What if Joe Frazier had won the Thriller in Manila?

No I believe Foreman had to be psychologically reduced by Ali, & fought the ill-advised too Conservative style with the narrow, less power favorable style to likely lose to Young.
As it was he had Young ready to go, Young basically saidd a feather could have pushed him over...
Some things seem inevitable because a powerful image of the events are imprinted on our briaiaians.

But logically Foreman without altering his form & at peak is very likely to KO Young.

 

Post Manila I'd have fancied Norton's chances against Frazier.

 

There most likely would have been a 4th fight, quite possibly a gift decision for clay, which in turn may have very well set up a 5th "once and for all" type fight for the ages.

Of course it's entirely possible frazier rides off into the sunset, but he still had unfinished business with foreman to deal with

 

He was fittna win had Eddie let him answer the bell lol,

 

Eddie Futch like the late Yank Durham were like loving fathers to Joe Frazier, they cared about his well being unconditionally. Eddie saw that Joe's eye was swollen shut, and Muhammad Ali was landing numerous right hands to the injured eye. Eddie did not want Joe to be blind for the rest of his life, health over prestige and money, good call. The fans are not the ones taking the blows in the ring.

 

Didn’t say it was bad or even unwarranted, I’m just saying that it’s been documented that if Joe stood up to fight he would’ve won because the way I’ve heard it is Ali wasn’t getting back up

 

My mistake, I do understand.

 

Dundee most likely would have forced Ali to comr out for the 15th, but remember again he collapsed shortly after Futch threw in the towel. Also read in Frazier’s autobiography one of his cornermen eavesdropped Ali wanting to quit but couldn’t tell Futch in time due to the crowd noise.

 

Yeah, Foreman wouldn't make the same mistakes and that Ali couldn't have survived George

 

That's true , Ferdie Pacheco was asked ,,"did Ali want to quit after the 14th round and he didn't deny it" he said ,we all wanted to quit". Story was Ali told Dundee to cut his gloves off.

 

I don't think an Ali vs. Frazier 4 would have been in the cards at that time. Futch was no dummy, and nobody could have ever accused Frazier of ducking Ali after taking 2 out of 3 from him. I can see a Frazier vs. Norton Fight. It's certainly possible that we could have still seen Ali vs. Foreman, as some sort of Eliminator, while Frazier defends against possibly Norton and Bobick(?). If Ali defeats Foreman, that gives Frazier cover. And he still has cover for not defending against Ali. Foreman fights Young and then retires? Frazier barely gets by Young and then retires? These are all possibles, but some may not be probables. This is a fun thread, Janitor!

 

I know in boxing it's about the money , but I never understood why in the world they put Frazier back in the ring with Foreman.

 

Joe takes on Earnie Shavers, barely wins, and retires mid 1976.