Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Thrilla In Manila

Just finished watching the documentary "Thrilla in Manila",which is about the October 1975 rubber match between Muhammad Ali and Smokin' Joe Frazier.

I must say,it is pretty fascinating stuff and sheds some real light on what Ali really was/is.It seems that all of his little lines and such that made him a household name were actually fed to him by the Nation of Islam-they were also the ones that decided to taunt Frazier endlessly as an "Uncle Tom" and a "gorilla",as he is a devout Baptist and hence was considered even worse than a white man.

The analysis of the fight is pretty good too.Frazier,his corner and Ali's corner all agree that it was this fight that put Ali into his present state-he was never able to walk or talk the same after the fight.Frazier said before the fight that God was going to punish Ali for all the things he had said and done over the years,and Frazier believes to this day that Ali is being punished for his past wrong-doings.Frazier also seems pretty damn proud of beating Ali into his current state;although it is worth noting that Ali and Frazier were very good friends at one time,with Frazier even going so far as loaning Ali money and going to Nixon to try to get him his fight license back.But when the Nation of Islam decided to start taunting Frazier and his family,Frazier grew to hate Ali and he still does to this day.

If you enjoy boxing whatsoever,it is definetly a film you need to check out-just watching Frazier's facial expressions as he watches film of the fight (which he had never watched),is worth the price of the rental.

Brian.

For those who have never seen the classic matchup in question....













Brian.

I was a big fan of Frazier as a kid. His 3 fights vs. Ali were all brutal classics. The thrilla in Manilla was one of the best heavyweight fights of all time. Smokin Joe took a viscious beatin but as time has shown so did Ali. 2 of the greatest heavyweights of all time letting it all hang out. Ali said that fight was as close as he ever came to dying or something like that. Neither man was ever quite the same again. Ali, Frazier, Norton, Foreman man those were the days of the heavyweight. 163bc

If I remember correctly - both Ali and Frazier spent many days in the hospital after that fight.

It was a classic.

Two great warriors they were.

Muhammad Ali is a coward and draft dodging traitor. He's living his karma right now and I could give a damn weather he lives or dies. It's interesting who respects him...

Frazier in a 2009 SI article:



http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/mma/boxing/04/22/frazier/index.html

+1

Ali is the reason that trash talking by sports stars is so rampant today. He got a lot of attention with his taunts of the opposition, and the boys from the hood continue that same line today. It is hard watching elementary school kids thinking they are entitled to show such poor sportsmanship because they see their heroes doing it on TV.

One of my best friends thinks that Ali is the greatest. I still think he is a pos.

It was a crime that Frazier's corner threw in the towel. Ali wasn't going to get off the stool for the 15th round.

Larry Holmes,who trained with Ali for four years,fought and beat him for the heavyweight title and has been friends with him since the late 60's/early 70's,says in the documentary that Ali is the most over rated boxer of all time.He said something like,"all Ali could ever do was dance,jab and run his big yap.Mostly yap."

While I liked Ali's fighting style,I've always thought fighters should be humble outside of the ring.I think Randy Couture is a good example of how a fighter should conduct himself outside of the ring-he never trash talks,and he always has good things to say about his opponents both before and after the fight.On the other hand,you've got guys like Frank Mir who IMO can trash talk and get both the fans and his opponent riled up without even trash talking per say-he'll just start analizing his opponents strengths and weaknesses,and sound say things like,"well,he hasn't improved in this area of his game....." and it gets people all jumpy.It's "polite" trash talk,if there is such a thing.

Brian.

Naw, fight two was a dud.

One thing overlooked, nobody could take a punch like Ali..

Those bombs Fraiser hit Ali with in fight one would have knocked out all but Tex Cobb, and the body shots Foreman hit him with? The bombs Kenny Norton clobbered him with, and he never went down. No, Ali was a great fighter and a great show.

I remember rooting for Ali to get his clock cleaned almost every time he fought, but damned if I wasn't shocked when he chopped big George down.

There it is, right there.
I never liked Ali. Always rooted for the other guy. Wanted to see Ali KO'd and carried away on a stretcher. Never liked his fighting and that arrogant mouth constantly yapping set me on edge. Always considered it a monumental display of poor sportsmanship.

And his fighting style, if one could call it such, always looked to me like cover your head and let the other guy swing until he's too tired to fight, then finally start hitting. A good tactic, I suppose, because it worked, but certainly not admirable. Having a 2 inch thick skull is the only reason he ever won a fight IMO. He could take a helluva beating and stay on his feet. That's the only part of his "boxing" I considered a good quality... his career hinged on it. Not much to be proud of if you're a boxer. A one trick bag.

And then there was the name change. A black man putting aside his given name and surname to openly worship an arabic god struck me as plumb stupid. Still to this day I say that Ali and Mr. T were bad influences on America's black youth and should never have been on tv. Their promotion of a stupid, abrasive, belligerant and cocky attitude added to that heaping helping of narcissism produced results that aile our society to an extreme measure. Now days there's hardly a black youth in America that doesn't suffer from it, and spread that suffering to all he encounters. Also now days it's promoted more widely than ever, practically every single black actor and comedian relies on it as their SINGLE "talent".... it's nothing short of pathetic.

Somewhere I have read that he ( C Clay) is known as an American Ambassador and looked at as a great American known through out the world. --- He was a F-- 'en Draft Dodger. If he went into the military during Vietnam --he very easy could have taught boxing and never stepped foot outside the US. He could have served My county and never had to go to war, which is perfectly OK. Web

I have no use for Ali. Would rather see his daughter fight.

Well I'm up to number 4 and it looks like the dope-on-a-rope really was a dope. I guess he got everything he earned. The dope was not a very good fighter that's why he had to resort to trash talking.

Ali was the greatest heavyweight champion. Draft dodger, yes. But, who else paid as high a price to do what they believe? (Jack Johnson?)

Loudmouth, yes.

Coward?.....he fought 'em all and beat 'em all. I remember when he and Wilt Chamberlain were talking smack about a fight!

(make that Wilt!)

I understand you guys don't like the man for the draft dodging and the running of the mouth, but you're letting it cloud your judgment.

Ali fought during a time, the last time, there was such a bevy of good tough heavyweights. Archie Moore, Floyd Patterson, Jimmy Ellis, Henry Cooper, Liston, Fraizer, Norton, Shavers, Foreman, These were all good and tough fighters. Fraizer and Norton were the only two that he didn't blow through. He was in his forties when he fought a Larry Holmes in his prime, and still took eleven rounds of punishment.

His style sucked because he was able to rely on quickness. None were as quick as Ali in his prime, none had his endurance or ability to take punishment. Joe Louis was great, maybe the greatest of all time, but he would have struggled to catch Ali, look how close Billy Conn came to out speeding Louis, Ali had a much bigger punch that Billy Conn, with the speed to match.

I hated the guys big mouth also, but come on, be real, "wasn't a good fighter"??

Who wins?
Tyson vs. Ali both in their prime.