HBO will pay tribute to the legacy of heavyweight great Joe Frazier, who passed away Nov. 7, with a special encore play of THRILLA IN MANILA, the compelling 2009 documentary chronicling the competition between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, widely considered the greatest rivalry in boxing history. The 90-minute film will be seen THURSDAY, NOV. 10 (6:30-8:00 p.m. ET/PT).
Other HBO playdate: Sunday, Nov. 13 (5:30 p.m.)
HBO Signature playdate: Friday, Nov. 11 (4:30 p.m.)
THRILLA IN MANILA tells the story of the final Ali-Frazier fight in the searing heat of the Philippines through the eyes of Frazier – the “other man” in the ring. The film is also available to subscribers at HBO On Demand® through Nov. 27.
An official selection of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and a Peabody Award winner, THRILLA IN MANILA chronicles one of the bitterest sports face-offs ever, recounting a tale of personal betrayal stoked by the racial politics of 1970s America. Featuring archival footage and exclusive interviews with boxing insiders, including Ferdie Pacheco, Butch Lewis and Dave Wolf, as well as Imelda Marcos, former first lady of the Philippines, the documentary tells the story of two great fighters forever linked by three epic bouts, and looks at their final fight, considered the most brutal, from Frazier’s perspective for the first time.
Directed by John Dower (“Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of The New York Cosmos”), THRILLA IN MANILA deftly tracks an extraordinary personal battle between two friends, and captures the poignant moment in the socio-cultural history of the country when they became American sports icons and legends. While Ali was a symbol of the civil rights struggle and the anti-Vietnam War movement, Frazier was cast (some would say unfairly) as the symbol of the pro-war, conservative segment of American society.
In 1967, Ali was stripped of his heavyweight crown after refusing induction into the armed forces. THRILLA IN MANILA shows how Frazier subsequently befriended Ali and supported the renewal of his boxing license and status, revealing the intense feelings of betrayal he felt after Ali returned to the ring in 1970 and subjected him to race-baiting attacks.
HBO Documentary Films and HBO Sports present A Darlow Smithson/IMG Media Company Production; narrated by Liev Schreiber; produced and directed by John Dower; executive producers, John Smithson and Elinor Day; executive producer for British Channel 4, Andrew Mackenzie; director of photography, Stephen Standen; editors, Nicholas Packer and Kate Spankie.
Save On Tickets To Championship Doubleheader At The Honda Center
Want to save $15 or $20 a ticket for the big World Championship Doubleheader on Saturday, December 1st at the Honda Center, featuring Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko and Vic Darchinyan vs. Anselmo Moreno!
All you have to do is order your tickets thru Fight Club OC’s Roy Englebrecht Promotions and through a special arrangement with Golden Boy Promotions, you won’t have to pay any Ticketmaster service charge, or travel to the Honda Center box office to purchase tickets. This is just another benefit from Fight Club OC, now the Fight Capital of Southern California!
Tickets to this big night of boxing are priced at $154 (Ringside Front Floor and Center Plaza), $104 (Ringside Back Floor and Plaza, $54 (Side Plaza), $27 (Rear Plaza).
To take advantage of this special ticket offer with no service charge tacked on, all you have to do is call Drew at Roy Englebrecht Promotions at 949 760-3131. With a credit card your order will be taken and your tickets will be mailed to you… ITS THAT SIMPLE!
Down Goes Frazier
One of the most famous lines in boxing history will never be the same and this time the subject can’t get up. Howard Cosell announced the Joe Frazier vs. George Foreman heavyweight championship fight in 1973 from Kingston, Jamaica, where the lines originated. Frazier had the courage and the heart that defines the Philly Fighter. He kept getting knocked down and he kept getting up.
When Foreman knocked Frazier down the first of six times, roughly two minutes into the first round, legendary commentator Howard Cosell kept saying: “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!”
