Thrilla In Manila...

[Blacc Jesus]

What was the general concensus going into the fight as far as who would win and how? Was the fight anticipated as much as their 1st and 2nd fights?
And which fight did you enjoy more: The Fight of the Century or the Thrilla?

[TBooze]

The feeling was Frazier was damaged goods, Ali nearly had him out of their in their poor second bout, it seemed Frazier had not properly recovered from losing the Championship to Foreman.

[My dinner with Conteh]

The feeling was Frazier was damaged goods, Ali nearly had him out of their in their poor second bout, it seemed Frazier had not properly recovered from losing the Championship to Foreman.


Funny enough, Boxing News predicted that Frazier would win on points.

[Blacc Jesus]

One more question: How much did Ali and Frazier make for this fight?

[My dinner with Conteh]

One more question: How much did Ali and Frazier make for this fight?


Their purses were $ 4 million and $2 mill respctively, with a percentage of the gate.


Answering your earlier question about the first and 3rd fights. I couldn't separate them. I love both equally. Two of my very favourites.

[McGrain]

I find Manilla hard to watch, Frazier is just eating up punches towards the end and with hindsight we know how hurt he was. But I still enjoy III more than I. They both give in that fight.

[Blacc Jesus]

I find Manilla hard to watch, Frazier is just eating up punches towards the end and with hindsight we know how hurt he was. But I still enjoy III more than I. They both give in that fight.
I actually found it a bit harder to watch those body shots Frazier was hitting Ali with. Unreal how much punishment those two took.

[McGrain]

I actually found it a bit harder to watch those body shots Frazier was hitting Ali with. Unreal how much punishment those two took.


Yeah, those two ruined each other alright.

[TBooze]

No he didn't, dickhead. He briefly stunned him in the second. Frazier had his feet firmly planted and wasn't going down, whether or not the ref fucked up.

I think you have got a not so hidden agenda behind that comment.... By all means defend your hero, but in return accept you lack the emotional control on this subject to be objective. Ali nearly had Frazier out in that fight.;)

[ChampionsForever]

Absolutely brutal fight, they both took the most amount of punishment they ever had taken in a fight in Manilla that night.

[Blacc Jesus]

I think you have got a not so hidden agenda behind that comment.... By all means defend your hero, but in return accept you lack the emotional control on this subject to be objective. Ali nearly had Frazier out in that fight.;) Did he? I've never seen their 2nd fight.

[Robbi]

I prefer Manila, its probably the greatest heavyweight fight ever.

[TBooze]

But you have idiots like Tbooze who seem to believe so.

Count to ten Thad; remember that emotional attachment thingy, with it you can not debate.;)

[Blacc Jesus]

I can't really see Ali knocking out Frazier.

[TBooze]

He's not the first Ali fan to claim that, but it's completely false and ignorant. And he tells me that I have an emotional attachment.

I have little time for Ali and his arrogance, I think people with a faith have a massive flaw...

So if I did have an emotional attachment to him, it would be a negative.

Ali was with little doubt a superb fighter; Frazier too was excellent, it was just Ali had a way to get Joe smokin' when he did not want too. Although crude, using the Uncle Tom phrase was brilliant pyschology, not least because Frazier knew deep down, there was a hint of thuth to it...

Frazier had the style to mess Ali up and after fight one Ali knew that and used other tools to get the job done. Ali should not of been on verge of stopping Frazier in two in 1974, but getting inside Frazier's mind, got the job done.

[TBooze]

I'm not getting into the whole Uncle Tom debate, but Ali trying to get inside Frazier's head hurt him more than it helped him.



Put it this way. If Ali was on the verge of stopping Frazier in round 2 of their second fight, Frazier was on the verge of stopping Ali 7 or 8 times in their first fight.

Yes he was and Ali like Frazier had to suck it up, and battle though it.

[My dinner with Conteh]

Did he? I've never seen their 2nd fight.



He didn't.

[TBooze]

He didn't.

