-behind victory over England’s Randy Turpin in 1951 speaks for itself. Want to see a great brawl minus the clinches? Check out both Carmen Basilio vs. Tony DeMarco fights of 1955. I could list many more. A new fan would not even have to be familiar with their names to appreciate the greatness of these fights. Hopefully, in years to come, all of the above will still command the respect and attention they so justly deserve. The first Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier fight of 1971 belongs in this elite company. The “Thrilla in Manila” does not.

(Boxing historian Mike Silver is the author of “The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science”.) Follow us on Twitter@boxing_com to continue the discussion Ali vs Frazier (III) - "Thrilla in Manila" Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier (III) September 30, 1975 Manila, Philippines Muhammad Ali's third fight against his archrival Joe Frazier was a spectacular ending to the long lasting struggle of the two Heavyweights who faced each other for a total of 132 minutes in the ring. The "Thrilla in Manila" is considered one of the most brutal and bitter bouts in the history of boxing; it was the only time an Ali - Frazier bout did not last for the scheduled time. After having regained the title against George Foreman in Zaire one year earlier, Ali had successfully defended the belt three times within three months against mostly mediocre opponents. Now he was to face Joe Frazier for the third time to change the record to his favor (Frazier had won the first bout in 1971, Ali prevailed in the rematch three years later). The bout was important for Ali not only in terms of prestige.

He was guaranteed a purse of six million dollars which was twice as much as Joe's and more than Ali had received for the first two fights altogether. As usual, Ali didn't miss a chance to verbally attack his foe in the days leading to the bout. This time it was worse than ever: He gave Frazier the nickname "Gorilla", called him ignorant and mocked him because of his ghetto slang. Frazier reciprocated with untypically bellicose statements: "I want to hurt him. I don't want to knock him out. I want to take his heart out." Finally, the day of the fight was there. On the morning of October 1 (the fight took place at 10:45 a.m. to suit US viewers) 25,000 people crowded the Philippines Coliseum in Quezon City, six miles outside Manila, hoping for a great fight between stylist and slugger. As expected, Ali puts pressure on Frazier in the beginning, stinging him with jabs and combinations to the head, winning the first rounds. Frazier does not lose hope - he knows his time is still to come.

He keeps smiling as he takes Ali's punches and retaliates with punches to Ali's arms and body, once in a while a hook gets through to Ali's head. With about a third of the fight over, the tide slowly turns. Ali tires and Joe's punches hit target more often. The champion rests at the ropes like he did against Foreman. This time, however, the 'rope-a-dope' can not be successful because it is part of Frazier's tactic to batter Ali's arms until they are hurting to the extent that taking a blow is less painful than blocking it. Frazier tires too and by round ten both fighters show clear signs of fatigue, fighting at low pace. Angelo Dundee said after the fight: "Both guys ran out of gas, only my guy had an extra tank" Where Ali took the energy to come back in the heat and humidity of the Coliseum and hit Frazier worse than anyone had hit him before, has been subject to speculations ever since. "Ali's magic" appeared for the last time in his career. From round twelve on, Frazier sees no land. In round thirteen his mouthpiece is knocked out of his mouth and out of the ring. So are his winning chances.

By round fourteen, Joe's left eye is completely shut so that he is not able to see Ali throwing a right hand any more. In the break before the last round, Frazier's trainer Eddie Futch stops the fight. Too dominating, too far ahead had Ali been on the scorecards, too handicapped was Joe in terms of his vision to have any chance of winning. Moments after the fight was over, Ali fainted in his corner. No one knows whether he could have resumed the fight. Ali was later quoted that he had been ready to quit if Joe had not. Both Ali and Frazier fought to their absolute limit and maybe beyond. Joe's eyes were still shut hours after the fight. Ali's body showed conspicuous signs of the battle, with hematomas and bruises and swellings everywhere, as a result of "punches that would have knocked down a house" as Joe later put it. Ali is supposed to have told Angelo Dundee yet during the fight that this was "the closest to dying" he had ever been. Friends and fans of the champion hoped Ali would finally after this slaughter in the ring, at the age of 33, announce his retirement.

However, six more years would pass until this wish became reality at last. In the last ten bouts of his career, following the "Thrilla in Manila", Ali would never again be as good as he was in Manila on the morning of October 1. thrilla in manila : definition of thrilla in manila and synonyms of thrilla in manila (English) Result Ali won via 14th round TKO The Thrilla in Manila was the third and final famous boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the World, fought at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City , Metro Manila , Philippines on October 1, 1975. The bout is often ranked as one of the greatest fights of 20th century boxing, and is the climax to the bitter rivalry between Ali and Frazier. When Ali was stripped of the title in 1967 over his refusal to join the armed forces when drafted during the Vietnam War , Frazier had petitioned President Nixon to restore Ali's right to box and even lent Ali money.

