RIP Joe. Smokin' Joe was world champ in the days when there was only one world champ. Thesedays theres so many Mickey Mouse belts up for grabs . it's diluted the meaning of being world champ
I know, it's a ****ing fiasco now. Yep, I'd agree with that but Henry Cooper had a hell of a hook on him. Dumped Ali right on his arse.
Ali always said that left hook of Cooper's hurt him more than any other punch in his career - including Liston's and Foreman's!
One of the great openings from a book on the "Thrilla in Manilla" Once upon a time, on a sweltering night in the Philippines, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier tried to murder each other. This happened legally, which somehow made it OK. See, they signed a contract to "fight" each other in Manila. They wore padded gloves, trunks and sneakers so it looked like "boxing." They agreed to fight for 15 three-minute rounds with 60-second breaks in between. They gave a trained referee (Carlos Padilla) and two trusted trainers (Eddie Futch for Frazier, Angelo Dundee for Ali) the power to stop the "fight" if it went too far. They confined themselves within a roped ring and fought furiously for 180 seconds at a time, only halting when they heard a bell … and even then, there were a couple of times when they just kept going. Thirteen times, they retreated to their respective corners, sat on stools directly facing one another, slurped water, gathered their breath for 60 seconds, stared across the ring at one another and thought about things like, "I have to kill him before he kills me." Each time, a bell would ring. They would stand up, walk toward the middle of the ring and try to murder each other again. During the 14th and final break, when it became clear somebody might die — probably Frazier, who couldn't see anything out of either eye — Futch decided that he couldn't live the rest of his life knowing that he didn't save Frazier. He stopped the fight. A weary Ali figured out what had happened, stood to make sure, then sagged to the ground like someone had sliced his hamstrings. He spent the next few seconds lying on his back, finally sitting up and staring ahead blankly as his entourage congratulated him — not just for winning, but for surviving. This wasn't a fight. This was something else. With all due respect to Hagler-Hearns, Leonard-Hearns, Foreman-Lyle, Castillo-Coralles and everything else on that level, the third Ali-Frazier bout went to a different place. For sweeping drama, clashing styles, mutual hatred, historical significance and sheer brutality, nothing else approached the "Thrilla in Manila." The fight eventually ruined both men, only neither of them cared. They were fine with the stakes.
gave me chills when I read that. remember the fight well and some of Ali's quotes afterwards. he really didn't think he could answer the bell for the 15th...and when Frazier didn't, he described a sense of relief he could never possibly experience again. straight up Warriors.
Look at the state of Ali now though poor bloke. Makes you wonder if all the battles had owt to do with it.
they did do him in Chunky, but he'd do it all over again. i never could, but that just adds to their status as icons.
Last time I saw him on tv I think it was Michael Parkinson show, he was obviously suffering with his parkinsons disease. But he was still trying to be the old, Ali. He said he would do it all the same way if he was starting over again & seemed perfectly happy & contented.
