Help me understand: Thrilla in Manilla > Ali/Frazier I

And I'm the biggest fan of Frazier, but there's no way Ali would have quit on his stool. And if you think that after the heart that man displayed throughout his career, you are only fooling yourself.

Frazier was getting beaten up and could have been blind if he went out for that 15th round. And that's not an exaggeration. Futch made absolutely the right decision and I commend him for having the balls to protect his fighter in that sort of situation.

 

I heard that Frazier was the 1st man to beat Ali even before Id ever seen Ali fight so I dont think the thrilla is used to make anyone forget about the FOTC & no-one would forget it anyway.

IMO the 2 best ever HW fights were the FOTC & the thrilla in Manila.... I think the thrilla is the better fight, it was more brutal, more clean punches to the face, especially in the late rds... its just a preference.

 

Ali vs Frazier I is still the best fight ever for me. All factors that determine that quality of a boxing match, i.e. the skill and experience of the combatants, the build-up; how the arrogant Ali had demolished the invincible Liston and never lost the title - compared to how Frazier steam-rolled the entire division, what they did afterward, whether it lived up to its expectation, etc, etc. Their rubber match is entertaining, but in the end it's a watered down, Gatti-Ward version of the original.

I agree with the point of the thread starter: the fact that Ali won the third is one of the main reasons it's more famous and endlessly re-played on ESPN Classics instead of the much better original.

 

Not this myth again :rofl

grow up, Ali won that fight as clear as day, no excuses.... Frazier was behind on points, was a punching bag in rd 13 & almost died in rd 14... what do you think rd 15 would have brought for Joe ?.... Eddie Futch knew, thats why he pulled him out.... end of !

Ali TKO14 Frazier

 

I agree with a lot of what you say here, but I just don't agree with this view that FOTC has taken a back seat. That ESPN doesn't show it is in all likelihood a question of rights (which I believe belong to the NBC). It's still always referred to as "The Fight of the Century" for chrissakes. How on earth is it getting downgraded?

 

Think about the conditions that night in Manila. Look at Carlos Padilla's shirt after rd 4. It's absolutely drenched. Then think about what Ali & Frazier have just gone thru in 4 rounds and you start to realise what a test of human endurance that fight must have been for both guys. It must have felt like they were fighting in a sauna that night.

The 1st fight is a great fight but Ali clowned too much in the middle rounds. There was no clowning during the Manila fight.

Every time I watch the Manila fight I just shake my head in awe.

 

Very good post, I agree completely :good

In terms of the FOTC, it had more political meaning then the 3rd, but because the fight in Manilla was so brutal and was the decider in the trilogy, the last chapter of a great story, it's remembered most fondly. It's a lovely myth that it was simply a case of Frazier being pulled out first, and that if Futch had waited Ali would have quit, but as others have pointed out those in Ali's corner claimed that he never wanted to quit. I believe Dundee said that when Ali sat down after the 14th round he didn't say a word to him.

What was surprising is just how much Joe managed to give, most of the people in the Ali camp though Frazier was done and it would be an easier proposition for Ali, to just go in there and clinch the trilogy with a commanding win. But we all know how that turned out. It was good to see Eddie Futch show such compassion in the heat of battle by pulling Frazier out. With both eyes closed and him taking some real punishment we could have had a tragic end to the fight if he was allowed out for the 15th round.