THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 20: MUHAMMAD ALI VS. JOE FRAZIER III ON OCTOBER 1, 1975 AT THE ARANETA COLISEUM
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 16 Oct 2025
The Thrilla in Manila is often ranked as one of the greatest boxing fights of all time. It is the legendary third and final boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for the world heavyweight boxing championship, fought at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila on October 1, 1975.
It is considered as the fitting climax to the cruel rivalry between two heavyweight adversaries Ali and Frazier. Frazier agonized from the tremendous discrimination from Ali and Frazier felt Ali had betrayed him. Frazier supported Ali and had attended several trials and hearings, and gatherings in support of Ali in his scuffle resulting from his action to evade the Vietnam War draft.
Frazier and Ali's relationship, and the lasting hatred that Frazier continued to feel against Ali, resulted from his acts of support. Frazier helped Ali financially during his exile from boxing, regularly providing Ali hundreds of dollars in monetary assistance.
The vicious attacks that Ali hit Frazier were unforgivable according to Frazier. While Ali later reasoned out that he did so in an attempt to promote their fights and increase the ticket sales of the fight, Frazier always answered that their purse of $2.5 million apiece was guaranteed by then President Ferdinand Marcos.
Ali and Frazier fought three times in their illustrious boxing career. But it was their third and final encounter that fortified their rivalry as one of boxing history's greatest fights. The final match up between Ali and Frazier was ultimately damaging to the well being of both fighters.
The fight started at 10:45 AM, to coincide with international TV prime time. Ali started the fight trying to whip Frazier as Frazier was known for starting fights slowly. Rather than his usual dancing strategy to stay away from Frazier, Ali unleashed a barrage of punches on Frazier, who was hurt a number of times by Ali's assault in the first few rounds.
However, Frazier retaliated and kept punching Ali's body while taking several blows. Ali began to wear out due to the scorching heat of the stadium with temperatures approaching 100 °F (38 °C). The tide turned in favor of Frazier who landed left hooks to Ali's head and body. Starting the sixth round, Frazier gained control of the middle rounds.
Ali tried to counterattack Frazier with fuming combinations, but Frazier was able to withstand them with persistent battering. Ali's corner was surprised by the consequences of Frazier's left hooks on Ali.
In the tenth round, Frazier slowed down and Ali began to turn the tide. In the 11th round he used his trademark dancing style and made Frazier his open target, which cruelly battered his face and swelled his eyes. In the 12th round Ali continued to dominate Frazier, punching him at will as Frazier could no longer see Ali's fists.
In the 13th round, Ali struck Frazier and his mouthguard flew into the crowd. Ali kept hitting Frazier's mouth without the mouthguard and was badly cut at the end of this round. Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, wanted to stop the fight but Frazier pleaded with his coach to give him one more round.
In the 14th round Frazier was almost blind and Ali dealt Frazier a severe beating, and Frazier was nearly knocked downstairs before the bell ended the round. Futch decided to stop the fight between rounds rather than risk a knockout for Frazier on the 15th. Frazier protested shouting "I want him boss." Futch replied, "It's all over. No one will forget what you did here today," and signaled to the referee to end the bout.
On the contrary, Ali was demanding Angelo Dundee to stop the fight due to his exhaustion. Dundee refused, despite Ali saying he will not come out of his corner for the 15th. Ali was therefore declared the winner and he subsequently collapsed on the canvas.
By the late rounds, the fight had become more vicious with both fighters on the verge of breakdown due to exhaustion. Much pride was at stake in the fight that became more important than life and death. It was not merely a fight for a championship belt; it was considered a war of wills.
Frazier had never forgiven Ali for the variety of verbal abuse Ali had thrown at him preceding their first fight. Ali called Frazier an "ugly dumb gorilla," scoffing at him as a mumbling physical specimen without intelligence, as well as an "Uncle Tom" and a "White Man's Champion."
Ali tried to promote further awareness in the fight by ridiculing Frazier at every occasion, most notoriously by striking a rubber gorilla meant to symbolize Frazier during a press conference while shouting: "It's gonna be a chilla, and a killa, and a thrilla, when I get the Gorilla in Manila."
"Man, I hit him with punches that'd bring down the walls of a city," said Frazier. "Lawdy, Lawdy, he's a great champion." Ali described how brutal the fight was, "It was like death. Closest thing to dyin' that I know of."
In 1977, Ali told interviewer Reg Gutteridge that he felt this third Frazier fight was his best performance. When Gutteridge suggested his win over Cleveland Williams, Ali said, "No, Frazier's much tougher and rougher than Cleveland Williams."
An ailing Ali said afterwards that the fight "was the closest thing to dying that I know", and, when later asked if he had viewed the fight on videotape, reportedly said, "Why would I want to go back and see Hell?" After the fight he cited Frazier as "the greatest fighter of all times next to me".
According to Muhammad Ali's trusted physician and corner man Ferdie Pacheco, it was believed by Ali and his trainers that Joe Frazier has deteriorated by his shocking loss to George Foreman. Likewise, Ali had defeated Frazier easily in their rematch. Fans believed that Ali was doing Frazier a favor, giving him one last big payday before retirement. Because of this conviction, Ali's training was mediocre, while Frazier's preparation was intense.
When the fight ended, Ali was ahead on the scorecards of all three officials. Using the 5-point must scoring system, referee Carlos Padilla Jr., scored it 66–60, Judge Alfredo Quiazon had it 67–62 and Judge Larry Nadayag had it 66–62 all for the champion Ali.
Ali later 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. He is the greatest fighter of all times, next to me."
After the third fight with Frazier, Ali considered retirement. He said, "I'm sore all over. My arms, my face, my sides all ache. I'm so, so tired. There is a great possibility that I will retire. You might have seen the last of me. I want to sit back and count my money, live in my house and my farm, work for my people and concentrate on my family."
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