That fight brought a third player, Foreman, into the Joe Frazier-Muhammad Ali mix. It was two years after Frazier beat Ali in their first fight that Foreman beat Frazier. Can you imagine there being a third player in the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao mix? Many of us can’t even fathom the thought of that, but it is possible and the Frazier-Foreman fight provides proof it can happen.
Philadelphia boxing has lost a lot of icons this year but our own Bernard Hopkins said it best: “His legacy in the city of Philadelphia is up there with the greats, maybe even surpassing the 76ers’ Dr. J (Julius Erving)”.
At a time when boxing was still a big deal, Philadelphia had one of the boxers in the world. It makes our history that much better. Frazier probably did not get the recognition he deserved in this city. Maybe it was because he did not fight here often (10 times in 37 fights) or because he was not always outspoken, but he always seemed to have a special spot in the heart of the Philadelphia sports fan.
I remember watching the fights with my dad when I was a young girl. He used to tell me about the stories of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. He told me about their great trilogy, about Frazier’s win over Ali and the two losses to go along with it.
Hearing about Frazier’s deadly left hook made me want to know as much as possible about this standup guy, this dedicated fighter. I got his autobiography when I was about 10 years old and the book remains one of my earliest memories about fighters. I learned that our Philadelphia fighter was not from Philadelphia—he was born in South Carolina.
Reading about how he made his first makeshift heavy bag and how he hung it from an oak tree in his backyard was fascinating. Or when he injured his left arm and how–since his family did not have money to go to a doctor–he had to let the arm heal on its own. Due to that process Frazier could never straighten out his arm again. Perhaps that is why he was known for a brutal left hook instead of a stiff jab!
When I sit back and think of this year and all that the Philadelphia boxing community has lost, this one hits me in a different way. Frazier was the best-known athlete worldwide ever from Philadelphia and he represented the city as a gentleman.
Did you know that Smokin’ Joe was paid just $125 for his first fight in 1965 at Convention Hall against Woody Goss? Growing up poor and going from that $125 payday to a $2.5 million dollar payday against Ali in 1971 was a huge change. One thing about Frazier–he always seemed to be grounded and always seemed to remember his roots.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr., soon after hearing the news of Frazier’s death, tweeted: “My condolences go out to the family of the late great Joe Frazier. #TheMoneyTeam will pay for his funeral services.” I hope it happens–Frazier deserves it.
The author is a senior at Temple University who is now a part of Peltz Boxing. Follow us on twitter @Peltzboxing and our intern @bamonboxing.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR NOVEMBER 26 WORLD TITLE CLASH BETWEEN UNDFEATED WORLD CHAMPION CANELO ALVAREZ & FORMER WORLD CHAMPION KERMIT CINTRON AT ICONIC PLAZA MEXICO IN MEXICO CITY
LOS ANGELES, November 9 – Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions are pleased to announce that the November 26 World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Welterweight World Title clash between undefeated World Champion Canelo Alvarez and former World Champion Kermit Cintron which will be televised on HBO Boxing After Dark in the United States and on Televisa in Mexico will take place at Plaza Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico. The iconic arena, which holds more than 40,000 people, has been home to some of Mexico’s greatest champions including Raul “Raton” Macias, Humberto “Chiquita” Gonzalez, Erik “El Terrible” Morales and Julio Cesar Chavez. Now, Mexico’s brightest star, Canelo Alvarez, is set to defend his world title in the famous venue.
Tickets, priced from 200 pesos to 3000 pesos are on sale now and available for purchase through www.ticketmaster.mx.
Alvarez vs. Cintron is a 12-round bout for Alvarez’s WBC Super Welterweight World Championship which will take place Saturday, November 26 at Plaza Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico and is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T. The HBO Boxing After Dark telecast, which will also feature Adrien Broner vs. Vicente Rodriguez in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBO Junior Lightweight World Title taking place the same night from the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, will air at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT in the United States. Broner vs. Rodriguez is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and R&R Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions.