THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 18: JOE FRAZIER VS. GEORGE FOREMAN FIRST ENCOUNTER - THE SUNSHINE SHOWDOWN
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 08 Oct 2025
After defeating Muhammad Ali by unanimous decision, Joe Frazier was awarded The Ring heavyweight title and became the lineal heavyweight champion of the world. After his knockout victory over Ron Stander, Ali tried to arrange a rematch with Frazier, but Frazier instead chose to face Foreman.
The undefeated Foreman had garnered 37 victories with 34 knockout wins in just four years and was the number one contender by both the WBA and WBC at the time of his first title fight against Frazier.
Joe Frazier vs. George Foreman, was billed as The Sunshine Showdown, it was held in Kingston, Jamaica and was fought on January 22, 1973, for the WBA, WBC and The Ring heavyweight championships.
The fight was short and lasted only two rounds, with Foreman scoring a technical knockout victory at 1:35 of the second round to dethrone Frazier and become the new undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Foreman assaulted and shattered Frazier all throughout the fight, chalking up six knockdowns over the defending champion.
In just less than two minutes after the opening bell, Foreman battered Frazier with a barrage of punches and then sent him down to the canvas by connecting a right uppercut. Frazier was able to stand up.
Foreman continued his superiority and seventeen seconds left in the round, he hit Frazier with an uppercut that toppled him and fell on his knees. Just seconds after Frazier got up, a Foreman released a series of punches that sent the champion on his back and he almost wasn't able to survive the first round.
Frazier went out of his corner for the second round but Foreman floored him again shortly after the round began by landing an overhand right.
Foreman then looked toward the champion's corner and was reported to say to Yancey Durham, Frazier's long time trainer, that if he would not step in and stop the fight, Foreman was going to "kill" Frazier. This was followed by a fifth knockdown, and then swiftly Frazier was decked for the sixth time after a powerful right.
By this time Angelo Dundee, who was at ringside witnessing the bout, was begging for the bout to be stopped. Referee Arthur Mercante Sr. finally stopped the bout after the sixth knockdown.
Foreman was finally declared the winner by technical knockout at 1:35 of the second round. George Foreman became, at the time of his victory over Frazier, the third-youngest heavyweight champion in history after Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali.
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