Back To The 70's

[jt2003]

I believe the Thrilla in Manila happened in 1976 or thereabouts. The brothers sent us home right after school assembly so that we could watch the fight. I believe it was the late Joe Cantada who did the commentary for the Philippine broadcast (I suppose he didn't have access to the ring itself), so at the time we never got to hear one of biggest compliments that Ali paid an opponent. "He's the greatest, next to me," Ali said of Frazier immediately after the fight, when he, Ali, was seated on the canvas, exhausted and glad that it was over. It was only later, when the Thrilla was shown in retro boxing programs, that we got to hear that line from an interview in the ring.

 

One of the most enduring sights from the Thrilla was Frazier losing his mouthpiece in the 13th and the 14th.

 

Another enduring memory was the ending. The Philippine broadcast was running commercials when the fight ended. When we returned to the fight, it was over. We were all asking, "What happened?" Because we never saw the actual stoppage, Cantada and company had to explain that Frazier could no longer continue. That ending had another classic line, this time from Frazier: "I can't see. I can't see."

[sliderule]

When exactly was The Thrilla in Manila?  1970 ba? If I recall, I think I was still in grade school then (maybe Gr. 6 or 7?), so, could you have been 1st year HS?  Alam ko kasi, mas matanda ako sa yo! 

 

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75 or 76 yata

In grade school, classes were suspeneded with every Clay/Ali fight.

We fondly called them "Ali-days"

[walangiba]

75 or 76 yata

In grade school, classes were suspeneded with every Clay/Ali fight.

We fondly called them "Ali-days"

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If it was '75 or '76, I was indeed in high school then (4th year high school to be exact!). Oh well, I'm having what they call senior moments... my memory getting rusty now and then... :cry:

 

So, what was that monumental boxing match sometime in the late sixties or early seventies? The one when I was STILL in grade school? It must have been held here, or were there "live-via-satellite" telecasts already then?

[storm]

The Thrilla in Manila was after the Foreman vs Ali fight in Zaire. It happened on October 1, 1975.

 

Oct. 1, 1975 - "Of all the men I fought, Sonny Liston was the scariest, George Foreman was the most powerful, Floyd Patterson was the most skilled as a boxer," Ali once said. "But the roughest and toughest was Joe Frazier. He brought out the best in me, and the best fight we fought was in Manila."

 

Frazier had won their first bout and Ali their second. It was 10:45 a.m. in the Philippines when their rubber match started, and the "The Thrilla in Manila" lived up to the hype.

 

The bout turned out to be three fights in one: The first had Ali, the champion, outboxing and outscoring Frazier, nailing him with clean, sharp shots. The second fight, from the fifth through the 11th, had Frazier giving a terrible pounding to Ali. The third fight began in the 12th round and somehow Ali, with the will of a champion, tore into Frazier for the next three rounds.

 

When the bell rang for the 15th round, Frazier, with his eyes almost completely shut, remained in his corner as his trainer, Eddie Futch, threw in the towel.

 

"Man, I hit him with punches that'd bring down the walls of a city," Frazier said. "Lawdy, lawdy, he's a great champion."

 

Ali said, "It was like death. Closest thing to dying that I know of."

 

I was in 4th year high school. We had 2 TV sets in our classroom. One for the pro-Ali and on the other side, another one for the pro-Frazier. Both were SONY Trinitron TV sets. BIG TIME!!! :thumbsupsmiley:

 

We watched "Big Time" last night. One of the most hilarious yet dark film I've ever seen. :thumbsupsmiley:

[sliderule]

If it was '75 or '76, I was indeed in high school then (4th year high school to be exact!). Oh well, I'm having what they call senior moments... my memory getting rusty now and then...  :cry:

 

So, what was that monumental boxing match sometime in the late sixties or early seventies? The one when I was STILL in grade school? 

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Clay vs Liston?

Just kidding...

[storm]

Hahaha. Batang paslit pa tayo nun.

 

 

Noong 60s? Baka yung mga boxing fights nina Elorde, Barrientos, Erbito Salavarria, etc.

 

Mga fights ni Smoking Joe Frazier.

 

Early 70s nung mag-comeback si Ali vs Jerry Quarry.

[jt2003]

Tapos pumasok naman sa eksena si Foreman, a gold medalist in the 1968 Olympic Games.

 

As in the first Ali-Frazier bout, it was a fight between two undefeated heavyweights. The brothers gathered everyone at the covered court to listen to the radio broadcast. Those for Foreman kept raising four fingers. I was absolutely shocked when Foreman took Frazier out in two (or was it one?).

 

Some time later, there was that exhibition bout called "Foreman fights five" where Foreman went up against five opponents. Ali was well on the comeback trail by then, and he was at ringside, taunting Foreman. By that time, Ali had regained his form and a lot of people had begun to believe that he was the only boxer who could defeat Foreman.

 

Then the rope-a-dope in Zaire.

