1975: The world awaited a classic. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought three times: any one of which could be considered a classic. The first in 1971 was won by Frazier. The second was Ali’s. The third was to be the decider. Hall of Fame: Clash of the Titans
Before the final round Frazier’s trainer Eddie Futch had decided he had seen enough. Meanwhile in the other corner Ali was telling his trainer Angelo Dundee that he wanted to quit. But Frazier’s trainer had already made up his mind. ibid.
He [Ali] could be very cruel. And he was extremely cruel to Joe Frazier. He used to call him a gorilla. Called him an Uncle Tom. Which was even worse. And Joe Frazier was not an Uncle Tom. Colin Hart, boxing journalist
They were shot fighters by then. And they just couldn’t get out of the way of each other. Colin Hart
I was turning my head away at times because it was so brutal. Colin Hart
When you have fights like that ... it takes something out of you. Henry Cooper, former opponent
Ali has realised that he can’t necessarily dance away from Joe Frazier any more. He’s really going to have to slug it out with him. Mike Carlson, broadcaster
You’re talking about life and death. Mike Carlson
They were there to find each other much more than they would have found each other if they were younger. And the only thing that remained was their courage. Teddy Atlas
Manila wanted in on this: this travelling circus of big events. Bert Randolph Sugar
The Thriller in Manila was the greatest fight of all time. It was the third and final confrontation between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. Thriller in Manila ***** 2008
Joe Frazier’s gym is hidden away behind the decaying rail-tracks of North Philadelphia in an area known as the Badlands. ibid.
Ali and Frazier contested a trilogy of epic fights. ibid.
Muhammad Ali arrived in Manila two weeks ahead of the fight and made a characteristically grand entrance. ibid.
The most famous man on the planet. ibid.
A bitter hatred had taken over and a bond had been broken. Eight years earlier these two men had been friends. ibid.
In 1968 Frazier was the number one contender and took Ali’s vacant Heavyweight crown. ibid.
A determined Joe Frazier travelled to Washington to petition for Ali’s right to fight. ibid.
He even lent him money. But when Ali was allowed back into the ring he dramatically turned on his one-time friend and ally. ibid.
Muhammad Ali consistently used the politics of race to demean Frazier. ibid.
Ali saw Frazier as inferior. ibid.
In Manila Muhammad Ali had hijacked Frazier’s training sessions, he had politicised the fight with his continuous gorilla taunts, and now with a week to go he turned up at Frazier’s hotel brandishing what was later claimed to be a replica gun. ibid.
Joe Frazier was the one he feared the most. ibid.
While Ali fooled around with his mistress, Frazier led a Spartan-inspired life of solitude with nothing on his mind but the fight. ibid.
He went toe to toe with Joe Frazier for three brutal rounds. ibid.
For six consecutive rounds Frazier punched Ali, working exclusively at his body. ibid.
Joe Frazier, following a training accident in 1964, had fought his entire professional career with only partial vision in his left eye. ibid.
While Ali was pleading with his corner to stop the fight, Joe despite being virtually blind was desperate for it to continue. ibid.
In 2001 Muhammad Ali said in an interview with The New York Times ‘I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment I shouldn’t have said. Called him names I shouldn’t have called him. I apologise for that. I am sorry. It was meant to promote the fight.’ ibid.
The most unusual fight I’ve ever seen. Reg Gutteridge
This is their third and final fight. It was always known as The Thriller in Manila. Harry Carpenter, Reg & Harry: Ali v Frazier
What amazes me is the sheer severity of it which struck me at the time. ibid.
v Joe Frazier 8th March 1971 Madison Square Garden New York [r1] ... He outreaches Frazier by four and a half inches ... Clay dancing fast, and the tassels on the shoes twirling away ... The opening round has gone to Clay ... [r2] ... And Clay is hurt, and he dances away from the ropes because he has to. Frazier keeps coming ... And these two will never last fifteen rounds at this pace ... He gives that little shake of the head again ... He's picking off Frazier all the time ... [r3] ... That’s a good left hook and he catches Clay that time ... This is the best championship fight for many years ... The jab has slowed down from Clay ... Still able to pick his man off at long range ... Clay is bleeding from the nose ... [r4] ... Frazier straight at his man ... Clay still whips the right hand across the face of Frazier ... An incredible pace ... The two men beginning to slow ... There’s the big one, and he [Ali] got hurt ... [r5] ... Clay’s got his work cut out now with this fight and he knows it. And Frazier snarls back at Clay as Clay catches him in the head ... And Frazier gets caught as he comes in ... One of these is going to crack ... Frazier grins. He puts his hands down and laughs ... [r6] ... He [Ali] plays about with him. How can the man do this? ... And the prediction has failed ... [r7] ... Although Clay shakes his head again he felt that ... I make Clay in front by this stage of the fight ... [r8] ... Good looking jabs from Clay ... But this windmill of a machine, this threshing machine that is Joe Frazier ... They’re just messing about .... This is not fighting; this is exhibition stuff ... [r9] ... Joe! Joe! Joe! they shout ... This is more like it ... There’s a good left hook ... There's a strange death-wish about Clay ... He hangs his chin out ... And now he’s giving Frazier a good working over ... Frazier forced back and hurt ... [r10] ... I think Clay lost that one ... [r11] ... Hooking all the time and chasing his man all the time: typical Rocky Marciano style ... It was a slip [Ali]. Again Frazier hammers forward ... The punches are getting through to Clay’s head ... And Clay beckons him back. And Frazier goes after him and he's got him with the left hook ... And Clay is in trouble and he makes a face ... And he is hurt again and he almost goes over ... He’s hurt. Tremendous round for Frazier ... [r12] ... He’s pulled himself together, and he's coming back ... That’s a good right hand ... [r13] ... And these two have nearly punched themselves out on each other ... The side of Frazier's face looks puffed and raw ... He’s been in that corner for a minute now ... [r14] ... It’s still not resolved ... Good strong finish there by Muhammad Ali ... [r15] ... Oh there it is! The left hook! Frazier at last has caught up with him! ... There’s the left hook again. And he almost went down from that one ... What a finish and what a fight! And that knockdown has probably saved the title for Frazier ... This extraordinary fight saved a sensation for the fifteenth round ... [8-6-1 Frazier 9-6 Frazier 11-4 Frazier] Harry Carpenter UK fight commentary