Boxing is a combat sport and a martial art in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time in a boxing ring.
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier lll, billed as the "Thrilla in Manila", was the third and final boxing match between WBA and WBC heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, and Joe Frazier, for the heavyweight championship of the world. The bout was conceded after fourteen rounds on October 1, 1975, at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines, located in Metro Manila. The venue was temporarily renamed the "Philippine Coliseum" for this match. Ali won by corner retirement (RTD) after Frazier's chief second, Eddie Futch, asked the referee to stop the fight after the 14th round. The contest's name is derived from Ali's rhyming boast that the fight would be "a killa and a thrilla and a chilla, when I get that gorilla in Manila."
George Edward Foreman is an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister and author. In boxing, he competed between 1967 and 1997 and was nicknamed "Big George". He is a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist. As an entrepreneur, he is known for the George Foreman Grill.
Jimmy Young was an American heavyweight professional boxer. Young was known for his awkward, defensive style and counterpunching. He was one of the top contenders of the 1970s, most notably earning a victory over George Foreman in 1977 and losing a unanimous decision against Muhammad Ali in 1976. Young fought many significant fighters of his era, including twice outpointing Ron Lyle and losing only by a split decision to then-number one contender Ken Norton in a title eliminator in late 1977. A fellow boxer, Bobby Watts, was his cousin.
Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns, was a world middleweight championship boxing match between undisputed champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler and challenger Thomas Hearns, the WBC super welterweight champion, who had gone up in weight for the bout. Won by Hagler by third-round knockout, the fight is considered by some to be the greatest three rounds in boxing history, due to its constant action, drama, and violent back-and-forth exchanges.
Karl Mildenberger was a German heavyweight boxer. He was the European Heavyweight Champion from 1964 to 1968, during which he retained the title six times. He unsuccessfully challenged Muhammad Ali for the World Heavyweight title in September 1966.
Jean-Pierre Coopman is a retired Belgian boxer who is best known for his title fight against Muhammad Ali in 1976 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which Ali won by KO in round 5.
Joe Frazier vs. George Foreman, billed as The Sunshine Showdown, was a professional boxing match in Kingston, Jamaica contested on January 22, 1973, for the WBA, WBC and The Ring heavyweight championships.
Muhammad Ali and Henry Cooper fought two boxing matches with each other in London. Their first match took place on 18 June 1963 and the second on 21 May 1966. Ali won both matches. The first fight was stopped by the referee in the fifth round, and the second in the sixth round. Both fights were stopped after Cooper started bleeding excessively from a cut to the left eye. The first Ali-Cooper bout is remembered for being one of the four fights in which Ali was officially knocked down in the ring by his boxing opponent, as well as leading to the mandate that ringside handlers always have an extra pair of boxing gloves available.
Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner fought each other in a boxing match on March 24, 1975, at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield Township, Summit County, Ohio.
Muhammad Ali fought three professional boxing matches against Ken Norton between 1973 and 1976. Ali won the series 2–1, though the final fight was highly controversial.
Muhammad Ali fought two boxing matches with George Chuvalo. The first bout took place on March 29, 1966; and the second on May 1, 1972. Ali won both fights through unanimous decisions on points.
Muhammad Ali and Karl Mildenberger fought a boxing match on September 10, 1966. While Mildenberger's unorthodox southpaw style caused Ali some discomfort in the early rounds of the bout, Ali won the fight through a technical knockout after the referee stopped the bout in the 12th round. This was the first time a sports event was broadcast via satellite through color telecast.
Muhammad Ali and Ron Lyle fought a boxing match on May 16, 1975. Ali won the bout through a technical knockout in the 11th round.
Muhammad Ali and Joe Bugner fought two boxing matches with each other. Their first bout took place on 14 February 1973; and the second on 1 July 1975. Ali won both matches through unanimous decisions on points. The 1975 fight with Bugner was for the undisputed world Heavyweight title owned by Ali, it was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, making it the first and, as of 2021, only world Heavyweight title boxing fight held in that Asian country, and it was the last bout Ali fought before Ali's Thrilla in Manila, his third fight with arch-rival Joe Frazier.
Muhammad Ali vs. Brian London was a professional boxing matching between Muhammad Ali and Brian London. The match took place at Earls Court Arena, London, England on August 6, 1966. It was scheduled for fifteen rounds. The match ended in the third round with Ali defeating London by KO.
Heavyweight boxers Muhammad Ali and Bob Foster fought on November 21, 1972, in Stateline, Nevada. Ali won the bout by knocking out Foster in the eighth round. Ali knocked Foster down seven times and this was the only fight in which Ali ever suffered a cut. The bout was notable because it was one of the first boxing matches refereed by Mills Lane.
Cassius Clay fought Sonny Banks in a ten-round boxing match at Madison Square Garden in New York City on February 10, 1962. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the fourth round. The event is remembered for being the first professional boxing match in which Ali was officially knocked down in the ring by his boxing opponent.
Cassius Clay fought Argentine Alex Miteff in a ten-round boxing match in Louisville on October 7, 1961. Clay won the fight through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the sixth round. Miteff and Clay would feature in the 1962 film Requiem for a Heavyweight.
Muhammad Ali is widely regarded by many boxing commentators and historians as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. Boxing magazine The Ring named him number 1 in a 1998 ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras. In 1999, The Associated Press voted Ali the number one heavyweight of the 20th century. In 1999, Ali was named the second greatest boxer in history, pound for pound, by ESPN; behind only welterweight and middleweight legend Sugar Ray Robinson. In December 2007, ESPN listed Ali second in its choice of the greatest heavyweights of all time, behind Joe Louis. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1990.
