@Duodenum: Read my post again, i agree with you! I said Frazier was almost blind, not Ali. I also agreed that Ali would've came out for the 15th & that he had brutally taken rounds 13 & 14.
I know K, just reinforcing what you said in reply to RockyJim in post #42. (I don't think anybody here who's watched Manila from beginning to end genuinely believes Muhammad would have quit with three minutes to go, but just has fun trying to sell us on that snake oil.)
I agree and to be honest the only reason Ali was able to stay in a long as he did was he continually held the back of Frazier's head all night. People don't like to talk about it but that's what happened. I didn't make the boxing rules, but it's illegal to hold a man behind the head. As a ref you give a fighter 3-4 warnings and then you take points away. The ref warned Ali but still let him hold Frazier's head. The most the ref did was slap Ali's hand off the back of Frazier's neck. That's what made the big difference in that fight. Had Ali not held Frazier's head Ali would of dropped sooner. In the end I think health wise it was more damaging to Ali. Ferdie Pacheco said that after this fight Ali never passed a physical again. Ferdie said he already saw the brain damage kicking in. Was that worth Ali cheating in this fight to win?
Joe was gassing out earlier and earlier, as each round passed. Joe foolishly came out fast in Rounds 12, 13 and 14, burning himself up, and having little left in the tank for the second half of the round. Ali sensed this, and played possum, and rallied in the latter half of those rounds. If Joe played it smart, and hung back, he would not have absorbed an open shot pummelling. But Ali would have won the decision anyway.
Frazier was a very good fighter but after his win over Ali had nothing to prove. As Foreman said in the film 'Facing Ali' 'Once a man climbed one of those Mount Everest, he's conquered everything. Its the easiet time in the world to push him down, cause he has already made it to the top, aftee he beat Ali there was not that much left of Joe Frazier. I amn trying to remember the fighters that Frazier fought after his win over Ali.
'Smokin Joe' picks up some easy pay-days in 1976. February,,,,,,,W KO 8,,, Dino Dennis April,,,,,,,,,,,,,W KO 5,,, Dante Cane Then loses, September,,,,,,L KO 10,, Duane Bobick Joe Frazier wins the first 8-rounds, but gasses out, and gets pounded all over the ring in round 9. In Round 10, Bobick floors Joe for a 6-count. Then drives Joe into a neutral corner, where the 'white man' lands 25 unanswered blows, forcing a stoppage. (Joe is ahead on all scorecards 8-1-0 in rounds) March 1977 Joe wins the rematch,,,,W KO 7,,, Duane Bobick Duane Bobick comes out fast, and staggers Joe with the first right hand he throws. Joe staggers and goes down for an 8-count. Bobick is all over Joe, and has him ready to go, when Joe whips a left hook from out of nowhere, and drops Bobick. Bobick barely beats the count, and hangs on to last out the round. Bobick is out of it, but somehow manages to last thru 6-rounds. Battered, Bobick cannot answer the bell for the 7th round. Joe, who was running out of gas at the time of the stoppage, is thankful, because he was not sure if he could last another round or two. (Joe is ahead on all scorecards 5-0-1) October 1977 Frazier vs. Bobick III Duane Bobick turns the tide and wins,,,,,,W KO 15 over Joe Frazier Joe paces himself, and controls the fight for the first 5-rounds. Bobick rallies in round 6, and shakes Joe with a right, but does not follow up. Joe goes back to work, and stays low scoring points by working on Bobicks body. Joe cleans up and wins rounds 7 thru 12. In Round 13, Joe's legs are starting to go. Bobick rallies briefly, but is staggered by a Joe left hook. Joe, way ahead on points, foolishly goes for a knock-out, and burns himself out. Round 14, Bobick finally starts to land good shots, and staggers Joe with several rights. Finally Joe goes down, late in Round 14. Joe manages to beat the count, but is in bad shape. Joe comes out for Round 15, and only has to stay on his feet to win, but Bobick unloads everything hes got, and finally topples Joe with only 20-seconds left in the fight. (Joe is ahead 12-2-0 in rounds)