Manila played host to one of the most gruesome televised sporting contests of all of time. Director John Dower portrays Muhammad Ali as the sole perpetrator behind the feud with Frazier that escalated during the course of three vicious battles between 1971 and 1975. Frazier is depicted as the victim who was maliciously ambushed by his former friend. The film reveals that Smokin’ Joe never forgot Ali’s smear campaign, which tarnished his professional boxing career. At the crux of their dispute, devout Muslim Ali scorned Frazier for hiring a boxing promotion team that he believed was controlled by the “white man.” (This turned out to be a fallacious argument.)
The documentary superbly illustrates how Ali turned on Frazier after regaining his boxing license. Thrilla strategically blends poignant archived television interviews and press conferences to show the depth of Ali’s vicious crusade to character assassinate Frazier. His smear campaign included referencing Joe as a “gorilla,” an “uncle tom” and dim-witted. Dower’s documentary shows how the former Nation of Islam leader Abdul Rahman recruited and taught Ali to believe that all white men were “blue-eyed-devils.”
In an ironic twist of fate, the documentary accurately illustrates that each fighter still anguishes 35 years later from the wounds inflicted
both in and out of the ring. To this day, Ali remains a world-renowned public figure who has grossed more than $50 million in endorsement deals. But his life has been greatly diminished due to his progressive case of Parkinson’s disease.Meanwhile, HBO Films finds Frazier confined to a small backroom in his private gym serving as a youth boxing trainer in the ghetto district of Philadelphia. Thrilla reveals Frazier is still embittered by his ordeal in Manila and basks in glory at the notion that his punishment may have contributed to Ali’s illness. “He’s paying for what he did ... and then some,” Frazier said with devilish smile.
During their three highly anticipated fights, Both Ali and Frazier managed to each convincingly win a match. HBO’s 90-minute documentary provides some evidence that Ali garnered newfound respect for Frazier after both fighters savagely fought through 14 grueling rounds of boxing in their third match. The documentary reveals a quote from Ali’s post-game victory press conference, “he’s (Frazier) tough, I would want him to fight alongside me in a holy war.” This commentary may offer some insight that Ali deeply lamented his behavior toward Frazier.
HBO’s documentary is one of the best sports documentaries in recent history because it reintroduces us to two men, Ali and Frazier, who still have a major score to settle outside of boxing. Dower’s documentary provides evidence to viewers that both former heavyweight prizefighters must resolve their differences outside the ring for them to recapture what may be the essence of a true champion.
Grade: A+
By Aaron Malofsky
In The Spotlight: Thrilla in Manila (HBO Documentary)
