Thriller in Manilla 40 years never topped

So its the aniversiary of most prob the greatest fight ever. A real fight to the death full of drama, insults, hatred. Still remembered today, by those who saw it, as the greatest fight in boxing history.

Has any fight come close to matching it.

No not for me. Both guys showed a lot of heart and grit in that fight.

People will point to Gatt v Ward trilogy, Barrera vs Morales, or even Marquez vs Vasquez etc. All great wars.

But seeing two Heavyweights punishing eachother in that manner is crazy. Both guys past their primes, but a great,great fight.

Too long for me............Getting impatient in my old age..

I'll stick to quicker wars like Mancini-Frias and Hagler-Hearns..

ONETWOFOREVER wrote:So its the aniversiary of most prob the greatest fight ever. A real fight to the death full of drama, insults, hatred. Still remembered today, by those who saw it, as the greatest fight in boxing history.

Has any fight come close to matching it.

In what way is it the anniversary? The fight took place on 1 October.

Their first fight surpassed it, by quite someway in my eyes. Even in 1971 Ali was clearly not the fighter he had been 3 years earlier, but Joe at least, was in his prime. By the time they met in Manila, all either of them had left was heart, and whilst the bravery and deterioration they displayed was beyond the call of duty, it was boxing reduced almost sadistic levels. Hindsight being what it is, the damage that they were doing to their long term health also makes this fight less palatable to me , in much the same way as watching Eubank-Watson is.

horizontalhero wrote:Their first fight surpassed it, by quite someway in my eyes. Even in 1971 Ali was clearly not the fighter he had been 3 years earlier, but Joe at least, was in his prime. By the time they met in Manila, all either of them had left was heart, and whilst the bravery and deterioration they displayed was beyond the call of duty, it was boxing reduced almost sadistic levels. Hindsight being what it is, the damage that they were doing to their long term health also makes this fight less palatable to me , in much the same way as watching Eubank-Watson is.

Agree with some of what you say but there is always a benchmark in sports and however brutal you saw the 3rd fight it has become the standerd template of a REAL fight for purists to compare.

....and given neither of them were killed, how was a "real fight to the death"

horizontalhero wrote:Their first fight surpassed it, by quite someway in my eyes. Even in 1971 Ali was clearly not the fighter he had been 3 years earlier, but Joe at least, was in his prime. By the time they met in Manila, all either of them had left was heart, and whilst the bravery and deterioration they displayed was beyond the call of duty, it was boxing reduced almost sadistic levels. Hindsight being what it is, the damage that they were doing to their long term health also makes this fight less palatable to me , in much the same way as watching Eubank-Watson is.

I agree hero the first fight was much better and the only thing that was made obvious in the second fight was that both fighters had bags of heart and both were able to take too much punishment for their own good. That bout finished both of them, neither was the same after wards.

horizontalhero wrote:Their first fight surpassed it, by quite someway in my eyes. Even in 1971 Ali was clearly not the fighter he had been 3 years earlier, but Joe at least, was in his prime. By the time they met in Manila, all either of them had left was heart, and whilst the bravery and deterioration they displayed was beyond the call of duty, it was boxing reduced almost sadistic levels. Hindsight being what it is, the damage that they were doing to their long term health also makes this fight less palatable to me , in much the same way as watching Eubank-Watson is.

Completely agree with this. Another is Ali vs Holmes, really hard to watch.

rapidringsroad wrote:

horizontalhero wrote:Their first fight surpassed it, by quite someway in my eyes. Even in 1971 Ali was clearly not the fighter he had been 3 years earlier, but Joe at least, was in his prime. By the time they met in Manila, all either of them had left was heart, and whilst the bravery and deterioration they displayed was beyond the call of duty, it was boxing reduced almost sadistic levels. Hindsight being what it is, the damage that they were doing to their long term health also makes this fight less palatable to me , in much the same way as watching Eubank-Watson is.

I agree hero the first fight was much better and the only thing that was made obvious in the second fight was that both fighters had bags of heart and both were able to take too much punishment for their own good. That bout finished both of them, neither was the same after wards.

Wouldn't mind being finshed and beating Lyle and Shavers types after the second fight.....

Two of the best heavies never to win the heavy title...

Whilst I agree that they weren't at their best............A little patronising to Ali's later opponents to say he was finished..

He certainly evolved...

huw wrote:

horizontalhero wrote:Their first fight surpassed it, by quite someway in my eyes. Even in 1971 Ali was clearly not the fighter he had been 3 years earlier, but Joe at least, was in his prime. By the time they met in Manila, all either of them had left was heart, and whilst the bravery and deterioration they displayed was beyond the call of duty, it was boxing reduced almost sadistic levels. Hindsight being what it is, the damage that they were doing to their long term health also makes this fight less palatable to me , in much the same way as watching Eubank-Watson is.

Completely agree with this. Another is Ali vs Holmes, really hard to watch.

I wont watch it.