Thrilla In Manila: 40 years on from sanctioned manslaughter in boxing

Listening to radio talk sport about this event and both men nearly killing one another and going through sheer exhaustion to beat one another.

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Thrilla In Manila: 40 years on from sanctioned manslaughter in boxing | Kevin Mitchell | Sport | The Guardian

For the purposes of commerce, showbusiness and Don King’s love of mangled rhymes, it was called the Thrilla In Manila. In reality, the third, final and quite frightening fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, on this day 40 years ago, ought to be remembered as The Fight Too Far.

Both came to the battle weary, aged and struggling to contain self-delusion. They left damaged and irreparably bitter. Ali won, famously, when Frazier’s kind and wise trainer, Eddie Futch, refused to let him go out for the 15th round, exhausted and near-blind.

But the contest lingered verbally way after the bell, all the way to Joe’s grave. This most noble of fighters struggled properly to forgive Ali for some of the most hurtful insults ever hurled in the name of sporting hype, and convinced himself in repeated assertions to anyone who’d listen that he could have survived one more round.

In that respect, Frazier did win. He won respect for his courage and sympathy for his plight as Ali’s plaything, the straight man in a joke he never understood. Joe sweated blood and dignity in equal measure.

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This is the fight that got me into boxing. My dad told me about it so I bought the VHS and I've loved boxing ever since.

Both fighters were older and so just battered one another more than they would normally have done. They just wanted to win at all cost.

The heat was another factor that day.

Looking back at that fight and some of the other equally brutal and may I say homicidal fights in history it is very clear to all of us that the fighters of the past were much tougher and dogged and determined to go through hell for 15 or 20 rounds and lay their soul on the line and give it their all and push themselves beyond their human limits ---compared to the prima donnas and the half-hearted and the lackluster and mediocre fighters that we have today. Anyone who disputes that fact is simply being a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian or for the sake of trying to look open minded by putting on an air of supposed and alleged fairness to modern Fighters.
I guess it is really cool to tell yourself that you have gotten old now and that you are simply delusional in your old age to think that the fighters of yesteryear were tougher and more determined and stronger and had greater heart and greater willingness to suffer and to fight and push themselves beyond their human capacity.
I guess its cool. Whatever floats your boat.

Besides Evander Holyfield I really can't think of any Fighters of the past 20 or 30 years at least in the heavyweight division who had that kind of warrior spirit that Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier had.

Interesting Thought

In the bout before "The Thrilla In Manila"

Muhammad Ali couldn't do a thing with Joe Bugner.

Yea he won, but he 'stunk out the joint'.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bill Paxtom

Interesting Thought

In the bout before "The Thrilla In Manila"

Muhammad Ali couldn't do a thing with Joe Bugner.

Yea he won, but he 'stunk out the joint'.

---

A lot of your threads and posts stink out the entire forum Bill. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Greenbeanz

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bill Paxtom

Interesting Thought

In the bout before "The Thrilla In Manila"

Muhammad Ali couldn't do a thing with Joe Bugner.

Yea he won, but he 'stunk out the joint'.

---

A lot of your threads and posts stink out the entire forum Bill. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

---

You know, Green Beans do emit a Foul Odor as well.

They are an 'ugly vegetable' too

Muhammad Ali was a very big man. Taller than most people realize. Bigger arms and legs than most people realize. He really was a huge guy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bill Paxtom

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Greenbeanz

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bill Paxtom

Interesting Thought

In the bout before "The Thrilla In Manila"

Muhammad Ali couldn't do a thing with Joe Bugner.

Yea he won, but he 'stunk out the joint'.

---

A lot of your threads and posts stink out the entire forum Bill. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

---

You know, Green Beans do emit a Foul Odor as well.

They are an 'ugly vegetable' too

---

Great come back, I need to write that down and use it against someone. :rolleyes:

Smokin' Joe Frazier

Really didn't train all that hard for this bout.

He started his Training Camp on August 27, 1975 at Cloverlay Gym in Philadelphia.

Joe was close to 230 lbs., and had not fought since March 2nd against Jimmy Ellis in
Australia.

Basically, it was a 5-Week 'Prep-Cycle', which was nothing special.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bill Paxtom

Smokin' Joe Frazier

Really didn't train all that hard for this bout.

He started his Training Camp on August 27, 1975 at Cloverlay Gym in Philadelphia.

Joe was close to 230 lbs., and had not fought since March 2nd against Jimmy Ellis in
Australia.

Basically, it was a 5-Week 'Prep-Cycle', which was nothing special.

