WeeklySA_AdminTHRILLA IN MANILA: Ali, Frazier left behind pieces of themselves in that ring…
By Jo-Mangaliso Mdhlela
October 1 marks the 50th anniversary of the “Thrilla in Manila”: the never-to-be-forgotten Muhammad Ali’s successful but punishing defence of his world heavyweight championship against the buzz-saw “Smoking” Joe Frazier.
The 1975 bout, ended the trilogy of their ring encounters. The respective dates of their battles were: The Fight of the Century: March 8, 1971, where Frazier won by unanimous decision; Ali vs. Frazier II held on January 28, 1974, where Ali won by unanimous decision and The Thrilla in Manila on October 1, 1975, which Ali won by corner retirement. The last one was held at Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines.
The fight also saw Frazier gallantly going down in defeat with his boots on, showing greatness even as he was overcome by a great champion, who was also a fierce social justice activist.
As part of the events to commemorate and pay tribute to the “Thrilla in Manila” event, South African minimum weight champion, Siyakholwa Kuse, will travel to the Philippines to square up with the World Boxing Council (WBC)strawweight champion, Melvin Jerusalem, at a date still to be confirmed in October.
The Jerusalem-Kuse title fight is due to be promoted by the legendary former world champion, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s MP Promotions. It will form part of a series of events to commemorate the Thrilla in Manila that took place before the diminutive “Pacman” was born.
Golden Gloves managing director Rodney Berman – who is co-promoting the Kuse fight – described this as the greatest opportunity coming the way of the Mdantsane-based fighter.
“This the greatest honour for Kuse to feature in such an event, where the greatest fight of all time, the Thrilla in Manila took place,” said Berman.
Berman has secured broadcast rights for SuperSport, giving South Africans an opportunity be part of this memorable event.
Of the Thrilla in Manila affair, Ali said: “It was closest thing to dying.” Yet, the two fighters – both now deceased – were committed to keeping the 42-minute-long fight as whistle-clean as possible notwithstanding its aggressiveness and intensity in the sweltering heat of Manila.
Frazier, spotting closed eyes, swollen face, failed to come out for the 15th and last round, thus giving Ali a technical knockout victory.
Frazier’s corner, led by Eddie Futch, stopped the fight at the end of the 14th round.
Despite the brutality of the fight, both boxers stuck it out, observing to the letter the Marquis of Queensbury rules and its decorum – to settle the debate about who was the greatest.
The Thrilla in Manila, in any language, was a thriller – a thrill-a-minute affair.
Boxing writers gave it a number of descriptions. Some described it as an epic – for some in their own mouths said of it: “Nothing in this lifetime will ever equal its intensity and brutality.”
Another said: “In living memory nothing of this sort has been seen. This is purely extraordinary. Excitingly brutal, yet most enjoyable and classical in its brutality.”
Frazier came out of the bout worse for wear. Ali, too, took as much punishment as he dished out. Both fighters endured heavy battering, with Frazier’s ribcage severely damaged, reportedly rendering him unable to breath.
Sadly though, reports abound that “the damage inflicted during the fight was so severe neither fighter was ever the same physically or mentally after the fight”. But human endurance under these conditions is hard to explain in logical terms.
Today, Ali and Frazier rest in their graves. They have left a lasting legacy for all generations to mull over, and wonder what commitment to a cause might entail. Boxing writer Michael Carbert writes:” Almost five decades later, one still hears the echoes, the reverberations of that final, epic struggle between [the]two boxing legends.
“After all, it was more than a heavyweight championship boxing match, much more. It was a monumental clash of wills, a last battle between bitter rivals, the final, indisputable proof of a legendary champion’s greatness.
“Simply put, boxing is life and death, legalised gladiatorial combat, brutal and merciless.
“Ali and Frazier left behind large pieces of themselves in that ring in Manila. Neither would ever be the same ever after. And boxing will never forget what they gave.”
