Muhammad Ali – Thrilla in Manila

Ali vs. Frazier III: The Thrilla in ManilaFight Date: October 1, 1975Production Date: 1998Run Time: 51:13On October 1, 1975, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier met in Manila for their third epic encounter.

This special show was created by NBC Sports for its “Greatest Bouts of All-Time” Series, which first broadcast in the early 1990s.
Marv Alpert and Ferdie Pachecho, the “Fight Doctor,” evaluate the fight round by round, with commentary from Frazier, Angelo Dundee, Eddie Futch, and referee Carlos Padilla.

It’s quite nicely done, with a decent introduction to the fight, the debate surrounding it, Frazier’s personal loathing for Ali, and, of course, the thrilling battle itself.

The battle is amazing, with Ali dominating the early rounds, Frazier dominating the middle rounds, and a slugfest conclusion! Both competitors gave everything they had in their final bout.

Although I thought their first bout in 1971 was superior, this is a battle worth every frame of film.
It is without a doubt one of Ali’s finest contests.