Joe Frazier passed away yesterday (November 8, 2011) He was 67 years old.
The third and final fight between Ali and Frazier. The beating they put on each other was epic.
1975 “Thrilla in Manila” Closed Circuit Poster Signed by Ali, Frazier & Neiman. One of Neiman’s most famous paintings was used for this closed circuit poster advertising the famed Thrilla. Poster measures 14×22″ and is signed in 9+/10 black sharpie by the artist and both combatants.
– Heritage Auctions
When Muhammad Ali met Joe Frazier in Manila for the third, bloody act of their heroic trilogy of fights, the rivalry had spun out of control. More than a clash of personalities or fighting styles, the Ali-Frazier match up had become a kind of madness, inflamed by the media and the politics of race. When the “Thrilla in Manila” was over, the hype no longer mattered: one man was left with the ruin of a life; the other was battered to his soul.
– From Ghosts of Manila by Mark Kram. (I re-read this excellent book every couple of years).
+ Source:
• Thrilla in Manila Closed Circuit Poster (1975) :: Signed by Ali, Frazier & Neiman:: Heritage Auctions
+ Related:
• Chasing Ghosts of Manila :: By David Halberstam :: ESPN
• The Darker Side of Muhammad Ali :: By Larry Platt :: Salon