Ali had Frazier going he was hurt big time, and the bell helped him no end.;)

[My dinner with Conteh]

Ali had Frazier going he was hurt big time, and the bell helped him no end.;)


It didn't. Frazier was stunned momentarily, no more than, say, Leonard was in round 2 of the first Duran fight.

[TBooze]

It didn't. Frazier was stunned momentarily, no more than, say, Leonard was in round 2 of the first Duran fight.

I disagree, Frazier legs buckled and he looked in bad shape to me.

[My dinner with Conteh]

I disagree, Frazier legs buckled and he looked in bad shape to me.



Well, you're wrong. It's probably just what you want to believe. :good

[ChrisPontius]

If Ali "almost had him out of there" then Frazier almost had Ali out of there about 10 times in their first fight.

And he did. If not for Ali's great recovering ability, he wouldn't have lasted the distance that night. From round 6 on he was taking a heavy beating.

[TBooze]

Well, you're wrong. It's probably just what you want to believe. :good

I guess;)

[janitor]

What if the thrilla in manilla had been fought in 1910?

45 rounds and no such thing as a TKO?

Who would have prevailed?

[TBooze]

What if the thrilla in manilla had been fought in 1910?

45 rounds and no such thing as a TKO?

Who would have prevailed?

Well as long as Futch was in Frazier's corner, the same result would of happened, a 14th round corner retirement.

[Dempsey1238]

Well as long as Futch was in Frazier's corner, the same result would of happened, a 14th round corner retirement.

Nope, they woulnd NOT have stop the fight in the fashion that it did in 1910. Fraizer's eye ball had to be hanging out for that to happen.

[Blacc Jesus]

Nope, they woulnd NOT have stop the fight in the fashion that it did in 1910. Fraizer's eye ball had to be hanging out for that to happen.
You're probably right.

[JimboDs]

I took the praise that Ali showered Frazier with after Manilla as evidence that Ali was bursting with relief that the 15th didn't happen and the fight was over.

Obviously I'm trying to play mind-reader and I could very well be wrong, but it just seemed to me like he was looking for immediate reconciliation so that they wouldn't have to fight again.

[Marciano Frazier]

What was the general concensus going into the fight as far as who would win and how?
Ali was the favorite, probably by decision.

Was the fight anticipated as much as their 1st and 2nd fights?
The first fight was the most anticipated of the trilogy, followed by the third fight. The second fight was much more low-profile(and much less entertaining, as well as being incompetently officiated) and was the least anticipated of the three.

And which fight did you enjoy more: The Fight of the Century or the Thrilla?
That's a tough one. The FotC was the one when both were closest to their best, and my personal favorite won, but the third fight had the most pure, sustained, intense action.

[Blacc Jesus]

I took the praise that Ali showered Frazier with after Manilla as evidence that Ali was bursting with relief that the 15th didn't happen and the fight was over.

Obviously I'm trying to play mind-reader and I could very well be wrong, but it just seemed to me like he was looking for immediate reconciliation so that they wouldn't have to fight again.
I read somewhere that as soon as Ali asked Dundee to take his gloves off, Futch stopped the fight. I can't recall where I read it from though...

[Marciano Frazier]

If Ali "almost had him out of there" then Frazier almost had Ali out of there about 10 times in their first fight. Yes, Ali clearly rang Frazier's bell there at the end of the second round, but it really gets blown out of proportion at times, I think in part because of the controversy over the referee's blunder at the 10-second mark. Even if the ref hadn't screwed up, Frazier wasn't desperately hanging on or reeling around or anything, just calmly covering up against Ali's flurry, Ali wasn't really connecting solidly with much of anything, and there were only 10 seconds left in the round; frankly, it would be pretty generous to say Ali "almost had Frazier down," let alone "almost had him out."

[TBooze]

Nope, they woulnd NOT have stop the fight in the fashion that it did in 1910. Fraizer's eye ball had to be hanging out for that to happen.

The question is a little silly to a point. They would be using lighter gloves so they would not thrown such heavy punches, if they had, then the fight would not go 14 rounds, because both would of broken their hands and probably have broken jaws/cheekbones as well...

[ChrisPontius]

What if the thrilla in manilla had been fought in 1910?