---

Rubbish! Joe pushed himself like he always did. The only limitations was his age and boxing mileage. All witnesses said he trained very hard.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Master

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bill Paxtom

Smokin' Joe Frazier

Really didn't train all that hard for this bout.

He started his Training Camp on August 27, 1975 at Cloverlay Gym in Philadelphia.

Joe was close to 230 lbs., and had not fought since March 2nd against Jimmy Ellis in
Australia.

Basically, it was a 5-Week 'Prep-Cycle', which was nothing special.

---

Rubbish! Joe pushed himself like he always did. The only limitations was his age and boxing mileage. All witnesses said he trained very hard.

---

Nah. You're smoking in the shower again.

Look it up, Joe Frazier didn't start training until August 27, 1975.

And he used 'old-man' George 'Scrap Iron' Johnson as a sparring-partner.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Master

For the purposes of commerce, showbusiness and Don King’s love of mangled rhymes, it was called the Thrilla In Manila. In reality, the third, final and quite frightening fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, on this day 40 years ago, ought to be remembered as The Fight Too Far.

Both came to the battle weary, aged and struggling to contain self-delusion. They left damaged and irreparably bitter. Ali won, famously, when Frazier’s kind and wise trainer, Eddie Futch, refused to let him go out for the 15th round, exhausted and near-blind.

But the contest lingered verbally way after the bell, all the way to Joe’s grave. This most noble of fighters struggled properly to forgive Ali for some of the most hurtful insults ever hurled in the name of sporting hype, and convinced himself in repeated assertions to anyone who’d listen that he could have survived one more round.

In that respect, Frazier did win. He won respect for his courage and sympathy for his plight as Ali’s plaything, the straight man in a joke he never understood. Joe sweated blood and dignity in equal measure.

---

Great post That fight did not have a winner or a loser both men gave 110% Neither man was ever the same again. I spoke with Joe quite a while in Dallas many years ago & I asked him " Was the hatred for each other real or just hype Joe." He grinned & said " He says it was all hype but he took it too far. When your daughter comes home crying that other kids said her Daddy was a Gorilla because Ali said so that's going too far."
He also said " Let me put it like this I don't think we'd ever go out to a bar and drink together but there is no man in this world I admire more than Ali. I hit him with shots that would have felled any normal man but he just kept coming.
Joe was a real nice down to earth guy a pleasure to talk to plus he was one Hell od a Fighter!!! R.I.P. Champ you earned it

Thursday ~ August 28, 1975

Smokin' Joe Frazier had opened up Training Camp on Wednesday ~ August 27th.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust

Looking back at that fight and some of the other equally brutal and may I say homicidal fights in history it is very clear to all of us that the fighters of the past were much tougher and dogged and determined to go through hell for 15 or 20 rounds and lay their soul on the line and give it their all and push themselves beyond their human limits ---compared to the prima donnas and the half-hearted and the lackluster and mediocre fighters that we have today. Anyone who disputes that fact is simply being a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian or for the sake of trying to look open minded by putting on an air of supposed and alleged fairness to modern Fighters.
I guess it is really cool to tell yourself that you have gotten old now and that you are simply delusional in your old age to think that the fighters of yesteryear were tougher and more determined and stronger and had greater heart and greater willingness to suffer and to fight and push themselves beyond their human capacity.
I guess its cool. Whatever floats your boat.

Besides Evander Holyfield I really can't think of any Fighters of the past 20 or 30 years at least in the heavyweight division who had that kind of warrior spirit that Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier had.

---

How dare you forget Foreman

I know Joe never forgave Ali for the hurtful things he said to him and the impact it had on his family which probably hurt the most. No one could because he had to live through it. I do not think Ali meant it to go that far either and it was just bravado from Ali. Admire both men as they gave it their all in that ring and created great memories that will be remembered forever.

I have lost track of how many times I watched that fight because there were two things in hindsight that intrigued me, why I remained an Ali Fan for a long time escaped me but when He (Ali) pulled that miniature gorilla out of his pocket and forgot that way back when, Joe supported his plight with the U.S. government I lost some respect and then the fight. It was a tug of war until Joe broke away and Joe was in Fantastic shape and he did not allow Ali to box or breathe. Ali's jabs got there first and then those monster hooks had Ali holding on for dear life. Joe brought out the fighter in Ali who won the fight I believe out of sheer terror. Ali started to throw punches in desperation after taking a beating from Frazier and he could barely keep his arms up and Joe's eyes were closed but it was as if his fists had radar and he found Ali. He was hurt but to this day the question was how much. Ali's fists or the compassionate Frazier corner, which one lost it for Frazier? Ali would say in his post fight interview ,"That was the closest I have ever been to death."

See Bill, everyone know Joe got into great shape.