?THRILLA IN MANILA? TAKES CENTER STAGE AGAIN (PART I)
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 05 Apr 2009
The bout often ranked as one of the greatest boxing fights of 20th century, ?Thrilla in Manila? is now an Official Selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. 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 recounted as the fitting climax to the harsh rivalry between two heavyweight giants Ali and Frazier. The setting started after Ali was stripped of the title because of his refusal to join the armed forces when drafted during the Vietnam War. Some years later after repeated urging from Ali, Frazier appealed to President Richard Nixon to restore Ali's boxing license, which gave birth to the Fight of the Century between two undisputed heavyweight champions in 1971.
Frazier suffered whopping discrimination from Ali that Frazier felt Ali had betrayed him, because Frazier had attended several trial and hearings, and gatherings in support of Ali throughout his struggle resulting from his preference to evade the Vietnam War draft.
Frazier and Ali's relationship, and the enduring hate that Frazier continued to hold for Ali, resulted from this stage of support. Frazier supported Ali financially during his exile from boxing, regularly providing Ali hundreds of dollars.
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 countered that their gate of $2.5 million apiece was guaranteed by then President Ferdinand Marcos.
The film features exclusive footage and interviews with boxing personalities, including Ferdie Pacheco, Butch Lewis and Dave Wolf, and former First Lady Imelda Marcos. The documentary narrates the epic tale of two great fighters involved in three classic encounters, and pictures the third and the most brutal fight, from Frazier's viewpoint.
"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 what the fight was all about, "It was like death. Closest thing to dyin' that I know of."
Directed by John Dower, ?Thrilla in Manila? cleverly pursued an astonishing personal scuffle between two friends who later became bitter foes. It captures the emotional page in the history of the country when the two Hall of Famers became instant sports idols and legends.
The struggle for Ali's title ended when Frazier's coach and cornerman Eddie Futch stopped the fight before the 15th and final round while Frazier was sitting on his stool and never been down.
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