With the world looking up to him now and convinced that he really is “the greatest fighter” of all time following his stunning 8th round knockout of the “invincible” George Foreman to regain the heavyweight title he once held, Muhammad Ali believes he still have plenty to show the world what he’s got. By surprising everybody especially those so-called boxing “experts” and even his long time coach and trainer Angelo Dundee and his entourage of “how” he fought, “fooled” and kayoed Foreman, Ali exhibited and revealed in the fight his long kept secret “tactical weapon” he alone knew, the rope-a-dope.
Although this rope-a-dope is not new in boxing, it is only now that it was given a name, refined and exhibited to perfection with historic results. What many did not know then, was that Ali for years had been practicing and using this tactic upon his return from exile without the knowledge and to the consternations of Dundee every time he uses this even in training. “Keep off the ropes! Keep off the ropes!” Dundee used to shout at him whenever he rests his back on the ropes or in the corner not knowing Ali was just doing his “thing”. The genius that he is, Ali relied most of the time only on his own than on Dundee’s coaching talents believing he knows more what he’s doing every time than anybody else. And if Dundee is in his corner, it’s just for the sake of having a so-called “coach and trainer”.
Recalling his second comeback fight against Oscar Bonavena in 1970, Ali occasionally employed the rope-a-dope to win by a 15th rd. kayo without arousing attention to it as to make it a secret in preparation to his impending fight with then world champion Joe Frazier. Somehow, after failing to make a big impact with it or win against Frazier, Ali cooled off from revealing or boasting about it — not until he got another crack at the world title, now held by Foreman and what was then just a secret is now a “novelty”.
Arriving in Manila, Philippines to a warm welcome to prepare for his title defense against Frazier, Ali soon made headlines on his arrival. With his pictures gracing the front pages of almost all major Manila newspapers and tabloids everyday, he loved so well his Manila receptions as the news media and fans played to his music. Poking fun at Frazier to generate interests and sell more tickets, he declared to the press, “This will be a killa and a chilla and a thrilla when I meet the gorilla in Manila!” Referring to Frazier as the “gorilla”, the fight was soon labeled “A Thrilla in Manila” and true to his predictions, it really turned out as a thriller of a lifetime.
Reminiscent of their first two fights that they split, this third encounter was also action-packed, exciting and thrilling but was more of a one-sided fight as the fight dragged on. With Ali dominating the fight from the start and occasionally employing the rope-a-dope, he overwhelmed Frazier with accurate punching throughout until Frazier’s corner threw in the towel after the 14th round giving Ali a 15th rd TKO victory. Before the stoppage, Frazier can hardly see and was badly battered to a pulp when his manager called on Filipino referee Sonny Padilla to stop the fight. What amazed Padilla most as the third man in the ring that he revealed later was that he overheard Ali reciting a poem while exchanging punches with Frazier.
Gracious and appreciative in victory, Ali paid tribute to Frazier calling him “the greatest fighter next to myself. He always brings out the best in me”. However, Frazier as always was noncommittal about the praises or of Ali’s claim of greatness and every thing he stands for. Many years later and already retired, Ali apologized to Frazier for the humiliating languages and name-calling he has uttered against him, simply, as he reasoned out, “just to arouse” interests to the sport. He also admitted that the “Thrilla in Manila” was his greatest and hardest fight ever, a claim widely accepted.
Ali continued to defend his world title several times more until 1978 when he met Leon Spinks, the 1976 Montreal Olympics gold medallist and the world light heavyweight champion at the time. Though Spinks has only 7 pro fights to his credit, outsized and outweighed by Ali by nearly 30 pounds, Spinks surprised him winning by a 15 rd split decision and his title. Not giving up yet or retire for good as a fighter, Ali trained hard for a rematch with Spinks and like the young Ali, dominated Spinks from start to finish winning convincingly and decisively in all the judges’ scorecards. With his triumph, Ali set the record as the first fighter to win the heavyweight title thrice but retired thereafter only to make a comeback a few years later. Due to his advancing age and many other reasons, he failed. Today, Ali is sickened by Parkinson’s disease and can hardly talk. Yet despite it, Ali is still very attentive and active in attending social functions where most of the time he is honored and as usual, gets the most attentions every time.
Considered worldwide as “the greatest” fighter ever, Ali has brought into the sport what all other boxers have not that by his emergence, boxing was not the same again. He elevated it to its highest degree of popularity and acceptance as a sport worldwide and to many, he is the present day messiah. That’s because when boxers used to receive only a few thousand bucks of prize money before, today, they receive in the millions. All these can only be attributed to Ali and that’s just not all.
Ali is probably the only fighter who has fought and sparred with many world champions, so-called “world champions” and future so-called “world champions”. Early in his career, Ali was able to spar with then Swedish world heavyweight champion Ingenmar Johanson, later fought and kayoed former light heavyweight champion Archie Moore, then champion Liston, former champion Floyd Patterson, WBA champion Ernie Terrell, champion Frazier, former sparring partner and so-called “champion” Jimmy Ellis, light heavyweight champion Bob Foster, later “paper champion” Ken Norton, champion Foreman, Spinks and in his fourth attempt to become champion, then champion Larry Holmes in that order.
Summing up Ali, he is everything what other boxers are not. He is a prophet, a genius, a poet, a joker, an innovator, an entertainer, a salesman, a diplomat, a great family man and father and so forth. But most of all, he is “The Greatest”. Many for sure will not agree, but Ali has always an answer that for them to get even with him, he’s got to be a “postage stamp”. Listen.
'’There’s not a man alive Who can whup me. I’m too fast. I’m too smart. I’m too pretty. I should be a postage stamp. That’s the only way I’ll ever get licked!’’