When Ali finally got his license back, they met in the so-called Fight of the Century , the first time that two undisputed heavyweight champions had met in the ring. The mutual enmity emerged in the build up to the fight, when Ali turned on Frazier, describing him as an " Uncle Tom ", a "white man's champion" and later, a "gorilla". Frazier in turn riled Ali by referring to him by his birth name, Clay. Afterwards the pair continued to trade insults, but by the time they met in a rematch , neither was a champion; Frazier had lost his title to George Foreman and Ali had recently been beaten by Ken Norton . In the build-up to the fight, the two had an infamous brawl in a TV studio while being interviewed by Howard Cosell . The fight itself was largely uneventful and Ali won on points. By 1975, Ali was champion again having unexpectedly regained the title by beating Foreman, whereas Frazier was thought to be washed up. Ali's camp decided to give Frazier a title shot as a final payday for Joe before he retired. However, the fight proved to be a brutal, give and take affair, with each man taking a lot of punishment.

The fight finally ended when Frazier's trainer Eddie Futch refused to let Frazier come out for the 15th round, meaning Ali won by TKO. Contents Pre-fight Muhammad Ali Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos offered to hold the bout in Metro Manila and sponsor it to divert attention from the social turmoil that the country was experiencing, having declared martial law three years earlier (1972). [1] Don King , amused by the gesture, agreed to hold the fight at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Produced by King and broadcast to many countries worldwide with HBO 's antenna, The Thrilla in Manila had a tremendous media following. The city of Cairo had apparently been considered as a possible host to the fight: The August 1975 issue of Ring Magazine had a fictitious fight-poster of Ali-Frazier III on its cover, which listed Nasser Stadium in Cairo as the place the fight was taking place. The mood of the two fighters and their camps could not have been further apart. In Ali's camp the mood was jovial, and lighthearted.

According to Ali's longtime physician and cornerman Ferdie Pacheco , it was believed by Ali and his trainers that Joe Frazier was washed up after his devastating loss to George Foreman , and the relative ease with which Ali had defeated Frazier in their rematch after that fight seemed to bear this out. The general consensus was that Ali was doing Frazier a favor, giving Joe one last big payday before sending him off into retirement, and as a result Ali did relatively little training, instead concentrating on the torrid affair he was having with Veronica Porsche , and amusing the vast entourage that had come to be nicknamed "The Ali Circus". Later, when Ali's then wife Belinda Ali found out that not only was Ali carrying on this affair but was introducing Veronica as his wife, she stormed into the Philippines, causing yet another distraction. Frazier, meanwhile, was training with a grim and determined intensity. Frazier had never forgiven Ali's perceived invective towards him prior to their first fight.

During the buildup to this rubber match, Ali added to this by calling Frazier a "gorilla", primarily because it rhymed with "Manila." Frazier claims that he felt that Ali had betrayed him, because Frazier had attended numerous tribunals, hearings, and public relations functions in support of Ali throughout his three and a half year exile from boxing, which occurred after his draft refusal. Frazier's support of Ali extended beyond Ali's legal difficulties: Frazier ardently supported Ali in his attempt to have his boxing license restored. Frazier also provided Ali some financial support during his exile. Ali later asserted that he did so in an attempt to promote their fights and increase the gate. The period of social unrest of the era is important to locate in context, as Ali was a social phenomenon who transcended boxing. Frazier's bitter hatred for Ali drove Frazier to train relentlessly to defeat Ali.

[2] Ali tried to promote further interest in the fight by taunting Frazier at every opportunity, most famously by punching a rubber gorilla meant to represent Frazier during a press conference while saying: "It's gonna be a thrilla, and a chilla, and a killa, when I get the Gorilla in Manila." Fight See also: Fight of the Century and Ali-Frazier II At 10:45 am, with a morning fight to coincide with international TV audiences, the bell for Round 1 rang. Ali had previously told his trainers that he was going to "put a whuppin'" on Joe Frazier, and he started the fight looking to do just that. Frazier was known for starting fights slowly, and Ali came out looking to use that to his advantage. Ali won the early rounds, largely remaining flat footed in place of his familiar dancing style and unleashed flurries of combinations on Frazier. Frazier was hurt a number of times by Ali's onslaught, including staggering backwards several times in the first few rounds.

