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Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Megan Nollet.
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And I’m Patrick Woodward. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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Jerry Izenberg, a reporter who covered the fight called “The Thrilla in Manila,” later wrote:
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“What it came down to was not the heavyweight championship of the world. They were fighting for something more important than that. They were fighting for the championship of each other. I have never witnessed anything like it. Both fighters won that night, and both fighters lost.”
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Izenberg was talking about Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. “The Thrilla in Manila” was the third time they boxed for the heavyweight championship of the world. By this time, they hated each other. They insulted each other. There was too much to forgive. Ali and Frazier were the two best fighters of their generation. They each won one of their first two fights. The “Thrilla in Manila” was the final time they fought. It was their last chance to be remembered as the better fighter. Each was prepared to fight to the death. And they almost did.
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Today’s Spotlight looks at the competitive relationship between Muhammad Alia nd Joe Frazier.
Boxing is a sport where two people wearing padded gloves on their hands try to punch each other while defending themselves. Boxing is different from kickboxing because boxers are not allowed to kick each other. They also cannot use their knees or elbows to strike. Each round of boxing lasts three minutes. The fighters get one minute of rest between each round. In championship fights, there are 12 rounds unless one of the fighters cannot continue. Until 1982, championship fights were 15 rounds. But they were shortened due to health concerns.
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Ali and Frazier boxed in the heavyweight group in the World Boxing Association during the 1960s and 1970s. Muhammad Ali was named Cassius Clay before he changed his name when he joined the Nation of Islam in 1964. Elijah Muhammad was the leader of the Nation of Islam. He gave Ali his new name because Muhammad wanted Ali to promote and support the Nation of Islam. He also felt Ali needed a new name to symbolize his freedom in Islam.
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Ali was a young, talented boxer during the early 1960s. But Sonny Liston was the heavyweight champion of the world. Many people did not think anyone could beat Liston. He was too strong. People were frightened of him. But Ali defeated Liston to become the heavyweight champion of the world. Ali was only 22. Ali even defeated Liston a second time.
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Ali successfully defended his heavyweight championship title nine times. But then he refused to join the United States Army to fight in the Vietnam War because of his religious beliefs. Ali said:
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“I am not going 10,000 miles from home to help murder and burn another poor nation simply to continue the domination of white slave masters of the darker people the world over.”
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Ali’s refusal to serve in the army made him a hero of the black civil rights movement. But it also made him unpopular with others who said he was not supporting his country. A federal court found Ali guilty and convicted him of refusing to join the army. The World Boxing Association stopped Ali from boxing for three years and took away his title of heavyweight champion. Ali appealed his conviction. He often spoke publicly against the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. The Supreme Court finally withdrew his conviction three years later. Ali was allowed to start boxing again.
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While Ali was banned from boxing, another fighter named Joe Frazier became a heavyweight champion. Frazier’s fighting style was different from Ali’s. Frazier was 182 centimeters tall. Ali was 191 centimeters tall. Ali used his height and long arms to hit down at opponents and avoid their counterpunches. He moved quickly around the boxing ring. Frazier liked to get close to his opponents. He used continuous pressure. He was good at a fighting method called bobbing and weaving. Bobbing and weaving was a way of defending himself by constantly bending his knees to lower his body and moving his head from side to side. Frazier also hit powerfully with his left hand. This was called his left hook. Frazier had one of the greatest left hooks in boxing history. Frazier was strong and could take a lot of punishment.
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In 1971, Ali fought Frazier for the first time. Frazier was the heavyweight champion. Ali wanted to win back the title that he felt had been unfairly taken from him. The fight was called “The Fight of the Century.” Frazier had fought professionally 26 times without losing. Ali had fought professionally 31 times without losing. It was the first time that two undefeated heavyweight champions fought each other for that title. Even people who were not boxing fans were interested in watching the fight. Ali had become a symbol of the anti-war movement. People who were against the Vietnam War supported Ali. Frazier supported the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. Others liked Frazier because they thought he represented their values.