45 rounds and no such thing as a TKO?

Who would have prevailed?
If they would've fought at the same pace, Frazier probably gets killed.

Just because Ali was happy he didn't need to fight for another round doesn't mean that he couldn't. Let's face it, he still threw a lot of punches in the 14th, it wasn't asif he was slumbing around like Robinson against Maxim. Frazier couldn't see shit and was reduced to a human punching bag that no and then throws a hook that misses its target.

[Blacc Jesus]

Thanks for all the replies, guys.
One more question, though: Where was Frazier ranked coming into the fight?

And I found it interesting that during the post fight interview Dunphy asked what's next and Ali replies with 'George Foreman'. We know how that turned out...

[My dinner with Conteh]

Thanks for all the replies, guys.
One more question, though: Where was Frazier ranked coming into the fight?

And I found it interesting that during the post fight interview Dunphy asked what's next and Ali replies with 'George Foreman'. We know how that turned out...



Joe was Ali's mandatory defence, the only one he fought in his second reign. He'd been installad as #1 due to Foreman's absence.

[Bill Butcher]

What was the general concensus going into the fight as far as who would win and how? Was the fight anticipated as much as their 1st and 2nd fights?
And which fight did you enjoy more: The Fight of the Century or the Thrilla?

I believe ali was a decent favourite to beat joe, who was seen as more past his prime due to the foreman fight & a couple of not-like-himself wins since then.

I remember it had a bit less hype than their 2nd but much much less than their 1st bout but still seen as a not to be missed fight simply because of who they were & their rivalry.

Finally, I think the thrilla was better than the 1st mainly because ali stood toe to toe more.
I think the 3rd ali frazier fight was 1 of the top 5 fights of all time & also the no1 hwt fight of all time, different level from even todays legendary hwt fights like bowe holyfield 1.

The thrilla in manilla kicks ass.

[fg2227]

How much did Ali and joe get paid for the second fight?

[round15]

I read somewhere that as soon as Ali asked Dundee to take his gloves off, Futch stopped the fight. I can't recall where I read it from though...

In Manilla, Willie "the worm" Monroe was sitting in Ali's corner at ringside. After the 14th round, he heard Ali say "cut these things off, I ain't goin' back out there, that man's crazy." Dr Pacheco proceded to rub him down while pleading with him for one more round even though Ali continued to protest. Angelo Dundee completely ignored Ali wanting to quit and both men continued to revive him. Willie Monroe ran around the ring to Frazier's corner to tell Futch not to stop the fight but Futch already signalled the end. Carlos Padilla, is a good referee who smartly went to Frazier's corner first. Protecting the fighters is the first and foremost rule of boxing and Frazier lost the fourteenth round badly. Who knows, if Padilla went to Ali's corner first, he might have heard Ali quit. Either way, this was one of the all time great fights.

[NickHudson]

This is exactly how I saw it too.

It is telling that even after the excellent chopping right that does the initial damage, Ali struggles to land something clean afterwards - which is unusual for Ali.

It seems unlikely to me that Frazier would have sustained any more damage in the 'extra' 10 seconds, and almost certain that he would have stayed on his feet.


Yes, Ali clearly rang Frazier's bell there at the end of the second round, but it really gets blown out of proportion at times, I think in part because of the controversy over the referee's blunder at the 10-second mark. Even if the ref hadn't screwed up, Frazier wasn't desperately hanging on or reeling around or anything, just calmly covering up against Ali's flurry, Ali wasn't really connecting solidly with much of anything, and there were only 10 seconds left in the round; frankly, it would be pretty generous to say Ali "almost had Frazier down," let alone "almost had him out."

[torchkit]

What if the thrilla in manilla had been fought in 1910?

45 rounds and no such thing as a TKO?

Who would have prevailed?TKO or not, a fighter's cornerman could still quit. Which is what happened in Manilla.

[biglads]

I've only seen FotC once, but have the Thrilla on tape.

I can honestly say I find it hard to watch, a great fight but probably the only one (and I KNOW this sounds very stupid) where I just wish they'd stop hitting each other by the time we're midway through the fight.