Thirty years after the last of the epic trilogy, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier are still swinging at each other in media interviews, newspapers and magazine write ups and television documentaries commemorating the fight called ”Thrilla in Manila.”
Long before Ali and Frazier enplaned for Manila on that memorable day of Oct. 1, 1975, chroniclers of sweet science throughout the world predicted that whoever survives would emerge as the sport’s Fighter of the Year.
They took into account the first fight held in 197l won by the latter via a 15th round stoppage and the controversial second meeting in 1974 won by the former via a decision by simply holding on his arch-rival the hose of the 15-round encounter.
The third encounter was too bitter, bloody and brutal, Mark Kram of Sports Illustrated described it in his book the ”Ghosts of Manila” as a duel that left one with a ruin of life and other battered to his soul.
As expected though, Ali, who survived with a 14th round TKO triumph was adjudged the 1975 Fighter of the Year, the collision Fight of the Year, the pivotal 13rth round as Round of the Year and Filipino ring official Carlos ”Sonny” Padilla Jr., the third man on the ring, Referee of the Year by all of boxing’s award-giving bodies, including the prestigious Ring Magazine and Boxing Illustrated.
The Philippines, likewise, emerged the big winner as until this day, it continued to be the talk of the boxing town as the site of one of the greatest fights in history, if not the greatest.
A crowd of 28,000 packed the Araneta Coliseum with those who couldn’t be accommodated inside sat by the millions in front of their television sets. Hours before the fight, there was nary a soul walking on the streets.
As in their first fights, Ali, as planned ran the table early against Frazier, who as usual, sought no cover in a ploy to stay within connecting distance. The first three round saw Ali tagging Frazier with lead rights to the delight of the overflow crowd that included President Marcos and pretty wife Imelda.
A departure in tune came up in the fourth with Smokin’ Joe revving his motor moving as he kept snorting and rolling on clo-ser, dangerously closer. In the fifth, Joe began finding Ali at close range, forcing him into the corner more of the times, connecting with body blows which the champ couldn’t seem to escape.
