'Thriller in Manila'

Red Devil 26

Premature Examination
Joined
Apr 22, 2007
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Wasn't sure what forum to put this in, but I really enjoyed this documentary on channel 4 last night.

I know hardly anything about boxing, so was extremely surprised to see the much revered Muhammad Ali being portrayed in such a poor light. I knew taunting his opponent was something he was famous for, but what he did to Joe Frazier (the man who aided his campaign to get his boxing liscense back) was quite frankly shocking. It certainly went a long way past merely promoting the event.

Felt quite sorry for Joe, especially because of the manner in which he lost his final fight with Ali. Just a shame he still has so much hate for the man and is unable to forgive.

Anyway was just wondering, what everyone thinks of Ali? Not just as a boxer but also as a person? I know he's done a lot of fund-raising since he retired from boxing, but did he go too far with his rivalry with Joe?
 
Was a very good documentary.

I think both Ali and Frazier are as bad as each other. Ali probably went too far, but he was always very over the top in the build up to a fight.

Joe is just as bad now as Ali was then.
 
^^^true,
i saw it on saturday night on more4 and now my brother is anti-Ali!
it was a shitty way to treat Frazier yet thye fact Frazier revels in Ali's illness is terrible
 
Great documentary, great fight.

But seriously how did Frazer survive that beating in the final rounds?
 
The Ali and Frazier story is epic and is part of what made boxing like no other sport. I wouldnt be suprised if deep down these two great warriors had huge amounts of respect and admiration for each other, but maybe their pride is just too strong,
Is this the best boxing trilogy ever? i find it hard to look beyond Gatti-Ward, i think the second fight lets the Ali and Frazier trilogy down a little.
 
To be fair after the way Ali treated him you can understand why Frazier holds him in such contempt. And relishing his illness, whilst not pleasant, is just something he feels as karma I suspect.
 
CircusMonkey said:
The Ali and Frazier story is epic and is part of what made boxing like no other sport. I wouldnt be suprised if deep down these two great warriors had huge amounts of respect and admiration for each other, but maybe their pride is just too strong,
Is this the best boxing trilogy ever? i find it hard to look beyond Gatti-Ward, i think the second fight lets the Ali and Frazier trilogy down a little.
Click to expand...

Gatti Ward was a great battle, no doubt but people say its been pushed down the ranks by Marquez-Vasquez these two Super bantamweight Mexicans tore the shit out of each other in 3 fights over the past 2 years.

BTW Mark Wahlberg is meant to playing Irish Mickey Ward in a bio but something about Brad Pitt pulling out has put it on ice for the minute
 
I love the Frazier quote about what he thought about Ali lighting the torch at summer games in Atlanta 1996, "I'd have pushed him into the fire" haha
 
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