The Thrilla in Manilla

I think it was great but I thought their first bout had more clean punching and better action.

 

Brutal, amazing fight.

 

I loved the fight especially in the late rounds when Ali hit Frazier so hard he knocked his mouthpiece out into the crowd..

Great FIGHT!

 

Overrated? I don't know. A great fight, a grand effort by both men? Definitely yes!

I can't understand why some people try to theorise Md. Ali into defeat. It is a case of what he is 'reported' or 'heard' to have said. How he was 'prevented' by other people. How he would not have won otherwise. And so on. Heavens!

The only thing that matters is that he performed in such a way that he rendered poor Joe unable to continue (according to the sage Eddie Futch). Perhaps these guys know more from a distance than what Eddie Futch could see and know from being in Frazier's corner.

 

Ali would never quit a fight - look at the Holmes fiasco - Ali didn't quit even when he couldn't throw a punch and was taking a bad beating. He probably said it in Manila but would never do it. If he felt that bad he would've retired after that fight. But look what happened. I don't know how one of the greatest Heavyweight fights of all time can be overrated. When you think of the conditions, extreme heat, waterlogged gloves and the pace they fought at - most of today's heavies are slow paced amateurs compared to them.

 

First, high-stakes circumstances elevate quality.

When I first got my hands on my own copy of the fight, I had been feeding on a consistent diet of Mike Tyson's astonishing reign. I winced at the thought of either one of these guys in there with an '86 Tyson. The greatly-revered Ali seemed a harmless slapper and, except for a few extraordinary shots in Rounds 3 and 6, Frazier seemed a one-armed chest leaner.

But something kept me coming back to this fight.

First, these guys were just over the hill, and boxing is more than just racing across the ring and blasting a hapless bloke out with both hands.

I began to appreciate Ali's crisp accuracy and his very own defensive resources in the form of an extended left, an extraordinary judgment of distance, a strong cover-up, retreating and circling, dancing and ducking. I began to appreciate his powerful right hands and surprising infighting ability; his generalship in the ring and handling of the fight; not to mention that burning heart inside that cried, "I'm the champion of the world and no man can take my title!"

My eyes were opened to Frazier's awesome two-handed swift and bludgeoning body attack, his never-ending energy and desire.

Under the high-stakes circumstances, it was truly a thriller. And on its own merits, with its conclusion of a blinking, blind Frazier shaking his head at being halted, it was a great, dramatically unforgettable fight.

 

Those fights were better along with the underated...Ali/Frazier II. I thought that was a damn good fight.