THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 17: JOE FRAZIER WINS WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 05 Oct 2025
Joe Frazier fought WBA champion Jimmy Ellis on February 16, 1970 at the Madison Square Garden, New York City. Ellis defeated Jerry Quarry in the WBA elimination tournament for the right to win the title vacated by Muhammad Ali for refusing to join the Vietnam War draft. Frazier had rejected the participation in the said WBA tournament to protest the move to strip Ali of his title.
Ellis won handily over Oscar Bonavena and Leotis Martin. Earlier, Ali announced that he retired from professional boxing and vacated his heavyweight title belt. So Frazier and Ellis battled for the undisputed heavyweight title. Frazier won by technical knockout amidst impressive display of punching power and tenacity. Ellis went down the canvas two times in the fourth round and Ellis did not answer the bell for the fifth round on the order of his trainer Angelo Dundee.
Then Frazier faced light heavyweight champion Bob Foster in Detroit, Michigan. Foster was able to set a record of title defenses in his light heavyweight division. But he was no match to the heavyweight champion Frazier. He floored Foster twice in the second round and in the second knockdown he could no longer get up to beat the count.
Then came the Fight of the Century which pitted two undefeated heavyweight champions. It was held on March 8, 1971 at the Madison Square Garden, New York City. Ali came back from three years suspension and many still considered him as the heavyweight champion. Therefore, the fight would once and for all settle who the real heavyweight champion is.
At that time of the first Ali-Frazier encounter, Frazier was 27 years old and was at his peak. Ali was 29 and was coming from a three-year absence although he won two fights on his comeback including a fifteenth-round knockout of Oscar Bonavena.
In the savage fight, Frazier lost the first two rounds but he was able to recover in the following rounds, landing vicious left hooks and powerful shots to the body of Ali. Early in the 15th round, Frazier landed a left hook and floored Ali with his jaw swollen. He got up at the count of four and stayed on his feet until the end of the round even if he was hit with several thundering blows from Frazier. The judges decided that Frazier had retained the title with Ali suffering his first professional loss.
Frazier won a unanimous decision after 15 rounds, 9-6, 11-4, 8-6-1 and became the lineal heavyweight champion. Both fighters were taken to the hospital after the fight. Frazier for hypertension and kidney infection and Ali for a swollen jaw.
Later, Frazier fought a three-round exhibition versus Cleveland Williams. In 1972, Frazier defeated Tery Daniels by fourth round TKO and Ron Stander by fifth round stoppage. Before the fight, Daniels drew with Jerry Quarry while Stander stopped Ernie Shavers by fifth round knockout.
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