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

[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.

[Master]

[Master]

[Master]

[Master]

[Master]

[Master]

[C.J.Rock]

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

[Bill Paxtom]

Thursday ~ August 28, 1975

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