Thrilla in Manila - Did Ali ask his corner to cut his gloves off?

For what though, someone else to take him in the ring. Dundee said he stuck around because he wanted to be there for him.

 

Had Dundee exited with Pacheco it would have gotten Ali's attention more and got him thinking about it earlier. Ali had nobody to tell him no in his camp. Angelo didnt protect him anyway. He had no power to even stop the fight without running for his life.

 

If you watch the post presser just look at Ali's. face. He had a few bruises but his eyes looked like he just saw Leon Spinks while walking through the woods at night. He went on to praise Frazier he a way he never had before.

 

I remember a docu as well. I 4get the dude who said he was trying to get Frazier's attention & let him know Ali is done- as stated here, Frazier's trainer broke his heart he wanted to go out on his shield. Can't blame him the way Ali talked about him.

 

I wouldn't disbelieve anything about that fight. In his book, " The Greatest " Ali describes being in the near room to death. He said he knew he was borrowing energy from the future which is incredibly prescient given what was to happen to him later in life.
In the book, Ali claims he asked Angelo Dundee to cut the gloves off and that rather than arguing, Angelo told him to wait as he thought Frazier's corner was going to pull him out. Angelo has always denied this. Ferdie Paccheco has referred to the incident without confirming or denying it but always said Ali would have answered the bell if he had to.
Looking at Ali at the end of the fight, he was beyond empty. It's hard to be sure but I can't imagine Ali would simply have sat on his stool and watched Joe come out for the last round.
Neither man should have been allowed to fight again after that night.

 

Willie " The Worm " Monroe, a Middleweight contender in Frazier's stable and a close friend of Joe's.

 

I think Ali's collapse to the canvas after the fight was stopped was his body's relief at not having to push itself any further.
If the fight had been stopped after the 13th round, then I think the exact same thing would have happened.
Ali would have collapsed and we'd be debating what would have happened if Frazier had come out for the 14th round.

Ali dominated the 13th and 14th rounds and Frazier offered very little in return. That's a clear sign that Ali had more left in the tank than Frazier did. Ali would know this and it would be another reason, in addition to the fact he just wouldn't quit anyway, to continue.

If Futch had let Frazier out for the 15th, it would have been another round for Ali but probably less emphatically than earlier as Ali was becoming increasingly fatigued.

This is why the 14th round was very bad for Frazier but not as bad as the 13th.

The fight probably would have gone the distance with Ali's unassailable lead resulting in a unanimous points victory.

 

On the flip to that..Ali dominated the 13th and 14th rounds. He hit Frazier an un Godly # of punches in the 13th and 14th rounds. After he had fought at an unheard of pace for heavyweights, in 100+ temp. There is a strong possibility that Ali had punched himself out. Perhaps he would have collapsed or maybe just held and got through the 15th. Either way I dont think he could have let his hands go another round like that.
Frazier had no vision and he was spent as well. Joe's power seemed diminish after the 11th round or so. One thing Joe had left was anger, anger is what kept him on his feet.

 

Frazier was practically blind and getting absolutely battered. No way would Ali have quit if Frazier didn't