The Thrilla in Manila: 50 Years After the Final Bell
Muhammad Ali's drawn prediction of the Thrilla in Manila, September 30, 1975
Donated by the LeRoy Neiman Foundation in 2017.
Mounting Tensions in Manila
As the fighters prepared to face each other for the third time, their attitudes toward one another only soured further. Muhammad Ali continued to insult Joe Frazier's intelligence and physical appearance and, once they were in Manila, began referring to him as the "Manila Gorilla." He went as far as having t-shirts made with this insult on them, and carried around a rubber toy gorilla that he referred to as Frazier. A few days before the fight, Frazier told reporters:
"It's real hatred. I want to hurt him. I don't want to knock him out. I want to take his heart out. If I knock him down, I'll stand back; give him a chance to breathe, to get up."
With his usual confidence, Ali predicted the fight would be stopped in the third round and all points would be awarded to him. In private conversation with Sports Illustrated's Mark Kram, however, the champion confided that he felt Allah had a test coming for him soon.
Match Between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier - Round 3 Drawing, September 30, 1975