Edited January 26, 2006 by jt2003

[storm]

Yes the rumble in the jungle!

 

We watched it in our classmate's house who lives near the school. It was lunchtime and we are all glued to the TV while eating our baon. All of us were Pro-Ali but did not bet for him. Foreman was the heavy favorite and the betting was not who will win but until what round will Ali last. At first we thought what the hell was Ali doing with the ropes, letting Big George barraged him with punches but we noticed that Foreman was not really hitting Ali with solid punches and by round 6, he was breathing heavily - naubusan ng hangin.

 

By round 8 - tumba si George. Tuwang-tuwa kaming lahat! :thumbsupsmiley:

[sliderule]

Tapos pumasok naman sa eksena si Foreman, a gold medalist in the 1968 Olympic Games.

 

As in the first Ali-Frazier bout, it was a fight between two undefeated heavyweights.  The brothers gathered everyone at the covered court to listen to the radio broadcast.  Those for Foreman kept raising four fingers.  I was absolutely shocked when Foreman took Frazier out in two (or was it one?).

 

Some time later, there was that exhibition bout called "Foreman fights five" where Foreman went up against five opponents.  Ali was well on the comeback trail by then, and he was at ringside, taunting Foreman.  By that time, Ali had regained his form and a lot of people had begun to believe that he was the only boxer who could defeat Foreman.

 

Then the rope-a-dope in Zaire.

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Foreman (the first version) had absolutely no charisma at all unlike the flashy and entertaining Ali, so he was a villain to most boxing fans, us Pinoys included. There was a terrible mismatch with a nice guy named Joe King Roman who he butchered in a couple of rounds, then he needed just a few rounds to deck Smoking Joe and Ken Norton. So it really set the stage for the Kinsasha, Zaire fight with Ali. I think Foreman disappeared from the boxing scene after that loss. Wonder why, because .....

 

.....fast forward 20 years later and George has completely re-invented himself to a jolly, likeable fellow who not only sold hamburger grilles, but also actually won fights. A similar but pathetic comeback attempt was attempted by Larry Holmes but he couldn't duplicate George's success.

 

Most the heavyweight champs (Foreman, Holmes, Spinks) of that era had the bad luck of being Ali's contemporaries. Nobody could compare to The Greatest!

 

To the 70's people : Kung Hei Fat Choi !!

[jt2003]

Most the heavyweight champs (Foreman, Holmes, Spinks) of that era had the bad luck of being Ali's contemporaries. Nobody could compare to The Greatest!

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Actually, they all owed each other something. Ali never would have been considered the greatest heavyweight if he had not fought Liston, Patterson, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Chuvalo, etc....while their rep*tations were also raised because of their fights with Ali. As for Holmes, he had only one really memorable fight. That was his title bout with Norton. That 15th round had to be the best I had ever seen, with the two trading punches and both barely able to stand up. It was "Rocky" in real life.

 

I believe that when Foreman retired the first time, he said he was going to be a preacher. My friends and I found that rather strange, because, as you said, he was often looked upon as a bad guy.

[skicker]

Actually, they all owed each other something.  Ali never would have been considered the greatest heavyweight if he had not fought Liston, Patterson, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Chuvalo, etc....while their rep*tations were also raised because of their fights with Ali.  As for Holmes, he had only one really memorable fight.  That was his title bout with Norton.  That 15th round had to be the best I had ever seen, with the two trading punches and both barely able to stand up.  It was "Rocky" in real life.

 

I believe that when Foreman retired the first time, he said he was going to be a preacher.  My friends and I found that rather strange, because, as you said, he was often looked upon as a bad guy.

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Boss JT you left out one of the most couragous boxers of all time. He fought everybody in the heavyweight Division, two with Ali and one with then Heavyweight Champ Smokin Joe Frazier, losing on a technical decision due to cuts. His name is JERRY QUARY(RIP).

[storm]

Boss JT you left out one of the most couragous boxers of all time. He fought everybody in the heavyweight Division, two with Ali and one with then Heavyweight Champ Smokin Joe Frazier, losing on a technical decision due to cuts. His name is JERRY QUARY(RIP).

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Another boxer who almost beat Ali was Oscar Bonavena.

[sliderule]

Actually, they all owed each other something.  Ali never would have been considered the greatest heavyweight if he had not fought Liston, Patterson, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Chuvalo, etc....

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JT, now that you've mentioned it, Ali's career reaches as far back as Liston and all the way to Holmes. Add to that the few years his license was suspended and you can have a real appreciation of his longevity and why he was called The Greatest.

[flyingdutchman]

Quick hypothetical question : Ali vs Tyson. Both at their prime.

Who do you think would have won?

 

The Louisville Lip for me.

[storm]

Ali rin for me!

 

How about Foreman vs Tyson?

[jt2003]

Ali vs. Tyson, with both in their prime? In a 15-rounder, Ali would have taken Tyson out by the 13th or 14th, if not earlier. He would have used the early rounds to just jab at Tyson to dim Tyson's vision...then deliver the finishing blows later on. Besides, Ali was (is!!!) way too smart for Tyson.