However, to the amazement of Ali and many watching, Frazier continued to come forward, intent on punishing Ali's body at close range despite having to take more and more of the withering punishment Ali was dishing out. According to Pacheco, Ali, who wanted to make it a short fight, grew so frustrated with Frazier's refusal to go down or stop coming forward that he screamed "You stupid chump, you!" at Frazier in the fourth round. By the fourth round Ali began to tire from all the energy he had expended in the searing heat and Frazier turned up his own offense and began punishing Ali to the body and the head with his trademark hooks. By the sixth round, Frazier had staggered him in turn and seemed to be gaining control of the bout. At the beginning of the seventh round, Ali reportedly whispered in Frazier's ear, "Joe, they told me you was all washed up" Frazier growled back, "They told you wrong, pretty boy." [3] Frazier seemed to dominate the middle rounds.

Ali tried to fend Frazier off with occasional furious flurries of punches, spurts of manic activity, and even unsuccessfully tried to use the rope-a-dope technique that had defeated George Foreman nearly a year earlier, but it was all negated by Frazier's relentless assault and power. Ali's camp seemed to have overlooked the fact that Frazier's smothering fighting style, which employed great numbers of left hooks, was in many ways, the perfect foil for Ali. Between the terrific heat inside the stadium, Frazier's assault and his own nonchalant training, it began to seem that Ali would wilt and fall to defeat. Finally, in the tenth round, Frazier began to slow down and tire, and Ali slowly turned the tide. In the 11th round he used his speed to dance more, and to unload a series of fast combinations on Frazier, which severely bruised his face by the end of the round, swelling Frazier's eyes to the point that nothing but a tiny slit remained open. Throughout round 12 Ali continued to turn the momentum, increasingly overwhelming Frazier, and using the fact that Frazier could no longer see Ali's right hand coming to hit Frazier with one hard right after another.

About a minute into Round 13, Ali landed another blistering combination on Frazier, sending the injured fighter's mouth guard flying into the crowd. During the next two minutes Ali relentlessly kept after Frazier, the mouthguard not being replaced until the bell, hitting Frazier with hard combinations when Frazier wasn't throwing punches, and when Frazier did throw, Ali used the openings left to inflict yet more damage. Frazier's mouth was badly cut by the end of this round. In round 14, Frazier was almost blind as he stepped in, and was met once more with punishing blows from Ali. With the punishment from Ali closing his right eye, Frazier was effectively fighting blind in the last rounds of the fight. By the 14th round Frazier was virtually helpless, and although Ali was desperately tired and hurting, he was able to summon the energy once again to give Frazier a fierce beating, and once again Frazier was staggered and nearly knocked down before the bell ended the round. Seeing the results of round 14, Eddie Futch decided to stop the fight between rounds rather than risk a similar or worse fate for Frazier in the 15th.

Frazier protested stopping the fight, shouting "I want him boss," and trying to get Futch to change his mind. Futch replied, "It's all over. No one will forget what you did here today", and signaled to referee Carlos Padilla to end the bout. Unknown to Frazier's corner, Ali had walked back to his own corner after the 14th and instructed Dundee to cut his gloves off. Ali later said that "Frazier quit just before I did. I didn't think I could fight any more." [4] Ali's biographer, Thomas Hauser , later revealed that a member of Ali's corner had told him that Ali was telling them to "cut (my gloves) off, cut 'em off", indicating Ali's desire to not continue the fight. Ali's surprise is quite visible on the video of the fight once Futch threw in the towel for Frazier. [5] Ali would later claim that this was the closest to dying he had ever been, [3] and also stated, "Joe Frazier, I'll tell the world right now, brings out the best in me.

I'm gonna tell ya, that's one helluva man, and God bless him." In a brief post-fight interview with one of the commentators, Ali announced, "He is the greatest fighter of all times, next to me." Aftermath In 1999 ESPN 's SportsCentury ranked the fight as the fifth greatest sporting event of the 20th century. The Philippines' first multi-level commercial shopping mall was named after Muhammad Ali as a tribute to his victory. The mall is named " Ali Mall " and is located in Araneta Center , Cubao , Quezon City right beside the Araneta Coliseum in which the "Thrilla in Manila" took place. [6] References

Question: The Ali/Frazier fight, billed as "The Thriller in Manila" took place in which city?
Answer: QUEZON CITY