Thrilla in Manila - Fifth of a Series
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 20 Oct 2015
The never-ending drama that started since the fight between defending heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and challenger Joe Frazier was announced, spilled on to the days the protagonists held their build up regimen and even to the day of their confrontation and beyond.
Most of which occurred at the instance of Ali like calling "Smokin" Joe a ?gorilla?, spying on the challenger's training sessions at the Folk Arts Theater and even going to the Hyatt Hotel where Frazier and part were billeted carrying a gun and challenging him to come down.
One member of Ali's entourage that flew in two weeks before the October 1, 1975 Christened "Thrilla In Manila? and Super Fight III was a beautiful black girl Veronica Porche, who halfway through their stay in the Philippines would create quiet a stir that led to eventual end of the champ's marriage to second wife Belinda.
The fiasco started at a dinner tendered by then President Marcos and First Lady Imelda in Malacanan Palace where the Chief Executive noticed, in particular, the presence of Veronica, who until then was known as Ali's mistress.
Top photo: Ali's wife Belinda with their four children.
Ali's girlfriend Veronica Porche and his mother Odessa.
Mrs. Marcos came to the party late in the night. When she arrived, the President mistakenly introduced her to Veronica, saying the girl was Ali's wife. Everybody who was privy to the Ali-Veronica relationship were stunned with Ali merely thanking the President for his action.
Ali's wife, Belinda (Khalilah) was known to have tolerated her husband's extra-marital activities. Reports were that she even had adopted a "don't ask, don't tell" attitude on the matter.
Not this one though. As soon as she read the news from media reports from Manila, she thought this became too open to ignore.
Embarrassed no end and humiliated in the international media, Belinda boarded a plane to Manila and went straight to the Manila Hilton, Ali's home while in the country.
Members of Ali's party and media men outside the room heard commotion and shouting inside. It was reported later that Belinda, all of her six-foot frame threw everything she could lay her hands on to her beleaguered husband.
As fast as when she arrived, Belinda was seen rushing from the hotel got into her limo and flew back home. Their marriage over, Belinda emerged the winner of sort as she ended up richer by $ 2 million besides getting, too, their houses.
The incident prompted one newsman to comment: "More people were now talking about Veronica-Belinda than Ali-Frazier."
The next day, Ali turned the already volatile situation to worse by calling a press conference to try to extricate himself from the hole he dug himself to. He told journalists of the "needs of a man" and the "desires of a champion."
Ali showed no adverse effect of what happened the past 24 hours in his talk wih local and foreign journalists. He appeared jolly and even exchanged jokes with newsmen.
"I live on controversy," he said. "I'm used to pressure. That stuff you write, I laugh at it. It's goof publicity. It will sell out the fight."
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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