 

Foreman vs. Tyson? That's power vs. power. I think Tyson would have taken that.

[storm]

I'll go for Foreman. It's hard to hit Foreman in his prime. He's kinda quick for a big guy and he hits hard. Look what happened to Norton and Frazier.

[bathala]

hmmm...Foreman vs. Tyson? Sayang this fight didn't push through. Mike tyson, I believe was incarcerated at that time when Big George was making his comeback....and when Mike Tyson came back, Foreman retired, i think. If ever that fight pushed through...I would go for Tyson, he really punches hard and would knock down Foreman if the fight lasted for more than 6 rounds.

[flyingdutchman]

In Foreman Vs Tyson, I'd choose Tyson. Si Smoking Joe pa siguro

kaya rin si Tyson. Actually kampi ako kay Frazier in

Thrilla in Manila. Hindi ko maalala bakit.

[storm]

Mayabang kasi si Ali!

[sally bogna mathay]

Been months since I last posted here. Glad to know that Magaling, Storm, JT, 16tyrack have kept it alive. I've been reading the posts on parenting, schools and other stuff. Very interesting.

 

On the AdMU/Maryknoll partnership - When I was in high school most of our parties were with STCQC. I have to admit that many of the girls I met from this school were intelligent. Strangely, I knew few Maryknollers (I refuse to call it Miriam because it reminds me of Miriam Santiago!). For some reason, our class never did have a party with them. I recall very memorable parties with St. Paul Manila, STC Manila and St Scho. and Teresiana. I think we even had one with St. Jo, which was organized after a few of us attended the Aming Tribo!

 

I am not biased, but some of the STC girls I met in high school are still firends up to today. If you were in Ateneo, chances are parties with Assumption were rare. I don't know if that is still the case now, since it's been 27 years since l left high school.

 

On college choices - Well, I did not pass the Ateneo exam so it was UP. I passed DLSU and UST, but UP was real cheap (still is today, apparently). But since I was afraid of not making it to UP, given the quota courses, I opted for UPLB just to get in the system. It was one of the best decisions I made (because I stayed in LB for 5 years). I would still recommend UP to my three daughters.

 

I guess having studied in Ateneo and UP gave me a better perspective on just about everything. Many people think that just because you are in Ateneo you must be rich. During my time, that was not the case. If you were middle class, you could get into Ateneo. I think I was one of the few who paid the tuition through 8 installments.

 

Pal!? Last time I said that was in grade school. Okay, 2am na. More comments tomorrow!

[storm]

Hello Pareng SBM!!! :boo:

 

Welcome back! I was from Notre Dame in Caloocan so most of the girls we met in typars then were from OLGA, La Consolacion, St. James Academy in Malabon (sister school of Maryknoll), Holy Spirit and ICA in Manila. But there were times that I met girls from Sienna, Maryknoll, Assumptions and STC QC.

 

When I entered UP Diliman the network of girls broadened exponentially! :thumbsupsmiley:

[Magaling]

Hello Pareng SBM!!! :boo:

 

Welcome back! I was from Notre Dame in Caloocan so most of the girls we met in typars then were from OLGA, La Consolacion, St. James Academy in Malabon (sister school of Maryknoll), Holy Spirit and ICA in Manila. But there were times that I met girls from Sienna, Maryknoll, Assumptions and STC QC.

 

When I entered UP Diliman the network of girls broadened exponentially! :thumbsupsmiley:

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Bigla tuloy ako napa-isip kung sino mga kilala ko galing Notre although alam ko marami-rami din mga tiga Notre na pumasok ng Mapua in college. OLGA and La Consolacion-Caloocan, we never had parties with them but I still ended up meeting a few girls from those schools. Strike anywhere! Hehehe...

[Magaling]

I'll go for Foreman. It's hard to hit Foreman in his prime. He's kinda quick for a big guy and he hits hard. Look what happened to Norton and Frazier.

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But wasn't it Norton who gained notoriety for breaking Ali's jaw? Although, later on Foreman would beat Norton just before the Rumble in the Jungle where Ali, in turn, defeated Foreman.

[jt2003]

But wasn't it Norton who gained notoriety for breaking Ali's jaw?  Although, later on Foreman would beat Norton just before the Rumble in the Jungle where Ali, in turn, defeated Foreman.

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It wasn't notoriety, pareng Magaling. It was downright FAME. Norton was the only one to break Ali's jaw. I still remember that front page photo of Ali with his broken jaw. The photo also featued Angelo Dundee. At the time, Ali was on the comeback trail following his loss to Frazier. Ali's fights with Norton were mostly controversial. I believe it was only the first one, when Norton broke Ali's jaw, where the judgment wasn't contested. In the next two fights, Norton insisted he had won although the decision went to Ali. I believe those were both split decisions.