MUHAMMAD ALI AND JOE FRAZIER: THE GREAT RIVALRY
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 03 Oct 2010
It was 35 years ago when The Thrilla in Manila was fought between two boxing titans Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier for the world heavyweight championship at the Araneta Coliseum on October 1, 1975. The bout was considered as one of the greatest fights in boxing history and was the climax of the Ali-Frazier boxing trilogy, considered one of the bitterest rivalries in boxing history.
The first encounter between the two boxing legends was The Fight of the Century on March 8, 1971 at Madison Square Garden, New York City. It was the fight between two undefeated champions, which resulted in Frazier winning by a unanimous decision with Ali ending up at the hospital with a badly swollen jaw. Frazier connected with a stunning left hook that knocked Ali on his back. It was Ali?s first professional loss.
The second bout took place on January 28, 1974 still at Madison Square Garden, New York City. Ali wanted to get even with Frazier and a chance to challenge world heavyweight champion George Foreman, who had dethroned Frazier. Ali exacted his revenge on Frazier with a unanimous decision.
In the third encounter, Ali wanted better media mileage and made Frazier annoyed by his trash talk and insults. One of the famous Ali remark was "It will be a killa... and a chilla... and a thrilla... when I get the gorilla in Manila." These verbal tussles heated up until the present when Ali and Frazier where still at odds with each other, several years after the two had retired.
The fight went on for 14 punishing rounds with the hot temperatures of Metro Manila almost reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Ali was leading in the earlier rounds, but Frazier made a comeback in the middle rounds, when Ali appeared exhausted and was cornered on the ropes. In the later rounds, Ali got a new leash of life and regained supremacy of the fight. The fight was halted when Frazier did not answer the bell at the start of the 15th and final round. Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, refused to allow his boxer to continue with his eyes swollen and closed.
Frazier retired in 1976 following a second loss to Foreman. He made a comeback in 1981, fighting Floyd Cummings to a draw, before finally hanging up his gloves for good. The International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) ranked Frazier among the ten greatest heavyweights of all time. He was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.
In 1978, Ali lost the heavyweight title to 1976 Olympics gold medalist Leon Spinks., but regained the WBA version of the eavyweight title by winning over Spinks in a rematch, winning the heavyweight crown for a record third time. Ali retired after his win over Spinks but returned in 1980 to face current champion Larry Holmes, his former sparring partner, in an attempt to win a heavyweight title an unmatched four times.
Trainer Angelo Dundee did not let Ali to continue for the 11th round, it was Ali?s only loss by a TKO, others were by decision. His last fight was a loss to Trevor Berbick by unanimous decision after 10 rounds in 1981.
In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, when Ali lit the Olympic flame, Frazier commented that he would like to throw Ali into the fire. He also made offensive remarks on Ali?s Parkinson?s disease.
On January 8, 2005, Muhammad Ali was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President George W. Bush. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony on November 9, 2005. The entertainment industry also recognized his contributions by placing a star in his honor on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard.
Frazier is still training young fighters, and has trained his offsprings to become professional boxers like himself. Ali recently attempted reconciliation, but it was reported Frazier refused to patch up and Frazier still asserted to have won all his three bouts with Ali.
Ali has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated on 37 different times, second only to Michael Jordan in the number of cover appearances of the prestigious magazine. Ring Magazine named Ali as the number 1 in its 1998 ranking of heavyweights for all time. He was named the second greatest fighter in boxing history by ESPN behind Sugar Ray Robinson. ESPN ranked Ali second as the greatest heavyweights of all time behind Joe Louis.
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