October 1, marks the 40th anniversary of one of the most beautifully brutal boxing matches of all time. Ali-Frazier III, or what became known as the Thrilla in Manila, was the rubber match between two of the greatest boxers of all time. Tensions between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier were at an all-time high entering their third encounter.
Muhammad Ali is widely considered to be the greatest fighter of all time. He was a two time HeavyWeight Champion of the World, and feared by everyone; well, everyone except Joe Frazier. Smokin’ Joe was one of the hardest hitters in boxing, and wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything. The Philadelphia- bred fighter was the antithesis of Muhammad Ali. While Ali was keen on dancing, showmanship and quickness, Frazier was a hard- hitting southpaw and a blue collar guy. He was the physical incarnation of Philadelphia’s spirit. He hated Ali, and Ali hated him.
The Oct. 1 meeting was not a fight; it was a war. For the first three rounds Ali danced and put on his normal theatrics, something Frazier was not able to handle. Then, after a patented hard hook from Frazier, everything changed. Ali realized that this was no time for fun and games, and the fight moved into a whole new dimension. In the ten rounds that followed, the two titans stood toe to toe against the ropes and gave each other everything they had. Frazier, grunting with every shot he threw, landed body shots that sounded like a freight train hitting a brick wall. Ali, whose hands made lightning second guess itself, threw flurries at Frazier that no mortal should have been able to withstand. It was a bloodbath. By the thirteenth and fourteenth rounds both men looked like they had been to hell and back, a sentiment that they would both later agree upon.
The slobber knocker was ended after the fourteenth round when the referee, doctor and corner men decided that Frazier could go no further. The only person who disagreed was Frazier himself, who protested the decision. Ironically enough, it was Ali who wanted to quit, and would’ve if Frazier’s corner hadn’t stopped the fight first. Ali won by Technical Knockout, retaining his title by a narrow margin. According to him, it was the closest he had ever been to death.
The fight has gone down in history as one of the greatest ever. Joe Frazier would go on to fight two more times before retiring in 1981. Ali retired the same year after two hard to watch losses to Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick. Most agree that Manila should have been their last fight.
After the 14th round, Frazier’s corner man said to him, “no one will forget what you did here today.” Forty years later, no one has forgotten what either man did that day in the Philippines. It was a triumphant day for both fighters, regardless of the outcome. There is no denying that the fight was truly a Thrila.
