I wonder if Ali gets the same treatment if he doesn't become 3x lineal champion. It really boosted his legacy in the eyes of the people back then.
Ali was way ahead on the cards. He knocked Joe's mouthpiece into the cheap seats in the 14th round. He never quit in 61 professional fights and 161 amateur fights. Why would he quit in Manila? When he was cooked he was losing every round to Larry Holmes. It took a note from Herbert Muhammad who was sitting at ringside to Angelo Dundee to stop the fight. If it was up to Ali and Bundini he would have come out for the 11th round. He was a man.