MUHAMMAD Ali must be turning in his grave. Joe Frazier, too.
The iconic and historic nickname of their third fight has been hijacked by a promoter who probably has no idea that there can only be one “Thrilla in Manila,” the blockbuster fight that many regard as the best bout in boxing history.
The two greats were near death when the fight was stopped on the 14th round — Frazier, his body beat and his face reduced to a bloody pulp, not coming out of his corner, and Ali, both eyes puffy from the beating and chasing his breath, attended to by his seconds.
Just the thought that somebody had the gall to call a coming fight “Thrilla in Manila” dishonors the memory of that classic encounter which Ali won by technical knockout against Frazier on Oct. 1, 1975, at the Araneta Coliseum.
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The fight was seen in the sporting world as an attempt to put the Philippines on the boxing map — and it succeeded. Behind the scenes, however, everyone knew that its main objective was to project martial law, which lasted from 1972 to 1981, as a benevolent dispensation.
Manny Pacquiao — yes, the same guy who honored his country with more than a decade of boxing brilliance that netted him eight world titles and a seat in the Hall of Fame — is promoting this new fight card. He says it is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Ali vs Frazier fight, the third in a series between the two titans, a match watched by a sell-out crowd that included Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the President who had declared martial law three years earlier.
But using the tagline “Thrilla in Manila,” something Ali himself had coined, is a cheap attempt at creating interest in a boxing card whose protagonists will be lightweights, figuratively and literally.
Pacquiao should be the last person to invoke the names of Ali and Frazier for a card headlined by Melvin Jerusalem, who is staking his World Boxing Council mini-flyweight crown against a still unnamed opponent.
It’s fair to ask: Jerusalem who?
Who is this guy being made to fight under the banner of “Thrilla in Manila 2”? If Pacquiao is really bent on building excitement for a fight that offers none, maybe he should step in and fight Jerusalem.
Perhaps that will put some thrill in “Thrilla 2.”
Also, if you thought putting the “Thrilla” brand on this card was a master stroke of marketing, here’s another one for you. Pacquiao went to Malacañang and convinced President Bongbong Marcos to endorse the fight! Suspiciously uninformed about boxing history, Bongbong not only promised that government agencies would support the fight, he also said he would watch it.
READ Filipino fans gather at Big Dome memorial for Ali to pay homage to 'The Greatest'
During the half-hour meeting, President Bongbong was able to introduce a not-so-well-known incident about himself and boxing. He told Pacquiao that he once attended the training session of Ali at the Folk Arts Theater and recalled that they exchanged mock jabs, a standard Ali antic when in the company of a big name.
He said Ali shadow-boxed in front of the international press with him serving as a sparring partner.
“Yung nag-jab siya natatakot ako kasi pag nagkamali ako nito, tatamaan ako,” said the President, obviously gleeful about recalling the occasion.
As a young sportswriter then for the Manila Bulletin, I covered nearly all of Ali’s training sessions, but I don’t recall seeing Bongbong attend one. Maybe, he did on my day off?
Pacquiao, who ran for a Senate seat in the last election under Bongbong’s ticket and lost, presented the President his WBC belt as a gift. That probably makes Bongbong a boxing champion by default?
A SPIN.ph report said: “Pacquiao’s renewed focus on boxing and sports development signals a collaborative effort with the government to inspire a new generation of Filipino athletes and elevate the country's standing on the global sports stage.”
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I wholeheartedly back all attempts by any person or company, product or charity, consortium or institution to help develop Philippine sports. But I catch promotions like this and all I see is gimmickry, one that blatantly trifles with sports legends and their legacies, diminishing iconic taglines like “Thrilla in Manila” in the name of pure commerce.
Pacquiao should stop calling this bout the second “Thrilla.” He, more than anyone else, should know when a memory cherished by sports fans is being tarnished, and should be the first to be insulted by the disrespect for fellow athletes.
But if Pacquiao is short of a marketing tagline for a card headlined by a guy named Jerusalem, I have a suggestion.
How about: “A Trip to Jerusalem.”
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