The Fight vs The Thrilla in Manilla

their last fight had too much punishment and i think ali landed more cleanly in the last aswell

If I want to see two superpowers, then the first fight. If I want to see two heroes giving their all, then the Thrilla. Manila by a mile for me, even though my guy lost. So you're saying Ali and Frazier didn't give it their all in the first fight or not giving as much as in 1975? Personally I don't get that impression watching the fights....

Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier 1971 - The Fight Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier 1975 - The Thrilla In Manilla Which one was better in terms of the ACTUAL fight and not the drama surrounding it? I would say both were immense fights filled with amazing boxing but I say The Thrilla in manilla edges it because it was much more brutal and they gave all they had until they HAD to stop it and Ali collapsed in his corner after. Such an epic fight. In 75 neither were great. In 71 Frazier was GREAT. I love the 71 fight because of the way the fight is split into 2 halves. Ali clearly winning the 1st half, but Frazier pounding Ali in the 2nd. Also i dont think u can seperate the cirtumstances of each fight and the actual fight. In the first we had the return of the king, undefeated. Versus the new champ, a brutal punching machine. The way people were divided over who they wanted to win. Ali finally getting beat set up the Foreman-Frazier 'fight' and therefore the amazing Ali-Foreman fight which made Ali a legend. The 75 fight was nearly as significant. They gave everything they had, but Frazier would never had been stopped years before.

Ali in 1967 was better then Ali in 1971 EVERYONE knows that and i garuntee you if you ask Dundee this he will tell you the same. Its so damn obvious, he had the movement and energy which he lacked when he came back from his ban.

i agree mate that nearly took ali's head off. ****ing amazing punch According to Frazier, in his autobiography, surprisingly enough that wasn't the hardest punch he ever threw,but Ali was dead tired and the shot was right on the button.

Every time I see Frazier land that leapng left hook,thats the best hook I have ever seen!! i agree mate that nearly took ali's head off. ****ing amazing punch

LOL It may he been the best possible Ali but he was not in his prime. His prime was 64-67 CLEARLY. Ali 1966 beats Ali 1971 ergo Ali mk 71 was not "prime" Dude... I'm just passing on the opinion of another... If you want to argue the case, take it up with Angelo, but you better hurry because he already has one foot in the grave... may he L.A.L.L.I.P (Live A Little Longer In Peace). If Angleo says the best years of Ali were during the ban, than 1971 is just as far removed as your 1967 Ali, only on the downside rather than the upside. With a little devotion to the game and a few nights in front of Classic Boxing on ESPN Classic... we all can become knowledged. I'm sorry if I take the word of a man who pounded it out in the gym for more than a decade with Ali over the word of a fellow boxingscene poster.

I gotta go with The Thrilla in Manilla, i get knackered WATCHING that fight!!!

OK so Ali was not in his prime for the FOTC However he was definitely out of his prime in 1975 and was not in the same shape that he was in for his second fight with Frazier and the Rumble.Frazier was damaged goods. The good thing going for the Thrilla is that there was a nice bit of brain damage in the fight(also if you are an Ali fan there is the bonus of him winning),but neither Frazier not Ali seemed to be fighting in the explosive bursts as in their first encounter. The third fight had great moments but there wasn't the twists and turns of the first fight. BTW the story seems to have changed ,since the seventies,from Ali thinking of quitting in the 10th round to him asking to have his gloves cut off after the 14th

The World Awaits

How is Ali prime in 71? Angelo Dundee said on ESPN Classic, during and episode of "Ringside", that we missed the BEST years of Ali during his ban from boxing. 1971 is the next best thing. You ask, how is he prime in 1971? I can't explain that to you, because I don't know. But I have faith that if anyone knows, its Angelo Dundee... and certainly not you.

I have the Thrilla on VHS, love it. It was like 100 degrees in that arena and they fought like it was to the death. The most amazing thing about that fight is that I heard Ali almost threw in the towel he was so exhausted and then Frazier saved him. This fight was also the model for a lot of other great slugfests that happened. Two great fighters, past their prime, fighting for pride. The Thrilla in Manilla is the best.

The first one... when they were both in their prime and in better shape.

"in there prime" lol come on how could you say that was ali's prime. He showed flashes of his prime.Frazier on the other hand was definitely in his prime. In the first fight the flurries are more explosive and the fighters seem sharper. The Thrilla has its moments but I have to go with the first one.

"in there prime" lol come on how could you say that was ali's prime.

Every time I see Frazier land that leapng left hook,thats the best hook I have ever seen!!

Fight 1... You have to add in the surrounding circumstances...two fighters, in there prime, unbeaten...The agressor gets the better of the boxer, knocking him down in the 15th..The pure boxer fights back in the same round... Frazier wasn't the same after fighting Foreman the first time..