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Before their fight, Ali made many negative comments about Frazier to reporters. He suggested that Frazier was being used by the United States government to promote their own interests. Ali said:
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“Joe Frazier works for the enemy.”
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Ali also said about Frazier:
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“He is too ugly to be champion.”
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Ali’s comments deeply hurt Frazier. While Ali had been banned from boxing for three years, Frazier had loaned him money. Frazier felt Ali had been treated unjustly and wanted to help him. Also, Frazier grew up poor in rural Alabama. He had been the victim of racism during his youth. He wanted equality and justice for African Americans. Frazier felt he could relate more to the struggle of African Americans than Ali who had experienced a much easier childhood. Frazier felt that Ali was disloyal. Frazier said:
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“Ali thought that would weaken me when it came time to face him in that ring. Well, he was wrong. It did not weaken me, it awakened me.”
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The Fight of the Century was watched in 50 countries by 300,000,000 people. This was a record at the time. Ali was winning in the first five rounds. He hit Frazier many times. But Frazier slowly gained momentum. He landed many punches on Ali’s body. Ali got tired. Frazier bobbed and weaved to avoid Ali’s punches. Frazier’s punches started hurting Ali. In the 15th and final round, Frazier hit Ali on the chin with a perfect left hook. Ali fell hard to the mat. Ali managed to get up and finish the fight. But the three judges all voted for Frazier as the winner.
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Three years later, Ali and Frazier fought again. This time, Ali won the judges’ decision and was named the winner.
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Their third and final fight was held in 1975 in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It was over 40 degrees Celsius and very humid. The air at the ringside was hot and thick. Ali was now 33 years old, and Frazier was 31. Each man entered the ring knowing they would never fight each other again. They also understood it would take whatever skills and strength they had to win. Ali later said that he and Frazier went to Manila as champions and came back as old men.
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The fight followed a similar pattern to their first match. Ali controlled things for the first few rounds. Then Frazier fought back and gained control. He punished Ali with body blows. By the 11th round, Ali was exhausted. He almost gave up and quit. But Frazier was hurt too. By the start of the 14th round, Frazier’s right eye was swollen shut, and he could barely see out of his left eye. Before the15th and final round, Frazier’s trainer, Eddie Futch, looked at the worsening condition of Frazier’s eyes. Futch did not want his fighter and friend to go blind. He decided to stop the fight. Frazier yelled:
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“No, no, no! You cannot do that to me!”
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Futch told Frazier:
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“Sit down, son. It is over. No one will forget what you did here today.”
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Futch and Frazier had no idea that, when they decided to stop fighting, Ali made the same decision. Ali told his trainer, Angelo Dundee, to remove his boxing gloves before the final round. He was done. He could not take any more punches. After the fight, Ali said it was the closest thing to dying he had ever experienced. But Dundee refused to let him quit. Ali beat Frazier for the second time and is remembered as the greatest boxer ever.
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Over the next few years, both Ali and Frazier continued to fight. But neither was ever as great as they were against each other. For many years, Frazier refused to forgive Ali for his hurtful comments. Ali finally apologized in an interview for offending Frazier. But Frazier had difficulty forgiving Ali completely. Even after Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that causes involuntary shaking and several mental issues, Frazier remained angry. The pain was too deep. Perhaps the most meaningful apology Ali ever offered Frazier was when he made this statement to a reporter:
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“If God ever calls me to a holy war, I want Joe Frazier fighting beside me.”
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Have you ever heard of Muhammad Ali or Joe Frazier? Did you know they fought three times? Who do you think was better? You can leave a comment on our website at www.spotlightenglish.com. You can also find us on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X. You can also get Spotlight episodes delivered directly to your Android or Apple device through our free official Spotlight English app.
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The writer of this program was Peter Anderson. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. No AI or artificial intelligence was used in this program. Spotlight episodes are written, voiced, and produced by real people for real people, no matter where in the world they live. This program is called, “Ali vs. Frazier.”
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We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight episode. Goodbye.
Question:
Have you ever heard of Muhammad Ali or Joe Frazier? Did you know they fought three times? Who do you think was better?
